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.
Friday, 25 February 2011
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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