Perseverance Beats the Cold Finnish Winter

 
When I started working for Aamulehti at the turn of the millennium, Tampere was in the middle of a prolonged snowstorm. I nearly lost hope then, wading through knee-deep snow with more constantly coming down. I returned home with an extra 40 copies of the newspaper in my hand. I had failed to deliver the newspapers to all the subscribers I needed to. My girlfriend helped me find the lost mailboxes.
The following morning I decided that newspapers or storms would not get the better of me. Perhaps I possess some of the same guts and perseverance that Finns are known for. Now I feel that I want to keep doing this as long as my body holds up.
 
I have been working as a substitute deliveryman for Aamulehti, in what is now known as Alma Manu, for a little over 10 years. That's almost the entire time I have lived in Finland. I am originally from Uruguay, but I have spent a lot of time abroad, sailed the seas as a sailor and toured the world as a musician. Over the years, I grew tired of travelling and hotels. It's important to have a place to call home.
 
Getting a job as a newspaper deliverer for Aamulehti and Alma Manu wasn't too difficult. A friend of mine saw the job advertised in the paper and suggested that I should apply. I called Aamulehti, was invited for an interview and soon began working. A Finnish company hiring a non-Finnish-speaker who has lived here for only a year is not something that should be taken for granted.
 
As a deputy deliverer I have become familiar with both Tampere and the neighbouring areas. I take my hat off to those delivery personnel who ride a bicycle all year round. I myself drive a car. My work is very independent. I like not having anyone breathing down my neck and being my own boss.
Alma Manu has quite a few English-speaking deliverers, at least here in Tampere. In addition to my delivery duties, I teach other English-speaking deliverers how to use the electronic delivery book and help new deliverers to get to know their routes. I'm not sure why they specifically gave that assignment to me. You'd have to ask the bosses, but at least it adds a nice bit of variety to my work.


Alberto Silva
Newspaper deliverer
Alma Manu Oy