St. Lucia

The lady who brought the light

It is a Swedish holiday and since Finland has many Swedes here it is very important holiday. They crown a St. Lucia of the year. She goes and visits the sick and the army men. She brings hope I have been told to the darkness.

Any way, a few of us were walking and we walked through, or tried to walk through senttori but were stopped by this huge crowed. Since we are naturally curious being exchange students and all we looked around. It was the crowning of the Lucia.

We stayed late in the city and saw the market close. 

Porvoo: The city where I learned about light

On December 13, my club president and his wife took me to see one of Finland's medieval towns- Porvoo. It is located about 35 mins east of Helsinki.It was such a beautiful town. And there was a huge Christmas market there. 

The day consisted of:

-2 museums (my fav)

-much shopping (care packages! hello!)

-coffee (ha you could've guessed)

-really old church

-randomly meeting up with people I know(they were surprised I knew people. like come on)

-passionate lady talking to me about St. Lucina

-getting thrown back at the idea that Black Face is still okay

-Cool city

Lemme address this black face thing. So they have this group of 4 kids that run around the streets in finland doing this little show, then at the end they ask for money. Its really sweet and cute, but one thing threw me off. One of the kids had black face. They said it was only because one of the knights was black and they want to be historic. I don't know how I feel about this.

Any way! We had coffee and were talking because it was St. Lucina day here and a Swedish lady near by heard and she came and told me the whole story of her. How she was a martyr and why she is so important for the light. The passion in her eyes when she spoke to me in that little tea shop will always be remembered. We all can bring light and hope to people she said. We can all be St. Lucia.

good day

Tis the Season

It's Beginning to Look
a Lot Like Christmas

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas 

Ev'rywhere you go; 

Take a look in the five-and-ten, glistening once again 

With candy canes and silver lanes aglow. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, 

Toys in ev'ry store, 

But the prettiest sight to see is the holly that will be

On your own front door. 

A pair of hopalong boots and a pistol that shoots 

Is the wish of Barney and Ben; 

Dolls that will talk and will go for a walk 

Is the hope of Janice and Jen; 

And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Ev'rywhere you go;

There's a tree in the Grand Hotel, one in the park as well,

The sturdy kind that doesn't mind the snow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;

Soon the bells will start,

And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing

Right within your heart.

I live in the Capital city of a country where its name for December (joulukuu) actually translates to Christmas month.

And if you know me- You know that I love Christmas.

 

So the train station. This place is where I come every time I come to center. Mostly because I take the trains but that's not the point. All of us always meet at this super fancy burger king here. You can walk in and usually find the exchange students all sitting and talking. Any way, I love watching the travelers here. The hugs and the true goodbyes. Now people hustle back and forth with arms of bags from all the many shops here in town.

The city is lit

I still go to Zumba with my Äiti. I really love her and miss her . I go over and have tea often. She is always in my heart

 Christmas in Kerava. 

The christmas markets and the love of the locals.

I took my banker chrismas cookies today. She's a doll. 

night time snack. tea and crackerbread 

french kisses

count how many nations are here. go. 

My social life is mostly life at this point. That sounds interesting. Finnish friends. Foreign friends. 

Every weekend with these babes

But you can tell it is christmas season. It was strange, one day it just happened. Christmas was just here. Glögi and gingerbread. The window's at stockman. The carolers. The big trees in the streets are all decorated.

It's beginning to look a lot like christmas.

New Family

First topic of tonight's tales

The Jalavas

My family

So I arrived to this farm house, surrounded by some-what like suburban area, on December 5thy.

You may ask some common questions which I have faced already, so to answer them quickly and to the point.

1.) "Yo, Anna, why you switch homes?!?"

Well now calm down and have some coffee and pulla. I switch homes every 3-4 months to give myself a better perspective on Finnish lifestyle and homes. Because think of it, is your family like the one which lives next door? Nahhh

2.) "So, like, they speak English right?"

Hahahah no. I mean they all have knowledge of english. And my host mom spent a year in Nebraska. But we have decided it would be best if they didn't speak any really so my Finnish would improve

3.) "Did the whole no english thing really work?"

Yes. Totally. And now my english skills are going bad really fast. My spelling is terrible. Thank god for the red lines which come under the words when you type them wrong. I just spelled terrible wrong.

4.) "You got kids in the family?"

I wouldn't consider them kids exactly. I have an 18 year old host brother, Arrttu. He spent a year in Mexico. And I am pretty sure, no matter what your age, but when you return home from a year abroad you are no longer a child. He is really kind and makes me chuckle.

I have two older sisters as well- Sarra and Emmila. They do not live in the house, but are coming home for Christmas.

5.) "Where do they work?"

My host mother, Riitä, works at a Health Care center and my host father works as Fire Chief  ( I was taken there one day to be shown around. It's pretty spiffy.)

6.) "animals?"

One kind dog named Leo.
Leo is funny

7.) "Do you like them?"

Yes. It is hard to switch home during the holidays. Not because of the hassle of getting presents for people who you barely even know their names. (funny story I didn't know my host dads name for the first week. I was embarrassed to ask... I know now. Ykä,) But switching from a place where you felt at home to a place where you are knocked off your feet again is hard. You don't really have a place in a sense.

But the other day I woke up for breakfast and I went down and drank coffee on a stool in the kitchen as my host mom danced to some Finnish tunes. Everyone was in and out of the kitchen. And at the moment, looking around. It is a family. I am in a family again.

Lemme Explain

Man, I feel like a little kid which took a cookie before dinner. The guilt. The guilt is there.

Soo sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Life has just been life. Busy, adventured filled life.

The sad part is on my down time I like to sleep more than blog. #exchangestudentprobs

A lot of stuff has happened since Lapland. I just don't know where to begin.

I now have a cup of coffee. Michael Bubble Christmas deluxe album is playing. Bring on the blogging.

back to every day life

When you return from a big trip like Lapland. You are thrown for a loop. How do you go from being with 130 kids which understand you completely to back to every day life? The trains, the school, the language. (New host family speaks only finnish to me, I am improving greatly)

Well you manage. That's how we do it. We find a way.

it was time to pack. I fit my life into 3 boxes, a suit case, and three bags. I came with one suit case. Where did this all come from!?!

catching the bus to finnish lessons and saw the sun 

Daniel and I went to see the Christmas lights all over Helsinki.

We also all met  up and said good bye to Juanpa- our friend from Ecudor. He has college to attend

My last dinner at my host families house. My all time favorite finnish foods and my true love- glögi. No body was talking about the move but it sat heavy in the air.

Friday, Luis and I ended up at graduation. Don't ask us how. but we were singing and are just as confused as you are.

gifts from my host sister. I was holding it together so hard.

The move went well. The family is so kind to me and at the moment I am finding my footing once again. It is good to be pushed from your confort zone. It helps you grow. 

The first day with the family, we went to a graduation party in a very fancy garden. Also it was Independence day! We watched the ball on TV.

Sunday, Daniel and I went Christmas shopping. He is a good friend. A friend which you know will be in your life for a long time. We had coffee.  Coffee and Friends. It's a good life. 

Christmas is everywhere. The store fronts are so lovely to look at. 

So life is back to the insaness as before. I am tying this at school waiting for the time when I go to the Rotary Restaurant and play the piano before the meeting starts. Back to the constant of inconsistency.