Consistency! Going cheap. Anyone?

My preliminary plan for this blog was to stay out of politics for as long as I can. I’m sorry to say that this decision didn’t last for long. So, with all due respect, here we go:

Lately the world around me seems to change extremely rapidly. And for the first time I feel that I’m not really keeping track of where it’s going. This might be due to the fact that for the first time I do not really care to keep track. Let me give you a more informative example:

Only a few weeks ago a relatively minor Nationalist party became the third most largest party in Finland. Similar phenomenon has happened in many other European countries so far and immediately I found solace in the fact that in free market representative democracy with its insignificant games and larks within its bureaucratic system (what many folly people call the legislative power) things seldom change drastically. And so far nothing has changed. Not in the system it hasn’t. And at this point in time it seems that nothing will change.

But a certain change can unambiguously be seen in the people around me: many a people have now, as they themselves so modestly put it, very critical approach towards immigration. Most of them suggest that migrating to Finland should become more restricted. I was surprised (to say the least!) to find one of these people in my most inner circle of friends.

In due course of this passed week and a half (since I got back from St. Petersburg) I’ve been three times congratulated due to my “excellent knowledge of Finnish”. Usually I wouldn’t even mind this well wishing ‘cause I’m already accustomed to these congratulations (for some odd reason Finns seem to think that a person with a non-Finnish or non-Swedish surname must be an immigrant with a modest knowledge of Finnish at best). I’m used to face them every once in a while but never quite so often.

After doing rather small amount of research and hearing rather large amount of opinions from those fellows who’s job it is to take first hand care of this immigration business (in the Ministry for Foreign affairs of Finland) I’ve come to the conclusion that permanent migration to Finland is already limited to say the least. And even if anyone would like to alter the current status quo he’d have to demand an immediate separation of Finland from both the Schengen treaty and the European Union. Who’s for? Hmm… surprisingly quiet I dare say.

After twiddling these thoughts for a week now in my head I’ve done also an other conclusion: I’m glad to leave Finland behind. It seems to get along fine with or without me so it might as well subsist without. Any people that treat me as an outsider just because I have divergent surname or because I speak a language they don’t, do not interest me. Therefore I’m heading towards those people that, by my own experience, treat me differently. Therefore I’m going to Russia.

Unfortunately there are still three more weeks to go before I can take the train to Moscow. But fortunately I’ll have reunion of old friends soon in my home town and an American comrade of mine is visiting me soon enough. So luckily I have something to go by whilst here, in the ever condensing monotony of Finland.

Stefan

PS. I’ve done it. Well, sort of. My very first step on this road of wonder. This road I’ve chosen to follow for the next year or so: I’ve packed some books and all my notes from these last three years into a cardboard box. The space where all my work and all my efforts now fit seems rather compact. And all it consists of is no more than paper and ink. I find this bit sad.