Part 1: Puhutko Suomea

 I will be dividing this entry into two parts. Part one will explain the title of my entry and part two will be a book summary of the Kalevala. 

"Puhutko Suomea?" "Kyllaä"  Translated into English this phrase means, "Do you speak Finnish?" "Yes." I am constantly asked by people why I speak Finnish, if I am not of Finnish descendant. The simple answer is because it's a beautiful language. I don't blame J.R.R Tolkien for borrowing Finnish to make Elvish. Sir Tolkien was way more creative and intelligent than I am. Below is the long answer. 

I grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Illinois. I was used to hearing Spanish,  Slavic, and Scandinavian languages. My Dad's friends were all Polish, Ukrainian, or Russian. My best friend's grandmother who watched us was Norwegian. I spoke English and Spanish at home. 

I was in middle school when I discovered Nightwish and Sonata Arctica. I thought it was the coolest thing ever because they combined opera and heavy metal. The first album I heard from Nightwish was "Angels Fall First." I was so excited I showed this band to my brother. He wasn't pumped about it like I was. I would play "Lappi Pt. 1 Erämaajärvi" over and over.  I love how corny Sonata Arctica was. I love the guitar riffs. I love how their keyboardist also plays a keytar. Keytars are so cool. The first time I heard Finnish I cried. Looking back, it sounds silly. I have never heard such a musical language like that in my life. Spanish is musical, but it also so loud and dramatic. Getting yelled at or insulted in Spanish is also not fun. Perhaps, a past life memory was unlocked for me that day. Because after that day I have always loved all things Finnish. 

At the age of 16-years-old hearing Finnish over and over was like discovering a whole new world for me. Having adhd meant I needed to learn absolutely EVERYTHING about Finland. From the culture, to the language, to the history and cities. So I started with music first. 

Next, I found Children of Bodom. I became obsessed. Maybe, it was classical music turned into melodic death metal. I play flute and piccolo.  Maybe, it was the teenage hormones. I used to find all the members very attractive. Whatever it was, I am eternally grateful for finding Children of Bodom because they helped me find other heavier bands like Amorphis and Sentenced. I used to watch the "Children of Bodom: Live in Stockholm" clips on YouTube all the time. The DVD where they're doing normal things like going grocery shopping, or playing hockey. I didn't want to read the subtitles. I wanted to know what they were saying. 

I didn't know how I was going to do that. But, I needed to know! I would watch interviews for all the Finnish bands and try to understand. It still made no sense to me.  

Then I found Amorphis. "The Karelian Isthmus" and "Tales of A Thousand Lakes" is what made me become interested in the Kalevala. Who's the drowned maid? Who is Uisiliu? Why were his sons exiled? Why does "Black Winter Day" speak to my soul? Having your parents immigrate from a sunny place, yet I wanted to die since I was born was hard for my parents to understand. I know. "You're too young to be jaded." "You're too young to be suicidal."  Tell my severely depressed brain that.

I was shocked when I learned the kid show I loved was Finnish. I remember watching The Moomins in English all the time. I remember asking my Mom for a Moomin plushy and she said, "Que es un Muhmin?" "Es una Vaca?" Translation: "What's a Moomin?" "Is it a cow?" "No, Ma! It's a white hippo with blue eyes." I showed it to my sister. "It's so cute! I want one too," my sister replied. You know kids. If one wants one, so do the other two. Needless to say, I never got a Moomin as a child or teenager. We were too poor to buy frivolous things.

Finland and Mexico have a lot on similarities that many people aren't aware of. Finnish music speaks to me because its people and I are on the same level of despair. We cannot escape unless we change our brain chemistry. Music is part of both of our cultures. It's how we show the world who we are. Furthermore, Finland like Mexico was ruled by another country for centuries. They never got a break. Sweden ruled Finland for six centuries. Then Russia took over until their independence. Laplanders like the indigenous people of Mexico are still mistreated. Many people act like they're foreigners in their own land. Like Finns, I hate small talk. I wear headphones when I go out on purpose. My inner monologue is always, " please don't talk me." Which was impossible in the Midwest. Midwesterners love to be nosy to strangers they just met. I moved to NYC to not speak to strangers. Finns and Mexicans love spicy food and lager beer. I don't like either. Thanks to my gerd and celiac disease. All my Finnish friends grow hot peppers and I don't understand why?! Finns and Mexicans when they're drunk are migraine inducing loud. We both love a good sweat lodge. Mexicans love to sweat. Except me, unless I'm in a sauna. Then it better be as hot as Muspelheim. Both Mexicans and Finns value family above everything else. Our Äiti and Isä mean the world to us. That's why Finns and Mexicans will do anything to please their parents. It's our toxic trait. It's something I realized when I was younger. Many Finns don't know about their ancestry just like Mexicans because they are also mixed. When Sweden ruled Finland many Finns changed their names to seem more Swedish. Likewise, when Russia ruled them. The Finns who live on the border between Sweden or Russia are also mixed. This is where Finno-Swedes and Karelians come from. Both cultures worship the sun. When you live in a place that never gets sun, the sun is what gives people a reason to live. Finnish and Mexican Paganism is shamanistic. Animals and plants are worshipped or used to make spells. Lastly, both Finns and Mexicans roll their r's. Our vowels in Finnish are pronounced the same way as in Spanish.

Fun fact: The Vikings were terrified of Finns. Finns were known for their spellcasting. What is now called the Kalevala was just a spellbook until Elias Lönnrot gave the runos a story. 

How did I learn Finnish? I am blessed with having several Finnish friends. I met them through my photojournalism jobs or through other friends I had. I told them I wanted to learn and they would speak or write to me in Finnish. Eventually, I bought some grammar books. Last year, Duolingo added Finnish to their languages. So I use that to keep my Finnish sharp. 

Finnish is an atonal language. Mispronounce one word and you get a completely different word. The difference between kuusi and kusi is vast. One is the number six. The other is urine or piss. It is very important to get the accents right. Because then a word becomes another. 

My favorite story to tell is when I learned how to say tree. In Finnish, tree is puu. To make a Finnish word plural an "a" is added. And if you want to add "the" one adds a "t". The tree becomes puuta. In Spanish, "puta" means bitch or whore. Needless to say, I've never laughed so hard in my life. The garden in Finnish is puutarha. Still funny, says immature me. 

That's my long explanation why I speak Finnish. It's not because I have an obsession or a Finnish fetish. It's because I think the language is beautiful. And I find a lot of similarities in Finnish culture with my own.