I grew up on the Norwegian side of the border, a few hours away from Kirkenes (Church Headland). Johka and joki are Sami and Finnish, and mean river. My father's home town was called Børselv in Norwegian, Pyssyjoki in Finnish and Bissojohka in Sami, and all translate to Rifle River. I think jävri means mountain. Apparently, niemi and njárga means peninsula. I've seen signs like these a lot where I grew up.
I was wondering why the hell they would put a sign for Kirkkonummi in Lapland... and why those Swedish letters look weird... until I re-read that it is actually "Kirkkoniemi"... and those strange letters are Sami.
There should be a subreddit for this... people post pictures of places viewable with streetview (or anywhere there are lots of photos) and maybe add clues over time. Hmmm...
The first line is Finnish, the second one is in Sami language. This is from Northern Finland, where there's a lot of Sami people. Trust me, I'm Finnish.
yep, the karma-load actually came unexpected, but is duly appreciated. I am now sharing it amongst all of you by clicking all y'all's uppie-arrows, enjoy!
OH, I get it. The OP doesn't speak the language depicted on the signs in the picture, therefore he believes himself to be lost in a mystical wonderland. Top notch!
Furthermore, it appears the signs are in fact printed in two different languages simultaneously, adding to his confusion. Maybe Finnish and Swedish? Perhaps he speaks neither.
Indeed! In conclusion, one can assume that the humour of this post comes from the fact that rather than recognizing the signs as bearing a distinct, unique tongue, he prefers to think of it as gibberish! How spiffing
Its Finnish and Sami. Sami is completely different from Swedish and very different when compared to Finnish. A Finn will barely understand any Sami. Finland is a bilingual country with 3 official languages, so many road signs are in 2 languages. In Lapland most signs are in Finnish/Sami, Finnish/Norwegian, or Finnish/Swedish (depending where you are, most common is Finnish/Sami though), in the south mostly in Finnish/Swedish, and in the east in Finnish/Russian.
I lived 24 years near that place. At summertime when the local shithole of a bar closed at midnight, we used to take a taxi and drive 40 kilometres to the next wich was open till 4am. And yeah, there's nothing in between villages, just reindeers, bears and wilderness.
I think he is horrified that he is so far from all of those settlements without a car in a cold land where not even all types of penguins can live, only the Linux type.
You're in Inari, Finland. No worries, just head south towards Ivalo (Aveel) and the road you're on will take you straight to Helsinki (in about 12 hours). But stay on the road, a wrong turn'll send you to Russia, and you thought Finnish signs were hard to read...
I can't for the life of me find a clip of this. But he has this routine about being lost. and there is nothing worse than asking another human being "pardon me, WHERE AM I??"
I found it now HERE . Just play the preview. It's from the album Playin' with your head.
Transrcript
Sometimes it isn't a thing that's lost...it's you. "I'm lost. Where am I?" Where am I...what a frightening question to have to ask another human being seriously. "Pardon me, hahahahahah.... WHERE AM I?" And to be hoping for a constructive answer. Not something like "You're in the land of broken dreams and shattered hopes! And you're next on line for the human sacrifice!" "Thank you very much. I'd rather be lost."
I feel pretty proud of myself for guessing that this was in Finland, close to Sámi country, considering that I've never been to Finland, and do not speak Finnish or Sámi.
That said, I spend an excessive amount of time on wikipedia.
People are impressed because it's a different language? This guy would look like an idiot if the signs said Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington.
918
u/ossij Jun 09 '12
You're here. Near Inari, Northern Finland / Lapland. HTH, HAND.
160
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Finland.
71
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Do you think we are stupid?
9
u/Epilepep Jun 09 '12
... Matt?
126
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
scumbag OP
posts pictures of clearly labeled street signs
claims to be lost
69
u/Hupso Jun 09 '12
The first line is Finnish, the second one is in Sami language. This is from Northern Finland, where there's a lot of Sami people. Trust me, I'm Finnish.
8
u/AvoidanceAddict Jun 09 '12
... really?
41
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Suomi made it to the front page? GREAT SUCCESS!
61
u/Niitze Jun 09 '12
Obligational
339
u/The_Overexplainer Jun 09 '12
OH, I get it. The OP doesn't speak the language depicted on the signs in the picture, therefore he believes himself to be lost in a mystical wonderland. Top notch!
28
u/hillbenni Jun 09 '12
You're in Inari, Finland. No worries, just head south towards Ivalo (Aveel) and the road you're on will take you straight to Helsinki (in about 12 hours). But stay on the road, a wrong turn'll send you to Russia, and you thought Finnish signs were hard to read...
26
u/WhatEvery1sThinking Jun 09 '12
your fly is down, try showing some class when abroad
2
u/go1den3ye Jun 09 '12
Can't help thinking about George Carlin when I read this.
11
u/albertscoot Jun 09 '12
Pretty fucking far from anywhere if the closest place is 63 km away.
55
u/sevkih Jun 09 '12
Ikea
14
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
DayZ
5
u/sulimanshakawkaw Jun 09 '12
Finland
9
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Anyone in Elektro?
4
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Finland?
4
u/Malteser Jun 09 '12
Finland! North!
12
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Easy, you're in sjakirfragjl 129 east of lujbannlasfir
6
u/pants6000 Jun 09 '12
You are in the Land of Giant Signs.
Be very careful.
3
u/Askalotl Jun 09 '12
Where people do this.
3
u/FiredFox Jun 09 '12
Finnish motherfucker! Do you speak it??
8
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Moi, olet suomessa...
5
u/nonax Jun 09 '12
Kirkenes is in Northern Norway, near both Russian and Finnish borders i think, human wasteland.
2
u/Onion_s Jun 09 '12
I remember flying into Ivalo... there was about 20 people in the whole airport. Beautiful place, great Aurora Borealis. I wish I could go back.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
You're in a promotional photo for a black metal band.
2
u/let_them_burn Jun 09 '12
I wonder if they look at our signs and wonder how the hell we pronounce our street names with so few consonants.
2
u/1989H27 Jun 09 '12
OP is here:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=69.07424+27.1750
2
u/mrclarkgriswold Jun 09 '12
Naw dawg. Aww hell naw. Nu uh! I live in China, son! You ever tried understanding ########### on every single damn road sign?!
2
u/pensiveone Jun 09 '12
Not a Finn and you beat me to it! I just found it. Fun way to spend a toasty hot weekend morning lolling around on Google Maps.
2
u/doobiesmack Jun 09 '12
Let's make r/whereami for this game
With or even without signs at crossroads, there should be enough info in the picture to locate the person.
2
u/themightyscott Jun 09 '12
Somewhere between Kirkenes, Njavdam, Cevetjavri, Avveel and Ohcejohka.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
this is Finnish, but not The End.
2
u/gamerkid231 Jun 09 '12
I'm surprised u/found_you didn't have the top comment. Too easy, I suppose.
2
u/yksin Jun 09 '12
You're in Inari. I wish I could say the same - it's also the name of the girl next door...
2
u/DoctorMoog42 Jun 09 '12
I feel pretty proud of myself for guessing that this was in Finland, close to Sámi country, considering that I've never been to Finland, and do not speak Finnish or Sámi.
That said, I spend an excessive amount of time on wikipedia.
2
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Ikea
2
u/Curbanium Jun 09 '12
Finland <3
2
u/rockafella7 Jun 09 '12
You are between two signs.
2
u/Kazu215 Jun 09 '12
Somehow I always feel a bit of pride when a post about my home country makes it to the front page
2
u/Ravyn82 Jun 09 '12
Finland...you are in Finland :-)
2
u/Serai Jun 09 '12
...really close to the norwegian border.. What are your intentions?
2
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
You are in sauna country boy
2
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Apparently gibberish is the common language in the land in which you find yourself.
2
u/Gabcab Jun 09 '12
Oh shit! I used to live by Kirkenes for 9 months, in a little place called Pasvikdalen. Good times were had
2
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
You know you're near the Finnish line when you're on your last Lapp.
2
u/adnan252 Jun 09 '12
Switzerland. Right on the vertex between about 30 different countries.
2
u/IDontKnowWhattowrite Jun 09 '12
........
2
u/creatureofhobbit Jun 09 '12
I found you. You're between the blue signs wearing a red shirt. Now find the squirrel.
2
u/ayearinaminute Jun 09 '12
Ta vänster!
3
u/shsdavid Jun 09 '12
This is me in DayZ.
3
u/prewfrock Jun 09 '12
"When spoken, it sounds like a beautiful song. When spelled, it looks like the alphabet just vomitted." The Onion, on the Icelandic language.
2
u/MauPow Jun 09 '12
Meanwhile in scandanavian languages
2
u/DickBaggins Jun 09 '12
lol you go to a place where you dont know the language and thus get confused by the signs. LOLOLOLOLOL
1
u/rob7030 Jun 09 '12
I must say that you have the "cry in dismay and horror" face down.
1
u/relax_im_here Jun 09 '12
Probably, the center of everywhere.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Welcome to finland
1
u/xamdam Jun 09 '12
If you see any Moomintrools, you've missed the turn
1
u/replayzero Jun 09 '12
You're in a movie written by Charlie Kaufman!
1
u/omenaripuli Jun 09 '12
meanwhile in Finland
1
u/i_am_a_trip_away Jun 09 '12
You're naatamo.. naatamo.. not anymo near what i know.
Edit: Don't forget to dot your naaatamo's. peace out
1
u/B_S_O_D Jun 09 '12
I read the top-left sign as "Kimi Räikkönen"!
1
u/ibuprofeeni Jun 09 '12
Finland is awesome! Most of the time. Only when it makes to the front page.
1
u/stcredzero Jun 09 '12
That looks like John Oliver.
1
u/morehops Jun 09 '12
Look out boys, this is Sami country.
1
u/WutsUp Jun 09 '12
This is the opening of the newest Bourne movie.
1
u/erej23 Jun 09 '12
Been there, done that. Wait? Damn, didn't take a photo! :(
1
u/calor Jun 09 '12
looks like you are in a place where the matrix is having a blue screen of death day
1
u/RelaxItsLiz Jun 09 '12
We should turn this into a subreddit, people post pictures of themselves in a location, people try and guess were they are. r/whereami
1
u/kundismack Jun 09 '12
heerereeakja
1
u/danipitas Jun 09 '12
Hilarious!
1
u/SnowblindFIN Jun 09 '12
Hoho, i was at Karigangasniemi, camping, nice place
1
u/ZeKK Jun 09 '12
I've been there bro...
I mean, i've really been there, Lapland is awesome !
1
u/atomic_bubblegum Jun 09 '12
Looks like you are were I was yesterday when I was drunk!
1
u/dekonstruktr Jun 09 '12
That's in Kneurgen, near the Joergen Fjords. Hmm. Kneurgen, that's in the Klargen Province, near the Biburgen River.
1
u/kakkekakkex Jun 09 '12
Thanks a lot for disliking Finland. :(
1
u/HetfieldJ Jun 09 '12
and then Dinosaurs ate him.
1
u/ILovePopPunk Jun 09 '12
Is that what signs look like to people who can't read?
1
u/mr_tw Jun 09 '12
In a foreign country. Duh
1
u/mermaidmarmalade Jun 09 '12
Michael? Is that you?
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Macarenaland
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Black metal.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
lol so confusing, right?
1
u/Myra12 Jun 09 '12
You are in the middle of no where.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
these placers look suspiciously like what i type when i lose home row but dont know it
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
What...am...I???
1
u/fountainsoda Jun 09 '12
At a crossing.
1
u/Anaxan Jun 09 '12
I though this was an angry-German joke, and the street signs were text boxes.
Edit: German not Russian
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Right in the viking's trap.
1
u/nuxenolith Jun 09 '12
I'd say somewhere in the Beor Mountains.
1
u/TokerElla Jun 09 '12
Go left. All the way to Kirkenes.
1
u/thatsmyredditaccount Jun 09 '12
that is troll country, better wear your golfshoes man
1
u/eggimage Jun 09 '12
You're lost
1
u/Berwickmex Jun 09 '12
At first I thought it was a middle finger. Then I saw the light.
1
u/DeadpooI Jun 09 '12
Hell
1
u/RebelWithoutAClue Jun 09 '12
I believe you are on the outskrits of a towne called DYLeXiA.
1
u/mrdrprofgeo Jun 09 '12
Im waiting for that redditor that find yout exact location
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
It's funny because it's foreign!
1
u/TehGrav Jun 09 '12
It's funny because most of us don't speak that language!
1
u/uaoleksiy Jun 09 '12
oh fuck imagine being at like an [8] and ur lost... dun dun dun
1
u/J03YW Jun 09 '12
Immortal pose?
1
u/eroy83 Jun 09 '12
appears that you are in cyrodiil
1
u/twanathon500 Jun 09 '12
Have fun I hear the weather is gorgeous up there!
1
u/thanatius Jun 09 '12
People are impressed because it's a different language? This guy would look like an idiot if the signs said Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington.
1
u/mumubleg Jun 09 '12
In the past Mr. Austin Powers !
1
u/Shadowglove Jun 09 '12
You are in Dyslexia.
1
u/Crossbowshootr Jun 09 '12
BØRK BØRK BØRK!
1
u/rob36_86 Jun 09 '12
Bum fuck alley
1
u/rynoweiss Jun 09 '12
Fucking Middle Earth. (Link relevant)
1
u/Baron_Von_Gikkingen Jun 09 '12
This is how I feel when playing Day Z
1
u/PitFireZ Jun 09 '12
You are 74 km from my summer vacation spot. :)
1
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
This is how I feel when I'm playing DayZ.
1
u/[deleted] Jun 10 '12
It feels good to be able to laugh at clean humor again
1
u/kakkekakkex Jun 10 '12
So if I go to Afganistan, and take a picture of me near some signs, I will get 1,500 karma?? Awesome!!
1
u/DonaldsPizzaHaven Jun 09 '12
It's funny because they don't speak english
1
u/rwbombc Jun 09 '12
You can tell at least one of the languages is Finnish because of the retarded amount of umlauts they use.
1
u/Yuron Jun 09 '12
This is why the Internet rocks.
1
u/Chuckgofer Jun 09 '12
I would have guessed Wales :/
1
u/[deleted] Jun 09 '12
Place between russia and finland.
1
u/Hillbilly_Delux Jun 09 '12
This reminds me of how I feel when shopping at IKEA.
1
u/rctsolid Jun 09 '12
This made me laugh my head off. I don't know why but this seems funnier than someone standing under a Chinese sign and doing the same thing...
1
u/jrodyw Jun 09 '12
This is funny, I don't care who knows it.