A man's face was planted in the pavement, his butt stuck straight up in the air. His buddy called out to him in between sips of vodka. "Janne... Janne..."
Janne didn't move. He was fine, but fast asleep.
This was my first day in Finland. I'd moved to Helsinki for a girl in late August and had spent only a handful of hours in the country. Most of them were in our new neighborhood, Kallio. On that first afternoon she took me for a walk around our home on Vaasankatu. That's where we ran into Janne and his friend.
I learned later that Laura, my girlfriend, was nervous about my reaction. She wasn't entirely sure if I'd turn around and go back home.
In Kallio, you may see some sketchiness, but it's usually harmless shenanigans. From the guys at the Sörnäinen metro, to the ones who had too many beers at Roskapankki [a bar], nobody wants to mess with you. They just want to get drunk.