What's in a name?

My Finnish lessons continue, with my instructor Mimmu showing patience above and beyond the call of duty. By the end of the hour and a half we spend together, I feel that I am making progress, but after a couple of weeks, the next lesson feels more like a remedial class.

However, some of it sticks and I was able to identify colours by their Finnish names whilst touring Ikea today. Punainen is red and Valkoinen is white - those are easy to pick up from a wine list, of course. Today I also recognised Keltainen (yellow) and Musta (black).

I also learned in this week's lesson the origin of the name of the area of Helsinki where I live, Kruununhaka. It apparently dates back to the days when Finland was part of Sweden and this was an area populated by the nobility. Kruunu means crown, the haka part refers to a fenced area where the horses are kept. So, I live in the King's paddock. I feel rather more posh now!

In the bleak midwinter ...

OK, so it isn't really midwinter. But it feels like it back in Helsinki, after a few days away in the UK and California.

I landed last night at Vantaa at 23:40, only 10 minutes later than scheduled but in a ghostly white landscape, several centimetres of snow on the ground and temperature of -5C. After my customary speedy exit and dash through customs, I waited for my luggage to hit the belt. And waited. The cold weather was slowing down the usually speedy ground staff and eventually, after an hour of waiting, my suitcase arrived.

Then outside to grab a cab. But there was a long line of passengers waiting for taxis and a rather intermittent supply. Forty five minutes later, I was inside a warm Volvo and on my way home. After an object lesson in why the Finns make such excellent rally drivers, we slid to a halt outside my apartment, just two hours later than my normal return time, and four hours sleep before heading to work this morning.

My only consolation was that, had that much snow fallen in the south of England where the rest of the family live, the infrastructure would have ground to a halt. And this morning, when I needed a cab to work, despite the still dreadful conditions, an SMS to Helsinki Taxi with my address got a reply within seconds even when the phone number was constantly engaged, then a cab arrived within 5 minutes. Driving home this evening, I was so glad I got the winter tyres put on before I departed for California. My only worry is how I'll drive on snow back in the UK, when I forget that my tyres don't have metal spikes fitted!

Finally facing my Waterloo ...

What to do on All Saints Day in Finland, a public holiday on a Saturday, when no shops are open? The answer turned out to be a triumph for Anglo-Finnish cultural exchange. We went to see the "sing along" version of Mamma Mia!, now the highest grossing British film at UK box offices. For those who've not heard of it, the film is based on the musical show, in turn based on the music of Abba.

We went to see the movie here at Finnkino in Kinopalatsi last time the family were over and enjoyed it, singing along in our heads. But the producers had an inspired idea and have issued a version of the film with the song words displayed, karaoke-style, so that you don't have to listen to your neighbours get them wrong.

This seems a stroke of genius for the Finnish audience. Karaoke is popular here; in fact, Finland holds the world record for karaoke singing, after they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006. In my neighbourhood there are two karaoke bars and I have been known to indulge myself, in true Finnish style (which involves the consumption of alcohol, purely to lubricate the vocal chords).

Behind us in the cinema was a group of already well lubricated students who were almost in tune and almost in time. The most hilarious moments included them singing along with Colin Firth trying to emulate his English accent. Funnier than this was when one of them, inexplicably dressed in a gorilla suit, tried to chat to my daughter's friend in Finnish. I'm not sure which was the most surprised!

If you think you can cope with the idea of Pierce Brosnan singing (badly) to Meryl Streep, then I recommend the film. If you like the songs of Abba, the plot does not get in the way of a good sing-along. And though I doubt that any UK cinema would allow the level of harmless fun that our good natured Finnish students were enjoying, it is definitely worth seeing this version of the film in a crowd. Preferably a very large one with very few people who know you!

Social climber ...

Today I took my visitors to Seurasaari to see the squirrels. For the second time, I had no treats for them but this did not deter them from coming to see us. Here, my youngest daughter is wishing she had a peanut or two.

It was cold today and we stopped at the kiosk for a hot chocolate. Sadly they did not sell nuts for the animals, but the girl behind the counter informed us that squirrels like Pulla. So we bought one, with every intention of feeding them on the way back to the car. Sadly, once my visitors discover they liked Pulla too, the squirrels lost out. Never mind, we've now bought some nuts and plan to visit them again. I hope we can find all the ones we had promised to feed today.