Have you been to a workplace, where people sit down for a coffee and chat at certain times of the day? At one place it was always at 11 and 13 o’clock. At another office it happened randomly. A colleague would pass your door and call you for a break.
Feels embarrassing to be paid for this time, but this is part of the work culture!
Fika is the act of “stopping everything to sit down for a cup of coffee” for about a 15-45 minute break. The purpose of fika is to take time away from your work to enjoy the company of coworkers by sharing your time with them while enjoying coffee and treats. This is a great way to break up the day and make sure that you are enjoying what really matters, which is interacting with other people.
Now, unfortunately, working from remote we can not fika and this affects our happiness, doesn’t it?
Source: There’s Always Time For Fika
BBC Worklife: Is this the sweet secret to Swedish success?
All posts by Kairi Rintanen
What to do in Rauma? Where to go in Rauma?
Rauma is a small town in Finland, but there are quite many activities if you know where to search for them!
The best in terms of money are the activities organized by the Adult Education Center of Rauma, but these are mostly in Finnish.
Hence I made a list for you.
WHAT TO DO IN RAUMA
WHERE TO GO IN RAUMA
Hobbies
SWIMMING
Rauma swimming hall
https://www.rauma.fi/en/leisure-and-sports/sports/swimming-hall/
Winter swimming outside
https://www.merijakamo.fi/english
https://www.rauma.fi/en/leisure-and-sports/sports/swimming-places-and-lakeside-saunas/
DANCING
Salsa courses
1. on Thursdays
Www.salsastudiojulpo.com
2. on Saturdays
https://www.facebook.com/groups/220712778058036
Belly dance courses with an English speaking teacher Beverley Griffiths
https://www.opistopalvelut.fi/rauma/courses.php?l=en#pos-1-6-109
Free times at the sports hall and ice hall can be found here. No fee.
https://www.rauma.fi/vapaa-aika-ja-liikunta/liikunta/yleisovuorot/ (ilman mailaa means skating without a hockey stick)
https://www.facebook.com/raumanliikuntapalvelut/
Stadium for indoor sports (running, football etc)
https://www.rauma.fi/vapaa-aika-ja-liikunta/liikunta/yleisovuorot/
SPECIAL SPORTS ACTIVITIES (diving, martial arts, wrestling, cheerleading etc)
Please ask the club if the course is available in English
https://www.rauma.fi/vapaa-aika-ja-liikunta/liikunta/liikuntalajit-ja-seurat-2/
BOWLING
https://www.bowling4you.fi/rauma_138
PAINTBALL
https://satakuula.fi/
FRISBEE
This is a very Finnish hobby, in addition to ice hockey.
Maybe your Finnish friend can teach you.
https://www.facebook.com/raumanfrisbee/
TENNIS
https://www.ravs.fi/yhteystiedot
HORSE RIDING
There are several places. The hobby is very famous among Finnish girls.
https://www.facebook.com/baldurtalli/
MUSIC
Guitar courses
https://www.opistopalvelut.fi/rauma/course.php?l=en&t=9623
ART
Art courses with Nikolay Nikolov or Kirsi Kuusisto can be taught in English as well
https://www.opistopalvelut.fi/rauma/courses.php?l=en#pos-1-10-34
Really cheap handicraft, sewing, ceramics, arts, yoga courses in Finnish, but some of the courses you can manage without speaking too much. Rauma Adult Education Center is the organizer.
https://www.rauma.fi/kansalaisopisto/en/
Winter activities
Ice skating with or without a hockey stick
Skiing
Swimming outdoors
Sledging
I made a list of places https://raumaguide.travel.blog/2021/01/19/winter-fun-in-rauma/
Places for skating will be updated here
https://www.rauma.fi/vapaa-aika-ja-liikunta/liikunta/talviliikunta-2/luistelualueet/
Places to ski will be updated here
https://www.rauma.fi/vapaa-aika-ja-liikunta/liikunta/talviliikunta-2/ladut/
Places to swim in the cold water
https://www.rauma.fi/vapaa-aika-ja-liikunta/liikunta/talviliikunta-2/talviuinti/
SKATEHALL
Usually, you can rent a skateboard and a helmet, but there might be some changes due to corona
https://www.nuortenrauma.fi/nuorisopalvelut/nuorisotoiminta/nuorisotilat/skeittihalli/ – in the house
https://www.facebook.com/groups/314298616391859
The outside skateboarding place is in Pyynpää. Direction Lidl. Near the stadium and the children’s playground and adult open-air gym.
MUSEUMS
All of the museum of Rauma are listed here (with pictures)
https://raumaguide.travel.blog/2021/05/18/museums-of-rauma/
CINEMA
The one and only in Rauma
https://www.isohannu.fi/
FLEA MARKETS
If you have to buy second-hand sports equipment, check out these flea markets (also online)
https://raumaguide.travel.blog/2020/06/09/flea-markets-in-rauma/
The best way to be physically active in Rauma is to bike around places 😉 and bikes you can buy for about 50 euros. Nb! You see many bikes on the streets, but don’t take these. People rush to the bus and leave those wherever they are. Finland is a safe place.
Enjoy your stay in Rauma!
written by Kairi Rintanen
Rauma is a Christmas town
Rauma wooden old town is pretty with its Christmas decorations, shops and cafes at Christmas time. Do you know the old town of 28 hectares has 150 small businesses, including shops, cafes and beauty salons?
Come to make your Christmas shopping in Rauma.
The town has come up with its Christmas lace sweater pattern that you can download for free from here.
My Kortela – Monna village association organizes a Christmas event on Dec 9th from 17.30-19.30 at Tenhonperä beach sauna yard.
We have Christmas music, gingerbread and a forest route for kids. Sign up for the free event here.
More events will soon be registered to the town’s website.
Rauma Lace Week 2021
Rauma 51th lace week takes place 17.07-25.7, 2021.
The program can be seen here.
There are free concerts in the yard of the Rauma Art Museum , but you have to book a ticket here.
People living in the old town will open their yards and some will have a flea market. (News in Finnish)
The international market with sales booths on 2 streets will be open from 24.7-27.7. (News in Finnish)
Rauma Lace Week is the most important event of the year.
Enjoy!
The village of old houses in Turku
In Rauma we have Kirsti house museum from the 1750ies, but in Turku we have a number of such houses in a museum area called Luostarinmäki. This area was untouched by the big fire of Turku in the beginning of 1800ies.
When I put on my sailor’s wives clothes ( to guide you through 1860-1900), I can say that I feel at home in Luostarinmäki handicrafts museum. 😉
The 16 beaches of Rauma
16 public beaches of Rauma, that are good to swim and where the water quality will be tested frequently.
The first beach, that probably comes to your mind, is Otanlahti beach between Poroholma camping site and the new outdoor poolside Makis (on the picture above).
The so called EU beaches, where the number of visitors might reach over 100 persons on a hot summer day:
- Bergström lake, Monnankatu 32, Rauma
- Saharanna beach, Purjehtijankatu 26, Rauma
- Otanlahti beach, Suvitie 2, Rauma – not suggested for swimming
- Lappi beach, Ruonantie 319, Lappi
Smaller public beaches:
- Kaarojärven rantasauna (Kaarojärvi sauna beach), Kaarojärventie 109, Kaaro
- Kaljasjärven rantasauna(Kaljasjärvi sauna beach), Kaljasjärventie 135, Kodisjoki
- Lillonkarin rantasauna (Lillonkari sauna beach), Lillonkarintie 57 A, Unaja
- Mantereenpään rantasauna (Mantereenpää sauna beach), Puuluntie 388 B, Kaaro
- Noitajärven rantasauna (Noitajärvi sauna beach), Noitajärventie 80, Vermuntila
- Pitkäjärven rantasauna (Pitkäjärvi sauna beach), Kuusmontie 13, Vasarainen
- Tenhonperän rantasauna (Tenhonperä sauna beach), Santperäntie 88, Kortela
- Löylymestarin uimaranta (Löylymestari swim area), Suvitie 14, Rauma
- Narvin kesäkodin uimaranta (Narvi summerhouse beach area), Kesäkodinpolk 238, Lappi
- Merikylpylän uimaranta (Merikylpylä beach), Suvitie, Rauma
- Poroholma camping site beach, Poroholmantie 8, Rauma
- Seurakunnan kesäkodin uimaranta (the beach of the parish summer home; the one where kids play at summer time), Kesäkodintie 28, Rauma
But I personally like the Yyteri white sand beach the most! It is a 70km ride towards Pori.
One option is to check where Yyteri Kylpylä address takes you (the upper spot om map), but a better place is positioning your car map til the Yyteri camping site (Yyterinsantojentie 1, 28840 Yyteri) and passing it until there is a parking place at the end of street.
Parking is free, but always full starting from midday. You see a hamburger kiosk and a toilet. But at the beach side is an ice cream bar (to the right) and modern free toilets and a shower to the left. Few changing booths.
If you take the right hand sidewalk up the mountain, you pass a small lake before getting to the sea. This might be a better option on a windy day.
Enjoy the summer!
you wish you could jump right from the hot sauna into the not so hot lake water (read about the beach side sauna options in Rauma)
Your Rauma guide Kairi Rintanen
We are the Champions!
Rauma, although a small town, has its own professional ice hockey team called Lukko (“lock” in English)! And Rauma’s icehockey team is the best in Finland!
On May 11th, 2021 the citizens of Rauma went crazy, as Lukko won the Finnish men’s ice hockey Championship Series for the first time in 58 years. The one and only gold medal before came in 1963.
Lukko beat TPS of Turku 6-2 in the fourth match of the final series. In 1963 they beat Tampere’s Tappara.
To avoid people from gathering in the city center, the champions drove around the city to greet their fans. Video by rauma.guide.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuibI4lncNE
According to head coach Pekka Virta he had been building the team for four years with a focus on each player understanding their own role as well as the team’s culture, broadcaster C More reported. The good shape of the players was not a surprise.
“Our game was in good shape after last season, so we were able to invest in team spirit,” Virta said.
The coach spent 27 days in intensive care earlier that year after contracting coronavirus, and missed nearly two months of work in the lead up to the play-off series.
Although gatherings were prohibited due to corona restrictions in town, the town was full of joyful people. Many without a mask on the streets of old Rauma and on the rooftop of Tifosi pub. Bars and pubs were crowded and masks were not worn there either. The doctors of Rauma are worried .
You ask what Rauma men do on Wednesdays or Saturdays (the days before corona was introduced)? They go watch the game or take their kids to play ice hockey.
What do women do? Well, every 7th Rauma person participates at the art and handicraft courses of the local Adult Education Center Rauman Kansalaisopisto. Most of the fans of the fine arts are women.
Lukko plays in the Finnish Liiga, the top tier of Finnish ice hockey.
The club was founded in 1936 as the Rauma Wood saw mill’s league. The home icehall is Kivikylä Areena, which has a capacity of 4700 spectators.
Since 2011, Lukko has had a team in the Women’s Baseball Championship League (Superpesis).
The calender of Lukko icehockey games
Museums of Rauma
Today, May 18 is International Museum Day and the following museums have a free entrance in Rauma:
1. Rauma Museum in the old town hall
2. Shipowner’s house museum Marela
3. Rauma Maritime Museum -> free yoga course in their yard! Take your own water bottle and the mat. Looks like it won’t rain today. 🙂
4. Sailor’s museum Kirsti has already opened its doors this summer! Check the opening times here.
Teresia’s house museum is open on Sundays.
Rauma Art Museum will be opened in June.
Kodisjoki art house will be opened in July. Location out of town.
Muina village museum will be opened in June. Location out of town.
Click on the links to read my stories about the museums.
Enjoy the day.
Top Finnish companies
A friend of yours or a visitor asks to name some of the big Finnish companies.
You are in trouble, are you? You know Fazer, Muumi and Marimekko, but these are just the brands you see as a consumer.
The biggest Finnish companies in terms of turnover. In billions of euros in 2020.
| 1 | Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy | 11, 15 |
| 2 | Neste Oyj | 7, 95 |
| 3 | Suomen Osuuskauppojen Keskuskunta | 6, 625 |
| 4 | Kesko Oyj | 5, 78 |
| 5 | UPM Sales Oy | 5, 29 |
| 6 | Outokumpu Stainless Oy | 4, 05 |
| 7 | Neste Markkinointi Oy | 3, 05 |
| 8 | North European Oil Trade Oy | 2, 66 |
| 9 | Outokumpu Europe Oy | 2, 63 |
| 10 | YIT Suomi Oy | 2, 49 |
The biggest Finnish companies by the number of employees.
| 1 | Helsingin ja Uudenmaan Sairaanhoitopiirin kuntayhtymä (medical workers) | 26 536 |
| 2 | Helsingin Yliopisto (university) | 8 079 |
| 3 | Posti Oy | 7 777 |
| 4 | Attendo Oy (reqruitment company) | 7 413 |
| 5 | Kesko Oyj (retail) | 7 138 |
| 6 | Nordea Bank AB (publ), Finnish branch | 6 615 |
| 7 | SOL Palvelut Oy (cleaning business) | 6 569 |
| 8 | Nordea Bank Abp | 6 238 |
| 9 | HOK-Elanto Liiketoiminta Oy | 5 797 |
| 10 | Lidl Suomi Kommandiittiyhtiö | 5 668 |
See source here
Read about Hok-Elanto here
Finnish most valuable companies (value in billions of EUR according to 6/2020 data)
1. Kone (31,6)
2. Neste (27,0)
3. Nordea Bank (26,0)
4. Nokia (21,5)
5. Sampo (18,6)
6. Fortum (15,6)
7. UPM-Kymmene (14,1)
8. Stora Enso (9,2)
9. Elisa (8,7)
10. Orion (6,4)
The Finnish top 10 list has undergone interesting changes in a year (August 2020 compared to August 2019). In total, the combined market value of the ten largest companies had risen by 2.4 per cent. The largest value drivers were Orion (+ 47%), Elisa (+ 19%) and Kone (+ 16%). Respectively, Nokia (-21%), Fortum (-15%) and Sampo (-11%) had the biggest fall. (See source here)
And yes, you were right about Fazer. It was number 2. Marimekko was number 40 in top list of Finnish brands.
The TOP10 most respected brands in 2020 in Finland were:
- Fiskars (you know the scissors?)
- Fazer (chocolat)
- YLE (public tv)
- Hyvää Suomesta -merkki
- Joutsenmerkki
- ABLOY (keys)
- Arabia (dishes, old history)
- S-Etukortti (Prisma and other stores)
- Iittala (dishes)
- Avainlippu-merkki (the product has been manufactured, or the service has been produced, in Finland)
See source here
See more brands as you move right with the arrow here
Hyvää Suomesta merkki means “made in Finland” sign on food products
Learn Finnish at home
You want to study Finnish? A list of websites available for you to study Finnish independently. The list has been compiled by the Multicultural Association of Satakunta.
BEGINNERS LEVEL OF FINNISH
Koti Suomessa
You can study Finnish yourself on the Home in Finland website. There is also information about Finnish working life and society.
Donnerwetter – suomen opiskelua englanniksi, saksaksi, ranskaksi ja bulgariaksi
Study Finnish in English, German, French and Bulgarian.
Digital dialects – suomen opiskelua englanniksi, ranskaksi ja japaniksi
Study Finnish in English, French and Japanese.
Suomi-englanti – sanastotestejä
On this page you can learn Finnish words using English.
Euro Mobil – suomen opiskelua eri kielillä
You can study Finnish on this page with the help of these languages: Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Finnish, Czech, German, English, French, Hungarian. You need to download a program from the site that allows you to study Finnish.
Suomen kielioppia englanniksi
On this page you can study Finnish grammar in English.
Suomen kielestä englanniksi
The site contains information about the Finnish language in English.
BASIC LEVEL FINNISH
Ylen sivut suomen opiskeluun
Yle’s website has Finnish training in Finnish and English. You can study Finnish at different levels of competence on Yle’s website. YLE is a government owned media source.
Verbix – suomen verbejä englanniksi
You can study Finnish verbs in English on the website.
GOOD OR SMOOTH LEVEL OF FINNISH
Kuuntele suomen eri murteita
On the website you can listen to dialects and spoken languages from all over Finland.
The author ‘s ABC – information and learning material for writing in Finnish. On the website you can study how to write good text in Finnish. This page can also help when writing a job application.
Verkkokielioppi – suomen äänteet, muodot ja lauseet
On the website, you can study Finnish phonetics, form, and sentence theory.
Ammattisanastoja eri ammatteihin
The site has vocabularies related to some professions in different languages.
Other materials
Selkosanomat – suomen harjoitustehtäviä suomeksi
The website contains exercises in Finnish in Finnish. You can also read news written in an easy way.
Ylen selkouutiset
On the website you can read and listen to news in plain language. With the help of the news, you can study Finnish.
Suomen kielestä englanniksi
The site contains information about the Finnish language in English.
Source: The Multicultural Association of Satakunta
Kansalaisopistot.fi has a number of online courses. Please check out here.
Finnish courses at the Rauman Kansalaisopisto adult education center
Leave a comment about which source you liked the most.
Any other pages you want to suggest?
Rauma private guide / Rauman opas 