Ramesh moved to Finland about 13 years ago to study computer science and engineering. “I wanted to experience something completely different and new and Finland felt exotic. The education system and culture appealed to me”.  “When I first arrived in Finland, I must admit it was a bit of a culture and environmental shock. The quietness and darkness kind of surprised me”. But it didn’t take long for Ramesh to get settled in. I learned to enjoy the peace and quiet Finland offered.

As a kid, I grew up in a place that never gets any snow so the climate in Finland was surprisingly new for me.” And soon Ramesh found himself doing what most Finns love to do. “I just love the sauna, I’d go four, even five or six times a week. I often visited public saunas, sauna boats, you name it. And I even like swimming in icy cold water like a lot of Finns do while enjoying a sauna. And I liked the work culture. People are kind and professional and I like the quality of life and work-life balance too”. 

After 13 years in Finland, it was time for a change. Ramesh gave away almost all of his possessions, packed his bag and moved to Nice, France. “I guess the biggest motivator was the weather. I’ll miss walking or riding my bike in the Finnish forests, but I won’t miss the cold or darkness of the winter. It’s late October now and I’m playing tennis outside and swimming in the warm Mediterranean sea. I would prefer walking in the forests of Espoo, but the warm blue Mediterranean sea and the gardens of the French Riviera are not bad options”. 

“However, moving to France was my second culture shock. In Finland, we are used to communicating digitally and most government, municipal and banking services are set up and operated digitally. Here, many processes are manual, a bit slower and require meeting people face to face. And there’s more bureaucracy compared to the nordics.” 

“But those are relatively small things. I really like the fact that there are lots of good restaurants to eat at and markets nearby where I can pick up fresh fruits and vegetables. Oh, and I just picked some olives from our backyard yesterday, not bad. I like the atmosphere here, it’s quite relaxed and I like that people spend time with their families. Public transportation is also quite cheap and a good way to get around”. 

Ramesh is an advocate for remote work. “It combines work and personal life in a good way. I believe it makes work more personal and people take more responsibility. I personally enjoy work a lot more when I can work from wherever I want. I love the fact that I don’t have to commute to an office in a fixed location and I feel everything in this setting raises my productivity since I have a lot less distractions.” 

Ramesh is a seasoned developer and a system architect. He’s worked as a freelancer, startup founder and a CTO. At the moment, Ramesh is working with one of the largest gaming companies in the world. “I look at things from a business perspective and I see the big picture easily. Quality is very important to me and I always try to find the best solution. I always try to see where I can add value. The biggest challenge I face in such projects is working with people in multiple time zones with many hours difference. In this setup communication and planning is the key. And of course flexibility.”

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