Ihana

Ihana - lovely

Saturday just deserves this word in its entirety. It was just a lovely day.

We all met up in the morning in search of the best cup of coffee. Also, Sam and I made reservations at a fancy tea shop but we missed it... opps. We were all walking through Engal Park and well we stumbled upon a food market. Asian food. Food.

Soups and kabobs and shwarma* and food.

 *not as good as my uncles...

The boat coffee shop was closed. Whenever sam comes to town we try to go to this place. It is always, always closed or closing right when we get there... this led us to the BEST CUP OF COFFEE NEXT TO HECK'S IN CLEVELAND 

what I hold in my hand is the best cup of coffee I have had in finland

 I was dressed all fancy for our tea reservations.

I had to leave at four to be home in time for dinner at Hannali's. She is my äiti's best friend. Her and her family are all very awesome. And her husband Lionel, who is the circus man, always makes me feel better. I don't know how, like I wasn't in a bad mood. Just there are some people which just make you smile. He's one of them.We had a french dinner. Oh the food was so good. Her daughter let me barrow her ice skates! I am going to learn and become a champ at it. Or at least I hope to! 

It is so nice to know that you are welcomed into some one's house. Whether it be for a dinner party or to live there for a few months. Compassion has to be one of my favorite parts of people. It is truly special.

Surprise! Surprise!

For the past two weeks we have been planning this. This, Operation Wild Card, as we refer to it, is our surprise party for Milly. Milly is my best friend here and she is from Sydney, Australia. She is pretty cool and a while back I decided I wanted to do something for her.

The plan was this.

Get Sam here.
Get her to be surprised.
Cook Mac and Cheese.

All happened really well.


I spend a lot of time at the Kerava Lukio, where milly goes to school, because I have my night school there. This resulted in me befriending all of her friends and they were in will doing this. It would not have happened with out them I am pretty sure.

Part one: Get Sam here. 

I contacted sam at the beginning of this. He made it down here. I met him after school in the city and we went to find costumes. We wanted to dress up like Russians... long story. Anyway! He was here and we then met the Finnish Friend gang at the Kerava Rail Station. We ran into Milly in the city center so sam and I had to run and hide while the Finnish friends were all normal. Milly would have known if sam and I were there.

part one- accomplished

Part Two: get her to be surprised

It was called operation wild card for a reason. Milly is a wild card. She has her ways to find out. And at one point, she was very upset with me for making "plans with her friends with out her" When in all reality we were planning for her. It was really really hilarious. Anyways, when she walked in she had no clue. 

part two- success!

Part Three: Cook Mac and Cheese

Milly never had it. Neither did anyone else. This meant I went to this Finnish kid's kitchen and just started cooking. Thank goodness he was okay with it... I wasn't planning on stopping

part three- tasty!

we won with the costumes.

It was a good  night of cards and laughing and well of course Mac and Cheese. Milly is my closest here and of course she is insane and has now got me saying words like "moll" and "sloshed" and "mate" in my day to day language. Thats okay. I wouldn't have it any other way. She is a huge part of what this year is and well she is now a huge part of me. I can't wait to visit Australia one day. 

Let there be snow!

Se on lunta. Olen kylmä. Pidän lunta sade.

So I was sitting in class and I looked out the window and I actually jumped up. By this point in the year theses kids are no longer shocked by my strangeness... or well maybe they are just better at hiding it. These kids here in Finland are some of the best you will meet. They are true and honest. They are helpful and caring. They are thoughtful and compassionate. Anyway! Long story short! It was hard core snowing.

Its the 5 of November and there is a good inch of snow on the ground.

So Luis just went outside... this was really funny for the fact we were all talking and then we looked up and Luis was gone... we looked out the window and bam. luis.

by may I bet I will be sick of snow. so capture the happiness now

this was the school I taught at

I walked out to go to night school around three and it was even worse than this. It was difficult to walk to the buss stop. 

Minun suoman on huono. Kävelen kouluun jopa lumimyrskyssa. Se on hullu. Suomi on hullu. Pidän suomi.

There is my Finnish for the night.

I ate my weight in Karjalanpiirakat: An Autobiography

Today consisted of

-8 different types of flour (they don't have corn syrup but they have so much flour- personal problems)

- Finnish cooking course

- how I met your mother

-the metric system 

- mutual sass between and old man and me

A few weeks ago (being the ever eager exchange student I am) wanted to learn how to cook Finnish food. And now I do!! Or at least I know what salt is in Finnish. (it's suolaa just in case you are in need of the Finnish word for salt. I was.) I will now be prepared to make Finnish food.

When we arrived the door was closed and I want to explain how sometimes its easier to trust and just not ask what is going on. We walked around this  building to find another door and my äiti just talked Finnish to this other lady. I can't express how often I am actually clueless. It is going to be very weird going to the states and being able to understand everything again. 

my äiti packed me a cute apron which she said matched my dress. oh yeah.

another note on the amount of coffee: There was a coffee break even in the course.
I am starting to drink half cups because I may have a problem with how much I drink

what you see above is the definition of a struggle. I had to make these pullataikina and you have to make them into perfect little balls which look like a god chiseled them. I learned the technique eventually. and then had to redo them all. 

 This lady is seriously the best lady ever. She is always so awesome and we have inside jokes and man she is wonderful. I can never fully express how amazing family is and even more how amazing this lady is. She hates to cook and she agreed to join me on this adventure. We were maybe not the best chefs in the class but it was the most amusing time.

selfie with the cutie

meet struggle two- the blueberry filling from hell. IT WENT EVERY WHERE.Praise the lord for my apron.

this is mr. ystävä (mr. friend), I can't pronounce his real name

 mhhh food. all of the food. all of the Finnish food.

he doesn't even realize how great of friends we are. 

so cold. so cold. there is snow.

I came home and I rolled into my bed and slept/watched how I met your mother.  I woke up and ate an apple with the family as they watched and understood this Finnish sitcom... I just was confused and made a plot line in my head hahahah

Life is good. Karjalanpiirakat is great. 

Hitting up the national parks tomorrow! Hiking!