Writer's Block: Capital offense

Ah, don't we all just love questions like this.

Coming from a country where there haven't been any executions during peace since 1825 (Capital punishment in Finland) there is the predisposal (sp?) that I am a liberal extremist.

I am, admittedly, in a sense that I see no sense, moral or legal, in death penalty. If you really want to punish someone take their freedom from them for the rest of their natural life, but there is no excuse to murder a murderer in name of justice.

It is not a surprise to anyone that innocent people are killed by their governments in the name of moral and justice because of corrupt and / or biased courts, even though the spirit of justice should be that an innocent man is never convicted, that even guilty person have be set free if there is reasonable doubt about one's guilt.
Still, every year several innocent people get into death rows because the reasonable doubt is forgotten.

Many reason death sentences with religion, how it is deathly sin to kill someone... but killing someone because they have committed a sin is brutal, and I am quite sure that G-d is not very fond of such practises either as in such cases humans raise themselves to have the undertanding and rights of G-d - and last time I checked that was blasphemy.
Basically human being has no right to judge anyone in such drastic manner - if we use religion and G-d as the basis.

And if we don't I do not see what kind of ethic code would give anyone right to kill someone else. If killing someone is a crime everyone taking someone's life should be judged to death and all the sudden there would be piles of dead bodies...

Sin or no, killing anyone for whatever reason is simply utterly wrong. Period.

Let's see...

Year ago yesterday we met for the first time, in flesh that is, as we had been exchanging emails for one month and calling to each other (or rather he had been calling me most of the time) about the same time (he was gentleman and waited until I felt comfortable giving my number, which was, even I don't know does he know, one of the positive traits in him during the getting-to-know-you process - I am shy, even no one ever believes it). I remember how excited I got when I heard that he had booked the plane tickets to visit me (only about  1½ weeks after I sent my first, response, email to him) and how slowly time passed after that.

I still remember how handsome he looked when he walked out of the baggage claim (but honestly he has only got more handsome since, I don't know how he does it), how good he smelled when we hugged, what he wore (that sky blue T-shirt just looked so good on him) and how much I wanted to touch him when we were standing in the cafeteria line at the airport before heading to, then, my place. I still remember how beautiful his smile looked and how good it felt to sit next to him, holding his hand when we sat in the taxi on our way to my place.
Little did we know that year later we would already be living together, that we had lived as man and wife for five months already. (Little did we know that we wouldn't be spending our first anniversary together, but separated by Europe - which isn't that bad as we have modern tools of communication and he is coming back home as soon as he can.)

It has been a wonderful year with my Darling Wonderful and he is a real blessing in my life. And it makes me wonder how suitable nicknames you can invent for someone you have never met and whom you only have knew few days: as Mr. Wonderful is his first nickname (which has been followed by variations of Dear) and I still do call him that, for a reason - and my intention is to call him by that name for decades to come.

(AnneR., who knows. )

Interestingly enough I realised yesterday that last, and excluding this one, only, one year anniversary I have had with someone was almost ten years ago. So, even I am commitment kind of person I haven't had long relationships (though, what does it tell? Just that I don't stay in a relationship because I "have to", I stay because I want to and because it works.)

And I have become a firm believer of online dating sites: at least one of them worked, once - and that is enough for me (funnily enough it was one which allows freeriders to contact others, too).
Apparently what they say is true: you just need to kiss enough frogs to find your prince, in our case King.

Things to get (now I only need 72 hours for a day)!

Graphs by Barbara & Cheryl - these are mostly simply awesome and there is one design I have adored in fellow stitcher's gallery, but they didn't tell me the designer or the name of the design: Jacque's View (it looks ten times better stitched).

Now we just need to win the lottery - or Mr. Wonderful has to find a very well paid job.

Ok, I am just kidding. No matter what I will continue working until we have our first child (G-d willing, knowing my health issues (prayers regarding children are welcomed - if you believe in them)).

When it comes to spirituality...

It's interesting to notice the change in me: I have and am getting more spiritual (I wouldn't say religious as I am not member of any organized religion) since Mr. Wonderful came into my life. Or maybe it's just that despite the difference in our belief bases (basically the main difference is that he considers Jesus as Messiah whereas I don't) his love for G-d is contagious, or rather helps my hidden religious side to come out because the atmosphere is accepting.

Basically that difference isn't visible in our daily life as we both avoid pork, we both avoid blood, we don't use intoxicating substances in excess (actually I am becoming an absolutist with my current interest towards alcoholic beverages), we don't believe in birth control in committed relationship (yup, kids would be very welcomed ) etc..
The visible difference comes from our backgrounds: he comes from family where G-d was part of their daily life, I come from agnostic family and I was already in schoool when I realised that religions do exist.

He has really changed my life in so many ways, but then, I got what I was praying for:  a good man to share my life and have family with, and eventually, in July 2008, he sent me a message and the rest is history.

Do I sound sappy? Good, I feel like it.

I intended to share some lovely stash in this entry, but I guess I have to do it later as I should head to bed.

Cross posted religious ponderings

If you are easily offended stop right... now.

"Over the weekend I was once again reminded why I could never become a Christian, even that way would be much easier and much more socially acceptable - myself and the doctrines of Christianity are in conflict in several levels, in those important levels.

I have never understood the need for missionary work, the need to come and almost claim that your belief system is wrong and that you can't honestly be happy if you believe in a different way and to different things than they do.
That the salvation is only in them...

I don't need to be rescued from anything, my life is as it is because of the choices I and others around me have made. I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell because I don't believe that there's such thing - as what G-d who's claimed to be forgiving and just could send one's "children" to such place for the rest of the eternity just because they were what they are: imperfect humans?

Missionary work... As a person who born to non-religious family I have always been missionaries' favourite prey: a pagan, sinner, impure soul to be saved.
I have always despised people who come to me and say what should do, who judge my way and my decisions. To be honest I have always felt like being raped when some missionary comes to preach about The Only Right Way.
Some could say that it's just denial, that I should accept Jesus to my heart etc., but how could I? I believe in one G-d and my simple mind can't understand monoteistic religion with at least two god figures: G-d and Yeshua of Nasareth (think of it, how often Jesus is referred as G-d?). Neither I can digest aspect of G-d's son or favourite son. In my world either no one is or we are all, and this is actually what I believe that Jesus meant by being "son of G-d", children of G-d.
Jesus... he was a human and his mother was just a young woman and not a virgin, son of Joseph. I can believe that Jesus was a wise man, someone who wanted to modernize Judaism, not start a new religion or be a G-d.
But then, I am just a pagan and I base my opinions on the things I have heard and learnt during my life.

The fact is that three "book religions" (Christianity, Islam, Judaism) share the same G-d, the commentary just differs. And I believe that all those thousands of gods in this world are all reflections of same entity and therefore just as correct than mine.
And to claim that G-d actually cares about to which religion you belong to is just a bad joke: we look for religion because we want to belong to something and claim that ours is better than our neighbours just because we want to be right - because we are afraid of being wrong.

I believe that G-d is just and fair, as much as one can be revengeful. We were created to One's image anyway.
This also means that I don't need Satan, and devil for me is just the evil in all of us. We born pure and we have given the ability to choose how we live our lives - and we can change our way at any point. It is all about the way you act, the way you think.... and really meaning what we do.
As previously asked: what G-d would judge newborn based on one's parents' deeds?
That would be one sadistic G-d indeed.

This is one of my favourites and it reflects my views on the basics of actually almost any religion:

"Man came to rabbi Hillel saying that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole of the Torah in the time he could stand on one foot.
Rabbi Hillel replied: 'What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it.'""

(Original source)

Once again I have the need to recommend music... Matisyahu (at Wikipedia).
Firstly, he makes good music. Secondly, he makes good music with religious influences, which is a real skill. Thirdly, he's quite a curiosity: Chabad Lubavitch (ie. extremely orthodox) reggae artist. (When it comes to Lubavitch Jews I have to admit in first contact they may look like a pile of fundamentalist, but since I have learnt more about them I have become to admire and respect their way of living (that may surprise you, I know).)

Belated Monday Madness

After weeks and weeks of uninspiring questions MM hit the nerve again, so here it comes!

Monday Madness

1. If you could rewrite one pivotal moment in history, good or bad, to make a change, which moment would that be AND what are some of the consequences that you believe might come from that change?

This was the difficult one, and if I hadn't watched B5 last night I hadn't answered to this whole meme. Thanks to Passing Trough Gethsemane for the idea...

I think most of you have heard of crucifixion of certain Yeshua of Nazareth about 2007 years ago? As an outcast in a Christian society I do play sometimes with the idea of what if..?
His goal was to reform Judaism, not to become Messiah of a new religion, but as Romans crucified him he became a martyr and certain power crazed individuals got their possibility to become powerful and control lives of others...
What would Judaism be if Jesus had never been crucified? What would be world's most common religion then? Would we have more religious tolerance, would it be easier for us heathens, people with 'wrong' belief to live? How different would world be without crusades and Christian missionarism?

I am not saying world would be more peaceful place to live as we really can't know, but at least world would be more varied in means of thinking.
It is also possible that no one would never had heard of Islam, which, in my opinion, would actually be a pity. Some may ask how in Earth you say there wouldn't be Islam?... Mohammad studied Judaism and Christianity before he became a prophet, before Gabriel became to him and if you think of it Islam contains major elements from both Judaism and Christianity.

In my opinion world would be more varying religion wise, in my opinion there would be more unique cultures.

I am not against Christianity, I am against the fact that in its name people have been massacred, in its name cultures have been destroyed, in its name has happened so much bad that I am sure that their Messiah cries blood out of agony... because what he preached was love and understanding, not trying to make everyone alike and live in continuous shame.

2. What's the most unusual hobby you have? How did you get started with it?

Define unusual. In the circles I hang around everything I do is completely normal, though it may be less common, but nothing I do is unusual as such. And, for someone who don't share my interests everything I do for fun is unusual...

3. Name one thing for each of the following: Favorite

1. smell
2. texture
3. view
4. sound
5. taste.

1. Musk.
2. Velvet.
3. Dusk.
4. Cat's purr.
5. Coffee.

On theisms

While chatting with person X. I came to think of something...
It's commonly accepted that person can be brainwashed into certain religion, but how often you hear about those people who are brainwashed to atheism? I think I've met one. Not person X. (who admittedly is an atheist), but someone who used to be part of my life, an ex. (How time flies, it was over a year ago... *grin*)
I've never met anyone so fundamentalistic about the fact that I've my beliefs - I am not a fundamentalist, I admit that I believe in G-d, but I don't try to convert anyone (as it's against my morals anyway) so that was not caused by me or my beliefs - or the fact that some people actually believe in divinity/divinities of their choice.

It boggles the mind...

Greetings from the fridge

I've more or less browsed trough half(!) of the upper part of the fridge, just to get the image what there is and what I can eat. I also like to know what there really is for Yule (24th).

Anyway, after that I needed allergy medication, so here I am bit irritated sipping coffee and blogging about it. Great life, huh?

And allergic rections or not, I've to explore rest of the fridge today as tomorrow I need to do few things, like some candies for myself as I can't eat bought ones because there's more or less nuts or something related in every single Yule chocolate brand there is...
And in case I want to keep Shabbat I've to wake up early so I can finish everything before 6 o'clock. Living in a family with several ways of belief, or lack of it, is quite cumbersome.

But hey, I've done some stitching today and I feel much better about myself again. It's really odd what's the difference between stitching me and non-stitching me.
I like this stitchy self more.

Btw, I think it goes like this...

• All things kawaii!
• Kawaii!
• ^^

equals

Spots in the sun or what's this thing?

I don't know is it just a coincidence, or just the end of the year, but when I glance around me, and into my own life, it seems that there are odd things happening to people and their relationships.
I was doing my before Sabbath administrator duties in the board (little by little into better direction, my Sabbaths I mean - some day I'll stop blogging, hanging in forums and blabbering in IRC, but I'm not yet ready for that, and I'm not forcing myself. It happens when it happens. It's a journey anyway.) and read one user's post in a certain thread. And even her relationship is completely different from mine to begin with it's odd how similar situation we both are in. (Not to mention that there's things happening to people in general - outside that forum )

Two options, both feel odd, but there's feeling that something should happen - and something odd/ scary/ bad/ etc. will happen soon.
In my case odd has happened already, but I've thing feeling that there's something even more odd to come, and possibly(/very likely) during this year.
And what ever happens... I seem to be the one who makes drastic moves, if and when there's such things.

I'm not afraid of what future brings, as I know I'll live what ever happens. I'm just confused in certain level, as my current situation is something I wasn't even thinking in my wildest/ oddest dreams.
And unfortunately my current situation forces me to believe in fate even more than I've used to. (At the moment of pure oddness I knew why I was experiencing it... and that is freaky.)

Have you noticed that I didn't tell anything even I wrote quite much?

Christmas. Yule. What-ever. Celebrations of light.

I've intended to blog about this topic for some time, but haven't been in the mood (maybe just not annoyed enough or something?). Anyway, if you doubt a bit about reading religion related rants save yourself and do not read this.

This is that time of the year when you continuously realize that Western world lives in that odd assumption of Christianity. To some people (to most, according to my 26 year experience) it seems to be somewhat difficult, even impossible, to understand that person doesn't have to be Christian (or to believe in G-d(s) of any kind) - unfortunately it seems to me that to some people you got to be (at least) demon from Hell if you don't believe in G-d.

That has been a problem to me in past, nowadays I'm slightly "better" person as I can say that I do believe in G-d... but then they assume I'm a Christian.
(To make it clear: I have nothing against Christians, I just hate assumptions (and judging). And as I have lived without religion most of my life I have got so much **** about that so I think I've reason to be bit fed up to human beings - and in Western society I live in main religion is Christianity so it's the one which suffers from general idiocy of human kind.)

Ok, I do believe in G-d nowadays, but I'm not a Christian... And what happens to bother me about this season is that no one doesn't seem to understand that we all don't celebrate Christmas - and don't see any need to it (as it seems to me that some people actually feel sorry for us ).
Why should we? If we don't believe in Jesus as a Messiah, if we don't believe in trinity... why should we see any need?

World is full of religions and quite many of them have celebrations of light in this time of year (I count Christmas to those also because it has to do with light (star, see)). That's why I have learned to like phrase "Happy Holidays!". Yes, it's very PC (according to some even too much of it), but in my opinion it's best way.
At least I see red every time someone wishes me "Merry Christmas". I know that most people don't understand it (I could say a word about that too, later maybe), and they mean well, but anyway... it just feels a bit wrong. At least after I've mentioned in every possible situation that in my case it's more like Yule (Phonetically closer to Finnish word joulu, and as pagan feast it's closer to our way (lots of food, having a good time with family - and yes, giving gifts (because it's fun, not because wise men did it))).

Yule has never been that much of a thing for me, but I've to admit that I like Finnish Yule cuisine. It originates from poor peasants, but oh my those foods taste great. (Here are recipes to some traditional Finnish Yule foods - in English)

Anyway, lately it has been even less the thing for me. Nowadays it's just part of my social inheritance - in future I wont celebrate it individually, I'll "celebrate" it just because of social inheritance. I'll have other celebration of light...

But, even this is a bit early:

Happy everything!

Joyous Yule
Happy Hanukah;
חנוכה טוב
Merry Christmas
Good Kwanzaa
Silly Saturnalia
and good belated
Divali
Eid

Thoughts about fate and meanings of names.

In order to sound completely mad I'll write about something I thought in night between Friday and Saturday after certain dream of mine. In fact I talked about this with my ex and as he didn't call medics I think I can't be that mad...

"...Peris (in Persian پری Pari) are descended from fallen angels who have been denied paradise until they have done penance..."

"...Their wailing foretells of a death nearby, though it never causes such a death..."

"...exiles driven out of heaven.."

...for starters. Then one of my "first" names...

"...it could derive from the name of the goddess HECATE; it could be related to Greek aikia "torture"..."

...torture... Fallen angel who has to recompense something... And what about Hecate then?

"...in Greek religion and mythology, goddess of ghosts and witchcraft. Originally she seems to have been an extremely powerful and benevolent goddess, identified with three other goddesses — Selene (in heaven), Artemis (on earth), and Persephone (in the underworld). From the three supposedly came her image in Greek art as a figure with three bodies or three heads. Generally she is identified as a spirit of black magic, Persephone's attendant, with the power to conjure up dreams, phantoms, and the spirits of the dead. In the upper world she haunted graveyards and crossroads and was invisible to all eyes except those of the hounds who attended her."

But...

"...Yet Hecate has been called tender-hearted..."

In this point I had came to conclusion that I'm here to make amends. Sounds crazy, yes, but it doesn't clash with my religious views. It only clashes with my reasonable side...

"...The purpose of reincarnation is seen as a chance for a soul to achieve a goal not achieved in a previous life and as a chance to reward man for fulfilling the desires of his Creator. Reincarnation has also been viewed as punishment for a sinner’s previous deeds..." (Original source)

More in here and here.

"...Some sources indicate that reincarnation is a routine process, while others indicate that it only occurs in unusual circumstances, where the soul left unfinished business behind. "

And to drop a bomb and to sound COMPLETELY crazy... reincarnation anyone?

So?

Odd things have been happening lately. So odd things that I can't believe that it has no meaning.
And what bothers me isn't thing what should bother me in common opinion: what bothers me is that in the end I was one who needed space (I'm not jumping on walls here even I don't know anything about my future and with whom I'll spend it with in the end). I need to find out what's behind the name, what's my meaning, what is really important..?

Though... I think I know what is that thing I've to accomplish before I die.

Quote of the day.

“Be very careful if you make a woman cry, because God counts her tears. The woman came out of a man’s rib: Not from his feet to be walked on. Not from his head to be superior, but from the side to be equal. Under the arm to be protected, and next to the heart to be loved.”
Talmud

Talked with my ex almost three hours in the phone (I don't even want to think how much that cost) and I feel much better about few things now. He gave me some hope and let me rant. He helped me to see things in better light as he let me to talk about them as long as I got my thoughts cleared.
I don't usually do friends (for me it's very honourable title), but he's one - though sometimes he can be very annoying, but that's life - and I can say I'm happy that he exists. (I think this is something you usually don't say about your ex spouse.... )

"God Angrily Declared 'Don't Kill' Rule."

God angrily declared 'Don't kill' rule

NEW YORK — Responding to recent events on Earth, God, the omniscient creator-deity worshipped by billions of followers of various faiths for more than 6,000 years, angrily clarified His longtime stance against humans killing each other Monday. "Look, I don't know, maybe I haven't made myself completely clear, so for the record, here it is again," said the Lord, His divine face betraying visible emotion during a press conference near the site of the fallen Twin Towers. "Somehow, people keep coming up with the idea that I want them to kill their neighbor. Well, I don't. And to be honest, I'm really getting sick and tired of it. Get it straight. Not only do I not want anybody to kill anyone, but I specifically commanded you not to, in really simple terms that anybody ought to be able to understand." Worshipped by Christians, Jews, and Muslims alike, God said His name has been invoked countless times over the centuries as a reason to kill in what He called "an unending cycle of violence." "I don't care how holy somebody claims to be," God said. "If a person tells you it's My will that they kill someone, they're wrong. Got it? I don't care what religion you are, or who you think your enemy is, here it is one more time: No killing, in My name or anyone else's, ever again." The press conference came as a surprise to humankind, as God rarely intervenes in earthly affairs. As a matter of longstanding policy, He has traditionally left the task of interpreting His message and divine will to clerics, rabbis, priests, imams, and Biblical scholars. Theologians and laymen alike have been given the task of pondering His ineffable mysteries, deciding for themselves what to do as a matter of faith. His decision to manifest on the material plane was motivated by the deep sense of shock, outrage, and sorrow He felt over the Sept. 11 violence carried out in His name, and over its dire potential ramifications around the globe. "I tried to put it in the simplest possible terms for you people, so you'd get it straight, because I thought it was pretty important," said God, called Yahweh and Allah respectively in the Judaic and Muslim traditions. "I guess I figured I'd left no real room for confusion after putting it in a four-word sentence with one-syllable words, on the tablets I gave to Moses. How much more clear can I get?" "But somehow, it all gets twisted around and, next thing you know, somebody's spouting off some nonsense about, 'God says I have to kill this guy, God wants me to kill that guy, it's God's will,'" God continued. "It's not God's will, all right? News flash: 'God's will' equals 'Don't murder people.'" Worse yet, many of the worst violators claim that their actions are justified by passages in the Bible, Torah, and Qur'an. "To be honest, there's some contradictory stuff in there, okay?" God said. "So I can see how it could be pretty misleading. I admit it— My bad. I did My best to inspire them, but a lot of imperfect human agents have misinterpreted My message over the millennia. Frankly, much of the material that got in there is dogmatic, doctrinal bullshit. I turn My head for a second and, suddenly, all this stuff about homosexuality gets into Leviticus, and everybody thinks it's God's will to kill gays. It absolutely drives Me up the wall." God praised the overwhelming majority of His Muslim followers as "wonderful, pious people," calling the perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks rare exceptions. "This whole medieval concept of the jihad, or holy war, had all but vanished from the Muslim world in, like, the 10th century, and with good reason," God said. "There's no such thing as a holy war, only unholy ones. The vast majority of Muslims in this world reject the murderous actions of these radical extremists, just like the vast majority of Christians in America are pissed off over those two bigots on The 700 Club." Continued God, "Read the book: 'Allah is kind, Allah is beautiful, Allah is merciful.' It goes on and on that way, page after page. But, no, some assholes have to come along and revive this stupid holy-war crap just to further their own hateful agenda. So now, everybody thinks Muslims are all murderous barbarians. Thanks, Taliban: 1,000 years of pan-Islamic cultural progress down the drain." God stressed that His remarks were not directed exclusively at Islamic extremists, but rather at anyone whose ideological zealotry overrides his or her ability to comprehend the core message of all world religions. "I don't care what faith you are, everybody's been making this same mistake since the dawn of time," God said. "The Muslims massacre the Hindus, the Hindus massacre the Muslims. The Buddhists, everybody massacres the Buddhists. The Jews, don't even get me started on the hardline, right-wing, Meir Kahane-loving Israeli nationalists, man. And the Christians? You people believe in a Messiah who says, 'Turn the other cheek,' but you've been killing everybody you can get your hands on since the Crusades." Growing increasingly wrathful, God continued: "Can't you people see? What are you, morons? There are a ton of different religious traditions out there, and different cultures worship Me in different ways. But the basic message is always the same: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Shintoism... every religious belief system under the sun, they all say you're supposed to love your neighbors, folks! It's not that hard a concept to grasp." "Why would you think I'd want anything else? Humans don't need religion or God as an excuse to kill each other — you've been doing that without any help from Me since you were freaking apes!" God said. "The whole point of believing in God is to have a higher standard of behavior. How obvious can you get?" "I'm talking to all of you, here!" continued God, His voice rising to a shout. "Do you hear Me? I don't want you to kill anybody. I'm against it, across the board. How many times do I have to say it? Don't kill each other anymore — ever! I'm fucking serious!" Upon completing His outburst, God fell silent, standing quietly at the podium for several moments. Then, witnesses reported, God's shoulders began to shake, and He wept.

Amen to that.

Just thinking.

Hmm... I don't understand one thing: how person who claims one believes in G-d can claim that something is "against" G-d? In my (not so humble) opinion it's contradictory and means that one places oneself to G-d's place. Therefore one claims to be all-knowing, which means one degrades one's G-d to one's own level or even lower... isn't that worst kind of blasphemy?

I don't understand it, as those same individuals say that G-d is all-knowing and supreme power.

I admit that I'm stupid in that way that I don't understand contradictions. Or maybe my view of G-d is just twisted?

I can fight with my G-d, I can question my G-d, but I don't dare to say that I know something better. I'm human, I'm not perfect.
Though, my G-d isn't flawless either, but still I don't think that I could say that I know something better - but I'm high believer of reasons, even I don't always understand them myself - but that just means that it's not my time to understand. Reasonings get clearer trough time.

But well, I think that one reason to my "odd" opinions is that I happen to believe that main thing is to be good to others and I don't believe in devil/ Satan/ what-ever. Evil is human ignorance, stupidity, selfishness etc..
When human being is being born(? Structures of English....) one's completely pure and good (no, sex is not bad nor "sinful" as it seems to be G-d's idea of great fun and reproduction, and therefore results of it can't be bad) and we can decide how we'll use our abilities as we've free will.

Bit mixed burst, but forgive me. Now I've stomach flu and migraine. Migraine came as nice addition because my blood sugar levels got too low.

Cultural differences?

Little something I've been wondering since last autumn. As in my opinion it is bit odd that I seem to had more "cultural clashes" in my relationship with Finns than I've had with A. and M. There are few possible "explanations":

1. Our upbringing has been bit different than majority of Finns.
2. I'm not "Finnish" by personality.
3. There is no such thing as cultural differences.
4. "Cultural differences" are in fact differences in
   4.1. religion (I've had more problems with Christians than I have had with Buddhist and pagan) and
   4.2. native languages (leads to different interpretations).

And before anyone wants to burn me, I'll explain a bit.

1. My childhood family was non-religious, pro-reading, pro-thinking and more or less equal when it came to treating according to sex (so, even I'm female I had quite free atmosphere to be non-girly (even it seems that my mom worried about my non-girliness. And it was a problem for my brother.).
   This seemed to be problem to majority. Because I wasn't just cute show-around girlfriend nor nice, silent wife-type. I had no obsession to be "feminine" nor degraded because of my sex. I never have wanted to look less intelligent than I am just because I'm female (or because it was problem to some men to have woman who's more intelligent than they were).
2. Well, it's old joke between Sonnenschein and me that our nationalities are mixed, and he should have Finnish passport and I should have Spanish. He's practical iceberg and I'm drama queen.
3. Come and burn me.
4. :
   4.1. I've dated only Christians in past and there were always clashes because of religion. I was able to accept that my partner was Christian, but they were unable to accept that I was not and that I weren't willing to become one.
   My ex wasn't fortunately Christian (ok, he was member of Evanchelic Lutheran Church, but only because he apparently weren't informed how easy it's part from a congregation according to our legislation - he signed off after we got married.), A. was Buddhist (born as Hindu) and M. is non-religious (raised in non-religious family). And there has been no religion based clashes. I can't help wondering that. (No, I've nothing against anyone's religion as long as my religious views (or lack of them) are respected.)

   4.2. Only clear difference between us (Sonnenschein and me) seems to be in our ways to use language. If M.'s native language is X and mine Y, and we both communicate with language Z which isn't native to either of us it's in a way obvious.
   Now someone could say that culture causes those differences, but is there culture without language? -> Language creates culture and therefore cultural differences are language based.

I think that was mostly all about that matter today.