Friday, January 28, 2005
One of the drawbacks to having my opinions written for any and all to see is that any and all can see them. The paper does not have an online version so I have pasted my first column below. Already I have had people come up to me and ask me if they were the inspiration behind one of the winter games.
Winter Games
As the winter malaise creeps its way into my life I am constantly on the look-out for something that will keep my mind off of the inevitable minus thirty degree brain freeze that is sure to strike Joensuu sometime within the next few weeks. I try to find some diversion, real or imagined that will make the time go bye a little more quickly and a little less painfully. And so, I play a couple of games.
The first game I like to play is called “Who Will Break First?” which is played everyday on the bike trail from my home to my office. The premise behind “Who Will Break First?” is a test of will, or rather, the human thermometer. In order to declare victory a contestant must show high levels of bravery and stupidity. The motto is simple, “If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not cold.” The winner is the person who waits the longest before switching to full winter gear: furry earmuffs, extra large hat, extremely thick mittens, or a coat that should only be used for space travel. Admit it, we all have these things, but feel a little silly wearing them, until it becomes absolutely necessary.
During my first winter in Finland I was trying to learn the local customs and I decided that I would partake in this silent competition. It took the first real snowstorm for me to give up, but I was able to find comfort in my victories over the old ladies and young babies who populate my bike trail. I was amazed to see how seriously some of the locals took this competition. Lasting until the temperatures dipped into the minus twenties, these red-faced freezer freaks would look at me with an expression that I just couldn’t place. Did they think I was a wimp? Did they want to kill me and take my coat? I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Now beginning my second winter in J-town I have decided to abandon this crazy game. The temperature has been rather mild and already I am pulling my ski pants over my jeans on my way to work. Next week I will switch to my leather mittens and I am looking forward to pulling up my new pair of long underwear. I have decided that “Who Will Break First” is a spectator sport.
The other game I like to play begins when I arrive at work and it’s called “How Long Can You Wear It?” The motto is, “If it’s not dirty, wear it again.” The object of this game is to wear the same outfit to work as many days in a row as possible before changing to the next outfit, when the game begins again. Right now I am averaging two outfits per week. I sometimes mix it up and wear one outfit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or just go for it and wear the same thing all week long. It depends on mood, really.
I admit I was shocked when I was introduced to “How Long Can You Wear It?” This is a far cry from my last job, in New York, where I made sure that I had a two-week cycle of outfits to choose from so that I would not wear the same pants, or shirt too close together. But when I saw my Finnish colleagues wearing the same thing three days in a row I decided to give it a shot. Now I am a regular participant and often find myself in the winner’s circle, much to my wife’s dismay.
Still, the advantages are plentiful: I save untold fortunes on clothes shopping; laundry day is always light and I am able to hit the snooze button two extra times in the morning. But where and when do you draw the line? For me, I draw the line sometime in April, when the sun begins to shine and snow begins its long melt. Until then, I just try to play it sane, anyway that I can.
Winter Games
As the winter malaise creeps its way into my life I am constantly on the look-out for something that will keep my mind off of the inevitable minus thirty degree brain freeze that is sure to strike Joensuu sometime within the next few weeks. I try to find some diversion, real or imagined that will make the time go bye a little more quickly and a little less painfully. And so, I play a couple of games.
The first game I like to play is called “Who Will Break First?” which is played everyday on the bike trail from my home to my office. The premise behind “Who Will Break First?” is a test of will, or rather, the human thermometer. In order to declare victory a contestant must show high levels of bravery and stupidity. The motto is simple, “If it doesn’t hurt, it’s not cold.” The winner is the person who waits the longest before switching to full winter gear: furry earmuffs, extra large hat, extremely thick mittens, or a coat that should only be used for space travel. Admit it, we all have these things, but feel a little silly wearing them, until it becomes absolutely necessary.
During my first winter in Finland I was trying to learn the local customs and I decided that I would partake in this silent competition. It took the first real snowstorm for me to give up, but I was able to find comfort in my victories over the old ladies and young babies who populate my bike trail. I was amazed to see how seriously some of the locals took this competition. Lasting until the temperatures dipped into the minus twenties, these red-faced freezer freaks would look at me with an expression that I just couldn’t place. Did they think I was a wimp? Did they want to kill me and take my coat? I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
Now beginning my second winter in J-town I have decided to abandon this crazy game. The temperature has been rather mild and already I am pulling my ski pants over my jeans on my way to work. Next week I will switch to my leather mittens and I am looking forward to pulling up my new pair of long underwear. I have decided that “Who Will Break First” is a spectator sport.
The other game I like to play begins when I arrive at work and it’s called “How Long Can You Wear It?” The motto is, “If it’s not dirty, wear it again.” The object of this game is to wear the same outfit to work as many days in a row as possible before changing to the next outfit, when the game begins again. Right now I am averaging two outfits per week. I sometimes mix it up and wear one outfit on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or just go for it and wear the same thing all week long. It depends on mood, really.
I admit I was shocked when I was introduced to “How Long Can You Wear It?” This is a far cry from my last job, in New York, where I made sure that I had a two-week cycle of outfits to choose from so that I would not wear the same pants, or shirt too close together. But when I saw my Finnish colleagues wearing the same thing three days in a row I decided to give it a shot. Now I am a regular participant and often find myself in the winner’s circle, much to my wife’s dismay.
Still, the advantages are plentiful: I save untold fortunes on clothes shopping; laundry day is always light and I am able to hit the snooze button two extra times in the morning. But where and when do you draw the line? For me, I draw the line sometime in April, when the sun begins to shine and snow begins its long melt. Until then, I just try to play it sane, anyway that I can.
// posted by Howard @ 2:40 PM 
