Text and photos: Silja Lavonen
Sabarna Bhattacharya recalls telling her husband Argho Mukherjee countless times that she wanted to grow old somewhere in a little village in Europe. Ideally, summers wouldn’t be too hot, and winter would be a proper winter—with freezing temperatures and thick snow.
This dream, combined with determined action, eventually led to this interview taking place at the couple’s laundry in Posio. The location can be said to be just as peaceful as one could hope for, and it is nearly 20 degrees below zero outside, which makes Sabarna especially happy.
The couple, originally from the Indian metropolis of Kolkata, speaks cheerfully and lovingly about their new home. The contrast to their past life could hardly be greater. In December the temperature difference can easily reach 55 degrees: in Kolkata it can be over 20 degrees Celsius, while in Posio temperatures often drop below minus 30.
In Sabarna’s opinion, Finland’s climate is perfect.
“This is what I’ve dreamed of my whole life,” she says happily. “I’ve never liked summer.”
Another major difference is, quite obviously, population density. While Kolkata has 6.5 million inhabitants, Posio has just under 3,000.
Nature, peace, and silence are exactly the qualities the couple values most in Posio.
“I love living here; this is such an incredibly beautiful place,” Sabarna adds.
According to the couple, a lucky coincidence brought them to Finland. They dreamed of buying a business somewhere in Europe and sent inquiries to various organizations without limiting their search to any specific country. Ultimately, the response they received from Business Finland made the strongest impression.
Their journey took them to the northern edge of Europe, where Business Finland’s business advisors offered several potential businesses for sale. In the end, Posion Pesula (Posio Laundry) best fit the budget and criteria Sabarna and Argho had set. In the summer of 2022, they spent a month in Posio getting to know the business and its operations.
Sabarna and Argho have now been running the laundry for nearly two years and are grateful that life led them exactly there.
Before moving to Finland, Sabarna had heard that Finns were very reserved and shy, but her experience has been quite the opposite. People have openly come to get to know them and have even invited themselves over for visits.
Sabarna especially praises people’s friendliness. Thanks to the goodwill and helpfulness of locals, she doesn’t feel so far away from home. They have never had to face problems alone—help has always been available.
The couple’s daughter was also warmly welcomed at her new school and has made many new friends. She already speaks Finnish well, which has helped her adapt to her new home country.
As advice to those moving to a new country, Sabarna says it’s important to learn about and respect the local culture, and to try to study the language whenever possible.
The laundry has a solid customer base that includes accommodation providers, a care home, and local residents. Customers come from a wide area, with the most recent ones even from the Rovaniemi region.
One of the main challenges in running the business has been learning Finnish language. Serving local customers can sometimes be difficult when there is no shared language, and at the same time, running the laundry leaves little time to study the language.
Nevertheless, everything has worked out, and the couple has received help with learning the language through a language café organized by the municipality of Posio, where Finnish is studied in a relaxed environment.
“It has helped me in getting some grip of the language and though my progress is slow but now I understand a little bit if of Finnish”, Sabarna says, and wants to thank the municipality as well as the people who help at the language café.
As elsewhere in the north, the winter season is extremely busy at the laundry. Sabarna and Argho are happy to have plenty of customers and work. They plan to expand the business, which would allow them to purchase new machines and renovate the indoor facilities.
Posion Pesula offers laundry services ranging from carpets and duvets to formal dresses. For example, remote workers who do not have their own washing machine can also bring their everyday clothes to the laundry to be washed.
Even though Posio is a small village, everything necessary can be found there, and even nearby. Sabarna and Argho have managed well without a car, as the laundry, home, school, and grocery store are all within walking distance.
Argho is used to driving on the left-hand side of the road, so Finland’s right-hand traffic still takes some getting used to. Sabarna adds that in Kolkata it was easy to get around without a car, so she never even got a driver’s license. However, she now has a new dream: to get a driver’s license as soon as time allows alongside running the business.
The family has traveled by bus to Rovaniemi for shopping and short holidays. Sabarna says she enjoys Finland’s spacious buses and the local habit of choosing a seat row of one’s own whenever there’s room.
Despite their busy lives, the couple appreciates how close nature always is in Posio. Beautiful outdoor spots can be found right near the town center. They especially highlight the view from the birdwatching tower and the campfire site by the health center’s shoreline.
Argho has also had some time to practice skiing, and the slopes of Kirintövaara are nearby.
The couple hopes that more people will discover Posio for its beautiful nature and tranquility. They feel Posio is a hidden gem that many people don’t even know exists.
“Everything people go looking for elsewhere in Lapland, they could find right here as well,” Argho adds.
