Concert and Isäpäivä

Saturday was spent at my High School here. There was a debate work shop, and if you know me I can argue and well speak English fluently. Therefore, I was asked to attend. It went well and I was the official "bell ringer" during the final debate. The debate was just really awesome because I was able to hang with some fins.

Afterwards I rushed home, changed, and went and met up with Kirsi. Her and her husband treated me to a lovely dinner and then the Live Final of a famous Finnish TV show, "We want more." It is about all the old bands which broke up and this show was suppose to bring them back together. I was at the final concert.

It was such an amazing experience (sadly my phone died.. resulting in no pictures.) But the immensity of the event still stuns me. The concert was feeding live to TVs all over finland and I was there. I was treated to some finnish licorice. I came home to have a small snack of food from the care package.

Sunday was Father's Day here. My family and I went to this expo things about farm animals. I was not expecting to be so excited, because well, I lived on a farm my whole life. But when we  walked in, it smelled like the Fair Grounds. It brought back memories of 2 dollar snow cones and late nights in the barn. I thought of the dreaded hay days and of how I use to ride my horses till it was dark. The horses. Walking in I saw a horse trailer and I got the biggest grin. We went to see the horses first! My family takes such good care of me here. There were cows and chickens. Things which I took for granted back home, and sometimes even hated, I was getting excited over and taking pictures of! 

Brittney! these things kept us awake so many nights

they are watching a cow show, just like the ones at the fair

sheep herding 

my favorite lady and some mushroom soup

turn around and you see laplanders

We came home to enjoy some finnish pizza. Mhh pineapple!

Hyvää Isäpäivää

The Gang

Norrah took me to a little farm in the middle of helsinki before we went to egg the first years. That is a horribly put together sentence but it really sums it all up.

Now let me break it down. I took a train to this bus station (I am not scared of public transportation any more! I can handle it!) to meet up with the crazy Norrah, my closest friend here. She said she had a surprise for me, everything is a surprise now for me.

This actually makes sense. 

Mary! I know this! Chicago helped a lot... street smarts. 

She leads the way

Please note this is the middle of a city, I am still confused how it looks like the country. 

Still walking because cars aren't actually a thing here.

Then we walk up upon this beautiful rustic old farm area. Norrah called up her friends which work at a horse barn to show me the horses and animals. I told her about the fair and all of that. Norrah is actually one of the most caring people I have ever met.

middle of the city

After seeing the animals and adventuring, we went to her house to get ready for the evening of hazing the first years. All fun and no hurt, they came willing. First years mean the kids which are just entering the lukio. I am technically a first year... buutttt I am an exchange student. I helped instead. I don't have to many photos of that because it seemed dangerous to take out my phone.

They all jumped in the fountain afterwards

I took the late train home after all the festivities. Good fun and better friends.

School

I was planning on talking about school on Friday... but I found out that we are going to the summer cottage this weekend! Wooo cabin and lakes!

This school is very much like the wild and even though culture shock hit me hard on  the second day (the gym was dead quiet), I made it though the week. Rather successfully if I do say so myself.

So lemme break the Finnish School system down (at least what I kinda maybe not understand)

• you start school at age 7 (awesome right! Kids have more time to be kids!)
• you go through about 6 years in elementary, and then 3 in there middle school deal thing
• Next is Lukio- I attend Helsingin Mediolukio, Helsinki's Media High School. You go there for about three years. You get to apply to either a lukio (college bound) or their form of vocational school.
• All of it is payed for except for the books
• Lunch is paid also
• Small class sized
• All forms of learning, we are never just sitting and reading it seems (not like I can read Finnish... yet!)
• The students tried to explain that no matter what you go to school. a.k.a no snow days.... even in -20C
• no school busses or cars only trains, walking, bikes, mopeds, and busses. 

30 min. morning commute via biking, train, and walking

Over all it is a pretty amazing place to attend school, even college is free. You also get money to help pay for your books. Great? Right? I know.

So lemme break down how classes work... I guess... I was in the wrong class for 20 min before I realized it was a science class...

• You take courses not classes
• The school year is broken up into 5 periods of 5 weeks each, the last week is testing. In most classes you do not even have testing.
• You choose different courses each period.
• The school doesn't lock because your schedule is different each day (no 7.30 till 2.30, they laughed when I explained mine) I get out of classes before noon on thursdays, and I go in before lunch till about 2 on Mondays and Tuesdays. Easy! but Friday I have class from 8.30 till 2.30. still easy!
• Kids which take a lot of classes (you choose, almost none of it is mandatory) can be there till 4 though.
• Courses(classes) last for 75 min then are followed by a 15 min break, 30 for lunch also.

My Classes (be prepared to laugh) 

• English
• Spanish
• Finnish
• Sports
• US History (right!! its my best grade next to english!)

Time Table

That's is... for now. I have about a 17hr school week not counting my 3 hr Finnish classes at the college thursday nights

I am pretty sure this is Finnish Class... 

I have made a few friends and know of a lot of people. I am giving it time though, I am nervous. It is difficult because I am trying to understand but at times it can be difficult (no one said that it would be easy.) So far the biggest thing I have learned is to listen and watch- the motions, the tone, the silence all say more than the speech. When the Finnish do speak, they mean what they say.

Meet Olli and Norrah

I also found that everyone here is kind but they won't just call someone their "friend" If they do not care for someone, they will be nice but won't say much to them. I enjoy this so much because back home people say  "there is always that one person in your friend group you just can't stand" this isn't it at all. If your friends are friends with some one, you don't have to feel inclined to be friends with the. Does that make sense? The are not really groups here...

So all in all: everyone is helpful, nothing makes sense, my head still hurts, and I am in Finland