Kaksio With a View

When we first came to Finland in March 2005 we moved into a wonderful new apartment in Joensuu known as the penthouse of the mission. It was 67 square meters and had a sauna. It also had wonderful closets and storage space. Our second apartment which was in Espoo was quite dated, but still 67 square meters with a gross bathroom and a very spacious kitchen. All the closet space was located in the entry hallway. Hard to imagine, but a not uncommon design here. Now we are living in a bright but small apartment in Espoo near the temple. It is 48 square meters and has a sauna. The kitchen and living area are one room. There is excellent storage in hallway and the bedroom. When we had our first Finnish guests, I warned them that the apartment was quite small--only 48 sq. meters. The wife responded, "How much room do two people need? And you have a sauna." This highlights a major cultural difference. When we were teaching a course about America last year we learned that the average person classified as living in poverty in America lives in a larger space than the living space of the average European. Our whole apartment is about 12-13% as big as our home in Maryland and our house is the smallest model in our neighborhood. But we don't have a sauna.