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Anonymous
so, turns out ill be living/working in helsinki for a year.

need info on bars, nightlife, tourist-shit-actually-worth-doing, women, how much people hate americans, etc.

how much is a beer at a hole-in-the-wall bar?

=)
>> Anonymous
1) beer is expensive. like 3,5€ /pint in an average bar. you need to try the brand called 'sandels'
2) everything is expensive
3) if/when you use public transportation, don't EVER say hello to the driver. it's like dividing by zero here
4) the women are good
>> Anonymous
> 5) winters suck. nothing happens. all kinds of stuff going on in summer/spring/autumn.
>> Anonymous
>>62700
3) if/when you use public transportation, don't EVER say hello to the driver. it's like dividing by zero here

explain plz.
>> Anonymous
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Beer ranges from 2.5 euros in a dirty place filled with alocoholics to 6 euros in expensive places. 4.5 euros is the downtown average.

I guess most of the tourist stuff is rubbish. Try to make friends with people who like to hike in the wildreness. Spring and autumnn can be really beautiful.
>> Anonymous
>>62704
most finns don't like interaction with strangers unless it's absolutely necessary. especially in cities
>> Anonymous
>>62710
that is awesome. pretty much how i am.
>> Anonymous
>>62704
Most people actually say something like "hi" or "hello" when they get on. It's really not obligatory.
>> Anonymous
>>62712
However if the driver says hi to you it's OK to say hi to him. Most of the female-drivers and foreign drivers will greet you when you step in, and I greet them. If I don't, I feel like the rest of the bus hates me for being a grumpy person
>> Anonymous
I already recommended to purchase a book on the other board.
About nightlife.. Well, due to low purchasing power (heavily socialist country) people tend to frontload heavily. The clubs can be open till 4, depending on the licence. Scoring isn't a problem.
>> Anonymous
I hear it's wonderful in Helsinki this time of year. The weather affords one solitude.
>> Anonymous
>people tend to frontload heavily.

what does that mean in this context...?
>> Anonymous
>>62725
Frontloading means getting drunk _before_ going to a club or bar so that you don't have to purchase those expensive drinks so much.
>> Anonymous
Helsinki is the cancer of Finland. Full of annoying and grumpy people.

I hate Helsinki, and Helsinki hates me.
>> Anonymous
>>62726
ah, gotcha... thought you where referring to cover charges or something in this case.
>> Anonymous
are they vodka drinkers or beer drinkers?
>> Anonymous
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A DRINK TO GO WITH HIS FOOD.
>> Anonymous
>>62731
Drinkers.
Anything goes.
There's one Finnish speciality that rarely recieves compliments from foreigners: Votka spiced with ammonium chloride. Finns really like salty liquorice (or amm. chloride or salmiac) and they will offer it to you when they get a chance - just because they know you'll absolutely hate it.
>> Anonymous
>>62737
ammonium? wont that ummmm kill me?
>> Anonymous
>>62747
No

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salty_liquorice
>> Anonymous
>>62747
Ammonium chloride is made from ammonium and hydrochloric acid. Both would kill you, but when you mix acid and base you get salt - ammonium chloride.
>> Anonymous
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<--
>> Anonymous
>>62737
Salmiakki Koskenkorva! I had it, it's not bad.

Club Helsinki is not bad. Finns get DRRRRUNK. Really, really smashed. The big island in the harbour (Suomenlinna?) is OK in a low key kind of way. If you like kayaking or sailing small boats I'd say the harbour would be good in summer.

On the down side, the food is pretty bad and the people are kind of intense. Not unfriendly exactly but a little strange.
>> Anonymous
Like most of the world (including France) they don't in fact really hate Americans, just the American government. Avoid the "Fuck yeah America !!!" attitude and you'll be fine.
>> Anonymous
Yeah, traditional Finnish food ain't that awesome, but luckily we have good restaurants (steaks, Italian, etc.) to fit one's culinary preferences.
>> Anonymous
Finland is boring in the winter. For anyone wanting to visit Finland just for a little while, you should come here in the warmest period of summer for the music festivals and other happenings.

>>62697
Since you're spending such a long time in Finland I'd recommend going to some places outside the capital area during your stay, maybe see Lappland, the music festivals in the summer, and Tallinn is a short boat trip away from Helsinki.
>> Anonymous
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I think I'll just leave this here.
>> Anonymous
You should go to the little pubs downtown where stundents and other not-so-into-club-shit people go for cheap beer and relaxed athmosphere. From a club you'll get tail, but in small quiet pubs you can talk with real people about something else than the size of your dick. Just don't wander too far off downtown because pubs there are infested with older close minded hicks and angry white kids with dead end jobs ready to pick a fight over anything
>> Anonymous
>>63157
I lol'd
>> Anonymous
I was there for 2 nights and didn't see much but what I saw I really liked. Everyone speaks English and is beautiful. I also heard Basshunter being playing at a shopping centre while I was at a bar which really made me lol. Also I noticed a lot of people wore glasses.
>> Anonymous
awesome thread, thanks for all the great responses.

how pissed do Finns typically get at foreigners not speaking their language, assuming you learn the obligatory "good day sir, do you speak english?" phrase?
>> Anonymous
>>63216
English is taught from the 3rd grade so pretty much everyone speaks english. You should be able to get service in English pretty much everwhere.
Don't think that many people will be unwilling to communicate in english, but you might spot those people too. =P
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
>>63216
Some people do have fuck awful English. Mainly the dumb youth that don't bother learning and the elderly. But chances are they will try to communicate in English, mainly in grunts and nods.

All the exchange students I've met speak English and they don't really bother with the Finnish greetings. It's better that way, really.
>> Anonymous
>>63222
Finns, losing wars in awesome ways.

Also, yes, you'll survive with English well... But Finnish, even as the 3rd most difficult language out there, is doable in some months if you actually want to learn.

Also, visit other places than Helsinki too, the capitol sucks.
>> Anonymous
This is relevant to my interests.

Bump!!
>> Anonymous
Helsinki blows,
go to tampere instead
>> Anonymous
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>> Anonymous
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