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!