Posts tagged " perspective "

Follow your joy to keep growing & learning

January 23rd, 2019 Posted by Language No Comment yet

The more fun and joy we bring to learning Finnish – at any level – the better we learn and adapt to the language. Welcome to my world where Finnish is an unfolding adventure that’s filled with awe, joy and ease.

On gratitude when you don’t feel grateful

March 24th, 2018 Posted by Self Discovery 1 comment

Yesterday I found myself feeling deeply grateful for hardship and pain, especially that which I’ve felt in the past 6 months or so. This was, quite frankly, a new feeling…

7 things I learned about myself & the world through Finnish

February 13th, 2018 Posted by Language, Life, My Story No Comment yet

Back when I first started learning Finnish, I thought of it as an exciting, intellectual, almost artistic challenge. I wanted to express myself in Finnish and I wondered about how I’d develop the ability to conjugate, inflect and live in Finnish! What I didn’t expect, was that I would learn a lot about myself on the way. I kind of just thought I’d learn Finnish. In the post I reflect on the 7 things I learned about myself and the world through this process.

One reason Finns switch to English when you’re around

August 8th, 2015 Posted by Life, My Story 8 comments

A funny thing happened to me at work the other day. I walked over to a coworker’s desk and straight into a 4-person conversation that was going on in Finnish. I watched the conversation switch from Finnish to English to accommodate my arrival, and guess what I did next?

How to get the best advice – Part I

July 29th, 2014 Posted by Blog 1 comment

I was 14 years old. Our guidance counselor assigned us a research project/interview on a profession we’d like to pursue. I had no idea what I wanted to do, but I liked animals, so I interviewed a family friend who was a vet. As our interview came to an end, I asked him my last question with innocent enthusiasm:
“So…what advice do you have for someone who’d like to be a vet?”
His answer: “Don’t.”
I get a lot of advice. Some of it solicited; some of it unsolicited. This was probably the nail in the coffin of my veterinarian career, but in hindsight, I think that choice turned out to be okay. Nothing lost there.

Smiling for all the wrong reasons

July 1st, 2014 Posted by Blog 3 comments

When moving abroad, you quickly notice some differences in how people interact from strangers to family. In my case, I noticed that I was the only person smiling at strangers on the street in Tampere, Finland, whereas I’d never even questioned why everyone smiled at each other in Canada. I made a decision in 2010 to change my ways and adapt, but a couple weeks ago, I decided to revisit that decision from a new perspective.

How to overcome fear of nudity in the sauna

June 17th, 2014 Posted by Blog 8 comments

Juhannus is coming up so I figured many of you may be headed to mökki about this time, and as always, nudity is part of the experience. As much as I would’ve liked to have been raised in a nudity-friendly culture, I wasn’t. And changing this mindset has not been easy…

When Quitting Feels Amazing.

June 3rd, 2014 Posted by Blog 6 comments

I have a confession to make…

What to remember when life becomes all about you

May 13th, 2014 Posted by Blog 6 comments

We’ve all been there – stress, uncertainty, confusion – it doesn’t always take much but we manage to get lost in our heads and complain to anyone who will listen, while closing our eyes to the rest of the world. In today’s post I share one of my favourite quotes and explain why it’ll easily remind you to take your head out of your own butt (in a nice way 🙂 ).

What it takes may surprise you

May 6th, 2014 Posted by Inspiration, Self Discovery 2 comments

The stage is set, the lights are dim. A man you’ve never seen before walks out on stage, takes his position and waits for his cue…

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Hi! I’m Irina.

I’m a multibelonger to Finland, Canada and Romania, without ONE language or culture to call my own – I have several. My intention is to be present where I am and find inner peace and harmony where ever life takes me. I’m embracing the gems of the ongoing cultural and linguistic transition which is my life and hope to inspire others interested in doing the same. Click here to find out more!