A Finnish social distancing glossary

Finland declared a state of emergency on 16 March. Libraries, museums, indoor exercise areas, pools, the university, schools (except daycare and grades 1-3 for kids whose parents work somewhere vital for the public good or if the alternative childcare is elderly grandparents) - they are closed. School is continuing online, including Jeremy’s and my teaching at the university.

Here is a social distancing glossary for you! If you did not know these words in Finnish before this week, you do now, because they are everywhere.

suljettu - closed. All of the things are closed.

toistaiseksi - until further notice. (This word can also mean ‘permanently’ in certain contexts, which makes it alarming to see next to ‘suljettu’.)

poikkeuksellisesti - on an exceptional basis, exceptionally.

peruttu - cancelled.

ruuhkautunut - overwhelmed, busy, congested. All of the advice hotlines and business customer service phone lines are ruuhkautunut.

etä- - add this to a word and presto, it is now ‘distance-’ whatever! So etäopetus, for example, is distance teaching. Etätyö is telecommuting. Etc.

We may be social distancing but we are definitely sending our kids outside more than usual. Jeremy mentioned yesterday that it’s a weird summer vacation feeling right now because there are so many kids running around outside. But they’re all bundled up in winter clothes still. Just a little cognitive dissonance to add into the mix!