Lesbian pot

The last day in Finland was a lazy one. My parents already packed most of their stuff because they will be leaving early tomorrow. But the evening ended with a bang as were going to eat some traditional Finnish food at my Finnish friends place. The Finnish friends I'm talking about are a lesbian couple, the dish they where making was a Karilian hotpot. The most readers will think, whatever. But for a Dutch this is a very funny combination of words. Pot in Dutch is also a nickname for lesbians. We most often ment in a kind and funny way. But the jokes are much more funnier in Dutch then in English so I spare you the translation, but I can I asure you that we three had fun all day.

When we were it was a happy reunion for al because my parents and friends were happy to see each other again. My parents also gave them some presents, a bottle of dropshot (liquorice booze) and a choclate letter. A pressent we give people at 5 December to celebrate a childerens holiday. Traditonally we give the first letter of someone's first name. Giving the whole name in choclate is seen as a show of, so we don't do that. After explaining this to them we took place at the table to let the Finnish food excursion begin.

Like I said before, the dish was a Karilian hot lesbian, uhm pot. Strange Dutch jokes kicked in again. Because the girls and I are vegetarian, we ate the veggie variant. My parents were the only meateaters so they eat the traditional way, with meat. They also served it with mashed potatoes. Unfortunaly for them, in the Netherlands it is made in the exact same way. So that was not exclusively Finnish. Also the Karilian hotpot tasted similiar to a Dutch dish. This prompt the discussion i how many things Finnish and Dutch culture share. Like the honesty and the directness Finnish and Dutch people have. Also our punctiality is the same and both languages are hard to learn for foreigners.

The next course, Karislian pies with eggbutter and Finnish breadcheese with mashed berries had a fimmiliar thing for us Dutch. The eggbutter we also know, but we also add mayonais and soysauce to it and use it as topping for toasts or bread. Because we in the Netherlands have a real cheesculture, we tried and discussed the breadcheese a lot. In the Netherlands we use the same cheese on bread or to eat out of hand. But the Finns have diffrent cheese for that.

The dessert prompt the real cultural diffrences. Appart that Finns use heavy rye in almost everything, we use soft wheat. So the Finnish rolled cake was made with rye. For us this is quitte heavy, but we liked it anyway. Also Finns drink the coffee or tea with the dessert, were Dutch drink it after. The way it served is also quitte diffrent. In the Netherlands, the hostess cut and served the cake. In Finland it is self service. My parents and I felt really uncomfortable with this because in our culture self service cutting is regarded as greedy and a show of bad manner. Luckily for us, my Finnish friends understand that we felt uncomfortable about it without a word, so it was served the Dutch way. The rest of the evening we did everything the Finnish way, so this little part of the Dutch way wasn't that insulting for my Finnish friends. I know them, so I know it wouldn't.

My Finnish friends, my parents and I really enjoyed the evening. I already know very much about Finnish culture and costums, but it is so amazing that we have so much in common. Even though the Netherlands  and Finland are so far appart from each other. Maybe it has something to do wirh the old Hanze cities and tradespirit of the Netherlands, but I don't know for sure. I know that it suprises me every time it happens. But luckily for my there are also some big cultural diffrences so I have the feeling I'm in an other country aside the language. Maybe that's the reason I like the Finns, we are quitte alike, but also quitte diffrent.