Category Archives: in english
The three things I’d change in the Finnish education system
I am a proud product of the Finnish educational system (as well as the Mexican and Belgian ones), but as much as I think it gives you a great preparation, there is a few things that I’d like to see changed:
- Knowledge of the world: While they focus a lot on the technical foundations of your chosen subject, cross-cultural, geographical and historical awareness outside of Europe seems to be lacking. Funny given their strong focus on foreign language education.
- Presentation skills: I’ve mentioned it before, but I think it’s crucial to know how to communicate and sell your ideas. You only learn through practice, so it is very important to get started early. I remember I was doing English-language presentations already in 3rd grade.
- Financial skills: This is something that would be necessary not only here in Finland, especially with the proliferation of express loans. Knowing how to handle your money is a basic skill for life.
Ataque de Pánico
A science fiction short from Uruguay that made me think about the state of neglect of science fiction as a genre in Latin America. Would love to see more examples like this.
Language resources
I’ve spent countless hours playing with the English accent archive of George Mason University and the Omniglot resource, especially the “Useful” phrases, one of the best ones below.
Si hoc legere scis, nimium eruditionis habes.
If you can read this, you have too much education.
Singular singularity thoughts
After a very interesting presentation by Dr. José Luis Cordeiro of Singularity University, I was left with a few interesting ideas about the coming accelerating technological and social progress.
- Genetic testing is becoming faster and cheaper. In 3 years full sequencing will only cost 100 bucks and take 5 days, with a huge impact in ancestry and medicine (think about genetically-tailored preventive medicine). Imagine 23andme going mass market.
- We will go back to the moon, especially now that it is found that there’s water.
- World relationships are changing. For thousands of years the important body of water was the Mediterranean, and until recently the Atlantic. We are now entering the age of the Pacific.
- Robot rights are already under discussion in Korea and Europe.
- Economic, telecommunications and energy source evolution is accelerating.
- The death of death: The Methuselah Foundation.
- Nano, bio, info and cognitive sciences are converging. Everything is information.
- Marvin Minsky (MIT): “Will robots inherit the earth? Yes, but they will be us!”
- Transhumanism as a possibility, not only a science fiction conjecture.
Biking in the dark
I love biking, ever since I was a small kid. Now that November has arrived and we have 6 hours of sunlight, you have to be more careful than usual.
Finnish-Mexican fusion cuisine, part II
In many cultures it is common to take advantage of all parts of an animal, not only the average meat. As I had been missing beef tongue tacos (a Mexican delicacy) for some time, I decided to try the same with reindeer when I found it sold in my local supermarket. The taste was very good, if a little gamy.
Tacos de lengua de reno
Ingredients (serves 2)
- 500 g of reindeer tongue (2-3 tongues)
- 1 full head of garlic
- 1 white onion
- Couple of stems and leaves of hierba buena (or spearmint)
- Couple of stems of dill (or dried dill where available)
Peel the garlic. Cut the onion in 4 parts. Add the hierba buena, dill, and the tongues and boil everything in water for 1.5 hours. Peel the tongues and cut in small cubes.
Serve with warm tortillas. Salad and rice as good optional sides. Don’t forget a good sauce (a taco without sauce is a sad taco), we had some salsa taquera but I’m sure some pico de gallo would also work great.
Remembrance Day
I came across Remembrance Day in my last stay in London. While I find the tradition very moving (especially given the current servicemen situation in Afghanistan), I am also slightly disturbed by its militaristic overtones. There’s nothing wrong with remembering your dead, but shouldn’t be used as a justification for hating others. After all, the First and Second World Wars were already some time ago.
Let it snow
Found at the main entrance of the headquarters of a famous multinational corporation after yesterday’s snowfall. Whoever said Finns don’t have a sense of humour hasn’t spent long enough with them.
Finnish citizenship test
If Finland were to apply tests for citizenship applicants, would you be able to pass it? Helsingin Sanomat created one.
I got 85%, while natural-born Finns I know got 30 points less. Doesn’t seem to make me or any other foreigner any more or less of a Finn in the eyes of society to know for example how people in Rauma speak, as the more I explore suomalaisuus it looks that it is an ethnic rather than cultural concept.