Right now, several generations live side by side, each with a very different relationship to war and its threat. There are children, teenagers, and adults for whom the Cold War is nothing more than the title of a chapter in a history book, and many no longer have anyone in their close circle who still … Read more
It’s easy to blame globalization, online shopping, and cheap shipping for the disappearance of brick-and-mortar stores. But honestly, the biggest culprit is often staring back at us in the mirror — we, the consumers. Many of us walk into a local shop to test a product, feel the quality, and ask the salesperson for extra … Read more
When people rush online to defend teenagers’ reckless behavior with a quick “boys will be boys” or nostalgically add “hey, we were idiots when we were young too,” it’s hard not to wonder where these phrases are actually taking us. I get where the instinct comes from: youth is basically life’s beta version, where judgment … Read more
In recent months, concerns have surfaced across Finland – concerns many people had never really paid attention to before. In Pieksämäki, too, odd property ownership chains, the town’s strategic location at the crossroads of the national power grid and railway network, and the long distances for police response have all made their way into coffee-table … Read more
Eloisa’s cost-cutting measures targeting Vaalijala don’t affect only South Savo – they threaten to dismantle a national center of expertise built over decades and shift overall costs, many times larger than the individual regional savings, onto the entire social and healthcare system. Eloisa’s adjustment measures now strike at the heart of Vaalijala. Closing four rehabilitation … Read more
It’s easy to understand the frustration of Finnish Teboil franchise owners. For years, they’ve built their businesses, served customers, paid taxes, and created jobs. Now their livelihoods are at risk — not because of any mistake of their own, but because of a geopolitical storm. From a human point of view, that feels deeply unfair. … Read more
In 1976, Toikanniemi in Pieksämäki was changing. From behind the alder trees by the shore rose a concrete, aluminum-clad, glass-surfaced hotel that brought a touch of the big world to a small Finnish town. The newly opened Hotel Savonsolmu felt like a promise of things to come – a landmark of a new era that … Read more
Events are an important part of many municipalities’ identity and sense of community. They bring people together, offer things to do, and make life more enjoyable. Farmers’ markets, summer festivals, and cultural evenings are valuable moments in everyday life — experiences that can’t be measured in money. From an economic perspective, however, their impact is … Read more
Finland’s new regional welfare areas were established about two and a half years ago after a long and heated reform process. They came with promises of more equal and accessible services, as well as a more cost-effective system. Yet many citizens are now asking: what did we actually get in return? Waiting lists are growing, … Read more
These days I feel like grabbing a roll of heavy-duty aluminum foil from the kitchen and fashioning a hat before daring to open the newsfeed. The twists and turns now outdo the wildest Cold War spy thrillers—yet at the same time, they sometimes look like something straight out of an ’80s slapstick comedy. When Russian … Read more