Russell Snyder, a native of California, has always been interested in other cultures. At the tender age of 21, he took a 44-day trip to Europe hoping to satisfy his wanderlust. That only whetted his appetite. The next year he returned to Europe, and backpacked around the continent for six months. The year after that, he made an adventurous 6-month journey around the world. This kind of travel is, of course, strenuous, but he found having a sense of humor gave him energy.
Snyder studied Spanish one summer in Mexico. He soon realized that he loved mingling with the people and getting to know their culture. He felt the same enthusiasm when he later worked in the Caribbean, France and Germany. And he was especially pleased when he stumbled upon peculiar and amusing customs in these locations.
In 1982, he moved to Finland. It was only meant to be a one year stay, but after all these years he is still here discovering interesting places to see, finding enjoyable things to do and encountering rewarding experiences. What’s more, he was very pleased to discover that Finns possess a healthy sense of humor – despite the stereotype stating otherwise.
More information about his books:
The Lighter Side of Finland
Analysis of the Finnish Tango
I, Helsinki