Green Pigs and Reindeer Burgers: A Finnish Bucket List

If you have ever played the game Angry Birds there's a good chance that you've reached a point where you're angrier than those birds will ever be. Now, I'm no expert on the game, but I'm willing to bet that the root of your frustration was probably those pesky green pigs. Somehow, a lack of limbs and the fact that their teeth grow out of their noses never seems to the stop the green swine from constructing elaborate fortresses and robbing the birds of their precious eggs. Well, I'm afraid they've struck again, and this time in a very real way.

You can keep your news and exclusive content, pigs

As soon as I was accepted to the University of Turku I spent (too much of) my free time researching Finland. The more I learned, the more excited I became about experiencing all things Finnish and at the top of my list was Särkänniemi Adventure Park aka The Angry Birds Theme Park. If you love Angry Birds, why wouldn't you want to launch life-sized birds from larger-than-life slingshots? Before I could finish my daydream of hopping into a giant red bird and riding off into the sunset, though, I was foiled again by those meddling pigs...and their dog? Ruh-roh.

In an attempt to compile the most comprehensive (or first) Finnish bucket list ever I enlisted the help of the folks at the giant internet forum called Reddit. In short, reddit.com is a site fueled by user-submitted content that is voted on and commented on by other "redditors." There are innumerable sub-reddits that cover everything from the mildly interesting to rocket science. The nice people over at r/Finland were very helpful when I submitted this post asking what was missing from my study abroad to-do list. However, one theme that emerged and upset me more than it should have was what they had to say about Angry Birds Land:

• "Angry Birds Theme Park If this is the Särkänniemi AB theme park, I've heard it's quite...modest." - wianmaterial
• "The Angry Birds park is for small children only." - nawitus
• "Huh, there's an Angry Birds theme park?" -Elx-
• "The Angry Birds Theme Park on the other hand is overrated and closed in winter." - ramilheti

I was crushed. What I had heard/seen about Angry Birds Land, and what these people were telling me didn't add up. In fact, I don't think those comments came from people at all. I have a sneaking suspicion that the green pigs are behind this, too. If a lack of limbs couldn't keep them from building castles - what's to stop them from trolling internet forums? I see you pigs. And I'm still coming.

I have to eat one before I see one or I might not be able to do it

Here's the final draft of my bucket list - I will be satisfied if I get to do at least half of these, but it would be cool to do all:

1. Visit at least one national park

2. Go cross country skiing

3. Ice skate over a lake or seashore

4. See a dog sled race

5. See reindeer (preferably in nature)

6. Eat a reindeer burger or some other reindeer dish

7. Visit Santa's Village

8. Go to a Finnish Metal Concert

9. Try open ice swimming

10. Explore Helsinki, Tampere, Åland, Lapland, and Oulu

11. See the Northern lights

12. Try mustamakkara, fresh sahti, bilberries, Karelian pies, and Kalakukko

14. Enjoy a Finnish Sauna then run out into the snow or ice water

15. Learn some Finnish

16. Travel to the other Nordic countries, Russia, and possibly western Europe

Thanks for reading!