Sunday, June 29, 2008

"En ollut ollut baarissa humalassa yli vuoteen!"

I recently listened to a recorded episode of the "Kesälomautus" radio show called "Mökkinisti" (something like "cottager" - someone who is addicted to going to the cottage every weekend) on Yle site. It is about the story of a guy who confesses about his problem, even having to steal in order to afford to go there.

Something what caught my attention was the way he realized that he had a problem: while sitting in the sauna it suddenly struck him that he had not been in a bar, getting drunk, for over a year!

What on earth?!?!?!

If someone has not been drunk his/her all life, he/she must have a pretty crappy life (I know at least one guy, Vanhanen, the prime minister, is an absolutist, poor guy! ;-))! So hey, people, if you don't drink to get drunk, your life sucks! You have a problem. Accept it, it's the first step... and then head to the bars. They are waiting for you to get wasted!

After this, you can proudly say that you have finally gotten on the right track (after years of confusion), and become part of those with a real life: the crowd whose members are crawling to the taxi stations at 4am and then finding themselves the next days with a bill to be paid, from the taxi driver who had to take his cab interior to be cleaned...

The radio show can be listened to here: http://areena.yle.fi/toista?id=1341871, available until 26.07.2008, 15:23.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Life is so cheap in Finland

Again, no language related, but a news in today's newspaper. A youngster who run away with 190 km/h driving a car under the influence of alcohol (1.24 pro mil), killing a policeman, only gets 3.5 years in jail.

People are outraged about how life means nothing for the government and law makers in Finland (I read the comments to the news on the newspaper's site). They are also speculating that because the convicted was under 21 and first conviction, he will get away with under 2 years in jail.

Long live justice!


Original news in Finnish.