Too often, stereotypes are way off - or worse - hurtful.
My grandmother was from Finland, and she had brown eyes and brown hair. Just find what you can enjoy about your neighbor. If the language barrier is too great, smile, wave and look elsewhere for a friend.
You may have underestimated her. If she doesn't like heavy metal or gaming that may point to a higher level of intelligence, not lower. Or perhaps, since I don't like either, maybe I'm down in the doldrums, too.
In 1987 I competed in the World Veteran Games. It was summer in Australia, the sun was shining, and the weather was hot. Most of us dressed in our uniform t-shirts and shorts but the Finnish team kept their full track suits on. I was puzzled at first until I realised that, coming from an arctic winter, they'd have been very susceptible to sunburn.
What makes you think Finnish people like video games and heavy metal to the point it is a stereotype? Also at one point not all that long ago, French was taught as the international language. It was the one language that was taught everywhere if you planned to travel. And as for stereotypes, or any generalization, they are just a waste if time. People are people and no two are a like. People of any group are ging to have varying degrees of intelligence, manners, likes and dislikes.
How would you like to be judged by all those videos where they go out and ask people questions they should know the answers to and they come up with stupiod answers or don't know at all? I actually was talking to someone on a site like this, who had seen several of those videos, asking if all Americans were actually that clueless. I had to explain most of us aren't and we are just as amazed there are that many clueless people out there.
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