The place where I quite like to be-e-e

[Tarrel]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... the_North/

RC, you might find the above a good watch. It was aired on BBC2 Scotland yesterday. Another variation on the "Should we look to Scandinavia for inspiration" theme, but an interesting comparison between the three Nordic countries; Norway, Sweden and Finland.

[Blue Peter]

If they have a "Dacha"-type system where you all go and live in the woods for the whole of JJA (as in Russia) that might just make up for everything else

I know a Finn (worked with her until department split). She seems very sane. She does have a house by a lake or some thing (though she lives in England). She doesn't seem to like the cold, so you must be able to live there without it being too much of a problem.

The Finnish education system seems very good, and, if a reflection of their society, then that is a plus (e.g. see article),


Peter.

[adam2]

I think that pretty much any DIY electrical work is prohibited, even worse than our part pee.

[kenneal - lagger]

Best of luck, Candy.

My brother lives in Norway and has become a citizen, learning the language is a prerequisite, and has a very good life style with a cabin near the beach and one in the mountains and a small fishing boat. His, Norwegian, wife died a few years ago and he was debating coming back to England but we discussed what he has there and he decided that he would be much better off staying. He now has a new lady friend and is happy. I have been there for a few days during the winter and didn't find it too cold but that was in Stavanger, which is about level with Northern Scotland. Finland is a lot further North!

I have a client who has lived in Finland and who's wife is Finnish and he really enjoyed living there. He was writing a book at the time. He moved back here for work. He liked the forest and walking/skiing and the free access.

I've been to south western Sweden for a week in summer and really enjoyed it there to the extent that we seriously thought about going back permanently. Only the family kept us here. There's something about the low population density, the space, the clean air and the trees and the people, who seem a lot nicer than many people here. Even supermarket shopping was more pleasant! Rural houses in Sweden are a lot cheaper than here - we could have bought a rural three bed house in a tourist area ten minutes drive from a town with a bit of land for about £85K.

Seriously tempted again just writing about it.

[emordnilap]

http://business.financialpost.com/2013/ ... =481c-a275

[RenewableCandy]

The Russian Dacha thing used to be (don't think it still is) that schools and factories would shut down for all of June July Aug and people would basically just bogoff to the countryside and grow their own food! Saved a lot of cases of scurvy etc when food supply became erratic/costly over the years when the USSR was falling.

Oh and back in Finland, I almost forgot: Nightwish!

[Tarrel]

The whole way of life in the USSR was more resilient to collapse compared to the West, as Orlov points out in "Re-inventing collapse". Strange how a supposedly collectivist society actually consisted of citizens who were basically more self-reliant.

[jonny2mad]

the tolerant society thing will be their main problem its not a plus in a collapse.
But if they got rid of that I think they would be better off than the uk

[RenewableCandy]

Well, it looks as if they don't want our work in Suomi-land, so for better or for worse, in Blighty we shall remain.

[vtsnowedin]

Well, it looks as if they don't want our work in Suomi-land, so for better or for worse, in Blighty we shall remain.

Ah well! it would have been an adventure.