[rendall]

As an immigrant from the US to Finland, it's such an overwhelming advantage that it actually interferes with my engaging with Finns on their own terms and in their own language. Almost everyone is delighted to switch to English and discuss all things America, to the point that I really do not have immediate, external pressures to level up my Finnish. Nearly everyone finds my grumpiness about this baffling, so I just have to choose cheerfulness. But holy shit I wish English were not my native language, sometimes.

[7thaccount]

How is living in Finland, and how is your Finnish? I thought the language was nigh impossible to learn.

[rendall]

I love, love living in Finland. It has brought me much joy. In a way, when I go back to the US to visit, I have a weird feeling that I'm leaving a more civilized place to a one that is still quite civilized, just, a little less civilized.

Finnish is not impossible. It is difficult in some respects, but really a good half of the difficulty stems from the fact that nearly everyone speaks English and experiences myötähäpeä (vicarious embarrassment on your behalf) when you struggle with it, so they will step in immediately with English rather than watch you dangle on the hook. It's a rare treat when someone refuses to, or cannot, speak English and we're forced to speak only Finnish.