From philosophy to sauna diplomacy - My first month 

My first weeks can be best described through a philosophical phenomenon. In which the perception of time feels altered and is not reality based. In short, I am shocked by how quickly my first month passed, but at the same time my first day here feels like a lifetime ago, while it has only been four weeks! Cognitive neuroscientist Martin Wiener answers my thought experiment by explaining that the perceived time is based on the memorable experience we have. And of that I have had a lot which I will share during this vlog. 
 

But first, I want to start by expressing my gratitude for the incredibly warm welcome I received from the team. Everyone is busy, of course, but they all took the time to onboard me properly. As I write this, I genuinely feel like a solid contributing part of the team, and that’s a good feeling! 

The first couple of weeks were all about reading, lots and lots of reading! Now, I know that might sound boring to some, and it is. But for me, it was anything but. I dove into multiple policy documents from the Finnish government, and one of the most fascinating ones was their report on the future. It’s essentially a cross-domain analysis that looks at various emerging topics likely to influence Finnish society until 2050. One of them was climate change induced migration, and the melting of arctic ice. The Finnish government uses these insights to make political neutral strategic choices, ultimately establishing a long-term vision and strategy. 

Another thing that really caught my attention was how central the concept of "preparedness" is in Finnish society, politics and policy. They emphasize the importance of being prepared over anything. For instance, did you know that Finland has over 55.000 bunkers? Which are designed to withstand a nuclear attack? Even though they don’t expect to survive such an event, they’re glad someone thought of it. 

Furthermore, I did policy analyses and helped hosting multiple events such as the visit of the Secretary-General of BZ. I also attended a naturalization ceremony where three new individuals became Dutch citizens. And as a team we had the honor of witnessing Ambassador van der Burg present his credentials to President Stubb. Watching musicians from the Finnish Jaeger Brigade play the “Wilhelmus” made me feel proud. There was also an incoming mission with a Dutch delegation related to offshore wind. We attended the annual Wind Finland event and I helped in making connections between Finnish and Dutch companies. Last but not least, I represented the embassy during the Day of European Languages at the Oodi Library and during the European Film Weeks. 

On a more personal note, I’ve met interns from other embassies, and we’ve been getting together now and then. Our first outing was - of course - a trip to the sauna! It provided a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with one another, allowing me to truly understand the essence of sauna diplomacy ;). Next week, I am joining other diplomats for a swim in the sea. Yes, you heard that right! We’re committed to continuing this even when winter arrives. Instead of meeting for a coffee to catch up, we’ll be taking ice baths! 

So, that’s a glimpse into my life over the past few weeks. I will share these updates monthly. So, stay tuned!