It doesn't matter how much you fight the clock, there's nothing really you can do to stop it. Times come and times go. My time in Finland came, and now it's time to go.
I've had a wonderful experience in Finland, truely. When I arrived here I didn't like it too much, but it grew on me, and as I started finding my way around it really started to feel like home.
I have met great people here. As much as it is hard to get to know Finnish people and bond with them, once you're in you're in. They are truely some of the kindest and most caring people I have ever met, and I feel like everyone here at the office tried really hard to make me feel welcome and they have always been there for me to help me out whenever I needed help.
I will miss (never thought I would say this) the snow and the cold. I will miss spring, when everything starts to become green. I will miss summer, when it is beautiful outside. I will miss Pulla (however, thanks to Päivi in my office I have learned to make it myself!). I will miss lunches here at SAMK, even the ones at 11 o' clock. I will miss K-market. I will miss the Sauna. I will miss Etappi. I will miss the beautiful park next to the river. I will miss cycling here. I will miss my trips to Turku. I will miss Pori. But most of all, I will miss all the great people I have met here.
Looking back, I just want to say I'm so thankful that I've had this experience. I have learned a lot from it, from the good and the bad. I wouldn't change it in the world. And I hope I will come back to Finland some day.
So long friends. I wish you all the best!
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Finnish experience
Sadly not only the Americans left the past week, but also whoever was left of my Erasmus friends. I don't like saying goodbye but it's one of those things you get used to if you have to do it often Luckaly it wasn't near as bad as when I had to leave America.
So because everyone left, the building where I live, Etappi, is pretty dead now. Other than 1 or 2 Chinese people and 2 French people, I'm the only foreigner left. There are some Finnish people living there, but not a whole lot. I reckon it'll become busier again mid July, when Pori jazz will start, because lots of people will need a room then. But, as I leave the 1st of July I won't be there then anymore.
For those who want some more information on Pori Jazz: http://www.porijazz.fi/en/frontpage
Yesterday we had a staff day, and we went to a cottage at the lake-side, surrounded by Finland’s most beautiful nature. Having/renting a cottage near the lake (or the sea I think) is actually really Finnish. Next weekend it's mid-summer, and most Finnish people will go to their cottage, enjoy their sauna's and jump in the lake afterwards.
I don't have a picture of the cottage itself, but picture something like this
When we got there we first had lunch. We had wraps and you could stuff 'm with whatever you wanted and it was really delicious! It had been such a long time since I ate that, so I was very happy. After we had a meeting, and once we were done with that we headed outside. A couple of us went canoeing but I just sat there and enjoyed the nature.
A little while later we went to the sauna. I had actually dreaded this moment somewhat. I enjoy the sauna, but this was going to be my first time with Finnish people only and I assumed we would all go naked (as we were girls only). Coming from a country where you cannot find a Dutch film without nudity in it you would think I wouldn't be so much of a prude about it, but I was honestly very nervous.
Turns out though that because the plan was to go swim in the lake after everyone went in bathing suit, so I stressed about nothing. The sauna was really nice, I think I'm getting used to it because I would've liked for it to be even hotter. When we were in the sauna for a little while we went to the lake.
Now this was a first for me. Not only had I never "dipped" myself in anything cold after the sauna, I had also never really swam in a lake. I assumed it was a cultural thing, but after talking to a friend I found out I was pretty much the only one who'd never swam in a lake before. I can't help but feel a little unease with it. There are fish there, and bugs, and I already leave the sea as soon as I see a fish. But, I got over myself and jumped in the lake. It was really cold, but really nice at the same time and I'm happy I did it.
Once we were done swimming and sauna-ing and all that good stuff, we went to sit by the fire and ate sweet buns. Janna and Annukka had actually made pulla-dough (my favorite!) and we wrapped it around a stick and roasted it. It was really a lot of fun and I'm very glad I went.
My time in Finland is drawing to an end! It's about that time where I try to fight the clock again and beat time. I don't really want to leave yet, but it is what it is. Now I'm going to try to make the very best of my last week and a half in Finland! My boyfriend is coming tomorrow and staying for mid-summer, so that is something to look forward to :)
So because everyone left, the building where I live, Etappi, is pretty dead now. Other than 1 or 2 Chinese people and 2 French people, I'm the only foreigner left. There are some Finnish people living there, but not a whole lot. I reckon it'll become busier again mid July, when Pori jazz will start, because lots of people will need a room then. But, as I leave the 1st of July I won't be there then anymore.
For those who want some more information on Pori Jazz: http://www.porijazz.fi/en/frontpage
Yesterday we had a staff day, and we went to a cottage at the lake-side, surrounded by Finland’s most beautiful nature. Having/renting a cottage near the lake (or the sea I think) is actually really Finnish. Next weekend it's mid-summer, and most Finnish people will go to their cottage, enjoy their sauna's and jump in the lake afterwards.
I don't have a picture of the cottage itself, but picture something like this
When we got there we first had lunch. We had wraps and you could stuff 'm with whatever you wanted and it was really delicious! It had been such a long time since I ate that, so I was very happy. After we had a meeting, and once we were done with that we headed outside. A couple of us went canoeing but I just sat there and enjoyed the nature.
A little while later we went to the sauna. I had actually dreaded this moment somewhat. I enjoy the sauna, but this was going to be my first time with Finnish people only and I assumed we would all go naked (as we were girls only). Coming from a country where you cannot find a Dutch film without nudity in it you would think I wouldn't be so much of a prude about it, but I was honestly very nervous.
Turns out though that because the plan was to go swim in the lake after everyone went in bathing suit, so I stressed about nothing. The sauna was really nice, I think I'm getting used to it because I would've liked for it to be even hotter. When we were in the sauna for a little while we went to the lake.
Now this was a first for me. Not only had I never "dipped" myself in anything cold after the sauna, I had also never really swam in a lake. I assumed it was a cultural thing, but after talking to a friend I found out I was pretty much the only one who'd never swam in a lake before. I can't help but feel a little unease with it. There are fish there, and bugs, and I already leave the sea as soon as I see a fish. But, I got over myself and jumped in the lake. It was really cold, but really nice at the same time and I'm happy I did it.
Once we were done swimming and sauna-ing and all that good stuff, we went to sit by the fire and ate sweet buns. Janna and Annukka had actually made pulla-dough (my favorite!) and we wrapped it around a stick and roasted it. It was really a lot of fun and I'm very glad I went.
My time in Finland is drawing to an end! It's about that time where I try to fight the clock again and beat time. I don't really want to leave yet, but it is what it is. Now I'm going to try to make the very best of my last week and a half in Finland! My boyfriend is coming tomorrow and staying for mid-summer, so that is something to look forward to :)
Friday, 10 June 2011
Russia
The summer school has finally started! I had meant to post a blog earlier but it has been very busy, but filled with lots of fun activities though!
We welcomed 20-something students from America and they are all very nice. They might just pretend to be nice to me, since I'm not 'just' a student but an intern and I 'work' with them. But who cares, I like 'm and they're nice to me.
Last weekend we went to Russia, to St. Petersburg! We left Thursday early morning and came back Sunday evening. We travelled by bus and it was quite a long drive. We left at 6:30 and arrived at around 20:00. We had a very nice hotel just right next to the river, where you could see one of the cathedrals on the other side.
St. Petersburg gave me a familiar vibe. While I was well aware that I was in Russia, a country I had never been, it didn't feel that strange and new. Some parts of the city semi-reminded me of London and Paris, and other places I have been to. The one thing that really gave it away off course was the Russian writing, as they have a different alphabet.
It was kind of hard getting used to and in all honesty I haven't really learned it completely, but I did figure out some letters and once you do you can read most things, because lots of words are similar to languages we already know.
I'm not going to give you a summary of everything we have done because you can look up the Summer School schedule online and find the program there. I do want to share some things however.
On Friday night I went to Russian ballet with some of the American girls. We went to a ballet called The Nutcracker. I guess most of you know this story. It was a very beautiful theatre and the ballet itself was really amazing. I was very impressed, but I guess that's also a little bit because I could not for the life of me do any ballet. Interesting was how the show was very much targeted at tourists and not so much at the Russians themselves. Announcements were in English and you basically heard lots of different languages around you. I guess it is mostly a tourist thing, to go to Russia and go to Russian ballet, just so that you can say you have done it.
On Saturday night we went on a boat tour, with on-board-entertainment. We were told that there would be refreshments. Inside there were a couple of tables that all seated 4 for us to sit at, carrying a small bottle of water, a big bottle of wine and a big bottle of vodka, 4 banana's, 4 apples and 4 small pieces of bread with caviar. You can guess how this night ended for most Americans who are under-aged in America and now suddenly had access to large amounts of alcohol.
It was a very fun night though, and there were performers dressed in traditional Russian clothing who were dancing, singing and making music for us. Although they looked kind of silly in their clothes, they played their part with so much pride that I ended up having deep respect for all of them. As much as I'm proud of my country, I can't picture myself dancing around in a big dress with wooden shoes on.
Please look for pictures of the Russia trip and just the summer school in general at the International Summerschool facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.163313550399515.40747.111610078903196
We welcomed 20-something students from America and they are all very nice. They might just pretend to be nice to me, since I'm not 'just' a student but an intern and I 'work' with them. But who cares, I like 'm and they're nice to me.
Last weekend we went to Russia, to St. Petersburg! We left Thursday early morning and came back Sunday evening. We travelled by bus and it was quite a long drive. We left at 6:30 and arrived at around 20:00. We had a very nice hotel just right next to the river, where you could see one of the cathedrals on the other side.
St. Petersburg gave me a familiar vibe. While I was well aware that I was in Russia, a country I had never been, it didn't feel that strange and new. Some parts of the city semi-reminded me of London and Paris, and other places I have been to. The one thing that really gave it away off course was the Russian writing, as they have a different alphabet.
It was kind of hard getting used to and in all honesty I haven't really learned it completely, but I did figure out some letters and once you do you can read most things, because lots of words are similar to languages we already know.
I'm not going to give you a summary of everything we have done because you can look up the Summer School schedule online and find the program there. I do want to share some things however.
On Friday night I went to Russian ballet with some of the American girls. We went to a ballet called The Nutcracker. I guess most of you know this story. It was a very beautiful theatre and the ballet itself was really amazing. I was very impressed, but I guess that's also a little bit because I could not for the life of me do any ballet. Interesting was how the show was very much targeted at tourists and not so much at the Russians themselves. Announcements were in English and you basically heard lots of different languages around you. I guess it is mostly a tourist thing, to go to Russia and go to Russian ballet, just so that you can say you have done it.
On Saturday night we went on a boat tour, with on-board-entertainment. We were told that there would be refreshments. Inside there were a couple of tables that all seated 4 for us to sit at, carrying a small bottle of water, a big bottle of wine and a big bottle of vodka, 4 banana's, 4 apples and 4 small pieces of bread with caviar. You can guess how this night ended for most Americans who are under-aged in America and now suddenly had access to large amounts of alcohol.
It was a very fun night though, and there were performers dressed in traditional Russian clothing who were dancing, singing and making music for us. Although they looked kind of silly in their clothes, they played their part with so much pride that I ended up having deep respect for all of them. As much as I'm proud of my country, I can't picture myself dancing around in a big dress with wooden shoes on.
Please look for pictures of the Russia trip and just the summer school in general at the International Summerschool facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.163313550399515.40747.111610078903196
Friday, 27 May 2011
Friday-writing-day
Last weekend I went to visit my friend Marika and her boyfriend Terro in Turku. Turku is one of my favorite cities nowadays, but I think I've already written about that here before. The cool thing was however, that there was Eurocultured Turku going on. Any time I go there there is something going on. Anyway, Eurocultured was a big festival with lots of music and art. There were graffiti artists who made drawings on walls, but at the same time there was a graffiti artist who made actual paintings, there were free runners, people that played with hackysacks, there was a giant pillow you could jump on from 10 meters high, there was a rope over the river so you could 'slide' from one side to the other, basically there was so much going on that you didn't really know where to look. I had a great time and it was fun.
I'm definitely going to check out the European capital of Culture next year.
This is a picture of Turku
The Summer School is almost in Pori!! I am so excited for this. 20 American girls and 1 American guy, get to relive the SEMO-feeling, finally! There is also a girl coming, Danielle, who was the girl living next to me on campus at SEMO, and she's now going to live next to me again because we arranged for her to be in my appartment. So that's kind of ironic, but definitely fun at the same time.
The evening program for the Summer School is now made and I think the activities will be fun. But I don't want to give too much away yet, so you will find out as time goes by!
Enjoy your weekend everyone, I know I will :)
I'm definitely going to check out the European capital of Culture next year.
This is a picture of Turku
The Summer School is almost in Pori!! I am so excited for this. 20 American girls and 1 American guy, get to relive the SEMO-feeling, finally! There is also a girl coming, Danielle, who was the girl living next to me on campus at SEMO, and she's now going to live next to me again because we arranged for her to be in my appartment. So that's kind of ironic, but definitely fun at the same time.
The evening program for the Summer School is now made and I think the activities will be fun. But I don't want to give too much away yet, so you will find out as time goes by!
Enjoy your weekend everyone, I know I will :)
Friday, 20 May 2011
Under the weather & Pulla
There was quit some rain again this week, but the weather forecast is looking so much better now! It is becoming incredibly green outside, and from what I hear it's supposed to become even greener!
I've felt a little bit under the weather this week, so I haven't done much outside work, I've pretty much just slept. But, things at work are becoming more interesting as the Summer School is drawing closer. It has actually already started, but up in the north in Rovaniemi. The Summer School will start in Pori on Wednesday the 1st of June. There are 20-something Americans participating, so I get to relive my exchange-feeling a little bit again, redundant to say that I'm very excited! I've been left in charge of the evening program for the 2 weeks the students will be here, so that's also a pretty fun task.
This weekend I'll be going to Turku again to visit my friend Marika. There's also 'Eurocultured Turku' this weekend, which basically means that there will be lots of music and performances to go see.
The picture competition is also drawing to an end. I set the deadline for 12:00 today, so after that we will have to choose a winning picture. I think it's nice for the students that they now have a file on SAMK Intl's facebook page where they can get a 'feel of Finland'.
I'm going to have a hard time not eating Pulla anymore when I go back to the Netherlands! I pretty much eat one once a day here, they are so good! Pulla is a traditional Finnish pastry. Here's wikipedia's description for it:
Pulla (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpulːɑ]) is a mildly-sweet Finnish dessert bread flavored with crushed cardamom seeds and occasionally raisins or sliced almonds. Braid loaves (pitko) are formed from three or more braided strands of dough. The braids may also be formed into a ring. Other types of pulla include small round ones that resemble English scones but have a sugar and butter topping, and larger cinnamon roll buns called korvapuusti. The outside typically has a shiny brown glaze, formed by a coating of egg white, milk or a mixture of sugar and brewed coffee.
I'm a fan of the round ones resembling the scones. I have decided that before I leave Finland I will learn how to bake these myself, so that I have a little piece of Finland to bring home with me :)
I've felt a little bit under the weather this week, so I haven't done much outside work, I've pretty much just slept. But, things at work are becoming more interesting as the Summer School is drawing closer. It has actually already started, but up in the north in Rovaniemi. The Summer School will start in Pori on Wednesday the 1st of June. There are 20-something Americans participating, so I get to relive my exchange-feeling a little bit again, redundant to say that I'm very excited! I've been left in charge of the evening program for the 2 weeks the students will be here, so that's also a pretty fun task.
This weekend I'll be going to Turku again to visit my friend Marika. There's also 'Eurocultured Turku' this weekend, which basically means that there will be lots of music and performances to go see.
The picture competition is also drawing to an end. I set the deadline for 12:00 today, so after that we will have to choose a winning picture. I think it's nice for the students that they now have a file on SAMK Intl's facebook page where they can get a 'feel of Finland'.
I'm going to have a hard time not eating Pulla anymore when I go back to the Netherlands! I pretty much eat one once a day here, they are so good! Pulla is a traditional Finnish pastry. Here's wikipedia's description for it:
Pulla (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈpulːɑ]) is a mildly-sweet Finnish dessert bread flavored with crushed cardamom seeds and occasionally raisins or sliced almonds. Braid loaves (pitko) are formed from three or more braided strands of dough. The braids may also be formed into a ring. Other types of pulla include small round ones that resemble English scones but have a sugar and butter topping, and larger cinnamon roll buns called korvapuusti. The outside typically has a shiny brown glaze, formed by a coating of egg white, milk or a mixture of sugar and brewed coffee.
I'm a fan of the round ones resembling the scones. I have decided that before I leave Finland I will learn how to bake these myself, so that I have a little piece of Finland to bring home with me :)
Sunday, 15 May 2011
The grass is always greener on the other side.. Wait, I mean on this side.
This is going to be the last time that it’s going to take me so long to update the blog. From now on, I will update it at the least every week.
Pori is slowly getting greener and the sun is coming out more often. This week it was even 23 degrees at some point! The weather is becoming really, really nice.
There was a bench competition here at SAMK. Basically, everyone could come up with their design for a bench, and then a winner would be chosen and that design would actually be put on the bench. The benches got placed right outside my office, in the grass. They’re in a pretty place too; you can look at the lake and the forest. The winning design was actually from someone at my office, Päivi. There are 5 benches, a blue, yellow, red, green and an orange one. Each bench has a word on it in Finnish and in English. Joy, happiness, passion, friendship and courage. It’s a nice message, and with the weather this nice it changes my view since students go to sit there now.
My parents visited Finland a while ago. They came to Pori for a couple of days (which was probably a nice contrast for my dad, no more ice and snow!), then we went to Turku and then my parents went to Helsinki. When we were in Turku (the first weekend of May) there was a Finnish holiday going on. It is called the first of May celebration. And before that was Vappo, I’m not sure if that is how it’s called, but it involved partying and drinking and lots of happy people in the street. On the first of May the streets were completely packed! It was flooded with people. It looked really cool too, because everyone was wearing a white cap, which I think was their graduation cap. It was quite something to see. I really liked Turku as well, there was a lot to see and it gave a vibe that I’ve only felt before in London and Paris, and it even made me think of a Dutch city at times, Utrecht. I would recommend for anyone who hasn’t seen this city yet, to go visit it! I know I’m definitely going back sometime.
The Summer School is coming up! SAMK and RAMK (Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences) organize this together yearly. Two weeks of the Summer School will be in Rovaniemi, and 2 will be in Pori. In Rovaniemi there is also a nature track in Lapland, and in Pori there is a trip to St. Petersburg, where, guess what, I get to go to too! I’ve never been to Russia, so I’m pretty excited about this trip! I’m excited about the Summer School in general, because it will be nice to have some new people around. Most of the exchange students are leaving or have left by now, since the semester has ended, and Etappi (the building where I live) is getting rather empty. My flatmate is leaving Sunday, so that’s pretty sad as well. But I had a great time with her and I’m happy we had that.
We started a picture competition here at SAMK for the exchange student. They can enter a picture that best describes their time in Finland, and the best picture wins a prize. The pictures are pretty cool, if you want to see them, sent a friend request to Samk International!
http://www.facebook.com/samk.international
Until next week :)
Pori is slowly getting greener and the sun is coming out more often. This week it was even 23 degrees at some point! The weather is becoming really, really nice.
There was a bench competition here at SAMK. Basically, everyone could come up with their design for a bench, and then a winner would be chosen and that design would actually be put on the bench. The benches got placed right outside my office, in the grass. They’re in a pretty place too; you can look at the lake and the forest. The winning design was actually from someone at my office, Päivi. There are 5 benches, a blue, yellow, red, green and an orange one. Each bench has a word on it in Finnish and in English. Joy, happiness, passion, friendship and courage. It’s a nice message, and with the weather this nice it changes my view since students go to sit there now.
My parents visited Finland a while ago. They came to Pori for a couple of days (which was probably a nice contrast for my dad, no more ice and snow!), then we went to Turku and then my parents went to Helsinki. When we were in Turku (the first weekend of May) there was a Finnish holiday going on. It is called the first of May celebration. And before that was Vappo, I’m not sure if that is how it’s called, but it involved partying and drinking and lots of happy people in the street. On the first of May the streets were completely packed! It was flooded with people. It looked really cool too, because everyone was wearing a white cap, which I think was their graduation cap. It was quite something to see. I really liked Turku as well, there was a lot to see and it gave a vibe that I’ve only felt before in London and Paris, and it even made me think of a Dutch city at times, Utrecht. I would recommend for anyone who hasn’t seen this city yet, to go visit it! I know I’m definitely going back sometime.
The Summer School is coming up! SAMK and RAMK (Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences) organize this together yearly. Two weeks of the Summer School will be in Rovaniemi, and 2 will be in Pori. In Rovaniemi there is also a nature track in Lapland, and in Pori there is a trip to St. Petersburg, where, guess what, I get to go to too! I’ve never been to Russia, so I’m pretty excited about this trip! I’m excited about the Summer School in general, because it will be nice to have some new people around. Most of the exchange students are leaving or have left by now, since the semester has ended, and Etappi (the building where I live) is getting rather empty. My flatmate is leaving Sunday, so that’s pretty sad as well. But I had a great time with her and I’m happy we had that.
We started a picture competition here at SAMK for the exchange student. They can enter a picture that best describes their time in Finland, and the best picture wins a prize. The pictures are pretty cool, if you want to see them, sent a friend request to Samk International!
http://www.facebook.com/samk.international
Until next week :)
Monday, 18 April 2011
Long time no see
It's been a while since I wrote. First I had my two weeks of holiday, then I was on sickleave for a couple of days, and then we had International Week and I was too busy too write.
In the International Week, Anne and I organized the International Café in Rauma and Pori. The event was 'our baby', so it was nice to see how everything came together. In Rauma we had about 15 nationalities and it was a lot of fun! The students seemed to enjoy it as well, they were learning about different cultures and seemed genuinly interested. In the Social Services side in Pori we had about 7 nationalities and in the business/technology side we had 6. Most students brought snacks and honestly, the food was good! I skipped lunch twice because the food at the stands was just too tempting :)
The International Coordinator from my home university also came for a couple of days for the International Week. I was very happy to see him again, as he is my (ex)boss at the same time. In a way it is just nice to show people from back home where I live now and what it is like.
Since I came back from my holiday, Pori is completely different. Most of the snow and ice has melted and everything became a lot more accessable. Suddenly downtown is only 15 minutes away, while before it was at least half an hour because I couldn't cycle properly. Slowly but surely there is also green showing. I cannot wait to see what everything looks like in a month. Whereas I thought the city had a cold and grey vibe for the last month or two, I now think the opposite. Everything is going to be beautiful, I just know it. I'll post pictures as soon as I take them.
Last Saturday we went to the beach. This was my second time to the beach, but this time we cycled. It was about an hour and 10 minutes by bike, and it was a pretty nice road. The wind is pretty unfortionate but Pori is located next to the sea so it only makes sense. The beach looked amazing. Before it was all covered in snow, and now there was plenty of sand to see, and also green (according to my French friend the trees that are here are trees that are in the south of France, where there is a very hot climate) but at the same time there were still parts with snow and it gave a beautiful contrast. We had lunch there and made a fire and had a lot of fun together. Honestly it was just a perfect day.
The weather is so much nicer now anyway, it's not freezing anymore, the sun is shining, everything is nicer now.
In the International Week, Anne and I organized the International Café in Rauma and Pori. The event was 'our baby', so it was nice to see how everything came together. In Rauma we had about 15 nationalities and it was a lot of fun! The students seemed to enjoy it as well, they were learning about different cultures and seemed genuinly interested. In the Social Services side in Pori we had about 7 nationalities and in the business/technology side we had 6. Most students brought snacks and honestly, the food was good! I skipped lunch twice because the food at the stands was just too tempting :)
The International Coordinator from my home university also came for a couple of days for the International Week. I was very happy to see him again, as he is my (ex)boss at the same time. In a way it is just nice to show people from back home where I live now and what it is like.
Since I came back from my holiday, Pori is completely different. Most of the snow and ice has melted and everything became a lot more accessable. Suddenly downtown is only 15 minutes away, while before it was at least half an hour because I couldn't cycle properly. Slowly but surely there is also green showing. I cannot wait to see what everything looks like in a month. Whereas I thought the city had a cold and grey vibe for the last month or two, I now think the opposite. Everything is going to be beautiful, I just know it. I'll post pictures as soon as I take them.
Last Saturday we went to the beach. This was my second time to the beach, but this time we cycled. It was about an hour and 10 minutes by bike, and it was a pretty nice road. The wind is pretty unfortionate but Pori is located next to the sea so it only makes sense. The beach looked amazing. Before it was all covered in snow, and now there was plenty of sand to see, and also green (according to my French friend the trees that are here are trees that are in the south of France, where there is a very hot climate) but at the same time there were still parts with snow and it gave a beautiful contrast. We had lunch there and made a fire and had a lot of fun together. Honestly it was just a perfect day.
The weather is so much nicer now anyway, it's not freezing anymore, the sun is shining, everything is nicer now.
Friday, 18 March 2011
Ice skating and coffee
It is still pretty cold in Finland, but the weather is getting better. It is getting closer to 0. Last weekend I finally did something that was weather related. We went ice skating! This was the first time in my life that I could go ice-skating outside on a not man-made ice skating range. It was a lot of fun! The Finnish students that came with us (by us I mean exchange students) were really good at it, and I found out that's because ice skating is compulsory in primary school! So they all know how to work the ice. I have to admit I was a little jealous. I want to be able to make a pirouette too! But I guess that would take a lot of training!
This week me and Anne, the other Dutch intern from SOTEPO (the social services and health care faculty of SAMK) set up a get together for the students in Rauma and in Pori. In the International Week 11-15 April we will be organizing the International Café, which is basically an event where the Finnish get a chance to talk to the International Students about their home country and home institution over a cup of coffee and a country-specific snack. The get together was really nice; I always enjoy spending time with the exchange students and getting to know them better!
Other than this it has been a quiet week again. I'm leaving for America tonight so I'll be gone for two weeks! I'll try to put in some new entries in my blog there, but I'm not sure if I'll have the time. Either way, talk to you soon Finland :)
This week me and Anne, the other Dutch intern from SOTEPO (the social services and health care faculty of SAMK) set up a get together for the students in Rauma and in Pori. In the International Week 11-15 April we will be organizing the International Café, which is basically an event where the Finnish get a chance to talk to the International Students about their home country and home institution over a cup of coffee and a country-specific snack. The get together was really nice; I always enjoy spending time with the exchange students and getting to know them better!
Other than this it has been a quiet week again. I'm leaving for America tonight so I'll be gone for two weeks! I'll try to put in some new entries in my blog there, but I'm not sure if I'll have the time. Either way, talk to you soon Finland :)
Friday, 11 March 2011
finni.. finaly I mean :)
I got invited to some kind of bar-hunt today. Appareantly it is a tradition for after school ends, after you get your degree, to get a 'degree' in the different bars. It's not until the end of April but it should be fun! It will be nice to do something that is typically Finnish. At least I'm guessing it is!
I've also finally started to make some Finnish friends. It was really hard because unlike the exchange students, I didn't have a Finnish tutor and thus 'a way in' to the culture. I have to say though that everyone at work has been really helpfull. But it is really nice to get to know some Finnish people my age, so I'm excited for that!
I don't have much to say this time, but I'm sure there will be more soon :).
I've also finally started to make some Finnish friends. It was really hard because unlike the exchange students, I didn't have a Finnish tutor and thus 'a way in' to the culture. I have to say though that everyone at work has been really helpfull. But it is really nice to get to know some Finnish people my age, so I'm excited for that!
I don't have much to say this time, but I'm sure there will be more soon :).
Monday, 7 March 2011
I'm not good with titles.
Poor a little bit of alcohol in them and all borders vanish. I think that sentence says it all. In my opinion the Finnish people pretty much keep to themselves. It's in a way hard to make Finnish friends, when you don't have that one thing in common that 'binds' you (e.g. work or school). The weekend before last I decided to join some exchange students and the other Dutch intern to a club. I'm not much of a partier so I usually don't go out, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to spent some time with my friends and to talk to some Finnish people.
Apart from the fact that every drink was insanely expensive, I have to say that the club was excellent, so kudos to Finland for that. It looked really nice, there were different rooms with different music and they even had a smoking area.
I ended up talking to some Finnish guys who, after some alcohol, were surprisingly talkative. Sadly, my interest in their culture and country was quickly mistaken for interest in them, so I had to cut the conversation short and go back to my friends.
The interesting thing though was, that they were soldiers. Or marines, one of both. Here in Finland you are obliged to go in the army, or as alternative you can choose to do some kind of social work (I think) for a longer period of time. This thought kind of scares me because I'm not big on armies and wars and things like that, plus, it's pretty much a foreign concept to me. In the Netherlands there hasn't been conscription since 1996. I was 7 in 1996, so I can't remember that. In my mind, I've grown up in a country where the army is optional and not compulsory in any way. Which then again also means that I don't have a lot of contact with 'the army'. I'm not confronted with it in daily life and I pretty much have no friends that joined the army. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that conscription is intimidating to me.
I would think that if you were obliged to 'fight for your country', that would make you kind of cranky. I think if I would HAVE to go in the army and didn't have a choice that I would be mad about it, and really negative towards the whole concept. However, this is not the case. The guys that I did talk to were proud to serve their country, and they said they would die for it. A nationalistic sound that I'm used to from America, but hadn't expect to find here. Well, for what it's worth, I'm proud of them for being proud.
I'm a little late with this blog, I was supposed to post it on Friday but I forgot. I guess the main reason I forgot is, because my dad arrived here in Pori on Friday. He's staying for a week and he came just for me.
On Saturday we walked around Pori and we pretty much saw all there was to see, and we took some pretty good pictures. A whole day of walking was more tiring than usual.
I think the ice has to do with it as well. Temperature went up, which means that during the day the snow melts, and during the night the melted snow freezes, leaving an ice paradise for the morning after. It makes it pretty impossible to walk really, and I can't even think of cycling. I must admit it makes me feel kind of stupid if I'm slowly tip-topping across the ice, only to be passed by someone elderly. It's good that the Fins are used to this and know how to walk it, but I wish I was too. I've only fallen twice since I've lived here, so it's not too bad. I'm clumsy anyway so I would have probably fallen had there not been ice and snow.
But I'm ready for the spring now! I'd like to see what Pori looks like in green, I can't even imagine all the snow to be gone, it'll be a whole new world!
Apart from the fact that every drink was insanely expensive, I have to say that the club was excellent, so kudos to Finland for that. It looked really nice, there were different rooms with different music and they even had a smoking area.
I ended up talking to some Finnish guys who, after some alcohol, were surprisingly talkative. Sadly, my interest in their culture and country was quickly mistaken for interest in them, so I had to cut the conversation short and go back to my friends.
The interesting thing though was, that they were soldiers. Or marines, one of both. Here in Finland you are obliged to go in the army, or as alternative you can choose to do some kind of social work (I think) for a longer period of time. This thought kind of scares me because I'm not big on armies and wars and things like that, plus, it's pretty much a foreign concept to me. In the Netherlands there hasn't been conscription since 1996. I was 7 in 1996, so I can't remember that. In my mind, I've grown up in a country where the army is optional and not compulsory in any way. Which then again also means that I don't have a lot of contact with 'the army'. I'm not confronted with it in daily life and I pretty much have no friends that joined the army. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that conscription is intimidating to me.
I would think that if you were obliged to 'fight for your country', that would make you kind of cranky. I think if I would HAVE to go in the army and didn't have a choice that I would be mad about it, and really negative towards the whole concept. However, this is not the case. The guys that I did talk to were proud to serve their country, and they said they would die for it. A nationalistic sound that I'm used to from America, but hadn't expect to find here. Well, for what it's worth, I'm proud of them for being proud.
I'm a little late with this blog, I was supposed to post it on Friday but I forgot. I guess the main reason I forgot is, because my dad arrived here in Pori on Friday. He's staying for a week and he came just for me.
On Saturday we walked around Pori and we pretty much saw all there was to see, and we took some pretty good pictures. A whole day of walking was more tiring than usual.
I think the ice has to do with it as well. Temperature went up, which means that during the day the snow melts, and during the night the melted snow freezes, leaving an ice paradise for the morning after. It makes it pretty impossible to walk really, and I can't even think of cycling. I must admit it makes me feel kind of stupid if I'm slowly tip-topping across the ice, only to be passed by someone elderly. It's good that the Fins are used to this and know how to walk it, but I wish I was too. I've only fallen twice since I've lived here, so it's not too bad. I'm clumsy anyway so I would have probably fallen had there not been ice and snow.
But I'm ready for the spring now! I'd like to see what Pori looks like in green, I can't even imagine all the snow to be gone, it'll be a whole new world!
Friday, 25 February 2011
Another Friday, another message.
I have to be honest. This week, I have been feeling a little under the weather. It was extremely cold every day of the week (an average of -16) and it just simply got me down. I didn't really want to leave the house, because when I did the cold was so sharp that within minutes my bones started to hurt and it's not exactly a pleasant feeling. It made me unhappy and longing for the current thunder storms in Cape Girardeau where it's +10 degrees Celsius, or the never ending rain in the Netherlands. Everything seemed better than this horrible, horrible cold.
So how on earth do all these Fins manage to stay happy? Their country ranks in the top 10 of happiest countries in the world. A classic example of "no matter the weather" I guess. Winter in Finland, gives a whole new dimension to the concept of "winter". Years of complaining about the Dutch winter "oh my gosh it's -5, this weather sucks, why does the weather in Holland always suck, I hate this!" all seems really silly now. I've been told that the beauty of Finland is that you get to experience 4 different seasons. There's an actual spring, summer, autumn and winter. It's hard for me to appreciate that now, but I guess as winter will slowly start to fade in the next month and spring will start to sprout, I too will come to understand and appreciate the phenomenon of "seasons".
I got a bike this week, finally, which is great! I live about an hour from the city center, by foot, so a bike is much more practical. There's so much ice and snow everywhere though, it makes it hard to cycle fast or take turns. Being Dutch and all I should be an expert at riding my bike through all kinds of weather, but riding my bike here is definitely something I have to get used to.
Anyway, I guess I don't have anything new to mention, it's been a quiet week. And a cold week. But I'll let you in on a secret. Their solution to the winter weather? Sauna. I guess it's time to give that a try.
So how on earth do all these Fins manage to stay happy? Their country ranks in the top 10 of happiest countries in the world. A classic example of "no matter the weather" I guess. Winter in Finland, gives a whole new dimension to the concept of "winter". Years of complaining about the Dutch winter "oh my gosh it's -5, this weather sucks, why does the weather in Holland always suck, I hate this!" all seems really silly now. I've been told that the beauty of Finland is that you get to experience 4 different seasons. There's an actual spring, summer, autumn and winter. It's hard for me to appreciate that now, but I guess as winter will slowly start to fade in the next month and spring will start to sprout, I too will come to understand and appreciate the phenomenon of "seasons".
I got a bike this week, finally, which is great! I live about an hour from the city center, by foot, so a bike is much more practical. There's so much ice and snow everywhere though, it makes it hard to cycle fast or take turns. Being Dutch and all I should be an expert at riding my bike through all kinds of weather, but riding my bike here is definitely something I have to get used to.
Anyway, I guess I don't have anything new to mention, it's been a quiet week. And a cold week. But I'll let you in on a secret. Their solution to the winter weather? Sauna. I guess it's time to give that a try.
Friday, 18 February 2011
A small hello first (turned into a bigger hello as I kept writing)
Welcome to my very professional blog. Doesn't it look neat? Wasn't quite what I had in mind when I started, I'm usually not bad at creating lay-outs, but today is not my day. Lets blame it on the jetlag (I'll get back to that later), shall we.
Hi there! My name is Kiki, I'm from a city located in the south of the Netherlands, known as 'international, multi-cultural, a living history book and many other things' that to me is just 'Maastricht', or also known as 'home'. Home started being home 21 years ago when I was born on an almost-winterday.It actually took me about 13 years to realize that my birthday was in the fall, not the winter. That was probably a fun fact that I should have not put in here if I want to be taken serious. Let's erase.
I study International Business and Management Studies at Zuyd University of Applied sciences in Maastricht. I'm currently in my 3rd year, and if all goes well next academic year should be my last! I'm not really an outstanding academic student, but my extra curricula activities (which is really just a fancy way of saying that I'm very involved with the incoming exchange students at my school) make up for that. Last semester (fall 2010) I studied abroad at South East Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in the USA and I got to be the exchange student for myself. Now (spring semester 2011) I'm doing an internship at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Pori, Finland.
Going from the smile-or-die bible belt to covered in snow smile-and-die-Finland was quite the change. Not that the Fins don't smile, but you don't smile at strangers here. If you do, something is wrong with you. The thing is though, back in Maastricht I never smile at strange people either, unless they're elderly, because then I feel the need to be polite. But in America I got so used to talking to strangers, smiling to everyone, saying hello etcetera, that I'm pretty much experiencing a reversed culture shock right now. Matter-of-factly there are more strangers greeting each other in the Netherlands than there are in Finland, and that is not because my petite country houses 3 times the amount of people Finland does (even though Finland is at least 10times the size of the Netherlands). It's just culture here. You don't talk to strangers, you don't greet people on the street, you don't smile to each other when you're not acquinted.
On the other hand, the strangers that you do end up talking to, all speak perfect English and are very helpful and friendly. You would think with a language closest to Hungarian and a rolling R so impossible that it makes the Spanish look like nothing, their English would be poor. But no, in my full month here I have only met 2 Fins who speak absolutely no English, and trust me, they are rare to find.
What also stands out to me, is that the Finnish have a certain look to them that makes them very individual and at the same time very Finnish. I feel like it's not hard to recognize a Fin because the way they dress and there hairstyle makes it pretty clear. I haven't quite figured out what it is yet and how to word it, but once I know I'll definitely post it on here!
Before I came here I was under the impression that the Fins love the cold. Like today for instance it's -24, isn't that just awesome?! It is so cold that my eyelashes and hair were frozen within 10 minutes while I walked to work this morning. And trust me, I was in pain. It almost made me wonder why I chose Finland, out of all countries. The North Pole seems warmer than Finland is right now. But, clearly, I dislike the cold and wish everything bad in the world upon it and I thoroughly hope it dies in a fire.
The thing is, the Fins are not any less fond of it than I am, they're just used to it. Waterproof make up to stop your make up from running for when your face is frozen, thermal clothes, extremely warm hats and gloves, they are completely prepared. And you know, as much as I'm complaining about the cold, there's always a little moment, where you are standing on a beach covered in snow and lay eyes on one of the most beautiful sight you've ever seen, and then everything is totally worth it again.
You don't believe me?
Trust me! Finland nature is among the best I've ever seen.
Hi there! My name is Kiki, I'm from a city located in the south of the Netherlands, known as 'international, multi-cultural, a living history book and many other things' that to me is just 'Maastricht', or also known as 'home'. Home started being home 21 years ago when I was born on an almost-winterday.
I study International Business and Management Studies at Zuyd University of Applied sciences in Maastricht. I'm currently in my 3rd year, and if all goes well next academic year should be my last! I'm not really an outstanding academic student, but my extra curricula activities (which is really just a fancy way of saying that I'm very involved with the incoming exchange students at my school) make up for that. Last semester (fall 2010) I studied abroad at South East Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in the USA and I got to be the exchange student for myself. Now (spring semester 2011) I'm doing an internship at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences in Pori, Finland.
Going from the smile-or-die bible belt to covered in snow smile-and-die-Finland was quite the change. Not that the Fins don't smile, but you don't smile at strangers here. If you do, something is wrong with you. The thing is though, back in Maastricht I never smile at strange people either, unless they're elderly, because then I feel the need to be polite. But in America I got so used to talking to strangers, smiling to everyone, saying hello etcetera, that I'm pretty much experiencing a reversed culture shock right now. Matter-of-factly there are more strangers greeting each other in the Netherlands than there are in Finland, and that is not because my petite country houses 3 times the amount of people Finland does (even though Finland is at least 10times the size of the Netherlands). It's just culture here. You don't talk to strangers, you don't greet people on the street, you don't smile to each other when you're not acquinted.
On the other hand, the strangers that you do end up talking to, all speak perfect English and are very helpful and friendly. You would think with a language closest to Hungarian and a rolling R so impossible that it makes the Spanish look like nothing, their English would be poor. But no, in my full month here I have only met 2 Fins who speak absolutely no English, and trust me, they are rare to find.
What also stands out to me, is that the Finnish have a certain look to them that makes them very individual and at the same time very Finnish. I feel like it's not hard to recognize a Fin because the way they dress and there hairstyle makes it pretty clear. I haven't quite figured out what it is yet and how to word it, but once I know I'll definitely post it on here!
Before I came here I was under the impression that the Fins love the cold. Like today for instance it's -24, isn't that just awesome?! It is so cold that my eyelashes and hair were frozen within 10 minutes while I walked to work this morning. And trust me, I was in pain. It almost made me wonder why I chose Finland, out of all countries. The North Pole seems warmer than Finland is right now. But, clearly, I dislike the cold and wish everything bad in the world upon it and I thoroughly hope it dies in a fire.
The thing is, the Fins are not any less fond of it than I am, they're just used to it. Waterproof make up to stop your make up from running for when your face is frozen, thermal clothes, extremely warm hats and gloves, they are completely prepared. And you know, as much as I'm complaining about the cold, there's always a little moment, where you are standing on a beach covered in snow and lay eyes on one of the most beautiful sight you've ever seen, and then everything is totally worth it again.
You don't believe me?
Trust me! Finland nature is among the best I've ever seen.
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