who asks for the road does not get lost (2019)

  

"ei kysyvä tieltä eksy"

I encountered this Finnish adage first time in an essay on Finland. It means “who asks for the road does not get lost”. If I elaborate more, it actually points towards the Finnish mental model where Finns normally don't ask much advice as they prefer to be self-sufficient and don't want to disturb others. This is exactly me – an introvert, prefers to remain within and often misunderstood as snobbish.

I landed Helsinki first time in early March of 2019 on a business trip. That was my first Europe travel. I can still remember the exact date – 8 March 2019, first time witnessing a snow washed capital. A city with traffic signals where cars are stopped when pedestrians about to cross the road even if the signal is green. A city with traffic signals where pedestrians wait for the red signal patiently even if no cars around. A city with no garbage on street except cigarette butts. A city with more Sauna than human. A city crazy for ice-hockey and I was one of the lucky few to witness the celebration of winning the ice-hockey world cup in 2019 - entire city was erupted in joy.

Finland was not completely unknown to me before March 2019. I came to know about the country of Paavo Nurmi from my athlete father in my childhood and immediately found out the capital as the host city of 1952 summer Olympic. My father gave me a book on history of Olympic and within a few months I assimilated everything. That was my first feeding point of the land of Santa. But I was completely unaware about the origin of Santa Clause and the relation with Finland. I came to know that much later. Same way I was unaware about the happiest country of the world. But it is quite contrary that the native Finns do not accept that they are few bunches of happiest people on earth. They say, those who remain under dark more than half of the year, cannot be the happiest folks on earth, but who cares; world already recognises them with that. I personally feel the same way like rest of the world after interacting with few, and probably one of the most honest people as well. I got back my mobile phone lost in a tram and the tram driver took extra initiative from his end to return the phone back.

I was able to visit 'Moomin's Land' only four times in 2019 covered four different seasons from spring to winter before the deadly virus starts the mayhem. I walked rigorously the length and breadth of the city, a lot captured, but a lot more were un-captured. I normally used to walk around in evening during weekdays after work and whole day during weekends. I never felt tired, I never felt irritated, the fresh unpolluted air always kept me going one point to another. There were some localities where I could not find a single human on street even after spending hours - a quite unusual scene to a person coming from a country where you only get deserted streets if there is a declared emergency or the country is playing in the final of cricket world cup. I saw stations after stations where no one boarded or disembarked while travelling on train. Initially it was little frightening that none is around while travelling on train or walking on streets. Even I rarely found humans from the well decorated windows and balconies of the buildings around - a country with just 5.6 million populations in 338,455 square kilometers of land. But honestly speaking, I really enjoyed this entire 'No Man's Land' kind of atmosphere as I consider solitude as a prized possession - quite opposite from the point of view of most of the Indians I know. I often dream where I am sitting on a chair just beside a glass window looking outside with a hot cup of coffee to enjoy the snowfall outside in a bluish gloomy environment. Suddenly one of my Finnish friends wakes me up and says live here longer time, all your poetries would be disappeared during ever frustrating dark long winters.  

The city made a heroic resistance against Soviet invation during 1939 Winter War  - Sofiankatu, Abrahaminkatu, Senate Square, all are carrying the forgotten wounds of that time, but it’s difficult to recognize that in modern time if somebody does not know that bloody painful history - all have been reinstated nicely now. Glossy, glittering overhead street lights have washed away all those sorrows, pains and destructions beyond the memory of most after war Finns.  

I tried to absorb the inner soul of the city as I found myself in every corner. I tried to be invisible, not disturbing the privacy of others. I never asked anyone about any direction while walking, but still did not get lost. Enchanting cold snowy breeze soothed me all the times. The old Nordic buildings whispered all the directions on my ears. The Christmas stars guided me all the ways. 

This land, although not my native land,

Will be remembered forever.

And the sea's lightly iced,

Unsalty water.

The sand on the bottom is whiter than chalk,

The air is heady, like wine,

And the rosy body of the pines

Is naked in the sunset hour.

And the sunset itself on such waves of ether

That I just can't comprehend

Whether it is the end of the day, the end of the world,

Or the mystery of mysteries in me again.

                                       

                                                       Anna Akhmatova

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