The Hillbilly Viking

Since we are sitting aboard our jet at the gate in Dublin waiting for our delayed, Finnair flight to take off, I have some time on my hands. I don’t know exactly how much time, as that information is being relayed mostly in Finn over the cabin loudspeakers. Sadly, the only Finnish words I know are beer and fish. Based on my careful, phonetic parsing of the captain’s announcement, this current delay is neither beer nor fish related. Thank god.

I found out just before we left the US that my older sister, Dawn, (much older, actually) knows how to sing This Land is your Land in Finn. Who knew? I wish she was here now so I could also rule out any delay issues involving “redwood forests” or “gulf stream waters.”

As I sit here Guiness-free in Ireland for the first time, brain cells are reactivating and it occurs to me I do know a few more Finnish words. The steam bath, sauna, of course. You probably know that one as well. However, I can pretty much guarantee that you’re pronouncing it wrong. It’s SOW-nuh (first syllable rhymes with cow), not saw-nuh. 

Sisu (siss-sue) is another one. No literal translation in English, but it refers to an alleged, national characteristic of Finns to be stubbornly determined, or tenacious. Growing up, it was a compliment on the Finn side of my family to exhibit sisu. Now, it’s just plain stubborn, and Patty doesn’t find it to be one of my more coveted traits. 

Well, it would seem our delay has been resolved, and our plane is beginning to pull away from the gate. And since our Aryan flight attendants are beginning to demonstrate the best way to activate the Fisher Price life preservers should we plunge like a lawn jart into the Baltic Sea, the concurrent cabin announcement is probably also mentioning it’s time to shut off all electronic devices.

Although I think I heard kala too, so I’ll also be turning off all my fish just to be safe.