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Adaptation is a Win-Win Game
Ricardo Patino's story about ending up in Kuopio begins the usual way: "There was this girl..."
TEXT TIMO MANSIKKA-AHO PHOTO AHOOY CREATIVE OY
Having met in Boston where both were au pairs, Ricardo, originally from Medellín, Colombia, and his wife moved to Kuopio to help Ricardo's mother-in-law take care of her ailing husband.
They had one daughter at the time and another on the way, and decided to stay. While there were really no expectations of how life was going to turn out, Ricardo realized one essential thing in the integration courses provided by the state.
It would all to come down to his willingness to adapt.
“Adaptation is the main ingredient of survival”, he emphasizes. “No matter the place, if you don't have the willingness to become a member of the culture, you will end up frustrated.”
Ricardo adapted, got a job at a printing house, then another at an advertising agency. While he did not speak Finnish, let alone Savo at first,
he noticed that the society opened up to him, if for nothing else, for appreciating the effort he put in.
Today, he enjoys going to the sauna and cycling to work daily, throughout the year. While the beauty of the route from Saaristokaupunki to the city centre keeps amazing him every day, Kuopio has provided him much more than this.
“The social system gives such peace of mind as you would not believe. It has enabled my development as a person and a professional – and allowed me to make myself valuable to society.”
Because Ricardo Patino was willing to adapt, both he and the city he loves are now reaping the benefits.
Indeed, no price can be set on the quality of life.
