Perjantai Klaukkalassa 2

Again, it is Friday. And I spent my Friday in Klaukkala, in Tello-Sali, where my bass lessons are held. 

Tello-Sali

A minute park I found in Klaukkala. 

It has become my Friday routine to walk around Klaukkala after my bass lesson. Somewhere in the midst of such, I perform a rite of preserving my American heritage: buying a coke and a bag (small) of potato chips as a snack. The cashier speaks to me in Finnish every time- you'd think she'd recognize the kid who says every Friday: "anteeksi, maa en puhu suomea (sorry, I don't speak Finnish)"? Maybe next week. I like speaking in Finnish, but next week, perhaps when she asks something after giving the total, I'll just say "ei (no)". 

This really happened:

So apparently in Finland, when you sign up for after school music, acting classes are a package deal. 

I immediately called dibs on any animal costumes. Ended up slapping the bass in this baby. 

Three Weeks

This will be a short post- today marks officially three weeks in Finland for me. I cannot overstate how much I love it here. 

Helsinkin

Perjantai Klaukkalassa

Yes, as the title suggests, it is Friday in Klaukkala. 

I was dropped off at school today with my bass, so I could walk (my suggestion) to my bass lesson, less than 1km away, I think? Took me 30 minutes with a bass and my school bags- I would think at an NYC pace (my usual) it would take me less than 10 minutes. 

This is Klaukkala, where my bass lessons are, and where I will eventually live, for a short while.

Crossing the street with a bass was pretty funny- so many people slowed down to rubberneck, like they've never seen an upright bass. 

I was able to have some conversations with people I didn't know at school today because of my bass. Also, I believe I've gained more respect from my music class (though I might have annoyed my teacher with constant bass lines). I played the Eccles Sonata, 1st movement, and I think it went over well. Slightly out of tune- I'm not used to the borrowed bass yet. I prefer my own bass for classical solos, not to sound snobby. 

Strange having a bass teacher who is not my previous bass teacher, Mr. Bill Staebell. He taught me for 8-9 years, every week. Strange being taught by someone else. Really strange. 

So I went to my Swedish class today, waited in the halls for about seven minutes. Nothing. There was another kid in my class sitting across the hall. So I asked him what was going on- I found out that our class was mostly first years, who were on a field trip this afternoon. So no Swedish class- I knocked on the door to be sure. Nothing. Free hour and a half to sit in the ghost town of the hallways. 

Then I walked to my bass lesson. I have to say- I enjoy the independence expected of Finnish children/adolescents. I'm not quite up to snuff, for even though my parents were stricter than most Americans in implementing DIY moments in my life (believe me on that one), nonetheless as an American youth, I have been coddled.  

Finland is Gorgeous

I saw this on my way home from school, by bike. Had to stop and capture the beautiful day on camera. These next are at "home". 

Sunset

The sunset was remarkable last night- colors I've never seen before.

I've gone to the limit

I somehow have done it again. For the past two years, I've overloaded my schedule with classes and musical activities. Why did I think Finland would be any different? 

To clarify, I started taking another music class today, which means officially that I have seven classes out of a possible seven. Not to mention the after school arts activities Mondays and Wednesdays- I'm at school Tuesday til 4 and Monday and Wednesday til 5. Not to mention the chamber orchestra on Thursday, and the bass lessons on Friday. Yes folks, he's done it again. 

Why did I leave home if I was only going to end up recreating my life here? Humor, of course, as this was by happenstance, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Keeps me from being an annoyance to my host family.

 I love it here in Finland. 

Large Rabbits

Weather

The weather is something you can count on in Buffalo, generally. It rains when it looks like it will, and the meteorologists do a pretty good job of predicting when it will be sunny, and when it won't. 

In Finland, not so much. This morning, I left the house to bike to school. It was overcast, but didn't look like rain. So about five minutes into my ride, it begins to drizzle. Then pour. I was soaked when I got to school, as my Finnish acquaintances quickly noticed. 

Now in Finland, and almost immediately after I got to school, it's sunny. The weather is quite quixotic. Oy vey. 

Just as a notice:

For some reason, my google account makes it very difficult to comment/reply to comments on blogger. So, sorry to the two people who have actually commented, or +1ed, etc. 

Check this out, take two

This is another blog, in English, about youth exchange. This one is run by my friend Micaela Hadley. She is currently in Germany, and she doesn't update it often, but in case a serial youth exchange blog reading connoisseur happens in this blog post, here's the link:

http://mygermanexchange.blogspot.fi/?m=1

Quirky title, really.

Check this out

This is a link to the blog of my host brother, Tommi Salmi. He's currently in Quebec right now, on youth exchange as well. Really great guy- I look forward to the day when I can understand Finnish well enough to read his blog, without Google Translate. 

http://tommiauquebec.blogspot.fi/?m=1

Enjoy. 

Presently in Finland...

Ruotsia

Yet again, Swedish. 

Today, I did my Swedish homework. Yes, an exchange student doing homework, quite the novelty, eh? 

My host mother effectively gave me a comprehensive Swedish lesson, while assisting me. I wrote so many words down- thank goodness that Swedish at least sounds like English. I can read Swedish at a novice level, pronunciation is too difficult at present. Especially when I think in French when I'm trying to think in Finnish or English. But the homework is done! I'm not a detriment to Finnish society!

Weekender

I have not done much this weekend. To those of you who abide by a stereotype that all Europeans do is party- not in Finland. Thank goodness. I've gotten decent sleep, though the prolonged daylight is still throwing me off. I wake up every morning by seven because the sunlight, or because my ten year old host sister forgot to turn off her alarm. Again. 

I really can't complain- I love my host family. They're really cool individuals, they respect personal space, and they're honestly trying to help me learn Finnish. I'm really lucky to be in this family. 

So what have I done this weekend? I played (attempted) Yugioh with my host brother, and lost in an epic fashion. I might make paper warhammer miniatures and either solo play, or teach someone. Not this weekend, but maybe next. 

Suomenlinna

Suomenlinna is an awesome 18th century island fortress just outside of Helsinki. There is an "outdoor" theater there- my host family and I went to a show there. 

The kid is my host sister, Kaisla.

Helsinki

Oy vey.

What a day!

I met many new people- often younger kids are more enthusiastic, especially if you call soccer "real football". Which it is, but I digress. 

So I went to music class- I got to play the bass! Really, the electric bass, but still, it was fun. I wandered through funk riff after funk riff, until I had to pay attention. I was actually complemented on my playing, and I was asked to be in (yet again) a pit orchestra and the "band" (six kids). 

Gym/Sport/Liikunta was rough. Forgot I had to eat beforehand, but maybe it was better that way. Apparently advanced gym means a lesser form of the hockey camp I attended at 16. Sprints, push-ups, duck-walks. But it's great exercise that I can't motivate myself for, so I really can't complain. Great football though! 

Swedish. Oh, Swedish...

It is truly remedial Swedish- for those who have taken 5 years of it, and can understand Finnish. Thank goodness English and Swedish are of the same family. I can half understand Swedish. 

Such was my day!

I have a bass

Sympathy, a bit too late

Today I took a French placement test, but in Finnish. I can skip to the second class, but that apparently also will be easy for me (according to the teacher). 

So I have to find a class to transfer to. And keep up my conjugation skills- they were shameful on that test. 

But that's not the point. I now feel an incredible amount of sympathy for my Chinese classmates at St. Francis. I remember snide comments made about the extra help, considerations, or word banks that the boarding students were given. I fully regret ever having even heard a comment as such- taking a test in Finnish was awful, even with a dictionary beside me. I took incredibly long. But it's too late for sympathy. I can only hope someone else can provide some for me. 

Also, I went to Gym today- better yet, I didn't. I tried to find where the class was, inside and outside, assisted by my friend Marcus from English, but alas, no footballers could be found. Thankfully, Jaana, the exchange student liaison and English teacher, was able to help me find where I was supposed to be, and introduced me to the teacher. But still, that was after the class ended, so I sat around in the hallways for about an hour, doing nothing. People watching more or less, but I guess that amounts to nothing. 

I must find the courage to talk to new people! I probably won't this week, maybe not even next week, but sometime, I will! I simply lack the courage to approach someone, and more importantly to strike up a conversation. What would I say to someone completely new without seeming creepy? 

Actually, two Finns came up to me today, both from my history class, Osko and Levi/Liivi (not sure on spelling). Nice guys, very talkative and friendly. 

I survived!

I have survived one day in the legendary Finnish School System. So far, it looks a lot like the American School system. Not to discredit the Finns, as the system does place a higher value on obtaining knowledge. The methods do seem relatively similar, however. 

I did not have all of my classes today, and did have a later start (had to be there at nine), so tomorrow will prove my resolve, as it starts at Eight. Except it starts with an English class. So then again, maybe not. We'll see... 

Here is a picture of the music room: 

Yes, they really do use those instruments. In class. Eyewitness to it. I'm lucky- tomorrow I actually get to play bass. 

What shall we do with 2nd Warhammer?

To the tune of "What shall we do with a drunken sailor". 

No actual song or lyrics (yet), but simply a notification I brought the second edition of Warhammer Fantasy Battle to Finland with me. 

Already thinking of writing up lists in my spare time, generally Saxon/Viking themed armies. A lot of big, hairy guys with some nice, friendly axes. I'm thinking almost all axes, except for maybe a few skirmishing archers. No cavalry- all men are equal, all men fight on foot. Parity even in Miniature Wargaming. 

Maybe I'll be able to find some Finnish kids to Oldhammer it up with? I have no minis with me, but there has got to be a gaming club somewhere, right? 

Perhaps not though. I took another tour of my school and filled out my schedule today. The other kids just stare at the exchange students. Just like the U.S., minus the few perky suck-up types who cosy up to others so they can find a conduit for their opinion. 

I was told that I'll have to be the one to go out and make friends, but honestly, from the looks I got, I'm not sure if that's really on anyone else's mind. Perhaps not? Maybe I'm looking too far into the situation. Perhaps the stares today were of curiosity instead of "Not another exchange student... Six of them?". Regardless, I felt quite uncomfortable in the school setting, considering I've taken 6 classes (I only had to take five), and the classes are taught in Finnish. I'm taking remedial Swedish (only one they'd let me), mid level French, Music, Finnish History, "advanced" sport, and an English class. The English class was highly recommended for the first period, and it should be easy. Also, it should help in the reverse- I should learn more Finnish from the class. Hard to explain, but it makes sense to me. 

If it isn't obvious, Finnish kids intimidate me. I can't go in tomorrow with that attitude, so I guess I'll just walk in with a smile on my face, and be ready for the worst. 

Sorry for the insecurity. 

The worst:

Just a little dark humor to brighten everyone's day. 

So...

I blog when I've got time on my hands. 

This post will be more of random thoughts flowing in an outpour from my mind. 

Perhaps I should post things that are more interesting, instead of worrying about frightening my non-existent readers away? By that I mean real opinions and emotions of Finland (nothing bad, no worries). 

We shall see.

In Finland, the weather is kind of like my thought process: one minute sunny, then rainy and sunny, then just rainy, only sunny again. ADHD weather, how suitable to my mind. 

More people should read this-

I received an email stating someone left a comment on my blog. Which means at least one person reads this thing!!! 

Regardless, I'll get down to the narrative: it was my friend Justin who left the comment. I saw it was left with a google profile, so I checked out his blog. I found it highly entertaining for those of a moderate to liberal political lean, or even conservatives who like to think a bit outside the party line. Independents would perhaps be best suited. The blog is really a catch all in topic, but I found his political views to be edifying: I had thought I was the only one to think conservatives were given everything by the President. 

If you enjoy such musings, check it out: 

http://thejt33.blogspot.fi/?m=1

The title is in reference to Justin's blog, not mine. I don't care how many people read my blog to be honest. Youth exchange is not a shocking sensation or political musing- to most who haven't experienced youth exchange, it is an amusing anecdote. 

Get this:

My school has a sauna:

Settling in

I've begun to settle in, in Finland. Not sure of the previous sentence works grammatically, but any reader gets the concept, I would assume. 

I've left language camp- thank you to the Finnish Rotary and their associates at the camp who allowed for an enjoyable time filled with, well, a heck of a lot of soccer/football. 

My host family is very lovely, and I feel settled in somewhat. Obviously, I will have to overcome my own excessive awkwardness, yet nevertheless, I love it here. Finland is such a vastly different country from anything I have ever known. 

Somehow, according to my YEO Jari Valkama, 40,000 people are crammed into forests and valleys. And all of them get perfect cell service. Crazy. The Internet is faster here too. 

When I visited Helsinki, many of the buildings are older, yet in very good shape, but are not stylistic or aesthetic in any fashion. I appreciate the implicit philosophy in this: take care of what you have while it's there, and only upgrade when absolutely necessary. The same applies to cars, as they are ridiculously expensive here. I've seen so many 15-20 year old Volkswagens and Volvos that I'm almost used to such a sight. 

I think I'll like this culture very much. 

Tampere

I have certainly not posted in a while, but I must declare that now I am in Finland! I meet my host family tomorrow, after language camp is over. 

Yesterday, with language camp, there was a trip to Tampere. Tampere is a beautiful city, but very similar to North American cities nonetheless. Not to say N.A. Cities are ugly.