Becoming International: My Lab Journey Episode 3: Settling into Life in Helsinki

 

Hello everyone,

Previously, in Becoming International: My Lab Journey, I shared my first days in the lab. Today, I want to talk about how I have adapted to this new world: the weather, the language, the food, and more.

When I arrived in Helsinki, February 26, the winter was ending. It was not too cold, with temperatures ranging from -4 to +1 Celsius, and the sunset around 6 pm. Almost everybody was in the mood of “spring is coming”, without heavy clothes, and without ice on the streets.

My first goals were to get the right clothes and shoes for keeping me warm, to buy essential things like food :p and get my documents (residence permit card, social security card, Finnish Personal Identity Code, bank ID/online banking credentials). I can talk about this official IDs and documents in another post.

Finding a new apartment was not my priority, though, because I stayed at Töölö Towers Hotel and because I needed my bank ID for renting an apartment. Talking about Töölö Towers, in the urban Töölö district of Helsinki, they have incredible pet friendly apartments with basic kitchen cookware, TV, etc. I really enjoyed stay there for two months.

On my first day, after visiting the lab, I went to the supermarket for the first time.. Everything was so different! Firstly, this supermarket is pet-friendly, with carts for dogs. All groceries were in another language, so Google Translate was important to understand what each item was. I really liked the supermarkets, because many things that are expensive in Brazil were accessible in Finland with a salary in Euros, such as high quality chocolates and salmon (which is very important for a couple of sushi and chocolate lovers 🍣💓).

On the other hand, alcoholic drinks are very expensive here! Moreover, you cannot buy them everywhere, or at any time, as the rules are strict. In supermarkets, for example, they sell drinks with up to 8% alcohol. There are specific stores that sell higher alcohol beverages. Besides, after 9 pm, you cannot buy alcohol anywhere.

Another focus for me was buying coats and shoes. Second-hand stores are very common in Helsinki and you can see one on almost every corner. Clothes, shoes, accessories are much cheaper there than in regular stores. The most popular second-hand chain is UFF, which often has promotions where prices drops everyday from 8 to 1 Euro!

Tori app  (people can buy and sell used and new items), a popular marketplace in Finland where you can find almost anything (clothes, furnitures, household appliances, etc) for free or at very low prices, when I say very, I really mean it 😄. I got almost everything for my new apartment by  this incredible app, almost everything for free. 

Transportation is another importannt point. Helsinki has one of the best public transportation system in the world, they have bus, tram, train, metro, bycicles and electric scooter, everything works under the same tickets sytem, HSL app, which makes it very convenient.

From March to October, I usually ride city bikes, which are widely available during this period. After that, it becomes too cold, and due to the snow, the bikes are no  available. During the winter, I  walk or use trams and buses.

Adapting to a new country is not easy, but little by little, everything starts to feel more familiar. From learning how to shop, dress for the weather, and understand a new culture, each small step has helped me feel more at home in Helsinki. 

Until next episode, stay tuned.💕