Teija Taverna - the Finnish Natural Wonder
From washing dishes to a kindergarten teacher, elected official and business owner, this mother of two adult children Shows us how she made East-Switzerland her home.
I have the pleasure to introduce you to Teija Taverna. She is a Finnish natural wonder, full of power and positive energy.
I drove up the winding road to Wildhaus and continued through the narrow valley until I found Tejia’s Toggenburg house in Ebnat Kappel. I was met by a smiling, natural woman. She invited me into her home and I could smell the coffee set on a wooden Scandinavian style table next to an antique buffet. Finnish biscuits made of potato and flour and a pot of herbed butter were calling my name.
This mother of two adult children has been opening different doors throughout her integration journey. She opened the first door in Switzerland to a job clearing tables and washing dishes. Other doors opened as she married, became a kindergarten teacher, a mom, a KMU owner (small business) and an elected official –a Schulrat (member of the Board of Education). Tejia has closed those doors and opened others. She now owns her own business – Sanesse.
How did Teija open doors and make Switzerland her home? Learn how you can use her “open door philosophy” to open doors of your own.
Vicki
Do you like antiques Teija? She laughed. Was that funny?
Teija
Actually yes. One day my neighbor (the house and window are six meters away) asked me, do you like antiques – you have so many? I thought to myself, has she ever been in my house? No I have never invited her, how does she know. Then she let the cat out of the bag, “You know I don’t look in your house, I just happen to see in from mine.”
Vicki
I had to laugh as well. Doesn’t every neighborhood have one of those neighbors? And not just in Switzerland.
How did your integration adventure begin? What inspired you to come to Switzerland?
Teija
After high school, I wanted to take a break. Switzerland has always fascinated me. An acquaintance knew a couple in Nesslau where I could work during the summer. I was 16 and my father thought I was to young. But I thought: ok, when I'm an adult, I will go. And so I did. At 19, in 1983 I traveled to Nesslau and washed dishes, bussed tables, cleaned and served in the restaurant Germen for seven months. I was an “exote” (unique-different) for the locals and they were curious.
I met my ex-husband there. But after eight months of washing and cleaning, I was motivated to continue my studies to become a kindergarten teacher and returned to Finland for additional 3 years. I found the path back to Switzerland during the holidays.
At first we wanted to remain in Finland, but the economic situation was difficult. That's why we ended up here in Switzerland, in Liechtensteig to be exact. We married in 1987.
Vicki
How have you overcome the difficulties / challenges on the way?
Teija
I came for love - but I had no work permit. I didn’t receive it until 1988.
The only way I could have worked would have been "black". This is ironic because to get a work permit you have to have a job. To get a job you have to have a work permit – a vicious cycle.
Did you speak German?
Yes, I had five years of school German. I spoke ok but not"Müller.ch German". Upon arrival I only understood “blurrrrrrderup”. The first couple of months at the restaurant, I couldn’t tell where the words in Schwyzerdütsch (Swiss German) started or stopped. I spoke mainly English and so I couldn’t speak with all the guests.
We all make language mistakes, do you remember any?
I wanted to use a Swiss “Sprüchli” (play on words) to tell a customer that he had a big mouth gross Muul (big mouth). I added a “li” like the Swiss do in dialect. Instead of calling him a big mouth, I called him a little donkey. Everyone was confused.
I constantly heard "Hura gut" - I asked myself why people always talked about prostitutes.
Cultural misunderstandings
Sie and du. The restaurant regulars, mostly men, must have seen me as a child and spoke to me with "du"(the familiar form of you). But on Sundays, the wives accompanied their husbands to the restaurant. The men addressed me with Sie (the respect form). I didn’t quite understand the difference and continued to use “du” when I spoke to them.
One of the wives called me to the side and said, “He is my husband and you will speak to him with „Sie”. Wow, he was older than my father – I certainly had no ulterior motives.
What / who made it easier for you or helped you along the way?
My landlady and boss, Dolly was and still is like my Swiss mother. From the beginning, she sent me out of the kitchen to the guests; basically she gave me no other alternative, I had to speak.
On Thursdays, the restaurant was closed. Dolly and her husband showed me around the region and introduced me to the ancient Swiss cultures and traditions such as: old Alt Silvester (Ancient New Year’s Eve) in Urnäsch or the Alpabfahrt in Toggenburg.
What major roadblocks have you experienced on your journey? How did you overcome them?
After we got married, I still didn’t have a job.
I was ashamed when I had to take an internship. I had successfully completed my studies and had a university degree in secondary education. The same as three years of study at the PH and it meant nothing. I felt like a “nobody”, not capable of doing anything. It was a cruel moment.
Vicki
I understand. I felt the misplaced shame too. It is ironic; when I arrived in 1985 our college education didn’t enjoy the same status as a Swiss University here. Now what are students doing? They are studying for a Bachelor of Science after completing an apprenticeship or Matura. Isn’t that exactly the degree we earned in our colleges?
Teija
At that low point in my life I thought, I should do something – just start. At some point a door will open. Somewhere along the journey I will meet the right people and things will start moving on their own. And that’s how it happened.
I found a job at the Heilpädagogisch School in Wattwil as an intern. I became friends with a German kindergarten teacher who was lively and well integrated. She took a leave of absence and I was able to cover for her - temporarily. I was in the break room and read a notice on the bulletin board for a job at the Schulheim Hochsteig. The Director there said, "You have the job as soon as your Finnish diploma is recognized in Switzerland." He sent my documents to St. Gallen, and they were accepted.
After the birth of my children, we took over a shop in Unterwasser. I did the accounting, and even became the treasurer of the local Gewerbe Verein (Chamber of Commerce).
How did you integrate?
I went with the kids to Muki-Turnin (mother and kids gymnastics) and always had children from the neighborhood playing in our garden. Perhaps it was due to my training as a kindergarten teacher.
What helped most was becoming involved in the Verein (clubs). I joined; Lutere Guggamusik (Fastnachts Marching Band) in Nesslau, the Frauenturnverein (Woman Gymnastics Club) the Ski Schule Unterwasser, and the Ludothek in Alt. St. Johann. I was the treasurer in the local Chamber of Commerce and I still cook during performances at the Theater Chössi in Liechtensteig.
Vicki
Wow when do you sleep?
Not only are you involved in the clubs but in politics as well.
You were elected to the school board - not every 'foreigner' can say that. How did that come about?
Teija
Yes, we had a situation in town and I collected signatures from the parents. But even after multiple letters, the School Board did not respond. At the town hall meeting, I asked to speak.
I was so nervous. The only feedback I received that day was from a lady who accused me of acting improperly - I didn’t stand up as I spoke. Later, someone from the political party CVP (Christliches Volks Partei) approached me and asked me whether I would consider running for a spot on the school board. I accepted.
Amazing, I made more votes than my local opponents. It gave me a sense of security - acceptance. I served two terms before I moved to Ebnat Kappel and so had to resign. We were a super team - it was a beautiful time.
Again I lived up to my reputation as an “Exote”. Every Schulrat is required to visit the teachers. I've tried to schedule a visitation with a teacher but he declined and said, "Sorry Teija, today we are redoing the beach volleyball courts." „I said: "no problem – I will help!" and showed up shovel in hand. He was surprised and thrilled – he told everyone.
What will you never understand no matter how long you live here?
If a neighbor has the feeling that my hedges are too high, or I should prune a tree, why not tell me instead of calling the community or even the police?
Did your children learn Finnish?
Yes. The kids attended the Finnish school in St. Gallen. They not only learned the language but our culture and celebrated our holidays.
Sometimes my kids found it so embarrassing that I spoke a different language, and said: "Mama you have to speak German"
It was funny, when I shopped in the village, the kids that played at our house would call across the street, "Hoi Äita", which means mama in Finnish.
Vicki
My kids find it embarrassing that I do speak German.
Have you experienced any 'Aha' moments and thought – this is my home now? What caused you to think that?
Teija
I had an appointment in Finland and my clients were 20 minutes late and it bothered me so much. I realized I have become Swiss.
I guess my work here, my colleagues and friends are the real reason I think of Switzerland as home. I have many international friends, but I count many Swiss nationals as my close friends too.
What do you like best about your new home?
· Nature – the diversity
· Short distances
· Diversity of flora
· The climate – summer to winter and back in a short time
· Political system - every citizen has the power to make changes. They can collect signatures to change local, state or national laws or to bring requests to a vote, and or hold an office.
What do you miss the most from Finland?
I am lucky, I am still connected to Finland, through my parents ' house I inherited. I travel back and forth frequently. I also have a business there where I conduct courses.
After all the years you went back to school and started a new profession. You even founded your own company. What inspired you?
Yes I have a company that is called Sanesse - health promotion (www.sanesse.ch). I offer nutritional advice, and medical sports massages. I have recently started offering courses in fasting and in wild herbs.
After all these years, I'm still the exote – I do things differently. I had a great career as a kindergarten teacher but I wanted more. I wanted to change and grow. I still do and still believe somewhere a door will open.
Dear Readers, I hope that you take a step, make a start and doors will open for you too.
Vicki
© Copyright Vicki Gabathuler, 2016