To the same thought I might add this: We saw some baboons on the way to Cape Point, the most south-western point of African continent. I had never seen one before, which greatly surprised my friend Simon. I tried to come up with an animal that I had seen (in Finland or elsewhere) which he had not seen. Couldn’t. Tried elk and reindeer. He had seen elks and caribous in Alaska. No luck, and animals in zoo don’t count. So one would probably not go to Finland to see the not-so-special fauna...
 |
| A baboon, the alpha male of its troop. |
Nevertheless, I still have quite a handful of reasons to go to Finland. Last Wednesday a visit to the Khayelitsha township (township means apartheid era non-white residential area) and the informal settlements (slums) spreading around it to every direction, gave me a bunch of more reasons.
Still, somehow I think going back to my homeland of security, abundant food, water, energy, everything is not going to help these people living in their shacks. But think of this: Because we have messed up the European economy and subsequently the carbon credit market, the price for emitting a ton of CO2 is lower than ever. Well, how does that relate to a township in Cape Town? In a neighbourhood called Kuyasa, more than 2,000 houses have been equipped with solar water heater and proper insulation. As part of the Kyoto protocol mechanisms, they can then sell carbon credits for European companies. All the investments being made, that is just pure income, but the price now is just a fraction (6.30 €/ton as of 11 Feb) of what it was in the beginning of the trading system (about 30 €/ton). The world is small.
 |
| African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) on Robben Island. |
I think the most attractive thing in Finland for foreigners is the silence. And light in summer.
ReplyDeleteSomeone told me once about these Japanese businessmen who came to visit Finland and went on safari. The guide took them to this meadow, and the men just sat there crying, because the silence was so overwhelming.
Not the most exciting thing for marketing team, though.
P.S There's one Finnish black-and-white domestic cat eagerly waiting for you to come home.
<3
Not so-special-fauna or flora in Finland but how about the winterswimming and sauna. Dipping in the hole in the ice seems to be one of favourites for exchange students in Tampere and for me as well!
ReplyDeleteAnother question that I came across thirty years ago in Africa was "Is Finland like America?" Well, is it? That depends on your point of view. If you are looking from Finland, the answer was, at least that time, definitely "No". But if you are pondering the matter in an African rural village, the answer may be "Yes". This question has bothered me for years; maybe I am afraid that it the final conclusion turns to reveal that Finland and America are alike.
ReplyDeleteI’ve never been to (the United States of) America, but somehow Bloemfontein reminds me of something I’ve seen on TV. Everybody drives a car (a big one usually!), huge shopping malls which are impossible to appoarch on foot, no public transportation, and, unfotunately, many very big people. But overall, what I’ve seen, it’s not like America here, and not like Finland (Europe). And even judging from here, Finland is not like America.
ReplyDelete