The first thoughts of the Jacuzzi man

Jacuzzis are awesome. Or hot tubs in general. Maybe that could work as a conversation starter? I mean, who doesn't like jacuzzis?

Who could resist something like this? (source)

Small talk is a difficult subject in Finland. We Finns tend to be quiet, keep to ourselves and we definitely don't like our personal space to be invaded. In other cultures this sort of behaviour might be considered rude. Nevertheless, small talk is a good way to break the ice and start a conversation with a stranger. Or getting to know the opposite sides of a negotiation.

Speaking of negotiations, I am pretty sure that I'll have a lot to improve as a negotiator during this course. I'm a text-book example of a stereotypical Finn: I don't speak a lot and when I do, it's short and to the point. So it's obvious that this course will be challenging for me. But that's why I enrolled in the first place: to learn.

And I did learn a few things already on the first group session:

• It is really difficult to come up with English words that start with the letter 'J'
• I am terrible at remembering names
• Small talk is a lot easier if you have some questions thought out before-hand (even if they are on a piece of paper) 

 Until next time. Cheers.