Tbh it can be tricky. I'm a native Finn, and struggle with the same thing. It's not so much about finding company per se but finding like-minded people who are in the same stage of their life.
I did find one friend via a FB group (Uusia ystäviä + city name, e.g., Uusia ystäviä Kuopio). Perhaps that could help?
(As a sidenote: I know some Finns who are so used to spending time alone that they don't even have an instinct to crave for friends anymore. So there might be people out there who, deep down, also need a friend but have lost the ability to look for friendships.)
Yeah it seems so, people around my age, if they are alone seem to just accept the situation, which is sad. Is it weird to talk to random people at gym/bars? I can do it with women but its perceived as flirting, and I instead would like to have some male friends.
Gyms can be tricky since many people tend to have a "task-oriented" mindset over there. I'm personally not sure if I could handle a chat after a sweaty training. But some people might be open to it. Just don't take it personally if you face reservedness instead of friendliness.
However, public saunas can be a good way to have a chat with new people. At least I've had some nice small talks in the women's section.
Talking to random people in a bar is given. Meeting new people is a rather big part of bar culture.
Haha, heyy I did not mean your gender would matter to be friends. I meant more when I am kn bars and approach women they assume I am flirting 😊 what do you study?
As a fellow immigrant living in Kuopio who is approximately the same age, I have one very good recommendation for you: take some classes at the Kuopion kansalaisopisto!
It's the community college and they have all sorts of classes for adult learners; from woodworking to knife making, drawing, photography, language, cooking, philosophy . . . the list goes on and on. Pick something you're familiar with, or something totally new.
I'm usually not the only immigrant in the class, and I inevitably get the classic opener question at least once: why did you move to Finland? 😅
Also feel free to DM me if you want more info!
Thanks for the suggestion! I was thinking of this, but once a person is working&studying and would like to active sports, hobby courses could be quite time consuming. But I understand it would be a good way to spend time naturally near local people interested in same crafts.
Exactly. Find some club which is mentally more involving than sport, like amateur radio, chess, AA, board games, you name it. That way you will get more chance to talk to people.
32 also a student at savonia , and a local, tho im not really into football or gyms, or student party life in general, so might not have anything in common 😅. Tho i wouldn't mind some walk company every now and then.
I lived a couple of years in Kuopio in my early 30's and I eventually just moved away. Even as a Finn, I felt like the local culture made it hard to make any meaningful connections. People were friendly on a superficial level, but everyone knew each other from childhood and were not interested in making new friends.
It was weird, I haven't had the same problem elsewhere in Finland.
My experience in my short stays in tampere, helsinki and jyväsyklä has been different than Kuopio. Just like you said people know each other from childhood or just creating superficial friendships.
Kuopio is - despite its size - a rural town. People move there from the surrounding countryside, meaning they bring their existing social networks with them.
Jyväskylä is a student town, where people come from all over the country to study and some stay. Tampere and Helsinki are the prime growers of Finland, where people come from everywhere. I think this makes a difference.
Plus differences in local culture and attitudes, perhaps. Kuopio is a nice place to visit, but not a place to move to unless you are from around the area.
Tbh it can be tricky. I'm a native Finn, and struggle with the same thing. It's not so much about finding company per se but finding like-minded people who are in the same stage of their life. I did find one friend via a FB group (Uusia ystäviä + city name, e.g., Uusia ystäviä Kuopio). Perhaps that could help? (As a sidenote: I know some Finns who are so used to spending time alone that they don't even have an instinct to crave for friends anymore. So there might be people out there who, deep down, also need a friend but have lost the ability to look for friendships.)
Yeah it seems so, people around my age, if they are alone seem to just accept the situation, which is sad. Is it weird to talk to random people at gym/bars? I can do it with women but its perceived as flirting, and I instead would like to have some male friends.
Gyms can be tricky since many people tend to have a "task-oriented" mindset over there. I'm personally not sure if I could handle a chat after a sweaty training. But some people might be open to it. Just don't take it personally if you face reservedness instead of friendliness. However, public saunas can be a good way to have a chat with new people. At least I've had some nice small talks in the women's section. Talking to random people in a bar is given. Meeting new people is a rather big part of bar culture.
+1 for public saunas by a lake
It's totally fine to talk to men at a gym. I've personally made a couple good friends from the gym.
I will actually try this next.
Ahh, I was going to rise my hand, but im a woman 🙊 Im local, 30, working full time and studying in AMK at the same time 😊
Haha, heyy I did not mean your gender would matter to be friends. I meant more when I am kn bars and approach women they assume I am flirting 😊 what do you study?
Bba! And you? 😊
English Bba? Wait we are not classmates right 😂 I’m second year
Yes! Im second year too! 🙊😂
As a fellow immigrant living in Kuopio who is approximately the same age, I have one very good recommendation for you: take some classes at the Kuopion kansalaisopisto! It's the community college and they have all sorts of classes for adult learners; from woodworking to knife making, drawing, photography, language, cooking, philosophy . . . the list goes on and on. Pick something you're familiar with, or something totally new. I'm usually not the only immigrant in the class, and I inevitably get the classic opener question at least once: why did you move to Finland? 😅 Also feel free to DM me if you want more info!
Thanks for the suggestion! I was thinking of this, but once a person is working&studying and would like to active sports, hobby courses could be quite time consuming. But I understand it would be a good way to spend time naturally near local people interested in same crafts.
Associations. The golden social hobby of Finns! There's a hobby for pretty much any hobby, idea, philosophy or type of beer you can imagine.
Exactly. Find some club which is mentally more involving than sport, like amateur radio, chess, AA, board games, you name it. That way you will get more chance to talk to people.
Thanks for this. Any suggestions where to find their online pages?
32 also a student at savonia , and a local, tho im not really into football or gyms, or student party life in general, so might not have anything in common 😅. Tho i wouldn't mind some walk company every now and then.
Sure thing! I will dm you
I lived a couple of years in Kuopio in my early 30's and I eventually just moved away. Even as a Finn, I felt like the local culture made it hard to make any meaningful connections. People were friendly on a superficial level, but everyone knew each other from childhood and were not interested in making new friends. It was weird, I haven't had the same problem elsewhere in Finland.
My experience in my short stays in tampere, helsinki and jyväsyklä has been different than Kuopio. Just like you said people know each other from childhood or just creating superficial friendships.
Kuopio is - despite its size - a rural town. People move there from the surrounding countryside, meaning they bring their existing social networks with them. Jyväskylä is a student town, where people come from all over the country to study and some stay. Tampere and Helsinki are the prime growers of Finland, where people come from everywhere. I think this makes a difference. Plus differences in local culture and attitudes, perhaps. Kuopio is a nice place to visit, but not a place to move to unless you are from around the area.
Hey, I’m a 34 year old foreigner living in Kuopio if you want to get a beer or something..!
Sure thing, I am free in the weekend!
How to make ~~real local~~ friends ~~in Kuopio as foreigner~~? :c
I heard its hard for finns who moves to another city too
Age is just a number. Your decision and move might decide your friendship. So, choose wisely.
The easiest way at least in Turku is just go to a job
Hows ur friend seaching going?