Shannon Mendis

1. I feel like a kid again learning the basics like flushing the toilet, opening the doors or simply turning on a light.  For flushing the toilet the button is on the top and not a handle on the side. It may seem so small and no big deal, but since it's obviously an everyday thing...it begins to feel awkward. Just can't wait to get back and feel awkward again when I'm trying to press the top of our toilets in Florida, haha.

2. The light switches are opposite and also the doors I noticed. I would pull when I should push and I would push when I should pull.

3. My key to my apartment looks like a treasure chest key.

4. They have coat check!! Sorry, but to me I was very excited. We obviously don't need it in Florida.

5. Food is different, but I expected that...On my first week I got a super pizza...when I brought it home, I found out it had eggs and bacon on top. It was more like a breakfast pizza. Whatever, I ate it.

6. Moomin - very famous cartoon character in Finland.

7. My washing machine was a very interesting experience when I first got here. Most instruction booklets for appliances come in Danish, Swedish and Finnish...so I relied on Google translate and pictures to figure it out. The washer itself has an opening at the top where you throw your clothes in...then close the cheese grater looking thing while putting soap in the top...close the washer top and press button that looks like a t-shirt and voila! Hang your clothes to dry.

8. My keyboard is different, so if I type some different character by accident I apologize. ä, €, ö for example.

9. My elevator for the apartment is like a photo booth...very tiny, and I can't help but laugh when I try to fit me and my backpack in there.

10. My office is circular (the only one in town like it) They say when you are meeting someone you really don't like, just tell them to meet you on the corner.

11. The time and measurements are different here. They use what I call military time, °C instead of °F to describe temperature and kilometers instead of miles to describe distance. Everything is different than I am used to. Shoe sizes, distances, even when designing pages they don't use inches...its in mm. Of course, not wrong, just different.

12. My office has a Starbucks looking machine that produces 20 different coffees. Totally awesome!

13. I have to walk like a penguin because the first day, I slipped 4 times on the way to work and thought I was going to break my leg from the snow. And I fell a week ago and slapped my face to the pavement. Not fun!

14. You purchase your own bags for your groceries.

15. Emergency phone # is 112. Ambulances are bright neon orange.

16. There aren't any pay phones that I have found. :) Since Nokia originated here in Finland, most everyone walks around with a cell phone. There are pay phones...but I have yet to see one.

17. Transportation is bus, train, plane, walk, car, tram and metro.

18. Escalators are sensitive to motion. In other words, I thought it was broken and then as I walked closer and it sensed I was there it started moving...Right on!

19. Alvar Aalto is all over!!

20. Besides dogs, the only other animal I have seen are pigeons and seagulls. I've heard there are lots of bunnies, but I haven't seen any.

21. Finns drink lots and lots of coffee (love that)

22. Finns speak many different languages

23. The sauna is a big thing! (Trying it next week after ice swimming.)

24. Kebab and Pizza places on every corner.

25. Mineral water is served for the meal.

26. Fazer makes very tasty chocolate.

27. Cash points or ATMs are called Otto and are found all over the city.

28. Bars are open till 4am (could be trouble...kidding).

29. Town is asleep Sundays (bet it's because of #28).

30. They have pedestrian reflectors (snowflake, bambi, flower or just a circle on backpack or jacket)

31. Finniko is the name for the movie theaters here and you have assigned seats when you get your ticket.

32. Finns read a lot of newspapers and magazines.

33. Finns love blueberry pie, rye bread and licorice.

34. Leave shoes in hallway if entering someone's home...everywhere. It is rude if you don't, I heard.

35. Railway station has underground shops.

36. I have a dish drying cabinet above my sink in the kitchen (apparently the Finns invented this).

37. Pea soup is very common now that it is cold (I tried it and it's yummy).

38. They have slot machines in the Smarket (grocery store).

39. Crime is not high and police officers are nowhere really to be found.

40. Skinny jeans are in! But then again everyone is skinny.

41. Take Away not To Go.

42. It is rare for a Finn to have "small talk" with a stranger.

43. Don't get on a tram without ticket or you will have to pay 80€ (not that i know anything about that).

44. Peeing in public for men is common...I've seen a few.

45. I haven't seen any bugs anywhere...not like in Florida, but probably has something to do with the weather being so cold.

46. Toilet paper is white, yellow or pink. Interesting...

47. Kiosks are like small minimarts or gas stations without pumps.

48. Finns have birthdays and name days.

49. Common Finnish meal includes pea soup, meatballs, mashed potatoes, lingonberries and pancakes for dessert.

50. Another Finnish thing is Karelia Pie. It's a thin rye shell with rice filling and topped with egg salad...at least that's how we did it!