How long has the speaker been in Finland?

Yes, you’re right. I am from South Africa. I am not at all used to this cold weather, but I am glad to say that I have all the clothes for this freezing weather.
Before I came to Finland to attend this meeting two weeks ago, I had no idea what kind of clothes I should take along. Fortunately, my friend Julia has been to Northern Europe. Yes, she was a great help. She bought me some warm suits and dresses, business type of clothes, of course, of dark colours. She also bought me some skirts and blouses so that I could wear the same clothes in several different ways. Lively coloured dresses will give me a nice change from time to time. She also helped to choose a very warm raincoat and a pair of boots. Oh, how lucky I am to have such a helpful friend. She saved me a lot of trouble.