New Year, New Family

I was planning on writing another post directly after my Christmas post about New Year's and moving into a new family. However, as you can see, it's taken me a little time to catch up... I've been sick three times since Christmas, and I'm told that's normal for a Finnish winter. Fortunately, I have a family that is very understanding of how my immune system isn't used to the hot and cold (being inside, around 20 degrees celcius, and immediately going outside to a more often than not bone chilling minus 25 degrees). But, I've been taking my vitamen D, not that it fulfills my constant craving for grass and a hot summer's day on the beach, but at least it's supposed to keep me healthy.

As for the new family, I am overjoyed. My family is kind and welcoming, not unlike the last. I have found one more reason to appreciate the Rotary Youth Exchange (the only exchange program with multiple families). I see my first family more than once a week, and they have been so supportive of me during this inbetween stage. After five months of living in the Utriainen family (August to January), being in a new host family required almost as much adjustment as it did when I first came to Finland. I've been here almost an entire month now, and it feels like home. From the late night movies and UNO tournaments, to the everyday hustle and bustle of conforming four adults' schedules, I've found that there is yet another family in which I find myself a part of. That being said, I won't forget to mention the obstacles that come with living in a family you've never met. In my new host family, the Auvinens, I have found three different and strong personailities- much like the family I have at home, in the U.S. But despite big personalities, there is so much love in this house- especially for the cats!

The new house I'm living in is very warm. They use the heating system very little, and in place light a fire almost daily. I have my own room, and it's really spacious (which is nice since I've accumulated so much stuff!). The only thing that seems really different to me, comparing ´to my own family's house in the U.S., is the shower. Instead of having a shower in the bathroom, like most American homes, here the shower is a separate room (with sauna!), next to the fireplace. The sauna is heated by the fireplace; it's difficult to explain, but the fireplace can be opened up in the back to heat the bottom of the oven in the sauna. I guess as far as weird Finnish customs go, this is the least of my problems. So far, I've had to face a gruesome plate of raw fish for breakfast, at least twenty offerings of salmiaki (or salty licorice), probably 100 questions about how I feel about raw fish and salmiaki, and the prospect of drinking salmiaki vodka, which is a practice entirely normal to the Finnish people. I think I can deal with the shower.
The house and my room:

As for New Year's Eve, the Auvinen's gave me a warm welcome with a typical Finnish tradition involving tin horse shoes. We melted the horseshoes over the fire, and dumped them into a bucket of cold water. When the melted tin hits the water, it takes solid form again, and the form it takes tells about the kind of year you should expect. Mine was rather shaped like a volcano, in addition to lots of little rigid pieces that supposedly represent money. My host mom bought me a fram to place the tin pieces in so I can have a memory of my New Year in Finland.

My calender for the next few months is packed- which I love. I've never been one for sitting around the house, waiting for someone else to invite me somewhere. From the new friends I've made at school, to outings with other exchange students I think I won't be bored for the rest of my exchange. This weekend, my host family and I are going to Helsinki to visit my host grandmother, and get some shopping done. My host mother says she'll be taking me to an American shop that sells things like Hershey's chocolate- can't wait! Next month, the 2nd graders (or 11th graders for us Americans) are going to be having a performance called the Vanhojen Tanssi. I know, it's a mouthful. It translates as Old Dance; in celebration of the ABIT, or seniors, graduating, and the 2nd graders becoming the oldest in the school, they perform a selection of old fashioned dances, like the waltz, tango, and, most special to me, the Virginia Reel. I am also participating in the dance, and personally am very excited to be able to partake in a very Finnish tradition for young people. Besides that, in February, I have a Rotary weekend of skiing and snowboarding, and most importantly, meeting the new members of our district from Brazil and Australia. I won't get too far into my plans for the next few months, just so that I have some things to surprise you with, but I'm excited to be here, and my exchange has become more about meeting new people and having new experiences than I thought it could be!
Here's a beautiful picture of the Finnish sunset, which I'm always awake to see!

Joulua: Christmas!

Christmas has been one of the best experiences in my exchange. I know I probably start every post with that, but I felt so happy this Christmas. Christmas started on the 24th, starting with dinner with the family. We had ham, casseroles, potatoes, and lots and lots of fish (Finnish tradition). It didn't feel like Christmas dinner at all; I'm used to squash, okra, honey ham, bread rolls, gravy, green beans, along with an assortment of pies, cakes, and candies made by my grandmother and various aunts. NO FISH! I never knew I should appreciate that before- now I know. Anyway, after we had our candlelit dinner, with my host grandparents and host aunt, we headed for the graveyard, another Finnish tradition. We visited the graves of various family members, clearing snow from their tombstones, and lighting candles. It was very cold outside, so once my family had paid their respects, we headed back home. Once warm at home, we started playing Christmas songs so that Joulupukki, or Santa Claus, would here us calling him. After three songs, Emilia saw someone through the window! He had come to pay us a special visit, right in our home. He came in bearing, not one, not two, but actually five bags full of presents. (No, not those big red ones Coca-Cola portrays Santa with. This Santa had plastic bags from S-Market, the local supermarket.) He settled down in the rocking chair, took Olivia and Loviisa into his lap to hear whether they had been kilti tai tuma (naughty or nice).

Once it was established we had all been very nice this year, he started handing out presents. We all ended up with big piles of packages around us. Santa took his leave then, since he had many more houses to go, and left us to our package opening. I got lots of tights and socks and hats, as well as two books on knitting socks, balls of yarn, and knitting needles. I guess he knew I've been cold!

Once we were done opening all our gifts, the sauna was ready, so we headed for an extra warm sauna. For the rest of the night, we just played with our new toys, and then went to sleep. On Christmas day, we went to my host dad's mother's house, where we had Christmas dinner (number 2). We talked, ate, talked, drank coffee, ate some more, opened presents, had desert, then it was time to go again. The day after Christmas, or Tapaninpäivä, we had morning sauna. Usually morning sauna takes place at 7 in the morning, but considering the fact that we're all late sleepers, we postponed it till 11. So maybe it was more of a lunch-time sauna. After that, though, Christmas celebrations had finally come to a close. I have to say this Christmas has taught me so much about the importance of family, and making people feel welcome. I truly felt like I was a part of the family, and I have learned that I will always have a home in Finland. Considering that, I was really sad to leave my first host family, but, now that I am in my new host family, I have also realized that, as Anu-Rikka (my first host mom) said, I am not losing one family, but gaining another. I was nervous for nothing, and I love my new host family! I'll write more about the transition into this family later, but everything is going really well, and I'm so grateful to have the chance to add three more people- and three cats- to my family!