Finnish Might As Well Be Double Dutch

I’m applying to the University of Amsterdam, in the early days when the EU was very much a thing, but most students still went through Erasmus. The rules were clear, however: Any high school diploma allowing entry to university in your own country should be good in another EU country, too.

Me: “…and here’s my high school certificate.”

Registrar: “I cannot read it. Why is it not in Dutch?”

Me: “Because I finished high school in Finland. You’ll find the authorized and apostilled translation right next to it.”

Registrar: “But that’s not the original. I need the original.”

Me: “The original is in your hand. The other is the legal, authorized translation.”

Registrar: “But I cannot read it.”

Me: “No, you wouldn’t, because it is in Finnish.”

Registrar: “Why is it not in Dutch?”

Me: “Why would it be? I’m a Finn, and that’s a Finnish high school certificate.”

Registrar: “But I cannot read it!”

Me: “I figured as much, which is why you have that authorized, legal translation.”

Registrar: “But it’s not the original!”

Me: “I KNOW! FINNISH HIGH SCHOOLS DO NOT ISSUE CERTIFICATES IN DUTCH!”

Registrar: “Why not?”

…and on and on it went, until someone else returned from their lunch.

Other Registrar: “Oh, a foreign diploma. And a translation. Thank you, I’ll process this for you, you should have the papers in the mail in a few days.”

Me: “Thank you very much!”

Registrar: “But I cannot read it!”