My first day!

I came to Finland from Ghana in August 2014. My first day in Finland started at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. I will never forget that day because I had my first taste of Finland’s cold weather at the airport even though most people will say it was not cold but Please whilst reading my blog keep in mind that I am coming from Ghana with temperatures around 30°C almost throughout the year. The temperature that day was around 10°C or so. There were so many people with different faces, skin color, hair, clothes and languages at least the first time I saw more white people around me than blacks. One of my first surprises was that I didn’t meet an immigration officer because I transited at a schengen airport. Good for me.

My first experience and lesson with regards to transportation was that when you buy a ticket be it bus and hopefully Train, it is valid for an hour and can be used in all public transport run by HSL such as buses, trams, metro and trains. I made the mistake of throwing my ticket after paying for it from the bus driver, Sorry I didn’t Know. The transport system works and it means everything is by time. Don’t assume just get there on time.
First impressions of Finland specifically Helsinki? Don’t assume that because the sun is glaring at you, it means the weather is warm especially to those of us coming from Africa. It might be cold, so the key to survival is to dress well that is layers of clothes to avoid feeling cold. If you need help ask for it, probably the person next to you can speak English.
I have to end it here, but maybe when we meet at the university I will tell you more. But I hope you can pick some advice from my mistakes and make yours a memorable one and fun to read. Thank you for taking time in reading my first day in Helsinki but don’t forget to just sit back and imagine how yours will be.

Best regards, Jibril Taufiq Iddriss