2013

Well, it's been one helluva year!

Turned 18, graduated high school, worked for my dad, went on youth exchange. 

Let's see the highlights, if I can present them:

We finally beat my dad at Risk. Well, Jonah did. 

Went to the Hockey Hall of Fame with my best friends, Sal and Al. 

Arrived in Finland, had an awesome first host family. 

Made some great friends here too. 

Went to a Jokerit game- dream come true, eh? 

Went to Lapland- and survived. All the rest o' y'all are wimps. 

And I've overcome my fear (but not condescension) towards dogs. Thusly, I can gleefully torment my own now (not that I ever would venture past putting a hat on it). 

2013 has been a rough year. It's not all rose-colored glasses. I've had to learn some tough lessons, and push through some hard situations, but I always come out ok no matter what. I'm nothing, if not stubborn. 

American Imperialism

Had to add some American Xmas aspects to my host family's house- stockings at the fireplace, apparently, is an American tradition nowadays. No hooks, so I used a rock, and then filled it with the Candy Canes my mom sent me. 

Turku/Åbo

Best Xmas Presents

Muumin mukit

Hyvää Joulua!

Spent Christmas with my host dad Timo's parents in Tampere. A very typical Finnish city, not like Helsinki at all, and nonetheless very historic. And old. 

Tradition has Joulupukki (Santa) come to each and every house, apartment, and flat. Families generally rent a Santa for the evening- my host brother in my first family, Tuomas, was roped into that somehow. Got a picture too, pretty funny. This is Timo "acting" as a modern Joulupukki, who may or may not have an affiliation to a biker gang. Aapo looks just thrilled too. 

Picture with Tommi and Aapo. Yeah, I do feel really freaking short. So I'm slightly above average hight in the US, about 5'11", if I'm lucky 6'0". Here, if you're not at least 6'2", you're short for a guy. Women, well, let's put it this way: my friend Hilla is 5'9" at least. And her mom is at least like 6'0". 

So almost everyone is freakishly tall here. And they laugh at me when I say I'm tall for an American, or that I'm the tallest in my blood relations (I acknowledge that my Uncle Kevin and my Uncle Dave are both 6'4", but they're both by marriage). 

Weihnacht

Why German? I don't really know. 

And I bought real donuts today:

I need them badly- I weighed myself for the first time in Finland today, and I was shocked: 154 lbs. That's borderline anorexic sounding.

Helsinki, taas

Badgers

There are stuffed badgers in my school here. So I took pictures. Random? Absolutely. 

Mustamakkara

Yup. I'm thinking the same thing you are. 

It looks like a turd. 

And I ate it. You have visual confirmation. 

It's native to Tampere, where my host dad Timo is from. 

Root Beer

Yes, the soda. The most venerable soft-drink in the American palette. 

And most Finns have never heard of it. Such a shame. 

There are two stores that sell a boatload (near literally) of American imports: 

Behnford's, a small kiosky little shop near Helsinki's main shopping area (also the "dangerous part", such a hoot) 

Verkkokaupa, literally translated as web-store, but it is a physical shop near where the cruise ships dock. It is a technology store, but also sells really cheap soda in bulk, as well "artisanal sodas" by the bottle, and rather cheap as well- cheaper than if I bought a simply a coke from any other store. Actually, thinking about it, cheaper than back home too. 

So anyways, I was at Verkkokaupa with my friend Antton last night, and I saw the Rootbeer and Cream Soda- let's face it, there was no way I wasn't going buy some soda. The Cream Soda of course was delicious- pure sugarwater. But the Rootbeer I saved for my host family, so they could try it. My friend Antton bought some Rootbeer as well, and went crazy with it: 

My host family had a different reaction: Aapo thought it was decent (enough to drink most if it), Timo had had it before, and Tommi thought it tasted like cough syrup. 

Helsinki at Night, Wintertime

Klaukkalan Keskus