A Tale of Two Countries

"Terve! Mum nimeni en Outi! Hello my name is Outi!

My dad's English and my mum's Finnish. I was born in England and moved to Finland when I was nine.

It was a bit of a culture shock switching from an English school to a Finnish school. I used the words 'En ymmarra' - I don't understand and 'mitaz' - pardon? quite a lot. It's amazing how quickly you can absorb a new language as a child. I soon learnt to speak my mother tongue and fit in to the Finnish culture.

While in Finland I missed England a lot. Especially my granny and having tea by the fire on Sunday afternoons in her cosy house.

I returned to England at the age of 20 and I find I miss many things about Finland: the peace and quiet; walking in the forest and sitting by the lake.

I love the seasons - summer at a summer cottage sitting through the nightless midsummer night and the winter with the snow and skiing on the ice. I visit once or twice a year and really appreciate my time there.

These two places are important to me and hold strong memories of growing up, and will always have a place in my heart and be a part of me.

But who I am is not just about where I am from. I now feel that I could go anywhere in the world - and where I laid my hat would be my home."

Please tell us about yourself.
I live in the city but miss the countryside. When I'm in the countryside for too long, I miss the city. My aim is to be happy in the spot I'm in right now!

What's your story about?
It's about growing up in England, then in Finland - and what it's like flitting between my two home countries.

Why did you choose to tell this particular story?
I wanted to share what it's like being rooted in two different countries.

What did you find the most rewarding about the workshop?
I enjoyed meeting a diverse group of interesting people and hearing the intriguing stories they had to tell. I also enjoyed meeting the challenge of putting my own story together - I feel it's a real achievement.

Your comments

"First of all "greetings". I'd agree that it's in people's nature to miss their homeland. I really appreciate that the ice and snow have played a part in you guys'lives. I hope that I too will have the chance to ski and play near the lake. That would be a nice memory." Minmin, U.A.E.

"Nice story. It made me think of my old hometown Viitasaari. Fine place and nice memories." Joni Rissanen, Helsinki, Finland.

"It was wonderful and very true - I'm a Finnish person who lives in the UK, so for me the story felt very emotional and I felt that I share similar type on views.Brilliant!." Elina Ruddock, Manchester.