9 Comments »

1. Wow, get got to go to the other side of the bulletproof glass.

   I wonder if he got the same comment everyone else gets when they show up:

   “Are we expecting you?” (Given in a pissy tone.)

   Not like they would let you inside the front gate unless your name was on their appointment list…

   Comment by Fred Fry — Thu, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 3:53 pm

2. the last time i went to the consulate in helsinki was a truly horrible experience. “do you have an appointment?” of course i’ve got an appointment, why the fuck else would i be here. then they couldn’t find my name anywhere on any list. luckily, i had printed out the email i got from some diplo-flunky telling me when to show up. while i was waiting outside the entry building in the sub zero weather waiting for the finnish rent-a-cops to figure out if i could indeed be admitted, i witnessed an older (like senior citizen age) american fellow accompanying a younger finn (who was getting a visa to be an exchange student) be rudely denied any access to toilet facilities. they told him if he would walk several blocks he would find a cafe where he might be able to take a leak. having lived in finland for many years now i am quite accustomed to pissing on the street (usually only late at night, after several liters of beer). man you think the good old usa would let one of its citizens take a piss. i suppose, american passport holding old timers are potential terrorists. i don’t know where i am going with this. i guess fred fry’s comment sent me on a little spin…

   Comment by jenkki immigrant — Thu, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 6:43 pm

3. Hi all!

   Conan’s trip is giving us presence in American class rooms:

   http://edition.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/02/14/ten.questions.wed/index.html

   Comment by Elina — Thu, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 6:56 pm

4. I visited the embassy once in the eighties as a child, and they seemed quite friendly then, as far as I can remember. I have visited the embassy a couple of times in recent years after the walls were built, and the guards were not particularly friendly. Even the lady in the office was being sarcastic. However, the so called “Finnish rent-a-cops” were actually friendlier than the American staff. Maybe the staff comes from the warm south and they are pissy because they have to stay in the cold north.

   Comment by finnish guy — Thu, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 8:44 pm

5. “Maybe the staff comes from the warm south and they are pissy because they have to stay in the cold north. ;)”

   That was probably the case around 50’s. They even had some kind of mural there depicting typical southern plantation, which Mrs. Rowan had covered later in the 60’s. Carl Rowan was the U.S ambassador here during the Kennedy administration and he was the first black person to have that office.

   Mr. Rowan had rather prominent position in the department of state before he took over the embassy. He was once mowing lawn by his Washington residence, when some passer-by asked in southern drawl, “Hey boy, how much they pay you for the lawn mowing ?” “Nothing, but sometimes I sleep with the lady of the house”, he replied.

   Comment by Antti (the redneck one) — Thu, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 9:23 pm

6. Redneck Antti wrote:

   “That was probably the case around 50’s. They even had some kind of mural there depicting typical southern plantation, which Mrs. Rowan had covered later in the 60’s. Carl Rowan was the U.S ambassador here during the Kennedy administration and he was the first black person to have that office.

   Mr. Rowan had rather prominent position in the department of state before he took over the embassy. He was once mowing lawn by his Washington residence, when some passer-by asked in southern drawl, “Hey boy, how much they pay you for the lawn mowing ?” “Nothing, but sometimes I sleep with the lady of the house”, he replied.”

   Nice story. I’ve heard it, too. But of course those were the days when we DID get high-flyers in Kaivopuisto at times. Rozanne Ridgway was probably the last one. These days they are simple legacy-ambassadors-cum-yes-people who’ve paid enough into the Repugnant/DemocRAT kitty or made sure other hands have been prized open sufficiently. I guess at least during the Cold War we got a bit of class here, instead of the party-faithful dross that passes for diplomats today.

   “Lot 24. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Finland. What am I bid for Helsinki? Shall we start at $150,000? I beg your pardon, Sir…did you say 30,000?!? I said HELSINKI, not Harare. Yes, I know it’s cold and dark in the winter and they insist on that pinko welfare state crap, but they have McDonalds, I hear from Dick that the quail hunting’s quite good, they don’t burn our flag very often, and apart from a few dumb comedians who stray there you won’t have to do much entertaining. It’s in Europe I believe. Oh, and they are white, mostly. 150? Thank you, madam! Do I hear 160?”

   Comment by furrin servis — Thu, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 11:02 pm

7. I understand that the American embassies are good at helping your family ship your body home if you happen to get killed abroad. Other than that, my experience with them (as an American) is that the American foreign service is pretty useless.

   Comment by James Li — Thu, Feb 16th, 2006 @ 11:18 pm

8. I read about Carl T.Rowan being Ambassador to Finland. When a member of the Finnish Embassy in DC came to my hometown during Finnish Independence day I asked him had his embassy sent condolences to his family. He claimed he did until I got a e-mail from his grandson. I was disapointed.

   Comment by BlkUS — Sun, Feb 26th, 2006 @ 1:24 am

9. I think that your site is very interesting and nice. Good job !

   Comment by tip — Mon, May 26th, 2008 @ 6:54 pm

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Leave a comment