Rotary + Art = Filming

I feel like the video at the end of this post sums up the trip. So in short: Our Rotary Club took us to a museum Wednesday and told us to go look at art. We enjoyed it a lot.

the lighting though

Opera

Wednesday was rotary. In the evening the Rotary Sponsored a fundraiser for the Finland's Children's Hospital- A new one wants to be built. So, Rotary Requested as many exchange students to be there! So I went! They also sponsored our family tickets as well. 

I rushed home from a nice school day! Only downfall, there was sun and I was indoors. Luis was also pretty pumped over his new reflective gear. I have to get one pretty soon.

I raced home after wards and got all fancied. Lets be honest here, once in a while getting really fixed up is really nice.

We went to the opera and it was a lovely occasion. All the local exchange students were there. I was rocking my pincoverd, tacky blazer. During intermission I was treated to a cake of my choice... but I got salmon cheese thing from hell. It was an experience. In my defense, it looked like cake!

Juan and I (he is Finnish)

because sometimes we just can't be fancy

my girls

She is my best buddie no matter if the face says differently.

The night was really good. I spoke Finnish with all the Rotarians and they said they are impressed. I really like it here and everyone seems to be enjoying it as well. Well, maybe the Latinos didn't enjoy the opera as much hahah The boys came half way through it was precious. They were signally to me hahaha It is a long story. I have so many stories right now it is insane. 

Anyway. I got home at 11.30. All I remember was waking up the next day, on top of my bed with my opera clothes still on. This includes heels and winter coat. I was awfully tired. I cleaned up and raced to a day of school.

The Past Few Days

The combination of the few words- a normal week- do not exist any longer. I use to long for a constant, something which was always the same. It was hard because each school day was different, I was facing the fact of having to switch families, and well moving away (no matter where you go) throws you around for a bit. But I wish I knew then what I know now- there are constants everywhere you look. 

• the people- yeah people change but so am I, its a fact of life. I am lucky enough to have people who are constants in the fact that I know they are there. They can be across finland or even across the world. People and friendships are a constant
• the seasons- this is going to sound cheesy but I am happy that after every fall there is a winter and I can true that after winter there will be a spring. 
• the trains- they are always there. if they are delayed then they will come.
• the unknown- each day there is something new and truly you don't have to leave to see the new. I think it is amplified by the fact that there is so much new when you do leave, but all in all the biggest constant is not having a solid day. This teaches you to be flexible. Those who are flexible will not break!

So over the past week I would consider it the closest thing to a "not normal, normal beginning of the week"

the school doors are always unlocked but on Monday I walked up on the door just open. 

we (Luis and I) tend to be amused by kindly messing with the other classmates. It is wonderful because they accept us or maybe ignore us. Either way we have a good time together

Mondays mean a long school day and the directly to Rotary then home then bed. It is a long day. I have a really good relationship I think with my clubs. I speak in terrible Finnish with all these old men and now they teach me new words and we joke around. These guys and me sass each other (respectfully of course.) But boy do we laugh. Also mondays at rotary means a really good meal. I don't have to go every week but I choose to. Rotary is so kind with all of this it is the least I can do. 

I answered a question right in French. I got candy. 

 Ah People!!

I gave milly a pair of USA gloves. She  is such a cutie. I am very lucky to have her little aussi soul in my life. (reading over that it sounded creepy. Eh I will go with it)

So this is my journal. I wrote Finnish!!!! Its really bad but it makes sense and its an effort. I am going to get this language. Also the numbers- the 74 is how long I have been with my family (real finland) and the 80 was the total since August third.

early english classes will be my death

we went to IKEA-super Finnish (actually Swedish but still.) and I got food and coffee... oh yeah 

I came home and I was longing for a bit of fall culture. I never really noticed that at home fall was a big part. There was corn mazes and apple everything. There was football games and pies everywhere (the pie here is... forgin tasting.) I was really jonesing for it. But not in a homesickness sort of way. I now know what homesickness is and this isn't it. It is more of a craving. So I made homemade Carmel apples! It was hard to find the ingredients and well work the stores but after two days of scouring and google translating words like Corn Syrup, I made these bad boys. 

Monday Tourism

I'm on fall break right now. Today, Kirsi, met up with me around noon for lunch at Cafe Engle and then we went and became tourist.

note: the other day a tourist walked up to me and said really slowly " Do you speak ennnglishh?" I was like yes. I am from America. I then gave her directions and helped her buy a train ticket. Hence why now I say "became a tourist".

planning out the attack route

I told Kirsi about how I needed a dress for the big Vanhan dance thing. And she set up an appointment for later that day. 

After coffee and lunch we went to the city museum. This is officially my favorite one. They had theses portirts of people on the wall and if you would watch them you could see them breathing and moving. This museum actually brought all the paintings to life. So cool. So so so so sos cool.

I'm hooked on ice skating now

There was this cool hall where they had photographs from back in the old days and photos taken recently in the same places. It was lovely to be able to recognize the places where the photos were taken and even more lovely to see what was there a long time ago.

one of my favorites. I was on this ride at Linnamaki

this is my city. haha I live here.

more ice skating

found out there was an underground movie theater which played vintage Finnish films which we went to. I understood a little bit too!

Next was a short tour of another "tourist" market.

 Off to the dress shop!

 Oh the dress shop!!! So there is this huge dance here where you learn old dances and perform them to the public and well I am signed up apparently and I need a dress. So I got an appointment with a consultant who asked me what I liked (aka my favorite flower and season, daisy and winter) and then bam . Perfect dress. Perfect Color. Perfect fit.

I felt like a princess. I told all the Rotarian about it during dinner later on. I spoke Finnish so that's cool.

this is the one I want to get. lets hope it is there on thursday!

I then had a rotary meeting. They don't make us come every week but I go. I want to go. Rotary is the reason why I am here and to be honest I enjoy going. The food is good and the people are even better. They get enjoyment from watching my conferment I think. They club is mostly older gentlemen too so our sass gets along quite well. Today I had to listen to an hour of a lecture on maps in Finnish. It was different but cool. I think it was about a war. We will never know.

I came home and we colored. I will update about this more on later... shhh.