Doing business in Finland? Although geared toward the tourist looking for a different sort of European vacation, this article is rich with examples of the uniqueness of the Finnish culture.

"Krapula," he sighs.

That's Finnish for "hangover," a word I added to my own limited vocabulary the first time I was here. Last night, Stites was out drinking with some colleagues. One of the advantages of early winter sunsets -- not that the sun makes that many appearances this time of year -- is that Finnish bar life starts at 3 in the afternoon.

"There's a whole culture of krapula in this country," says Stites. "Finns understand that sisu needs help in the winter, and krapula is the price. You would never show up for work in the U.S. and tell people about your hangover. In Finland, everyone understands."

Finnish | Finland | culture