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!

Lapland

So, I know this may be a little bit late, but since I've come back from Lapland, I have been extremely busy. my trip was absolutely wonderful though. Stick 160 exchange students from all over the world into one hotel, and we're bound to make a good time of it. I got picked up from Leppävirta around 11:30 on Friday night (the 30th of November) and we made it to Muonio around 10 the next morning. After getting assigned rooms, three other buses arriving, a quick lunch and meeting about the rules for the week, we were off for our first day of skiing! Me and a couple others, though, decided we were too tired for skiing so we made for the sled (or as my canadian counterparts would say, tobogan) hill. Unfortunately, the hill was ant hill rather than a legitamate sled hill. (Can you blame me for being judgemental? I come from West Virginia. My yard makes for better sledding than that.) So, after a few rounds, we made straight for the bon fire for the rest of the afternoon. After warming up at the hotel for an hour, everyone was back on the buses to go to dinner. Outside. As if a day of skiing in -26 degrees Celcius wasn't enough to freeze us, Rotary decided to stick us out for another round of permafrost. At least that's what we thought before we got there. Yes, it was outside, but it was also a beautiful venue- one that I might even use for my wedding if it weren't for the cold. We had some salmon soup and apple pie while seated around the fire. Maybe you've never had soup outside when it was minus twenty degrees out, but that night was beautiful. Everything was steaming: the soup, our hands, the hot juice... If it weren't for the fires, we wouldn't have been able to see a foot in front of us. So, that's how we ended our first day in Lapland. Great start, no?
For the next day, Rotary had planned another day of skiing, but once again me and this time several others, opted for a day at the hotel building ice sculptures. Well, it turned out that only took us an hour, so we hung out in the hotel, did some sledding down a fairly steep hill behind the hotel, and visited an igloo the hotel was building for tourist purposes. The igloo was really incredible! First, they blow up a big balloon and set a machine beside it that blows snow onto the balloon. Then, after a day or so of freezing in the Finnish winter, they deflate the balloon and start decorating. There were "beds" made purely of ice, and carved out designs on the walls of reindeer, suns, and other wintery dreams. There were several rooms inside the igloo, and I have to say that was one of the more incredible experiences I had while in Lapland! Anyway, once every one else came back from the slopes, we all headed to sauna. Not only was the sauna itself interesting (two separate saunas, connected by a door made of hanging branches), but once we got hot, we all headed outside... and straight into the snow! I know I'll remember that for the rest of my life, even though for Finns this is a really normal activity. We all had scratches on our legs from jumping onto the icy mound directly outside the sauna door. I can't wait to do it again! After sauna, we were in the bus again, this time headed for a lukio in Muonio. There, the students had prepared something for us. Some 7th grade girls did a dance, and there was a band, too. Everyone was really into it. Then, every country had to perform something. The Mexcians had a great dance sequence, as did the Brazilians. It was a great night!
The third day was probably the most interesting day for me. In the morning, we headed straight for the cold after a breakfast of "puuroa" or porridge. We were all fitted with snow shoes, and then we made for the reindeer. After a 15 minute walk, we finally arrived. There was a sort of teepee shaped building (I'm still not sure exactly what it was!), and then a man dressed in typical Lapland attire taking care of 3 reindeer. After a short discussion about his attire and the reindeer, we were loaded onto three three person sleds. The reindeer were attatched, and off we were! The reindeer behind my sled accidentally hit me in the head with his horn, too. I forgive him though, since I'm sure I'd hit people with my horns too. After that, we walked just a few minutes over to where they kept the sled dogs. We're all loaded on to sleds, this time with dogs pulling.  That was really incredible! The dogs are so coordinated- and fast! After we arrived back, we got to pet the puppies (no gloves, apparently these dogs have a taste for mittens), and our guide told us everything to know about the dogs. We had free time, then, to pet the dogs and take pictures. It didn't take us long to get back to the hotel, though, since it was so cold outside. That afternoon, we went to a real Sami (the original inhabitants of Lapland) person's house. We saw some traditional clothing, and were explained what the marks signified (every family has a different pattern and colors). We talked about reindeer herding, and how the reindeer aren't kept in fences. They get to roam anywhere they want- even Sweden! They mark their reindeer by cutting their ears (don't worry, they don't have nerves there) in different shapes. In the spring, when they count their reindeer, the herders go to Sweden to check if their reindeer have wandered over, and the Swedes come to Finland too. After checking that stuff out, we had a taste of lassoing reindeer. I got an entire horn on my first try! Then we visited the Sami person's house, which looked pretty similar to any modern day Finnish house to me. After visiting the house, we headed for the Swedish border! The border is actually a river, so we parked on the Finnish side, then walked half way across the bridge, took pictures with the sign, and headed back. I have to say, Sweden looks a lot like Finland: snowy with lots of trees. But at least now I can say I've been to Sweden! Once back at the hotel, we had dinner and got to have a party in one of the hotel buildings to say goodbye to all of our friends. I was sad to see the end of the trip, which was one of the most valuable memories I'll have of Finland, but I know I'll get to see my friends again, and maybe even visit Lapland again!
Here's Sweden:

 My first taste of reindeer- straight from Lapland!

 The beautiful reindeer that gave us a tour by sleigh of their grounds, plus their keeper (in traditional Sami dress) and half of our guide:

Only 6,700 km between Rovaniemi and New York!

Post-Thanksgiving, Pre-Lapland

I've come to think of my exchange in terms of how I've changed. When I think of who I was when I started high school, I know for sure that I have grown up a lot and have developed the kind of person that I was in so many ways. I see my exchange in the same light; the person who got on that plane on August fourth is no longer with us- instead we have me! And I'm thankful for it. When I left I thought I knew who I was, but in fact it was that kind of thinking that was keeping my mind closed. Now, I realize that growing up never ends. Every day, I wake up, and I am the way I am because of the choices I made yesterday.
Needless to say, my short four months here have been nothing like what I thought they'd be. I thought I would make tons of friends on the first try, I thought I'd never miss home, and I would get through my exchange the same way I got through senior year (I'll let you interpret that as you will). Never did I think that making "aquaintences" would be the best I could do after four months- and that's hard. I never realized how lucky I was to know everyone I knew for as long as I had known them. But the tears make the laughs worth it, so I'll keep going.
As you know, if you are American, this last Thursday was Thanksgiving. Usually when I'm at home, Thanksgiving isn't really a big deal. Everyone comes over for dinner, and that's it. Being here, though, I realized how lucky I am to have my family, and how lucky they are to be together. I've never had a more thankful Thanksgiving, if only for knowing that I have spent every holiday with my family for my entire life, and once I get home, I can do it again. Small things like that really make me realize how important family is.
However, I was kept distracted by the fact that my younger host sister, Olivia, turned 6 on Friday. We had guests in and out of the house the entire weekend, and despite the fact that we spent all of Saturday cleaning, I think we're headed for a mid-week cleaning day anyway. But I think Olivia had a nice time, and I got a taste of what kid parties are like for big people, which made me reconsider having lots of children when I get married. I always thought having kids was easy, but now I realize how much there is to worry about. Even I worry about how my little host sisters are getting on at school and whether they're making friends and whether they're keeping up with other kids-- and they're not even my kids. I think it'd be fair to say at this point that I'm going to be a worried mother.
In addition to having Olivia's birthday in my mind for the last couple of weeks, I've been crowded by a million different events and tasks to do. Okay, maybe not a million, but it feels like that when it's all in Finnish. About a week ago, me and the girls in my street dance class had a performance to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Viri, a program that organizes community sports around Leppävirta (I think). Anyway, I thought it went pretty well, and even if it didn't, at least it made a good memory to look back on.
(Here's an action shot!)
 
The weekend before that, I was in Tampere to see the Nightwish concert, and this Friday, of course, I take off for Lapland with my fellow Rotary exchange students! It's going to be so fun, I'm sure. We are having dog sled rides, hikes, skiing, and I'm sure lots of sauna, coffee, and talking- something I'm sure at least the Americans are missing at this point. I'll be sure to make another post when I come back, and I'll share lots of pictures!
Once I'm back from Lapland, it'll be a straightshot for Christmas, or Joulu, which is the half mark of my exchange. I can't believe I'm almost half way through this year. It feels like I have an entire year ahead of me still, but I'm sure the next couple of months will fly by too. Unfortunately, accompanying my halfway mark is a change in host families. I'm terribly sad to say goodbye to this family; they have been with me through what I think will be the most crucial parts of my exchange, and they have been so supporting and loving that I think I could not have found a better match. But, I have to change, and I'm sure I'll feel the same way about my next host family when I leave them too!
Also, I forgot to talk about this in my earlier posts, when it actually happened, but I completed my first mittens (hanskat)! Here's proof:

Nightwish Concert

Despite initial doubts about whether I should have really spent that much money on a concert, I had a wonderful time when I spent this weekend at a friends house in Tampere. We took a bus to Helsinki to see Nightwish, then a bus back to Tampere at 1AM. Needless to say, we were exhausted, but it was so fun! My friend's host family was very nice, and we stayed up Friday night till 1 playing a game called Dixit.
Although I've never been a fan of metal, we decided to go to this concert. My mom told me it would a good experience to see a band I've never heard of before- anyway that's why I'm on exchange, right? To see things I've never seen before and experience things I can't experience at home. She was definitely right (why should I be surprised, mothers are always right...). Nightwish is a Finnish trademark- everyone knows who they are, and everyone is a fan. I almost feel bad for stealing those tickets from a true fan!
Anyway, here are a few pictures.

  (Me trying to be as metal as I can...)









I can't wait to visit my friend in Tampere again! Thankfully we will see each other again in 2 weeks when all the Rotary exchange students go to Lapland! :)

3 Months...

I think it'd be safe to say at this point that I'm bad at doing routine things.... Like writing a blog regularly. But who can blame me? I've been having the time of a century. I've been dancing ballet, and next week I'll be performing with the other girls in my "street dance" class. I've been visiting Helsinki, meeting exchange students, meeting Finns, and learning every step of the way. Learning that if I say "saata" instead of "sataa" people will think I'm trying to say "satan" instead of "it's raining". I've learned that there's an essential difference between the words "tuhma" and "tyhma", and that the Finnish language will always have new surprises for me. I've discovered that I have another family; they have just been living on the other side of the Atlantic so I didn't know. I've realized that no matter how far I am from my family back home, I still have my memories to carry me through my rough times. That even if I miss them terribly, in a couple of months I'll see them, and I'll be missing my life here...
(Me and my host family in Helsinki)

I understand more every day; I think my classmates get a hit off of me trying to define the word contaminated in Finnish during our English 8 class. Despite the fact that I'm terribly busy, I always have time to play with my little sisters, bake pumpkin cookies just to remind myself that it's fall even though it's snowing, and laugh when my host dad uses the spoon I was going to eat soup with to scratch his back- it's ok, it happens to everyone.
(Here it is- in the digital flesh. A winter wonderland in October.)

Last night, I attended the "Lukiobileet" in Varkaus, a small town near us (though admittedly, twice as big as Leppävirta). It was a party organized by a lukio, or high school, in Varkaus, for four surrounding lukios. The theme was red carpet, or punainen matto. It was almost nothing like Homecoming or prom; sure, the girls were all dressed up, but I saw a one girl wearing jeans! Oh, and not to mention the fact that the party didn't end till 2AM. What kind of school event is that?
(Here are some pictures of the event...)


That's all I got for now... But hopefully I'll remember to write again soon!

Typical Exchange Student

Here we are- I am, one month into my exchange.  You know how to spot the exchange student: dictionary glued to the palm of the hand, wary looks across the cafeteria, hesitation before flushing the toilet ("Now, how exactly does this one work again?"). Of course, I've fulfilled every stereotype. And, as you might guess, exhaustion has taken over. Despite my ten hours of sleep last night (class didn't start till 10AM), I was still struggling to keep my eyes open during a history class of which I understood mostly just the names of countries and stutter words. Oh, and due to my insufficient education in history, I was made a bit of a fool. No, I did not know that the main difference between a monarchy and a republic was a president; there must be more to it than that, right?! But anyway, it has been a learning experience- not just my history class but the entire month I've spent here. So busy, in fact, that I have failed to write regularly on my blog! But maybe that's a good sign.  Not only is my family most accommodating, but they have been so kind to me and I feel like a daughter to them already. I'm dreading the change of family, but I am sure my next family will be just as wonderful, if only in different ways. 

Now, a bit about what I have done so far. My first week was spent in the Kurkku Language Camp (on the left) where I met dozens of other exchange students from the four corners of the world. I can't wait to see them again during the Lapland trip (early December), but I know that I shouldn't focus only on the tours, but on every day life as well! We were at the camp for 5 days, and the sixth day we met our host families and went home with them. That was so nerve racking! I was so nervous about making a good impression that I didn't want to ask to stop to go to the bathroom on the four hour drive home and I didn't tell them that I felt very carsick after trying my first piece of salmiaki... Well, you live and you learn! Next time: don't eat salmiaki in the car. Or maybe just in general... I don't even like normal licorice! But, when we arrived in Leppävirta, we stopped at the grandparents' house, where Olivia and Loviisa, my two youngest sisters were spending the day, and was greeted very warmly. After having said "Terve!" (Hello!) to Olivia, the first thing she did was drag me by the hand to her toys, and immediately start naming each of them, while I in turn repeated the name of the toy. Quite a good teacher! Here's a picture of a lake near my house:

On Monday, I started school, and a girl named Hanne, one of Amanda's friends (Amanda is my host sister currently doing a year exchange in New York while I am here), gave me a tour of the school and took me to her classes. When I got my schedule, I went to my own classes, but since the school is so small (a hundred students, I believe) I still had class with Hanne and the other students she had introduced me to. And even though the Lukio (high school) is only one fifth the size of my high school in the States, I still got lost... Till I realized all my classes were in the same room. 

As for the social aspect, that has been the most difficult. The Finns are shy- I was warned of that, but what I found was a deeply engrained sense of respect for one another's space- space including not only physical room but noise and eye contact as well. It's a world away from the theatrical company that I kept at home, where everyone hugs and shouts and jokes and mocks. The biggest lesson I have learned is that people are not the same everywhere. Based on the principle that there are nice people and bad people, religious people and atheists, and criminals as well as volunteer workers everywhere in the world I had assumed that I would easily find my kind here, and surely there would be a handful of people who would approach me in the hallways, asking me obscure questions about my home, and maybe even inviting me to coffee or a party. It was quite the opposite. I found it hard to approach people for fear of disrupting their "personal space". I've found in some ways I am very Finnish; I feel like I can't talk to someone without a reason to talk to them, I have little desire for petty small talk, and I have zero to little desire to hug someone when I first meet them. Good luck to the Finns coming to America. You'll never go back... 

As for family life, I get along splendidly with all of my family members and enjoy dinner and coffee with them. I have to say, the highlight of my day is sitting next to Loviisa and making faces across the dinner table. When she tries to look angry at me, but can't keep a straight face, the sense of joy and love that I feel fills me to the brim, and in that moment I know exactly why I want to be a mother. That may seem an exaggeration, but I do feel a love for this family that is unique; different from the love I bear for my own family, but love all the same. On the weekends, they take me various places. For example, one weekend we went camping in Punkaharju, where I met my first reindeer (picture below!),  with a stop in Sovnlina on the way. Another time, we went boating at my grandparents summer cottage, where there is an original smoke sauna (and countless mosquitoes). Just last weekend, we went shopping in Kuopio. They have been more than generous, letting me cook my favorite deserts, buying me cereal, and grandma even made apple jelly for me since she knows how often I eat toast with butter and jelly! Today, me and Emmi are making cupcakes, too!

The Final Countdown

Here I am, less than twenty four hours from departure time. I've had a hell of a time sleeping this week; last night I didn't fall asleep till 5:30AM. that's quite a record for someone who sometimes goes to bed at 8 on school nights. I'm not ashamed- I need my beauty sleep! I could really use it tonight though. My trip will last a total of 30 hours from the time I leave my house to the time I'm (supposed to) land in Heksinki. I could use a good 8 hours of sleep. I'm nervous to leave I suppose (why else would it take me 6 hours to fall asleep?), but I feel confident about my choice to go abroad, and I am comforted by the fact that one of my best friends, Viktor, a former exchange student from Denmark who attended my school this year, made it in one piece as well as the hundreds of Rotary students everywhere. Besides, I've been determined to do this since the ninth grade so now if I bail out, I'll be disappointing my past self, and probably my hypothetical future self. So, onward! And despite the giant knot in my stomach, I'm sure I'll make friends and learn Finnish and make a fool of myself enough times to ensure small talk for at least several months. 
My goodbye party (of sorts) is tonight.  I only invited 6 friends, but my mom invited family friends, like my sister's boyfriend's family, the neighbors whom I have known since I was a child, my cousin and her family who is in town for her wedding. I'll be glad to have this final goodbye, and I'm sure I'll be crying, so I'll have to go easy on the eye liner today. I only wish Viktor could attend, and perhaps a few friends I met in Germany this summer. 
Next time I write I'll be in Finland, so goodbye America! (I've been waiting quite a while to say that.)