Tuesday, June 8, 2010

The two things I dislike about Finland...


There are two things I don't like about Finland. The first is salmiakki (salty licorice). Finns absolutely love the stuff. I'm not sure why, especially as an active ingredient in salmiakki is ammonium chloride (i.e. the same stuff that forms at the edge of vocanic vents and is also found in shampoo and the glue that binds plywood). The second thing I hate about Finland are the mosquitos. They are ravenous and they seem to really like my blood. I just tried going for a walk. It was overcast and they were swarming everywhere. It was so bad, I had to run back inside.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess it is like the salty Dutch liquorice. I quite like it but I don't think so much salt is good. I have never associated Finland with mosquitoes. I am surprised.

Adaptive Radiation said...

There are a lot of lakes in Finland. With so much freshwater, I guess it's a mosquito's paradise. They are like flies back in Oz...big, annoying and persistent.

Victor said...

Didn't you pack a cork hat?

:-)

The Mutant said...

What are you, crazy??? Salmiakki is the best. The absolute very best!

In the mean time I haven't been attacked by hoards of mozzies for ages... you're making me miss the discomforts of home, home of course being Shepparton, not Finland just to avoid confusion.

Adaptive Radiation said...

Victor: No, I forgot. Nathan brought along his western bull dogs cap though.
Mutant: Yes...I heard that people in Shepparton also speak in foreign tongue.