The other day, I was talking to my sister on the phone and we compared notes on our latest visit to the dentist. We sure are glamorous people and discuss only exciting topics. Interestingly enough, both of us had cavities between our teeth. I am sure it is not because of too much sugary food, just bad genetics.
She made a comment how she had to pay $4 euros for her dentist appointment and if she would have to have her wisdom teeth removed, she would pay 7.50 euros.
I stay far away from political discussions when it comes to socialized health care because I do not have strong feelings or enough information to really contribute to the debate. However, I would love to pay 4 euros, instead of 100 dollars to get my cavities fixed. Of course, the 100 dollars is AFTER our dental insurance and we have the highest dental insurance plan that Raytheon offers. I am scared to know how much the removal of my four wisdom teeth will cost.
Last night(around 1 am or so), I started thinking of the benefits of living in Finland. Prior to Saku's birth, I honestly felt very neutral about my country of residence. I have noticed that I am starting to miss Finland more and more and envy a friend of mine, Kelly, who is living in Finland for six months. I love to read her blog and see how Finland is through her eyes.
Most people know nothing about Finland, because it is a small country and it's far away. So let me share few of my favorite things or things that give Finland a golden star in my book.
*Excellent education-kids start learning a foreign language in 3rd grade, another one in 5th grade and the lovely mandatory Swedish in 7th grade.
*Public transportation- you don't HAVE to have a car in Finland. It sure is nice, but you can function perfectly fine.
*Free public transportation to mom's with strollers. My friends know how much I love freebies.
*Ability to walk to places- sidewalks almost everywhere and roads are pedestrian friendly. Kids walk to school, so there are no car pools or school buses.
*Beautiful and clean parks-anyone in Tucson can understand why I miss these.
*Safety-when I was little, my mom would leave me sleeping in the stroller outside the grocery store while she shopped. While things have changed and people don't do this anymore, Finland is safer than most places in the U.S.
*Free college education-OK, that is a lie. My sister does pay 50 euro fee per each semester.
Finland is no garden of Eden, especially during the winter, but I sure miss it. Obviously there are negative things as well; the church is smaller there, living is more expensive and higher taxes(the big obvious one) to name a few.
I hope that this little man and his future siblings will get to experience life in Finland.
4 comments:
I know that I am supposed to be true the the 'ol Red, White, and Blue, but it sure is hard to argue with the kind of education available in Finland. Eevi's not exaggerating when she says "excellent education," check out this article in The Journal
Thanks for giving me a shout out! I'm so glad that I am able to experience Finland. It's been so wonderful. I think of you all the time out here. I can't believe we only have two more weeks before we have to leave :( By the way, did you want one of those Finnish primary children's hyms on CD or do you already have one?
What an interesting post! I remember hearing about all these things when we visited there and it was almost too good to be true. I just remember being happy they had Subway, AND the employees there spoke perfect English. Aaaaah, heaven (compared to Russia).
You forgot to mention that Finland is the land of Stockmann's!!!
So how many euro's equal a dollar?
I think I've often taken what I have for granted. I dont know what life is like outside of the US so I assume everyone lives the way I do. Maybe this is something for me to work on.
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