Baby it sure is cold outside!

Although I love living here in the city, because it is something new for me, it felt really nice to spend some time in the woods this weekend. Seven of us decided to go to the Finnish National Park. We had to get on a train to Espoo, which was 30 minutes away, and then catch a bus from the station to the park stop. From the park stop, we had to walk 2 km until we actually reached the park-sounds simply enough, right? Well of course, we had problems. Getting on the train to Espoo was simple. Problems only came after we got off the train. The schedule we looked at, as well as the sweet man at the station, all stated that a bus would be arriving within 15 minutes of our arrival. Although it was cold, 15 minutes seemed bearable, considering we were planning on spending the whole day outside. Unfortunately, the sweet old man and the bus schedule we read were only referring to the weekday schedule. The bus does not run as often on the weekends, meaning, we ended up standing outside in the cold for a whole hour! Finally, the correct bus came, and we were on our way to the park!

The park was so pretty! There were snow-covered evergreens everywhere! Although there was a road with thin snow to walk on, I really enjoyed tramping through the thick snow on the side of the street that went up to my knee! It was so much fun. I think most of the time we all just walked along the road, marveling at the beauty around us. Yet, we had so much fun. The snow was actually very dry and powdery, making it impossible to build a snowman. However, we did manage to have a snowball fight with chunks of snow already in a ball for us.

Because the sun sets around 4, and we arrived around 2:45 due to confusions with the bus, we only had about an hour to play in the park. We actually only spent about half an hour in the park since it took us a little time just to get from the bus stop to the entrance.

We decided it best that we come back to bus stop at 4 because of the sun, even though the bus wouldn’t arrive until 5. This meant we stood still outside for another whole hour. It was cold in the park, but since we were moving and playing, it was bearable. Standing at the bus stop was ridiculous. Surprisingly, we ended up having a lot of fun. To stay warm and entertained, we ran up and down the main road, which seemed deserted… we played a couple games of telephone, I taught everyone WAH!!, and we played an Australian version of Big Booty that involved bunnies. Yes, we were frozen by the time the bus arrived (which we thought would never come), but we made it fun.

As soon as we got back to the dorms, we headed straight for the sauna, which is open for girls on Saturday nights. That actually felt so nice since we were bone chillingly cold!

After going to the park and seeing so much snow, the snow in the city just seems like nothing. Being at the park surrounded by the huge snow covered trees and large snow covered fields (or lakes, we weren’t sure) just seemed so surreal. Although I want to pinch myself that I am in Europe, the city just seems like home now. I think yesterday was one of the first times that it seemed too good to be true.

Today there was a Chinese New Year celebration in the middle of town. I have been looking forward to it all week… but it was not all I thought it would be. It was actually sleeting/raining/snowing, so that wasn’t fun to deal with. We watched a short parade and a couple of dragon and lion dances, which were neat. Then, later on, we went back for the fireworks, which were neat. It’s nice to go to free events!

Ice Skating Championships 2009

SNOW! I love snow. It is just so pretty when it is falling in big chunks... and actually sticking. I heard TN got snow. I am jealous. I think it may have waited for me to leave the country to fall, but that is just my own theory. Tuesday it snowed about 5 inches, but the snow is still falling today, Thursday. The sad part is they scrape the sidewalks, meaning you don't get to walk in as much snow since it is all pushed over to the side. The good part about that is there are these huge piles of snow on the side of the road!

Something really neat happened to me yesterday. I was wearing a hat, because well, it is cold outside. Although, I took it off after a while because I was getting warm. I ran into someone I knew and we started talking, meaning I was only focused on the conversation. Because of my absent mindedness, I dropped my hat somewhere on my way to class. As soon as I noticed I went back to look for it, but class was starting. Throughout the whole 2 hour class I was sad I lost my hat, I’ve had it for years. It was my intro to Film Music class and we watched King Kong, so I guess I wasn't too distracted. Any who, on my way home from class my poor ears were so cold (I think just because I knew I couldn't wear a hat). I was very sad... until I saw this red thing sitting on the edge of a window. IT WAS MY HAT! I was so excited! It was nowhere close to where I thought I lost it. Sorry that was so long, it just made me so happy. I guess some nice person picked it up for me.

Last night a group of us went to the European ISU (Ice Skating Union) Championships. It was really neat. They were handing out free blow up clapper thingys, which of course I took. Naturally the loud American banged them throughout the night. I don't think anyone else knew what to do with them. We watched 20 pairs ice skate! The Germans, who I really liked because you could sense their love, won. The Russians took second and third. It was really neat. I felt like I was at a mini-Olympics or something. Because our tickets were not too expensive, we thought we would be in the nosebleed section... but we were on the 11th row! We had a lot fun.

We had to ride the train to get to the arena. On the way back we had to wait about 15 minutes for the next train... in the freezing cold. My theory was if I am going to cold, and there is snow, I might as well play in the snow. My whole time in Finland I have yet to really play in the snow (which in my opinion is very sad). I made a little snowman whose arms were made out of the Finnish flags we received at the arena. Although it was a little snowman, it made me happy. I don't think the people around had made many snow mans in their lives because they all gave me really weird looks.

My final story in this post will be about the Inauguration (sorry to all my non-Obama lovers who are reading this). My American friend, Duncan, and I decided to watch the inauguration in a Finnish Pub. I think it was silly for us to assume that if a Finnish pub were showing it they would turn up the volume for us. The inauguration gang turned out to be 5 Americans and 2 Australians. We walked around for about 30 minutes looking for a pub to show Obama. Finally, we ended up in a third Aussie's room where we watched it online along with a Brit. I thought it was a very exciting moment. It was neat to be watching it in Finland with 4 other non-Americans. To hear their perspectives and thoughts on everything was really interesting.

The pictures above are of the huge snow mounds (I also wanted to show the bar Memphis in the background), the group that went to the ISU Championships, actual skaters doing cool tricks, and then my little snowman representin' Finland.

Train Rides

One of greatest things is to find snow outside your window when you wake up. That is exactly what I found when I looked out yesterday morning. Kritsa, my Latvian friend, made pancakes for us Sunday morning. What she calls pancakes I call crepes. They were delicious. We spread jam on the pancake and then rolled it up to eat. She woke up an hour before we ate to prepare the batter! It was neat to have breakfast in the morning with five others girls.

Sunday night and last night I talked my mom and Griffin on Skype. Although it was 12 am my time, it was only 4 pm for them. It was nice to actually talk to her. I think am getting sick of typing everything, which is bad considering it is only week two. When we were talking I actually asked her to point the camera towards the window so I could see the sun. Goodness, I miss it.

Sunday morning Joanna and I went to church at the same one we attended last week, the International Evangelical Church. The service was very different from the week before. Once again, it is not my usual form of worship, but I am enjoying doing something different.

This week we didn’t stay for coffee after the service because we had to rush off to catch the Ikea bus. Joanna, Diana, Krista, and I all stood out in the freezing cold for about 20 minutes until we gave up. Turns out Ikea is closed on Sundays, even though on line it shows the bus coming at 4. Slightly disappointed we would have to reschedule our Ikea trip, we went to Hesburger, the Finnish McDonalds, to cheer us up. Once again, I got the fried salmon burger, and once again, it was delicious. Luckily, this time, we sat at the fish tank. It actually creeped me out a little to be watching fish as I was eating fish…but I think just the excitement of sitting at the fish tank took over all other thoughts.

Today, Monday, I had class from 12-14. It has been weird getting used to the 24 hour clock verse the 12 hour clock. Once again, my anthropology class was very exciting for me! After class, I went with Abbie and her tutor from her orientation group to the Immigration police to register or something. I am not exactly sure what I was doing, I just knew it needed to be done. Before we went, I had to get photos taken for some reason. It costs me 6 euros to take 4 wallet size pictures! I had a lot of issues with the machine at first. I think I sat looking confused for about 2 minutes, then spent about 5 trying to use my coins that would only go in sometimes, then sat there for another 2 minutes looking confused at all the Finnish. Abbie and her tutor, who is Finnish, came over to help shortly after my second 2-minute block. Of course right when I was trying to show them that my coins wouldn’t work, they worked. Because I was just annoyed at this point, I missed the first flash. The second and third I smiled for, but I did not realize there would be a fourth… so I only have two good pictures.

I wasn’t too upset about the pictures because I had to board the train…. My first REAL train ride! I have decided, and my mom justified, that the metro doesn’t count. So, I could really count this as my first time. It was so exciting!! It was also snowing again today, meaning it added to the experience. Sadly, our train ride was for nothing because the office was too busy to help us. Although, I enjoyed simply riding the train. Weird though, we only went about 5 minutes by train away from the city, yet it was – 6 C there and only + 0 C in the center of the city. Above are pictures of the window outside the train, Abbie and I on the train, and a picture of my horrible snapshot.

I don’t know if I have already mentioned this, but each night one person makes dinner for everyone. Tonight Joanna is making casserole! M goal is to learn how to cook from everyone, that way when I come back I will be a pro. So far, I am not there yet, but it is only week 2. I have high expectations, I know.

We are all kids at heart, right?

Another weekend in Helsinki, and as always, what an adventure. Thursday I had class on Existentialist Ethics. Yes, it is pretty intense. My teacher is actually American, and he even went to Vandy! I thought that was exciting. Thursday night we went to the international student party again. This one was much more fun since everyone knew each other a little bit better. We actually found a group of UK guys with one Australian. So there were three Scottish, one Irish, one English, and then one Aussie. It was so neat to hear all of them talk to each other. I think they may have gotten a little creeped out when I told them I just wanted to stick them in a room and listen to their accents all day.

Friday I did not have any classes, which was really nice. I woke up to the sun shinning right in my window. Back home I would have been upset, but I was actually really excited to see the sun! The past couple days it has been a little dreary. I miss the shinny sun. They claim it is setting two minutes later each day, but I don’t know about that just yet. It still seems to get dark rather early, which is about 4 in the afternoon.

Friday night we decided to see what the Finns do. Instead of the international parties we are used to, we went to Finnish club. I think it is really neat that you do not have to pay to get in, but you have to pay about 2 euros to check your coat and bag. When I say check, I mean hang them up with security watch. When you check your coat, you are given a card with a number that you must have in order to get your coat back. Every club and museum I have been to has this coat check. I find it interesting that even the classrooms have a couple coat racks. Since it is so warm inside, yet so cold outside, these racks are necessary.

While we were at the Finnish club, a couple interesting songs came on. First, a couple Finnish songs came on that everyone knew but us. Then, a techno version of Sweet Home Alabama came on. I thought was really neat, until another song came on that I simply freaked out about… Walking in Memphis, the really techno version. I think I embarrassed my friends because I was just so excited!! I mean, come on, how cool I that? I freak out when that song comes on anyways in the US; imagine how I was when I heard it in Finland!

Today is Saturday and we decided to do a little sight seeing. Since it is so cold (Ok I know it may be colder back home right now, but that doesn’t make it warm here), we decided to go to the Finnish Museum. It was actually really neat. They had a pre-historic section and a temporary section… But I have to say my favorite part was the children’s section. They had so many interactive things! They even had a fake horse you could hop on and pose with. However, the worker yelled at me, not because I was too old to be there (because I am still a kid, right?). She yelled at me for messing with the weaving machine. In my defense, there was a seat and pedals to press, so I did. We didn’t get to spend as much time because that section was closing. We decided to go back since the kid’s section had a lot more to do that we didn’t see. Once again, we all sat down for coffee/tea/hot chocolate and pastries. I really like that part of the European culture.

Since the school cafeteria closes early, we decided to all eat dinner together. Although only 6 of us went to the museum together, there were going to be 9 eating dinner. We ran into some friends at the museum. Only the original 6 lived in the same building, so we gathered what we had to make a pot luck. We ended up gathering two pizzas, pasta, salad, potatoes, and meat balls-not bad, huh? It was interesting to fit 9 people around one table. The rooms actually only have two chairs to go along with the table. I guess I should be thankful for any chairs.

Some other things I have learned since being here- “Trash” is considered “rubbish” in the UK. Sadly, I am infecting Abbie, my Scottish friend. The other day she said “trash”, and I think she has said “y’all” twice now. Also, Reece’s and peanut butter are American things. To me that needs to change, but no one else thinks so. There are so many other differences I am slowly learning. I am sure I will share more in my future blogs.

Late again

The post before is actually from Wednesday, I could not steal the free wifi last night to put up the blog. Today I finally have the internet! Unfortunately, my Ethernet plug does not fit very well, so it only stays connected if I push it in! Very annoying.

Today was actually a frustrating day for me. I do not have an alarm clock since it stopped working when I plugged it in. I downloaded one to my computer, but the snooze is not very good. As some of you may know, a snooze is crucial for me to wake up, otherwise I simply don’t. Yesterday I used my phone alarm, but since it only goes off once, I did not hear it. Therefore, I set two alarms this morning because I had a Faculty meeting. Krista was also going to ring my doorbell in the morning when she left so I would not be late. Well, for some reason I did not hear the two rings of the doorbell this morning, nor did my computer alarm go off. Granted I did hear my phone alarm, I just thought I would lie back down for only a couple minutes… that turned into an hour!!!! I was horrified. Luckily, the teachers we met with and my tutor were not mad. I still felt so rude and awful!

We took a tour of the Faculty of Theology, which is really interesting. Since Helsinki is a large university, every faculty has departments, which are smaller divisions inside the faculty. In Theology, they have Biblical Studies, Comparative Religion, Church History, Practical Theology, and Systematic Theology. I just find that so exciting and interesting! Everyone keeps asking me what department I am studying in, but obviously, I don’t have one.

Abbie and I went to the Student Union to get Erasmus cards. They only cost 2 euros and they get you into many things free. The Student Union was so beautiful with a round staircase! It looked so European and historic. I have finally figured out how to post pictures. I am actually going to go back and post the corresponding pictures. I also rode in this elevator that reminded me too much of a Harry Potter portal or something at the Ministry of Magic. The "lift", as Abbie says, is behind this wooden door that you open, and then the elevator door opens. It was so neat and crazy!!!
I actually had to leave Abbie early to collect my card for me because I thought I had class from 4-6. I went to the class and the door was locked with the lights out. Luckily, I found this woman (everyone seems to leave really early and office hours are for a very short period of time). She actually walked through the building looking for this class with me! She talked to about three different people until we found out the class was cancelled. I was so disappointed, but so thankful to that sweet woman who helped me! I mean I am sure she had better things to do. She actually said she was just on her way out. I thought that was really neat. Although, I am still upset about that class. I was going to take The Dead Sea Scrolls and Study of the Scriptures… it sounded exciting to me. Because of the cancellation, I now have to fill it with something else. I was in the library for an hour just looking for another course! All the other courses either don’t fit my schedule or they are exam/literature reading courses. It was really frustrating this afternoon! I could not find anything to fit. I have a couple classes that might work, but I will just have to wait to find out.

My day was brightened by looking through the Helsinki Tour Guide Book. They have ice-skating competitions, DISNEY ON ICE, International boat shows, a Chinese New Year celebration with fireworks, AN AMUSEMENT PARK that comes for about a week, ballets and operas, which are rather expensive, and much more! It seems that there is something to do every weekend!! The calendar only went to the first of March, so the exciting events are to be continued as of now. Plus, we figured out how I can have the internet sometimes. I also talked to Bean on the phone for a little bit today. My day got much better after that.

Domestic?

These are pictures of my two closest friends I have made, who I spend almost all of my time with.

Time seems to disappear when the sun goes down early. I am not sure where it goes, but I feel like my days just fly by. Today I did not have class, which was nice to get a little bit of sleep. Considering how much I love sleep, I have actually not been getting as much as I thought I would. Because I STILL don’t have the internet in my room, I stay up later because sometimes at night I can steal free wireless. I am actually really frustrated, or as some may say, I am gutted about it! Today I also finally received my monthly stipend for food. The cashier’s office is only open from 12-2, which conveniently is when I have class on Monday.
Today was my first big shopping trip in Helsinki for groceries. I actually bought some fruit and some veggies. I was really proud of myself… especially since it is all in Finnish. I did have to ask for help when finding butter. I couldn’t tell the difference between the cheese and butter. I also bought oatmeal, but Krista my Latvian friend calls it pourage (not sure of the spelling). So even though I feel like Goldilocks (not sure of the spelling either!), I will be eating pourage tomorrow morning. I did make a little mistake I discovered when I got home. See we have all been switching turns to make dinner. Tonight was my night. I made quesadillas (which no one seems to know what they are!) and potatoes. Funny Scottish term for today, Abbie pronounces them quasi-dillas. Anyways, I discovered that when I got home I did not buy potatoes…. I bought beats!! I felt so silly! Luckily, Krista had some real potatoes. By the way, I made everything successfully-one of my first real experiences cooking without something being frozen or a mix! Krista claims she is going to make us pancakes this weekend from scratch! She actually didn’t even use the term scratch, she just acted like everyone should make pancakes from eggs and milk and flour. I think that is so neat. Perhaps she can teach me and I can make for real pancakes when I come back for all you lovely people who read these blogs… perhaps.
At some point tonight, once again, it was colder in Cordova than in Helsinki by 5 degrees! We beat them on the wind though, 18 verse only 5. It does get pretty windy here. This may be too much info, but I was sweating on my way to the uni (slang for school or university) this morning. I had my coat unzipped and my gloves off. I saw a couple of the locals give me a funny look, although I may have been imagining it.
Back to the grocery store. Let me just tell you that it is difficult! Although I find it great that you had to provide your own bag or pay for theirs, it can get hard if you have a lot of items. Since you provide the bag, and even if you buy theirs, you have to bag it yourself, while at the same time finish unloading your cart, then quickly run over to bag, and in between pay for everything. The Finns never seem to have trouble, where as I feel like I am wearing a flashing sign that says I am an American because I have loads of trouble! Today I tried really hard too. I unloaded everything, what I thought to be, at lighting speed. Then I rushed over to put everything in a bag, but I was running out of room… and the lady behind me was getting anxious. I quickly paid and then had to go back to bagging. I think two people behind me left before I was done, even though I felt like I was going uber fast! I hope I can get that down, or at least smoother than I was today. No one said anything, I just felt bad for holding up the line.
I have picked up something new since being here; I am now drinking black tea. Before I only drank green tea and passion, and of course sweet tea. I know sweet tea is black, but it never tasted the same. I discovered that with a little milk, it is rather tasty. I feel very European drinking Twining’s Earl Grey, but they surprisingly don’t have the largest selection in the store. I don’t know if I have already mentioned this, but I find it really neat that instead of always serving coffee somewhere, it is coffee and tea. If you go to someone’s room, you will probably not leave without being offered some tea. I really like that since I am not a fan of coffee but really enjoy tea.

School is back

Class started today for everyone at the University of Helsinki. I only had one class from 12-2, Intro to Social and Cultural Anthropology. The University sure does try to trick you though. The class says 12-2 (and Finns are usually punctual, so I tried to be early-which in my time would be on time), but all classes actually start fifteen minutes past the hour to give everyone enough time to get from class to class. Although that is sweet of them, I think it would be even sweeter if they just made the class start at 12:15. Anyways, I had so much fun in class today…. Yes I said fun. I have been wanting to take a course in Anthropology ever since I pinpointed this passion of mine. The book we are reading is actually written by one of the main anthropologists I am planning on using in my thesis. I think the whole class I just smiled and nodded. Not only was I enjoying every minute of the information, but also my teacher is Australian! That means I get to listen to a cool accent for two hours. Ok I guess I should stop talking about class, but just know that I really enjoyed it. Since this is a lecture course, we will have lectures once a week for two hours. We have two books we have to read before our exam. One book is required to read throughout the semester at your own pace, there are no assigned readings. For the second reading, you have a choice between two books that you take an exam on. It gives a lot of independence to the student. Wish me luck!
There is a restaurant here called Memphis! I was obviously very excited when I saw it. I looked at the menu, and it was very humorous to me. I am pretty sure it is talking about Memphis, TN (I thought at first it could be referring to Egypt) because the menu is all American. They have the Fourth Avenue Burger (not in Memphis at all) the New York Style Burger, the Chicago one…. And all these other cities and famous places , no where in Memphis. I don’t know if they are trying to play it off like they are, but I just found it funny. I assumed it would be about Elvis, Tennessee, or something.
The past two nights a group of us have just gotten to together to make dinner and then we all watch a movie. Last night it was August Rush which my Latvian friend brought, and tonight we watched 27 Dresses which I provided. I think it is going to be weird to start studying here. I know I have only been here exactly a week, but for some reason I feel like I have been gone forever. I think it is because I have just gotten to know these people so well here. Krista, Abbie, and I have been hanging out all the time. I feel like I have known them so much longer than a week. The point of my rambling is to say that since I feel like I have been here so long and I have not studied yet, it will be weird to make that switch.
I don’t know if I have already talked about all the new words I am learning. Since I am hanging out with a Brit all the time, I am learning some interesting things. For instance, the pound key is called the hash key. If you are gutted about something, you are upset with it. The hub is the stove. Rubbish… well we all know that one, but it is still funny. School is called the uni, duvet is pronounced doovie… ok that is all I can think of at the moment, but I am sure there is more to come.

Hesburger's fish!

Once again, another day full of exciting and new, and of course interestingly done, things. We actually have created a saying, “That’s so Finnish”. We use it if something closes really early, or something costs a lot of money that shouldn’t, or really if something is done in a weird way. When I say weird, I mean uncommon for me, the Scot, and the Latvian-and we pretty diverse! The Finns just seem to do things differently. I have really enjoyed seeing the Europeans have a hard time adjusting too. Ok I know that sounds mean, but let me explain. Of course I, an American, is going to have a hard time. Silly America does EVERYTHING differently from the rest of the world. Recently I have learned that the UK does as well, so I don’t feel as bad. Anyways, I knew it was going to take a couple weeks to learn the new system. I think I just assumed that the Europeans would just everything. However, we are all learning very quickly that the Finnish culture is very interesting. An example of one of my adjustments is making eye contact. I always make eye contact with an person on the street and just do the “no teeth, hey how are ya, smile”. The Finns actually hate eye contact. Although I have learned this, I still smile at everyone I pass on the street, even though they act like I am not there. Basically, I have been rejected. Then I just feel awkward because I feel like I am staring at them. I mean come on, can they not tell? It is funny when someone does make eye contact with you. You just know they aren’t Finnish!
This other international student from Germany, Fabian, asked if I wanted to go to church today. He found this English speaking church that started at 2! So, me, Fabian, and the American from Atlanta who knows Anne McKee’s daughter, Joanna, all went to church this morning. Unimportant side note-it was the first time I have been outside without my snow boots. I was just wearing black flats (The Finns do it all the time), and I survived! I was proud, so I had to share. Ok, back on track again. We went to the International Evangelical Church. Yes, I went to an evangelical church. Let me just say yes it was different, and not what I am used to. A visiting pastor from Malaysia spoke about passion for Jesus. I actually really enjoyed the sermon. We sang hymns, which of course I was not used to, and I had to go to the alter for communion. I think that was the only time I felt a little uncomfortable. They served those plastic disc things that taste like Styrofoam and wine. Sadly, the thing that stands out most is the little kid running around the room at the end of communion. He was so cute and had so many coats on, he looked like the tire man! He even went right up to the start of stage…. And no one stopped him! Oh I could not help but laugh. I guess you had to be there, but it just seemed so out of place, yet no one seemed to react but me. After church we stayed for coffee and tea. I like Europe, they serve tea too! I felt so European when I was getting my tea too- the saucer, sugar cubes I you put in with a tiny spoon, and a side plate for bread! Then, the pastor made everyone who was knew stand up and say their name! AWKWARD!
For lunch I had Finnish fast food, Hesburger! It had a fish tank inside! Why, I cannot tell you. It was weird to order a fried salmon burger at a fast food place, but it was good.
Abbie and Krista are so sweet and washed my clothes today while I was at church. Sadly, they were having problems. The laundry room is 1. super creepy 2. full of weird machines I have ever seen before 3. very difficult. We had to dry our clothes for two hours and they still were damp. I have a line hanging in my room of my clothes!
Last night I talked to Bean on my new cell phone! I only 11 minutes, so sadly I ran out in mid convo. But it was really great just to hear his voice (sorry I am cheesy). For the past couple days we have been planning for me to come visit, but it isn’t going to work out. Although, just so everyone knows, he is having fun in Ireland and Whales.
I really feel like I doing freshman year all over again. Everyone is hanging out with everyone.
Although little clicks have formed, we are all hanging out with each other and meeting new people everyday. Today I met a girl from Knoxville who went to Farragut High school! I think was a little more excited about that than she was. A bunch of us just watched a movie tonight. This random guy named Howard (although he was Asian, so his name threw me off) just met us in the hall and watched the movie with us. It is just neat to me how we all stick together, even if we don’t know the person, because we are all going through the same thing.
One neat thing the Finns do is sort their trash! It is actually kind of pain to do with only two trashcans in your room, but I love it! They even sort it in the cafeteria. You have mixed waste (everything else), bio waste (food), paper, cardboard, and glass. They don’t recycle plastic, which I find really odd.
Since I don’t have a TV, I was unaware of the Russia gas incident. Thanks to those who were concerned and informed me of it (Heather Felton). I have not been affected directly. My room is never toasty and always a bit chilly.
My final statement today is about Tennessee. Whenever some new I meet finds out I am from the US (which always happens pretty quickly) they usually have a story about how they have gone there or want to or know some one….. Then they always ask what part. When I say Tennessee, they always go, “AHHH!” like it is the most exciting state or something. It is really funny. Most internationals know Tennessee for Whiskey and cowboys. Although you find those random ones who know almost too much about Tennessee. One person I met knew the names of two Grizzlies players. I could not even tell you one name of a player! If for some reason the person doesn’t know anything about the lovely state, I just say Elvis, and then they know.

The Finns love their saunas.... NAKED!!!

What an adventure my first weekend in Helsinki has been. Yesterday I finally registered for classes, although it is really weird. I only have three classes this “term” which is until April, and then a whole new set of classes are available. I have a class on Monday, and then Wednesday, and then on Thursday. All of them are for two hours! We will see how that goes. But one of my classes goes from 4-6! How crazy is that. I also opened a bank account yesterday. I still have a lot more I need to do to get completely settled. Something I really noticed at the international party that I forgot to mention is how every dances differently! It was so cool just to watch every. Americans really just shake their but, but man, those other internationals had some moves! I tried to follow, but my body just did not move like that.
Today was a very busy day. At 10:30 Abbie and Christa came over for breakfast in my room (scrambled eggs…. classic) and then we went shopping for me to get a cell phone and Abbie to get a SIM card, which is much easier I must say. All the other Europeans just have to switch their SIM card. Now I have this Finnish phone (Samsung brand though) that got for only 28 euros! Not bad. I had to buy a SIM card too, but it wasn’t too much. I feel so much better now that I have a phone over. It was getting so hard to find everyone all the time.
After our electronic purchases, we went to the gym. I only paid 57 euros for a gym membership for 6 months! What a deal! We get really good deals with our school card. The gym had so many work out thingys that I have never seen before! Then… this is the best part… we went to the Sauna. The Finns are known for taking saunas, which they call sownas. They all go in naked, but we all had towels. It was so hot!!!! There were these coals that you poured water on that bring in more steam. At first it was just the three of us. But then two naked Finns came in and poured so much water in it! What they do is workout, then run through the shower (naked in front of everyone!) and then go in the sauna. After they are done they kind of take a quick shower again in the huge public shower. They even have blow-dryers in the changing room. I have never seen so many naked people, I knew I was in Europe. Considering how modest I am, I think I did well. I kept my towel on in the sauna, but I had to take it off to shower!!! Ahhhh!!!!! My European friends were just laughing at me. Ok, sorry if this is too much information, but it was a big deal. I mean for real, the Finns just walked everywhere naked!! Ok, well all over the ladies changing room.
I am still sick and I have lost my voice, so I sound like a man. Since many of you seem concerned for me, I will try to get more rest tonight. I am going to an English speaking church tomorrow, but it starts at 2! That means I can sleep in much later.
It is neat now when I walk into my room because it feels more like home. Everyday really just gets better and better, and I am getting closer with the two girls I have been hanging out with, Abbie and Christa.
I start classes on Monday! I am kind of anxious to see what my routine will be once they start since I don’t have them everyday. I guess I will just find out.
Last thing, update on the snow. It has gotten so much warmer here! I looked up weather in Cordova, and Helsinki was only a couple degrees cooler. That means the snow has all melted, but then it will refreeze into ice! Everyone is slipping on the street, kind of scary. I fell, but it was not bad and luckily no one else saw. But the snow is just shoveled into these huge piles on the sidewalk, some taller than me! The rest of the snow has turned black from dirt… gross!!!

Standing outside with my mouth open wide... ahh, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah,ahhh....

Today (Thursday) was a great day! I hope I am not confusing you with these dates. Since Idon't have the internet in my room yet, have to write my blog at night and post it the next day. So many things happened. I had orientation once again in the morning. Thankfully that was my last day of sitting a room for a long time listening to long lectures about a million different things. One thing I did learn, however, is that Germans knock instead of clap. It is really interesting to put a bunch on students from different nationalities together, especially to see how they all react to everything. At the end of the each presentation we would all clap. Today I sat in front of Germans who knocked on the desk. So I told them I would knock along with them, where as they decided to try to the clapping. It is little things like that that I enjoy most.
It is official- I am picking up some weird accent! I want to say, “well are we going then (in a British/Italian accent emphasizing the then)?” instead of “are ya’ll ready?” Also, the Scottish girl said ya’ll today on accident, it was amazing! I have been hanging out most with the Scottish girl and Latvian girls. We all seem to get along really well, which is nice. After orientation and these tutor groups we have, I decided to treat myself to a little shopping. There was a second hand store on my home that I went in. I have seen a lot of the Finns wear this shawls as scarves, and it looks really cute. It is hard to explain, but they look warm either way. I went in looking for one and found a cream one for only 8 euros! I was pretty pumped.
Tonight there was a party for the international students. It was really fun and interesting. I actually felt really silly in the beginning. One of the girls said she was going to get some cider. I thought she meant hot apple cider. Later I found out it is an alcohol. I felt a little dumb about that because all the Europeans knew what she was talking about. At the party it was only American music played. I have found that a lot. For example, Norah Jones was playing in the store when I went shopping today. The theatres are also in English with a Finnish subtitle. The Finns say they like it this we way so that the voices are not dubbed over.
I am saving the most exciting news for last. . . IT SNOWED ABOUT 5 INCHES TODAY!! I was so excited. It was coming down so hard, I have never been in anything like that. All the cars and buildings were covered with snow. And it stuck to you! It did not just melt away as soon as it came on you. I saw an evergreen with snow piled on the branches, like on fake trees, it was so beautiful. I am actually really excited about the weekend because my friends and I want to explore so much! Today we also learned about the gym. They have aerobics, mind and soul classes (not really sure) skiing, snow boarding, and even dancing classes!
Not everything is fine and dandy though all the time. First, I am getting or I might already be sick. My throat hurts really bad and I am coughing a lot, as well as a runny nose. That has kept me up a night, so I have yet to good a full night’s sleep. I think the most I have gotten is about 2 hours or so. It is also really lonely when you back to your room at night. All day I am with people and doing things. However, at night it is all quit and kind of sad. The three other girls I have been hanging out with said they have the same problem. This is the main reason I wanted a roommate, or a flat mate as they say. There are dorms with 6 people living in them, each with their single rooms, but sharing a kitchen and living room. The only problem is they live far away so that they have to take a tram to school everyday, where as I live in the only dorm that can walk. It is still about a 20-minute walk, but it isn’t that far away. So guess I am lucky I don’t have to pay for a pass for the tram or bus everyday, which can get very expensive. I just wish it didn’t get so lonely at night. Good news is I am not the only one going through this. So we have all decided that when we feel sad, no matter what time of night, we can wake each other up to cheer up that person. I know that once classes start and I get more familiar with Helsinki, the loneliness will go away… I think I just want that to be now. Although I can say that this bond of loneliness has brought the four of us closer, so that is something positive.

Ikea... "Akea".... whatever!

This is my third day in Helsinki. Today everything seemed to kick off. Orientation started this morning and lasted until the evening. That meant that I was inside almost all day, except the times I had to walk to another building. So… I only saw the sun for a couple minutes today. The sun rises around 9ish and sets around 4ish. The Finns keep telling us that the days will get longer. In Orientation all the exchange students gathered for a boring PowerPoint of semi-useful information. At one point in the four hours we sat there, a man came up and started speakin Swedish. That was the time that I tuned out and started reading my handbook, which is much more helpful to me. Then a lady came up and started speaking French. It was really neat to hear though. I have been hanging out with a lot of different people. Tonight a door was open, so naturally I walked in. When I told them I was from the US they called me a cowgirl! So the five people in that room came down to mine where I had about five people. We were making dinner. I think at one point I had about 20 people in my room! People coming from Belgium, Mexico, France, Scotland, Latvia, Estonia, Italy, and more I am sure. I just think that is so neat.
After Orientation I went with three other girls to…. Are you ready?.... IKEA!!! Only they all pronounce it “e-k-e-a”, so I am the one that looks silly. We had to take a bus, for free, that took us to the store. It was about 30 minutes away from the center of town, which is where I live. It was amazing! I can’t wait to go back in the States. I got way too many things for such a cheap price! However, I needed most of it. Now I can cook, or really try to cook. The problem is that I want to take all this cute stuff with me…. Except I really don’t have any room left. I guess I will tackle that in five months.
Basically, today was a good day. It has been hard trying to adjust to everything. I really haven’t slept the past two nights, and I am not sure why. But everyday seems to get better and better. I know my way around town more, and I am slowly learning how to pay with euros (even though I keep calling them dollars). I still do not have the internet, meaning I have spent a lot of time at McDonalds. It is hard though because when I do get it I have to check so many things, but I always seem to be limited for time.
Even though it is only the third day, I feel like I am picking up an accent. There are few here from America, so everyone else has a distinct accent from me. I am finding myself saying sentences in the rhythm they say it rather than my normal rhythm. Although, Christa, a Latvian, loves that I say y’all. She actually wants to start saying it because she thinks it is funny. I have also been surprised how many people know about Tennessee. They all comment that I don’t have the typical southern accent. I found that funny.
Although school hasn’t started, I still have a lot to do. I feel like I will never be done filling out paperwork for this trip. I have register, get a cell phone, register for the internet, get an Ethernet cord, get my stipend for food, open a Finnish bank account for the stipend, go shopping….. ok the list goes on. But you can get the point. There is just so much to do! It is a little overwhelming for all of us exchange students.

Finally in Finland!

I am finally in Finland. My trip was really interesting. Luckily, I found everything ok and only one flight was delayed, but I did not have too many complications. I met people at each destination, which not only gave me entertainment but help as well. I flew from Memphis to Chicago, Chicago to Warsaw, Poland, and then Warsaw to Helsinki, Finland, my new home for the next five months. The flight from Chicago to Warsaw was crazy! I flew LOT, a Polish airline. Therefore, they said everything in Finland and English. I sat next to this Polish lady who didn’t know any English, and of course I didn’t know any Polish. Let me just say I made a lot of hand gestures when needed. I was lucky to have a man sit next to me (which reminded me so much of Mikey from Casa MAMi for those who know whom I am talking about. In other words, Rebekah and Ms. Kathy is you are reading this.) who answered the questions I asked. He had to be a patient man considered my question asking skills. The flight was 9 hours long!!! I crocheted, watched an awful movie with Richard Gere (not sure of his spelling) and this bed and breakfast place. Because the plot made no sense, I tried to go to sleep…. Which did not turn out very well. Although those neck pillows are good for flights, they still are not comfortable. The sweet Polish lady next me slept almost the whole time! I was jealous. Anyways, let me just I did not get much sleep. The food was gross too, it reminded me too much of Mexico! But, like Mexico, I was hungry so I ate. Once in Warsaw I met a couple exchange students as well, and my first Finnish person (besides Sanna). This flight was not very long compared to the other. Once in Helsinki, I met the girl that took me home. She also took home two other exchange students. Raful is from Poland (Grandpa I have told him too many times that is where you are from.) and Francesco is from Italy. Luckily we rode in her car to our apartments. Usually they take the bus and you have to walk from the stop to the building.
My room is small but very neat. It reminds me of a hotel mixed in with a retirement center. I will try to post pictures of it. On my way in I saw a girl wearing Virginia Tech pants, so I just American!! Her name is Emily, and I have been hanging with her a lot. We don’t have internet yet in our rooms, so she walked with me to the McDonalds down the street for free WiFi.
I have been meeting so many people. Ruful, Francesco, Emily, and another American names Joanna (who knows Anne McKee’s daughter!) all walked to the store today to get food. Good news about the store, you have to pay for bags. Luckily I brought my own! I have my own kitchen, but no pots or pans. Although, my first day my neighbor who is Malaysian lended me pot. There is also this room filled with things past exchange students don’t want, so it’s a free for all. I got a pan and an extra pillow (which I washed!) and some utensils and hangers.
I am sorry this is so long, I have just been through so much. The city is really safe, so I walked by myself to McDonalds earlier at 9:00 pm, which is unheard of back home. It is snowing too! Not as much as I would have thought. It is cold too though, but also not as much as I expected. They say it will get colder.
I just keep meeting more and more people though. Tonight in one room there was the boy from Poland, the boy fro Italy, the two Americans, two girls from Latvia, one from Estonia, one from Holland, one from Scotland, and then one from Japan. We have all just been talking about the differences. It seems, which is kind of obvious, that we Americans are going through the most culture shock. All the other Europeans have cell phones that work here, and most don’t need converters. One advantage we have is English. The whole international program is based on English. One of the girls was saying that she will have trouble reading for classes in English.
I think that is all I have to say for now. Tomorrow is Orientation where I will hopefully figure a little but more out about what I will doing this next semester.
Oh, one last thing. There is an ice skating rink in the middle of the town, which is really close to my apartment! I am looking forward to that.