Do You Think You Could Live in Finland?

I often hear Finnish people say that they could not imagine visiting, let alone living in, an Arab country. Most people seem to believe that in those countries, women always have to wear long dresses and cover their hair, and that men walk around the steets firing their guns and shouting out religious and political messages.

Media has created an image of Arabs as being scary, weird, and even ridiculous people. Today's political environment supports this hatred. It's totally acceptable to fear and hate the "Axis of Evil".

My own experience on Arab cultures has been completely opposite to the common beliefs. Okay, a one-week diving trip to the Red Sea is a bit different from, for instance, living in Teheran. In Egypt, I felt welcome and nobody forced me to wear long dresses of cover my hair, and I didn't see anyone firing guns on the streets. The Arabs seemed smart and tolerant towards people from other cultures. I think I could one day live and work in, for example, Dubai or Bahrein. Actually, I once applied for a job in Dubai but I was too late.

So how about Finland? Let's take a moment to look at Finland with the eyes of a foreigner (well, for most of the readers, this is the only way).
The Finnish winter lasts for six months, during which people stay inside killing their wives and themselves. They drink too much, are too fat and don't talk to each other. Those crazy people sit on the ice, hour after hour, and claim to be fishing. Now how on Earth would want to visit, let alone live in, this country that calls itself "Suomi"? Not me.

There are stereotypic descriptions about every country and their peoples, and putting the stereotype aside and really getting to know the culture is oftentimes rewarding. Don't believe everything you see on tv!