Welcome! This podcast is a space for the international community in Finland to share their unique stories of how they ended up here and how they are "mastering" the Finnish way of life. We invite you to join this community for practical information, laughs, relatable stories of struggles and victories as expats and much more!
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#97 Mastering Flowers with Kati Mayfield
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Discover how Kati Mayfield’s vision of "no flower should go to waste" is transforming unwanted blooms into gifts of joy for those in need. From hospitals to homeless shelters, Flower Rescue brings beauty and community spirit to Finland. 🇫🇮✨Kati shares her journey from America to Finland, her love for the country's sincerity, and her tips for newcom…
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#96 Mental Health without Borders with Kami Fodor
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Kami Fodor, a representative of Mieli Without Borders, discusses her journey and the organisation's mission to make mental health support accessible to foreigners in Finland. The episode underscores the importance of mental health support in the integration process for internationals and provides practical tips for maintaining mental well-being in …
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#95 Mental Health in Finland for Foreigners
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Discover the stories of Annabel & Hatty from Compass Psychology on the Mastering Finland Podcast! Learn how love brought them to Finland, their insights on adapting to Finnish culture, and the vital role of mental health support for expats. Don't miss out on their valuable advice for thriving in a new country! #MasteringFinland #Expats #MentalHealt…
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#94 The Worlds Most Difficult Language with Sanni Törmänen
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Sanni Törmänen spills the secrets to mastering Finnish language. From teaching abroad to adapting to online learning, Sanni's journey is as dynamic as the language itself. Forget one-size-fits-all approaches – Sanni's all about personalized learning at sananpuru.com. With Finnish being more like a puzzle than a problem, Sanni and Matt liken it to l…
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#93 Bemästra Finland på Svenska - Mastering Finland in Swedish
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In Episode 93 of "Bemästra Finland på svenska," Veronica Hetrzberg, a Swedish-speaking Finn, shares her journey of growing up in Finland, learning Finnish and English, and helping others integrate into Finnish society. The podcast discusses Finland's unique culture and emphasises the importance of networking for job opportunities. Veronica provides…
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#92 Fate Favours the Fast with Oki Tåg
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In Episode 92 of the Mastering Finland Podcast, Finnish entrepreneur Oki Tåg discusses the importance of networking for internationals seeking jobs in Finland. He emphasises that many jobs are in a "hidden market" known to trusted connections. Oki shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the lessons it teaches about motivation and overcomin…
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#91 New Finnish Government Immigration Proposal: Special Episode
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Join Matt for a special episode discussing the new government immigration proposal of 2023 with: Shreyas Ramachandran Srinivasan (originally from India, has both studied and worked in Finland), Nick J. Walters (Founder of Helsinki LEFT that represents immigrants and other minority groups and overcomes knowledge gaps and the language barrier to inte…
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#90 Finding a Job in Finland Through Descriptive Communication with Joppe Quaedvlieg
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In this episode Matt interviews Joppe Quaedvlieg, a job coach and community manager from Shortcut in Helsinki. Joppe shares insights on effective communication, networking, and the concept of descriptive communication that are key for finding a job in Finland. Discover how these factors can unlock Finland's treasures and shape your career path.…
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#89 From Sunlight to Empowerment with Carmen Lorenzana
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Discover the fascinating journey of Carmen Lorenzana, a Mexican expat who found herself captivated by Finland's charm. From her personal experiences to empowering women through menstrual education, fertility awareness, and embracing Finland's breathtaking national parks, this episode offers insights into life in Finland and the unique perspectives …
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#88 From Aupair to Influencer with JoshOfWestern
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Join us for an episode with Josh Hurst, aka JoshOfWestern, as he shares his journey of coming to Finland as an au-pair and becoming a successful freelance writer, blogger, and social media influencer. Discover his tips for mastering Finnish culture and adapting to life in Finland.
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#87 A Pawfect Way to Mastering Finland
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The founders of ‘Pawfect Grooming’ business meet with our podcast host Eva to discuss their discovery of puppy power in Finland! The episode also features some pet peeves they met during their journey to mastering Finland. Husband and wife team, Asha and Mikael Singadia-Kuronen, moved to Finland in 2018. Mikael was returning to his home country, br…
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#86 Anyone Can Become Anything with Kalim Ul Masih
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In this episode Eva meets Kalim Ul Masih — a certified coach, humanitarian worker, and travel enthusiast who’ll open up his insider secrets to Mastering Finland. Kalim is Finnish, but as he was working and traveling abroad in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia for quite a while before returning to Finland with the onset of COVID-19, he had to polish…
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#85 Follow your heart to Finland with Gemma Cros-Baden
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Many of us here have an on-and-off relationship with Finland. But for our new guest, it was love at first sight! Gemma Cros-Baden came to Kuopio for her Erasmus exchange and simply didn’t want to go back to her home country Spain. But she had to. Fast-forward to when our podcast is recorded, Gemma lives happily in Finland, has a job, and is learnin…
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#84 Under the Christmas Tree with Mastering Finland Team
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It has finally happened — the whole Mastering Finland team is on the same episode! A Christmas miracle, nothing else. So who’s on the line? Petra, Eva, and Iliana from the best library in the world (Oodi, of course), Matt from Pori, and Matty all the way from the UK. In this episode, we do a lot of Christmas talk: from favorite Christmas songs to t…
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#83 Frankly About Work-Life Balance, Burnout, and Self-Care with Petra, the Founder of Mastering Finland Podcast
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Petra is back to Mastering Finland (I bet you’ve missed her) — but now in the guest seat. She is the founder of the podcast, a person who has been bringing up so many individual stories of Mastering Finland and sharing tips and knowledge with our community. The Mastering Finland team is sure that you’re as excited as we to hear from Petra again! Bu…
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#82 A way to Mastering Finland with Eva
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You haven’t heard her voice before, and yet she is essential to the Mastering Finland project. This episode sees the ‘Mastering Finland’ founder return to the microphone and interview one of the key people from behind the scenes of the podcast – Eva Valkovicova. Eva’s energy, spirit, and curiosity are keeping the podcast alive, but there’s more to …
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#81 "Freeskate" Movie with Roope Olenius & Veera W. Vilo
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Mastering Finland Podcast takes you to the movies for an exclusive interview with the director and screen writer behind the new film “Freeskate” which premieres on 21 October 2022. Getting to know the faces behind this new Finnish film, Matt speaks with director Roope Olenius and screen writer Veera W. Vilo who are partners both on and off the movi…
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#80 Asking For and Giving Help is Easy with Karoliina Kauhanen
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Meet Karoliina Kauhanen with whom we discuss why people need help and why it is often so difficult to ask for it. As internationals, we don’t have a network we can rely on, even in some simple tasks such as moving the furniture. Some people wouldn't mind giving a hand but they don’t know where to start. Karoliina has a solution to this problem. Com…
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#79 Part 2: The Secret of Finnish Happiness with Bill Couch
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In Part 2 of Matt’s interview with an American ambassador in Finland the conversation grows in its cultural dialogue and reflections on Finland as experienced by an international. What is the secret of Finnish happiness and where it comes from? Find out in this episode!
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#78 From Teacher’s Desk to Foreign Service with William Couch
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Ever dreamt of working in foreign service and being stationed abroad? Listen to our new episode and see if this lifestyle suits you! Bill Couch, Foreign Affairs Officer, shares with Mastering Finland his experiences of working at the US Embassy in Helsinki — from perks and daily routines to the challenges (and new engagement avenues) that the pande…
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#77 Helping Others Integrate in Finland with Hasan Sohail
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Matt Bowen gets to meet Hasan Sohail, the man behind the travelwithasan YouTube channel. In his YouTube videos, Hasan shares his experiences of integrating into Finnish life and making the most out of living in Finland. What is Hasan’s strategy for integrating in Finland? Here are some tips: Get out of your room to find your way around Join groups …
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#76 Fascinated by Finland with Matty Davenport
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Matty Davenport lives in the UK, but he is a ‘superfan’ of the Mastering Finland Podcast and pretty much of all things Finland. From an outsider’s perspective Matty explains how he first became aware of Finland as a child and became increasingly fascinated through adolescence into adulthood. Listen and learn more about Matty's passion for winter sw…
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#75 Introducing Spouse Program by City of Helsinki
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Matt talks with the project planner of the Spouse Program offered by the municipality of the City of Helsinki, Jochen Faugel. The Spouse Program is part of the Talent Boost initiative and is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Education and Culture. Its purpose is to build an engaging and supportive co…
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#74 Getting Settled in Finland with Rafaella Troupkou
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This week we are coming back with an episode with one of our team’s members – actually the most recent one – Rafaella. Rafaella joined our team six months ago when she moved to Finland to be with her partner and move ahead with her career. Finland is for her a country to admire, like all the Nordics, considering their progressive mentality. Petra a…
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#73 Dealing with Unfulfilled Expectations & Frustrations in Finland: Raysa França
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In this episode, Petra meets Raysa, an old guest from episode 20. Raysa was invited back for another episode due to a LinkedIn post reflecting unfulfilled expectations and frustrations in Finland's international community. We believe that this episode discussion may resonate with many of you who are trying to find a job in Finland or, in general, a…
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#72 Playing Flute in a Finnish Orchestra: Lucia Hellerhoff
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In this episode, Matt welcomes Lucia Hellerhoff, a German flautist living in Finland, Pori, and a member of the Pori Sinfonietta. Lucia has been already working 5 years for Pori Sinfonietta and shares with Matt that she really likes her job. According to her, the program is rich and varied, for example, the songs they practice and the conductors ch…
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#71 Sauna Culture with Joona Virtanen
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Whether you are planning to move to Finland or you already live in Finland, one way to achieve mastering life in it, in any case, is to experience the Finnish sauna culture. Finland is famous for its sauna culture and Finns do love it for sure! Some might even say that sauna might be the secret to Finnish happiness. For this reason, we talk about t…
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#70 Summary of 2021 by Jean & Petra
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When Jean & Petra meet again to summarise the 2021 and share some info about Finnish Christmas traditions. PS. Full of laughter as usually. Happy holiday to you all!
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#69 Independence Day with Soila Sariola
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December 6th is a very important day in Finland and for Finnish people in general. On this day Finland’s Independence Day is celebrated, one of the most awaited holidays in Finland. For this reason, our guest for this episode is Soila Sariola, a Finnish musician, singing teacher, singer, a member of acapella group Rajaton, and mother. And it is our…
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#68 Finnish Metal Music with Dafne Jalomo
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The new Mastering Finland Podcast episode is this time all about metal music in Finland and for this reason, the guest of this episode is Dafne Jalomo, a psychologist, music lover, beer enthusiast and adventurer from Mexico, who is now living in Helsinki. It was over 15 years ago, when Dafne had her first contact with Finnish bands, starting with t…
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#67 Establishing Ethical Business in Finland with Pukhraj Ranjan
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This week's episode introduces Pukhraj Ranjan, an educator and entrepreneur establishing a new ethical fashion brand Moi namaste - that is creating eclectic, timeless pieces combining Indian craftsmanship and Nordic functionality. Pukhraj shares her story of life in Finland that started by pursuing a masters degree in education, finding her first j…
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#66 Halloween in Finland with Bella de Graves
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This week we wanted to join the Halloween madness and record a special spooky episode for you 🎃 This time, Matt talks to Bella de Graves, a Finnish artist, that is fascinated by everything creepy or scary. They discuss horror movies, costume shops, spooky places in Finland, and experiences related to the Halloween celebration in Finland. As the hol…
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#65 Cultural Identity & Community Building with Kamilla Sultanova
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In this episode we introduce Kamilla Sultanova, a Nordic and Uzbek citizen, speaker, entrepreneur, event host, mentor, and consultant in diversity inclusion who enjoys bringing people together and helping them belong. Kamilla talks about how to sustain your own cultural identity whilst living in a new place and especially how to embrace it. Additio…
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#64 Guiding Internationals on Their Career Paths with Olivia Kumpula
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In this week’s episode, Matt speaks with Olivia Kumpula, a Nigerian Youtuber, social media blogger, and entrepreneur who lives in Pori with her husband and her children. Listen to this episode and learn about Olivia's endeavours and their contribution to the international community in Finland.
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#63 Empowering Internationals & Communities with Ronny Eriksson
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In this episode, Petra talks to Ronny Eriksson, a 25-year-old serial entrepreneur and storyteller based in Helsinki, co-founder of the "Norders", a creative agency and community, host of the "New Nordic Wave of Change" podcast, as well as part of the "ReformMigri" team. Ronny focuses on helping companies and individuals, like international students…
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#62 Reform Migri with Julia & Anuka
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Reform Migri petition’s goal is to improve Migri's system and service procedures, which has caused a lot of difficulties, stress, and pain. In this episode, Petra talks to Julia, the initiator of the petition and Anuka, a nurse in Finland facing a deportation decision despite fully following the law. We talked about why Julia started this petition …
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#61 Kätälyst: Making Music in Finland as a Multinational Rock Band
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In this week’s episode, Matt hosts Kätälyst, a multinational rock band based in Espoo. Each of the band’s five members came to Finland independently for education. Although they met online and at Aalto University during their studies in 2010, they did not form the band until 2017. The band gets its name from an earlier group that its founding membe…
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#60 Fathering in Finland with Early Artis
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In this episode you will get to meet Early Artis, a teacher and a father living in Finland. He has been all over the world teaching and helping others to learn and integrate into new cultures. He is a member of the Expat Dads in Finland Facebook community and the Fathers in Finland community of Familia ry. Early and Matt discuss the challenges of r…
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#59 Autism in Finland: Folashade's Story
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In this episode Petra talks to Folashade, who shares the story of her family and her daughter with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Finland. Folashade shares all about the complicated process of getting a diagnosis in Finland, about social services available for children and families with ASD, the process of accepting your child's disability, and…
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#58 Jean's Last Episode aka Goodbye Jean
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In this episode, Jean and Petra meet for the last time to talk about their mastering Finland journey. They reflect on their podcast, their personal lives, Finnish bureaucracy, and towards the end, Jean also shares her secret identity with you. Come and join us in this episode full of laughter and great atmosphere.…
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#57 Accessibility in Gaming & Living with a Disability in Finland with Felicia Prehn
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Matt speaks with Licia Prehn, who works in the gaming industry, as a producer, voice actor, and writer in Finland. They are also a board member of We in Games, a podcaster, a radio DJ, and one of the leading accessibility advocates in Finland. Licia moved to Finland about 10 years ago from Pennsylvania for love and a change of scenery. When the rel…
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#56 Parenting in Finland with Rabea
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In this episode, Jean talks to Rabea about her Finnish journey including auparing, university tutoring, and exchange studies. They also talked about parenting, and the Parenting with Sisu podcast.
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#55 Swedish Community in Finland, PhD & Depression, and Municipal Elections with Arseniy
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In this episode, Petra talks to Arseniy Lobanovskiy, who moved to Finland from Russia about 6 years ago. Arseniy talks about his learning of both Finnish and Swedish languages and its impact on fitting within the communities in Finland. Moreover, he sheds a light on the Swedish community in Finland. He also speaks about his battle with depression d…
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#54 From the UK to Finland: Jessica's Story
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Jean chats with Jessica, who is originally from the UK. Jessica moved to Finland in 2016 to live with her Finnish partner. In this week’s episode, Jean and Jessica talk about volunteer opportunities in Finland and the importance of volunteer work in a functioning society. Jessica noted cultural differences between her family in the UK and her partn…
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#53 Municipal Elections with Sini Korpinen
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This week, Petra is joined by Sini Korpinen. Sini is a political podcast host and a municipal election candidate. She visited for a chat about the significance of municipal elections for Finns and foreigners living in Finland and provided clear instructions on how to attend the upcoming municipal elections in Finland. Links: Double Check Voting Eli…
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#52 Multilingual and Multicultural MONIKU-service with Counsellor Alba
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Moniku began as a temporary project aimed at reducing inequality and usage of rehabilitation services among multicultural families. When the need for Moniku services continued to grow, however, the project was made permanent. Today, Alba serves about 15 families per week.Moniku’s services are important, Alba explains, because multicultural parents …
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#51 Brazilian Musician in Finland: Pedro's Story
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Pedro Bergamo is a singer/songwriter from Brazil who originally moved to Finland for love. In this episode, he shares his deep connection to music, his influences, and his songwriting process. Also, Matt and Pedro also listen to and discuss one of Pedro's latest releases, "Abrahadabra!". Pedro's website: https://pedrobergamo.com…
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#50 How to Land a Job in Finland with Carl Nykopp
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Tune in for an informative chat with Carl, an executive consultant and headhunter in Finland. Carl decided to pursue a career in recruitment, a process that had always intrigued him, after a long career in banking and leisure. In his role as a headhunter, Carl conducts targeted searches for candidates that fit a specialized profile. Although many m…
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#49 From Finnish Vappu to Armenian Culture with Aino
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In this episode Aino talks about the Finnish tradition Vappu that is annualy celebrate on May 1st. She also shares many interesting experiences with Armenian culture an answers listeners’ questions. She gives great advice for impressing your Finnish in-laws, as well as important things to keep in mind if you plan on moving to Finland (sneak peak: b…
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#48 How I Married My Finnish Penpal: Matt Bowen's Story
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Please join us in welcoming Matt, our new co-host at Mastering Finland! Matt moved to Finland for love in 2016. He packed up his life in Maryland, and married his penpal of 10 years! Today, Matt lives happily in Pori with his wife, Sanni, and their son, Edvin. Tune into episode 48 to hear Matt’s story, and to get a sneak peak at what to expect from…
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