What? Has no one told YOU to go back to your “own” country yet? That has got be corrected immediately: Bug off, Phil! Love it or leave it!;-)

Unlike the Finns that visit this blog, there are still plenty of Finns that can???t take it if a non-Fin is talking about ???their?? politics. I found out myself too often. How can you tell from the outside if a Fin is open to a discussion, even a conversation about politics? You can???t. Now I am cautious and never ever talk about it, unless I know they can accept it. I lost ???friends?? already because of this. The Greek is in a way lucky. He started to talk about this because someone told him to get lost. In my experiences you could only see the avoiding eye contact, a sudden inability to have a(ny) conversation, skipping the topic and then you know there???s a small chance this person will ever call or visit you again. The only ones who told me to go back where I came from are other expats though??¦ But nevertheless I find it hard to take that I am not allowed to express my political /societal views simply because I wasn???t born here, even though I moan about exactly the same stuff as Finns.

As I have told countless Finns: for as long as I’m paying taxes here, I have every right to say what I damn well please. End of story.

So when you’re unemployed and not a taxpayer, do you then have to shut-up about Finnish politics?