Dubious record / Dark ages / Getting tested / Self-exalting modesty

Capital punishment is as fundamentally wrong as a cure for crime as charity is wrong as a cure for poverty. Henry Ford

Dubious record

According to the local yellow press, a Finnish man made tried to deliberately make the world record in drunkenness. He was quite successful, was admitted to the emergency care with 0.83 percent blood alcohol content. When he woke after some 5 hours, his first words were: "Did I break the record?". Such is the life in the winter in the Finnish countryside. Wise men stay away.

Dark ages

The yearly dark age has descended over Finland. It is not too dry nor it is too much light. It is the prime time for all light sensitive pursuits, the thugs are roaming the street. Very exciting, almost scary. Fortunately I can stay inside and take naps. I have taken 3 naps today, so I am very much awake now that I should not be. This is a strange place. It is very hard to find energy to do anything. Or is it just the jet lag?

Getting tested

I am getting tested. Now we will finally find whether Mr. Kinnunen is as clever as he thinks and claims. He has not been doing that well in the test so far. Maybe he has to learn certain self-humbling modesty tonight. Seriously, I am not sure whether tests like today's really reveal anything, which would not be apparent to anyone who would spend a few hours discussing with me. But I may be arrogant now. Not for long, for sure.

Self-exalting modesty

Self-exalting modesty (itseäänylentävä vaatimattomuus) is one of the things I really cannot stand in the Finnish culture. It is quite OK to modest, not being a braggart, but being modest and exalting oneself for it is just infuriating. And it is all over here. All rich people make a point of doing their own laundry, leading politicians boast about their low-class hobbies and shopping in malls, and impost themselves as men of the street. Of course, most of them are not that special, just ex-beauty queens and totally average persons. I think leading politicians must not be average, artificially modest persons. They must be exceptional, and aware of it. And certainly not too shy to show it.

Alun perin julkaistu kuukausikoosteessa "Blogs November 2005".