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.

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

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 am hiking and hiking.

Sunday, I woke to a lovely drizzle and the grey sky of Finland. It was time to hike. The family took me for a morning hike (intense hike) in the nearby national park in Sipoo. It was gorgeous and cold. But what caught me off guard was how when you went into the forest it became somewhat warm. There wasn't a great amount of light in account of the weather but the rain didn't make it a bad experience. If anything it added to it.

The beauty of Finland is indescribable. Its untouched. Its harmless. It is pure.
The trees are so thick but are pine so the floor of the forest is clean looking. And sometimes the ground is rocks. It is never flat.

We just walked into this place with a map and my woodsy father.

having your jeans coated in mud and your braid torn to shreds is a good sign that the hike was pretty awesome

the trees were hella tall 

we climbed this really tall hill thingy and there was this beautiful rock place which overlooked a lake. We sat and talked for awhile. 

running into old farms (really really really old farms) is normal here

we stopped for a quick lunch of tea and sandwiches.

 That evening since it was my host father's birthday, we had a small get-together of the family. It was nice the table was all fancy and there was yummy cake and stuff. Also my house has a tree in it. Fun fact- nature is everywhere here and I love it.

pö- finnish for tree... i think