Very Finnish Problems Episode 2: When the summer cottage is more labour camp than holiday camp
Are Finnish summer cottages more labour camp than holiday camp? Very Finnish Problems creator and Helsinki resident Joel Willans discusses the Finnish love of forest work with Ink Tank writer Thomas Nybergh.
The conversation reveals that Joel is not permitted to use the chainsaw. Thomas admits he has never caught a fish in his life. The episode explores why Finns choose to spend their holidays performing manual labour in the woods.
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Contact: veryfinnishproblems@inktank.fi
Produced by Thomas Nybergh / Ink Tank Media
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There’s a lot of truth in this although some people do really dig digging :)
I dont know about all of you but I aint doin a LICK of work.
Can’t think of anything i would rather do than be in the woods with a chainsaw :) :)
think that some physical work and doing things “old way” is part of Finnish summer cottage culture.I would go crazy if I only read for 2 weeks. It’s very nice to go get some water from a well, and cut firewood for sauna ?
The answer is yes, every trip to the family cottage in Finland is a work camp not a holiday. There is always something that needs a layer of paint or some three that needs to go.
I think for us during the summer time it is 90% holiday. Of course there is a lot of cooking and stuff, but those things you would do at home too. We always have huge amounts of ready firewood so we do not need to chop any more. The labour camps happen during spring and fall when we prepare the place for winter and summer, do some upkeeping of the yard like cutting down shrubbery and burning branches and every now and then we chop down some trees and make more firewood. But during the summer it is all made up by relaxing in the sauna and having a nice swim in the ocean.
like physical working at my summer cottage. Today I dig with hoe about 30 square meters field for potatoes and veggies. So hard soil and lot of roots! But I Like to keep myself physical condition…
This really answered my problem. Don’t go to a summer cottage for a holiday :)
“Joy through labour” sounds like a Tory slogan :)