Finnish Sauna on Canada Day

Yesterday I celebrated Canada Day in Finland. I was a little disappointed in these Finns by their lack of celebration around this all important holiday that should be celebrated world wide. Last year I was in Turkey at this time and to celebrate, I bought a box of Baklava for my team to eat. It turned out to be a bit bigger of a box than intended, but communication turned out to be a little difficult. But the important thing was that I got my Baklava!
Well, yesterday I enjoyed my first Finnish Sauna (and believe you me, these Finns seem to take the Sauna thing like a religion!) Heli went easy on me for my first experience and took me in when it was her private time. I look forward to the full experience but it was good to have private “training” before I humiliate myself in front of other people. Heli seems a little amazed at my ability to stumble through cultural things that she finds normal and doesn’t even think about. I am, however, trying to teach her that when it comes to Finnish culture I am “stupid” as they taught me in the IECS. So, the biggest difference that I found in how saunas are done properly is that you must go naked. To do otherwise would be considered gross or unclean or just wrong. After much coaching and trepidation on my part we went down to the sauna rooms (it’s not just one room – this is a sacred process!) with towels (one for sitting on – and this towel is always washed after every sauna) and regular showering things (shampoo etc). First there was the dressing room – and I was suddenly reminded of the Turkish Baths last year. Then there was an outside room to cool off in and smoke in (if you wanted to) and to drink beer. We declined the beer drinking part since Heli had to work that night. Then there was the showering room – we rinsed off in there before going into the sauna. The sauna itself was not too much different from the ones that I have used in Canada. Apparently on the other side of the sauna there was another showering room and dressing room. That makes at least six rooms – and I thought a sauna was just one room at a swimming pool! J After sweating together for a bit we went back to the showering rooms and shampooed, and then I made a mistake that I had no idea about. Apparently it is a completely normal thing to go back into the sauna with your conditioner in your hair. Heli forgot to mention this fact since it is so normal she didn’t even consider just how “stupid” I am. Oh well, I guess we will have to try that next sauna. After sweating again we went out and showered, and when we went back upstairs again I felt so CLEAN. Now I am almost ready for the real deal with many naked Finnish women and the branches that they use to beat you with.
I love cultures!