The main purpose of this project is to give a voice to foreigners in Finland. By writing, we can raise awareness about topics important to us. By sharing our stories we might help others to see who we are, what we are passionate about, what are our strengths and talents. We can also point to obstacles and difficulties in our integration process or discuss the experience with life in Finnish society.
My Salmiakki Life would like to give foreigners in Finland the opportunity to share their unique experience and knowledge.
Immigrants in Finland are not one homogeneous group. It would be great if this blog is as diverse as possible. But I understand, that writing is not for everybody and that English is not the language every person can use. Still, if you want to be part of My Salmiakki Life we can try to find a way.
I believe we can help in the co-creation of a more culturally sensitive, diverse, inclusive and tolerant society in Finland.
Want to be a part of it? Read more blogging opportunities or let be interviewed 🙂 You can also contact me at info@mysalmiakkilife.fi
And why salmiakki life?
Salmiakki or salty liquorice is the very Finnish confectionery and the explosion of tastes, especially for foreigners 🙂 Although it might taste strange at the beginning, there are ways how to get used to it or how to even love it.
And this is exactly how life in Finland is (at least for me). Some things might feel strange and some others will become immediately your obsessions, like little pieces of salmiakki in the milk chocolate 🙂
Welcome!
Latest on My Salmiakki Life
Reconciling work and family life or when mom starts to work…
In my very last blog post, I mentioned that I have started in my new job position after quite a lengthy period. As probably in any new position, I face some challenges there, but I would have not guessed how an enormous difference my employment brings into the daily routine of our whole family. I would have…
How I finally become employed again…
I was career orientated back in Slovakia. Always having 2 jobs, continuously studying and having clear aims how my work-related future would look like. But then we moved to Finland and everything was suddenly completely different… To cut the long story short – I had some small paid part-time jobs at the beginning of my…
Downpart of living abroad no one will tell you about
Moving abroad is a very special thing to do. Especially if one is doing that for someone we are in love with. Unfortunately we are not always thinking through, how it is gonna affect our life in the long run, because… we are in love. 🙂 I moved to Finland over 10 years ago, because…
It may be strange, but in my head, I reduced people to muscles…
Vendula Fischerova has had two professions. The first one was psychology and the other one is being a masseur. She moved to Finland from The Czech Republic a little bit more than 10 years ago. In the first part of our interview, we mostly cover the topic of how her search for a meaningful work-life…
When you are not part of the majority, you kind of feel the need to do something about representation
I met Yesmith almost a year ago at a panel discussion organized by Helsingin työväenopisto and Miitti on the topic of employment of immigrants with higher education in Finland. The discussion went great and I realised how many opinions we had in common. Yesmith with a background in business and me with a background in…
Sparrows without nest
The Polish embassy in Beijing was under threat of a mob attack because the ambassador did not allow the mob to enter the embassy and kill the sparrows who took refuge in the embassy building. You may not believe it today, but in 1958, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the People’s Republic…
I had to forget who I was and what I did in the Czech Republic…
I met Vendula thanks to our children attending the same school and same class. Not only they can speak Slovak together, we were also lucky enough to become friends. Vendula has been living in Finland for more than 10 years and she has gone through the same difficulties and experiences as I have so far….
Trafficking on Human Beings, it’s happening everywhere!
As part of my efforts to be human rights activist in every country I live, I decided to put my attention into a subject that is not familiar to many, human trafficking. Some thinks it’s a subject that doesn’t concern them and happens only in poor third world countries. But this assumption is wrong. It…
The paradox of welfare state
I was a supporter of the welfare state many years before I actually moved into one. But after a while I have my doubts. How to find a proper balance and not to resolve every issue for the residents? How to suppress poverty or help those in need, but not with money being gambled in…
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