NORMAL LIFE: Why Do I Bother?!

I was stunned, I really was, but now I’ve had time to digest what the women said, I’m thinking why do I bother? Ahead of a business trip to Dusseldorf, I called Helsinki’s taxi centre to reserve an early morning taxi to the airport. In what I would like to think – and am pretty sure - was reasonably good Finnish, I responded to the clerk’s questions which included giving my address, time of collection etc. For some reason, however, just as we were nearing the end of the conversation, she said: “If you speak English, maybe we could do it that way as it will be quicker for the both of us!”

Is that shocking, or am I just overreacting? I somehow feel that my Finnish studies have meant nothing, that there really isn’t any point in continuing with the lessons. This woman’s ignorance amazed me for learning what is reputed to be the Western World’s third most difficult language deserves some kind of acknowledgement or, in the very least, some encouragement wouldn’t go amiss. You know, sometimes I wonder why I bother!