One of my habits in Finland is putting on my headphone on public transport, listening to my favourite songs, looking at the streets and imagining lots of fun things in my mind. On the bus, you can easily find a comfortable seat undisturbed by others, immersing in your own world without worrying about security. The only thing I should care about is being aware of my destination and not letting the endless happy thoughts make me forget where to arrive at.
I have been to crowded European cities like Madrid, London, Manchester, Paris. Indeed they are all beautiful, hectic and touristic, but no places give me the feeling of trust and safety as in Helsinki. In my first time landing in Paris, I was approached right after walking out of the bus station by a man who tried to talk nicely and “help” me buy 2-week travel tickets from the machine. It ended up being a 40 euros scam that until now I still feel embarrassed about myself 
How could a guy with many years of experience in Hanoi be cheated easily like that? I should have been an “expert” in dealing with street scams.
Perhaps the years as a resident in Finland have somewhat reduced my alertness level when going out on the streets. It is so peaceful and safe here. You can trust people and your personal space is respected. You can enjoy your songs and play with your phones without worrying that someone gonna steal your luggage or grab your phone and run – something that happens quite commonly in Saigon or even big European cities.
I love the peace and trust in Finland so much that I can’t imagine how I could live in noisy cities again and handle stress from public transport on a daily basis. Those cities, no matter how beautiful they are, will be just for short visits. Helsinki will be my peace forever 
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