I just found an old book from the year 1968 written by James Murray, our English teacher from the Institute of Export in Helsinki. The title of the book is “The thoughts of chairman Jaska or how to make friends with *Urkki”
On Monday the 6th of December we celebrate the Independence Day of Finland, so I think that now it is appropriate time to present some thoughts of Jaska the Scotsman, what he wrote about Finland and the Finns.
James was a fantastic English teacher and we all enjoyed learning this important foreign language. James or Jaska as he was called in Finland, wrote in his book about Finland. I quote his text from the book:
“In this article, I’ll try to answer the question of why I chose Finland and why, for heaven’s sake, I stay here. As a traditionally superior Scotsman, I find myself, from time to time, treating the Finns in a patronizing way, but this can only lead to further confirmation of my own prejudices. Well, what do I like here? Above all the sauna, followed by the excellent Finnish Lapin Kulta and sausage, and, if forced, the barbarous dip in a hole in the ice. Finnish design in glass, ceramics, furniture, ryijy. The architecture especially Dipoli. Finally, without whom all this could not exist, I like people themselves with their honesty, silence, stubbornness, friendliness to foreigners, and occasional hospitality.”
Since that time, I have been somehow connected with international business or international affairs and even when I retired years ago, I continue working, now online. Even online business is basically like traditional trade there are numerous differences.
Online you can reach much more people than in the traditional way of traveling and meeting your customers personally. But the basic rules are the same you need to solve the customer’s problem and help him or her in finding the best possible solution to the problem at hand.
- Urkki is a nickname for Urho Kekkonen, the former president (1956-1982) of Finland.
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