FINLAND: A WAISer in Vaasa

On reason I need an atlas near my desk is to keep track of WAISers, like an astronomer needs his telescope. Ariadna Barrera graduated for the University of the Americas in Puebla, Mexico and worked in the International Office there. Now I have received a message with greetings from Finland, in which she asks me to say something about Slovenia. Naturally confused, I asked her what she was doing in Finland.

She tells me she is working in the Department of Management and Organization of the University of Vaasa. Vaasa? I know the south coast of Finland, from the Russian border to Turku. but Vaasa? It is half way up the west coast of Finland, at the narrowest point of the Gulf of Bothnia. Since just east there is a place called Lapua, I guess that there are Lapps around there. One reason the Finns are such computer experts is that it helps during the long, dark winters. Has Ariadna eaten reindeer meat? Before I tell her about Slovenia, she must tell us about life in Vaasa-. I must also get a report from the distinguished cancer specialist Eric Stanbridge, who migrates each year from UC Irvine to Tromso, Norway, way above the Arctic Circle, to organize a medical school there. I am reminded of the little polar bear standing forlornly on an ice floe and complaining to its mother: "I don't care what you say, I'm COLD!"

As for Slovenia, which Ariadna plans to visit, I have spent only a rainy afternoon there, and my only memory is of a loud visiting basketball team from the Midwest which had taken over the restaurant where I was enjoying a quiet lunch. Slovenia has another memory for me. At the Sorbonne, my Russian professor asked me a question about Slovenia, and I got it mixed up with Slovakia, giving him a pretext to rebuke me sharply. Slovakia, Slovenia, Slavonia, Slavnoye... What the heck! Don't get them mixed up! I will allow someone else to tell us about Slovenia.

Ronald Hilton - 1/05/01