My first week in Finland

In this blog I would like to take a note of my experience in moving to Finland. As an introduction: I am from Greece and we met with my Finnish boyfriend A. in Spain and after 4 years we decided to move to Finland. I had been learning Finnish in Barcelona for 2 years, I already spoke some when I came and I had-and still have-a big admiration for the Finnish culture and people. I was really interested to explore this country, meet my boyfriends family and find some work here. Everybody talks about the nordic countries how they are advanced in the social services, organisation etc. and thats why I came with big expections to face... the caos! From my personal experience, it is far more easy to move to Spain or Greece ( both known as lazy, unorganised countries) as a European citizen than in Finland. And in my blog you will find out why:)

My story begins on June 2008 when I came for vacations here before moving. I was living in Kerava, 35 kilometres from Helsinki, practically a suburb as most of the people who live there work in Helsinki. Then one day I woke up with a terrible urine infection- I had chronic urine infection in the past- and I had fever and couldnt really move from the toilet. My boyfriends parents were on holidays and we decided to go to the nearest terveyskeskus, city healthcare center in Kerava. We went there with our bikes.

Before us there were in the queue only three boys that one of them had twisted his foot. Even if he couldnt walk the nurses told him that he should go to the terveyskeskus of his hometown. The boys were young and were laughing because...he just couldnt walk. Then they lent him 2 sticks to walk but telling him many times that if he doesnt return them back he will get a fine. After that, it was our turn.

I said that I was in a lot of pain probably because of urine infection. They asked me for the kela kortti, finish social security, and I told them that I am just visitor, but I have the spanish one with me. Then they just told me that they cant help me even if there were no more people there. The only way would be that I pay 150euros(??) even if it was just a prescription for antibiotics. Then they indicated me that just next to the terveyskeskus there is a private doctor that will be....cheaper. I started crying but this didnt seem to bother them at all and their last words were that : Only if it is a matter of life and death we would be obliged to help you. As you can imagine after that we left completely destroyed. I just couldnt believe it. This has never happened to me in any other country I happend to be with a similar "urine infection story": not in Spain, neither Marroc, Algeria, Greece... In Algeria by the way, that they ARE NOT European Union, apart of giving me for free health assistance and antibiotics, they did to me an ecography just to be sure it was not something more important...Then, we went out and the private doctor was closed, it was around 5 in the afternoon and I was completely desesparate because I JUST KNEW THAT WITH A PILL OF ANTIBIOTICS ALL OF THIS WOULD END IMMEDIATELY. But, in Finland you cant get any medicine without prescription. Soo, we called my boyfriends uncle and we had to go with his car to Helsinki center, to a private hospital, wait 3 hours in the queue as there were a lot people there waiting and pay 50euros. And this was just the beginning...