Learning How To Speak

I know that I have made A LOT of blog posts about learning Finnish...but that is because this is one of my main goals on my exchange, and it is a VERY important part of an Exchange Student's exchange!

I have been studying Finnish literally everyday, and I attend Finnish classes twice a week. Its not something that comes naturally for me AT ALL, and it takes A LOT of work for me, because nothing is the same as it is in English. It is really a difficult language for me to learn it, because it is so different!

But I have some very exciting news!!!

My host family has told me that I have officially, "graduated" from English!

They no longer have to explain things to me in English, and they can understand my Finnish enough to understand what I am trying to say. (MOST of the time...)

However, this does NOT mean that they don't have to talk super slow and use simple words all the time...I still have to always say, "Mitä?" (What) and "En ymmärrän" (I don't understand); and I always speak Finnish like a caveman.

BUT, It makes me SO happy that they can understand me enough to know what I am TRYING to say, and I can understand the general idea of what almost everyone is saying now; which is HUGE progress for me!

You have NO idea how JUST how GOOD it feels after spending two months not knowing a WORD that ANYONE is saying, or being able to express yourself with words. You are CONSTANTLY confused, and you are ALWAYS the last to know what is going on...and there are even times when you simply cant tell what so ever what is going on.

This past week, during one of the Exam days, I tried a little experiment with two other exchange students, and we decided to time with my cell phone how long we could go with only speaking 100% Finnish.

4 minutes and 38 seconds

 

 

Today my American Exchange Student friend, Patrick and I decided to repeat the SAME experiment, and decided to test JUST how long we could speak in 100% Finnish for. 

 

1 hour and 08 seconds!!!

Can you believe that?! Two American Exchange students had an HOUR long conversation in FINNISH!

 

Which is AMAZING because just 3 days earlier we could only talk for 4 MINUTES and 38 SECONDS...Is it even possible to make THAT much progress in only three days?!

 

What we said wasn't grammatically correct, and we had to bring out google translate a few times...but I have to say that I have never felt so accomplished and proud of my Finnish Language Skills!

 

We got A LOT of weird looks and stares from EVERYONE in the café we were sitting in...But to tell you the truth, I don't think they were all staring because we were speaking so hilariously incorrect grammar. (Which we were...) I think it was mostly because we were both American and instead of communicating in our native language, we decided to try our very best to communicate in Finnish.

 

We probably sounded really funny, but I am really proud at the fact that we both TRIED, and that we both understood each other. It was really hard in the first 10-15 minutes or so, but after that we just kind of got into the rhythm and flow of it; even though it was technically incorrect.

 

It actually literally felt like a game we were playing, and that we had some sort of secret language that we both could almost understand. It felt so WEIRD and AMAZING to ACTUALLY speak Finnish, and I have NEVER gone that long before with ONLY speaking in FINNISH; and not saying a SINGLE word in English!

 

An hour might not be an "amazing" amount of time...but to spend an HOUR speaking in FINNISH with an ANOTHER exchange student is CRAZY!

 

I don't think you can understand JUST how amazing today was!

 

 

This week I told my host family that I am hoping to finally cut the rope with English in the next few weeks or so. My Finnish REALLY isn't good enough to speak it correctly, but people can get the general idea of what I am TRYING to say. My host mom made sticky notes for me, and put them all over the kitchen for me, and that helps a lot.

 

Its hard coming on exchange to a country where you have never heard the language before...and I don't think I can actually tell you the Finnish words for, "fork", "spoon", "knife", "street", "sign" or other daily things yet...Its REALLY difficult because you REALLY are just like a little toddler again. You cant understand ANYONE, and you can barely speak ANYTHING.

 

Although my host family and I speak Finnish all the time, I get embarrassed to speak it at school because of the reason I just explained. I feel like a little kid ALL the time, and its embarrassing being 17 years old, and speaking such broken language that you sound like a complete idiot!

 

I can only say a few phrases grammatically correct, but I have begun to force myself to try to think in Finnish and talk to myself in Finnish; which helps a lot for my Language Skills.

 

A LOT more people at school are talking to me in Finnish now, which makes me REALLY, REALLY happy; and I really DO think that it can be possible to stop speaking English in the next few weeks.

 

I KNOW I will sound silly and hard to understand for the next few months...but I really DO want to learn, and this is the only way it can be done.

 

It is actually hard for me to always switch between English and Finnish! The languages are SO different that I literally feel like the wires in my brain are being crossed the wrong way; and sometimes it actually literally hurts my head a lot to always switch between them. This sounds silly because I barely speak Finnish, but I am always speaking it with my host family and listening to it; and I am trying hard to soon speak it 100% of the time.

 

I feel bad when people come up to me and talk to me in English, and I actually have a hard time understanding and replying to them! Its NOT because of their accent OR that they are speaking it incorrectly...but its because when I spend a whole day listening to my family speak Finnish, I cant just switch to English easily.

 

I literally have to change the way I think and the way I speak; and its hard!

 

Its hard to explain...

 

My host family is trying REALLY, REALLY hard to teach me some of the endings in Finnish so that I can start speaking Grammatically correct, and less like a Caveman.

 

Its hard though, and I still cant really get many of the endings right...

 

But I have hope, and I really AM proud of the amount of Finnish that I can understand and speak! :D

 

In these next few weeks maybe will be able to study more in school and speak more with my school mates in Finnish. I am hopeful that I will soon be able to learn some of the endings and REALLY make that transition into only speaking Finnish! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

End of the First Jakso!

This last Monday was the last day of the first jakso at my school. (Jaksos are kind of like mini-semesters; and about every 6 weeks classes change. So Monday was the last day of my first 6 weeks of classes.)

I had a meeting Monday with the school counselor along with the other exchange students that go to my school about the Exam week and the Second Jakso. We got our Exam Schedules (Which were honestly pretty much almost completely empty) and got to choose our next classes we would take for the Second Jakso, which will last until December.

So, my school schedule for the Second Jakso looks like this:

maanantai:

9:45-11:00 History

13:15-14:30 Geography

14:45-16:00 English

tiistai:

9:45-11:00 Music

12:30-13:00 Business?

14:45-16:00 History

17:00-18:40 Finnish Lessons

keskiviikko:

9:45-11:00 Geography

11:45-13:00 Music

14:45-16:00 English

torstai:

8:15-9:30 Business?

11:15-12:30 History

14:45-16:00 Geography

17:00-18:40 Finnish Lessons

perjantai:

8:15-9:30 English

11:45-13:00 Music

13:15-14:30 Business?




As you can see, I have A LOT of free time during my school days. :(

(We actually call that time in between classes where you DONT have class, "hypätä tuntia"; which means, "Jump hour".)

Let me explain why I have SO much free time:

I am taking one less class than I was before, and I am not taking any art classes like last time. I am taking harder classes than I was before, and this is sort of an experiment for me! I want to see how much I will be able to understand and REALLY learn in the next few weeks, when it comes to my Language skills.  I ALWAYS have a bad habit of giving myself REALLY unrealistic goals...but I am hoping to soon be speaking Finnish all the time; even if it isn't at all grammatically correct.

Hopefully by taking more serious classes, I will be able to LISTEN in class rather than just take pictures all day or make art. (Don't get me wrong, I like those things; but my main priority is to learn Finnish.). I feel like by being able to listen in class and take REAL notes this time instead of just sitting there like a dead bird, ill be able to learn the language more.

Another reason why I decided to do this was because it gives me at LEAST a solid 2 hours to study Finnish, EVERY day. So instead of just cramming it in during the 15 minute passing periods, or during my jump period on Tuesday; I now have solid uninterrupted studying time at school to just sit and REALLY study Finnish.

This decision that I made could go either BAD or GOOD...its really a 50/50 chance here...But hopefully by taking the risk, it will end up being an okay next 6 weeks of school! I guess we will see after my first day of the new jasko on Thursday!


After we discussed the next Jakso, we were given our Exam Schedules; which were literally almost COMPLETELY EMPTY! I did not have to go to school last Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, and I only went to the first 15 minutes of one of the history class finals on Friday to give a presentation about where I come from and the USA.

So, for the rest of the week I went out to the city center with some other Exchange Students, who did not have Exams at their schools either.

Ill post some pictures from this past week, and tell a little about what I did.

Another American AFS Exchange Student, Patrick and I sat on the city stage and bought ice cream, while we practiced our Finnish.

 

 

 

I went out to the city with some of my Exchange Student friends, and one of the days I went to the city library with Patrick. We went to the children's section, and we decided to take turns reading each other Finnish children's books. 

 

It was SO embarrassing because ALL of the little kids could read SO much better than us, and we had to whisper the words we were reading SO quietly because the library was absolutely SILENT! We probably sounded really funny, but it was good practice for our pronunciation...even if we didn't understand most of what we were reading!

 

I baked banana bread for my host family! ...too bad my host dog ATE IT!

 

 

My host mom wanted to me make a recipe from home, and so I decided to make my mom's banana bread. Its a family recipe, and I thought that I would try and make it. Despite the confusing with how to measure everything; it actually turned out really good!

 

...unfortunately my host dog ATE it!

 

My AFS friend, Patrick and I bought muffins at the grocery store...but on our 10 minute walk to the park, the muffins literally FROZE, and we literally couldn't FEEL our hands! It was SO cold outside!

 

Oh boy...its not even Winter yet, and its FREEZING!  

 

 

 

 

I made my host family their first EVER chocolate chip cookies! Unfortunately, they turned out terrible because I didn't know how to measure the ingredients correctly. (I learned the hard way that guessing and checking does NOT always work!)

 

I was actually pretty sad that the cookies turned out really gross...my host mom said that she liked them, but I thought they were awful! Hopefully I will be able to try again soon...

 

 

 I decorated a cake with my Finnish friends! (The cake was supposed to be butterfly.)

 

The final product. :)

 

My friend, Dawnya (Another Rotary Exchange Student from Oregon) came to hang out with me for the day! We decided to go out in the city for some pizza and dessert. :)

 

My friend, Dawnya's host mom had a Rotary meeting in Oulu, and so she got to hang out with me for the day! She lives about an hour south of Oulu, so we don't get to see each other very often...But it was a lot of fun! She is from the VERY South of Oregon, so we hadn't met each other until we flew down to L.A to get our visas for Finland together. I later learned after we met again in Karkku Language Camp that she was also in my Rotary District! :)

 

We went shopping for warm jackets and gloves, and I also bought a few more scarfs. You can for SURE tell that it is beginning to get REALLY cold!

 

It is AMAZING because its not even winter yet! This weather for sure fells like almost middle of winter for  me...and its funny to think that this is only the beginning of Fall in Finland. The trees have already changed to Orange and Red and the leaves have already begun to fall...it will be interesting to see JUST how cold and snowy Winter gets!

 

Winter will be A LOT different than home. :)

 

 

 

And that was my past week and weekend!

 

 

Today I had to go to school for my other history final, and this time I was actually given an alternative assignment. I had to write an essay from an article, and unfortunately...it did NOT go as planned.

 

I wanted to show my teacher that I actually CAN be a good student, and that I actually AM smart, instead of just sitting in class like a brainless dead bird all the time...And so I wrote AND wrote AND wrote...

 

My essay ended up being 5 pages long, front and back!

 

It was embarrassing though, because I realized that as I was writing it just how BAD it ACTUALLY was...I cant remember how to spell things in English very well, and to tell you the truth... this blog post would be horrible if it didn't automatically correct my grammar and spelling mistakes...

 

My English is beginning to be HORRIBLE, and its embarrassing because I barely speak Finnish still! I speak incorrect grammar all the time, (even to other American exchange students!), and sometimes I even have to google how to spell a word!

 

But...unfortunately that wasn't the embarassing part of my history final.

 

I realized AFTER I wrote my essay that there were questions on the BACK of the article that I had to answer in my essay...So needless to say I did the assignment wrong, and had to write ANOTHER essay! I ended up being the LAST student in the classroom for the final, AND my essay ended up being not only 5...but 8 PAGES LONG!

 

It was pretty embarrassing being the last one in the classroom, AND to be the Foreign Exchange Student with the alternative assignment that was to ONLY write a simple essay...in a way I wish that the teacher would have known what happened instead of me looking like a total idiot who takes 2 hours to write a simple essay...

 

So much for trying to make a good impression, when I finally got to do an assignment in my native language. :P

 

Tomorrow I have another "final" to go to, but fortunately for me it is only English. I know what you're thinking, and this is when I mention that I am not actually TAKING the English final. I offered to my English teacher to come in for the first hour of the final, when the students are all reviewing their work; so that I could help answer questions and help the students review.

 

Wednesday is the last day of the Exams, and then the 2ed jakso officially begins on Thursday! Hopefully things will go as planned, and that my risk of taking harder classes will go the way I am hoping they will! :)  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Starting To Feel At Home

(I AM STARTING THIS BLOG POST WITH A BACKSTORY.)

I hate admitting this...but I was kind of having a hard time this past week. I wasn't homesick...but I did want friends.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE Finland.

I love everything about this place.

But it does get a little lonely when you don't have very many friends.

Its not that people don't want to talk to me, or that they don't want to be my friend, it is just that Fins are just shy and they are afraid to talk to you. It is just the culture, and you absolutely CAN NOT take it the wrong way, or think that people just don't want to talk to you. Just because people don't talk to you, it does NOT mean they don't want to and that they don't want to be your friend... But it IS hard sometimes when you don't have anyone to really talk with day after day at school.

So as a wrap up from the backstory, this last week was kind of hard for me... but this past weekend I had my 17th birthday, and I went with some of my friends on a road trip to Helsinki; and it was REALLY nice to be around them and get to know them better...especially after feeling kind of alone this last week at school. :)

And THIS is why I am making this post. For some reason I have been in a bit of a "list" mood, as you can tell from my previous posts; and so this post will be about some of the things I have learned while being in Finland, and shenanigans like that.

(END OF THE BACKSTORY TO THIS POST.)


Now to start the main point of this post,


I am FINALLY starting to settle into my life here in Finland, and I am starting to really get into the swing of things.

This week is MUCH different than last week...

I am finally starting to feel at home.

(I mean, I felt like I was at home at my host family's house, but at school I just kind of felt a little lonely and I was confused CONSTANTLY...)

I realized I am starting to feel at home today when I had an exchange student meeting with the school counselor about the exam week this next week and about the second jasko. (So we got new classes and such...which I will write about in another post). I realized I am starting to feel at home today  when I got to show the new exchange student from Thailand around the school.

While we walked around the school, I realized that I knew where most of the classrooms in the school were, and how things sort of worked.

It was great!

I also realized I am starting to feel at home today when a group of kids from my class invited me to sit with them and help them with their English homework. This probably doesn't seem like a big deal to you...but for the Foreign Exchange Student who has been standing alone in a hallway day after day, being invited to sit at a table full of my Finnish classmates ...is a HUGE deal! I felt like I was being accepted, and that I was no longer "The Weird Foreign Kid."

(So, to any of the kids from my class who read my blog: Thank you SO much for inviting me to sit with you today! It might have been something small, but it seriously meant the world to me!) :)

I feel like I am really FINALLY starting to make friends and really feel at home; which is seriously AWESOME because it has taken me SO long to make friends. (Which is NOT a bad thing at all, and I know that the meaning of friendship is a lot, because once you make a friend; they're your friend for life.)

So, now I want to make a miniature list about two important things that I have learned during my 7 weeks in Finland:

1.) You do NOT have to speak the same language to be friends with someone:

I have learned that just because you speak a different language, it does NOT mean that you cant be friends with someone...I have made some friends who NEVER speak English to me; and I think that our friendship is something really special.

You can speak a totally different language, and still be friends...you just find other ways to communicate with each other. We laugh together, and have fun together; and even though we have a hard time communicating using words- but it doesn't matter because we can STILL be friends.

Almost every Finn can speak English VERY well, and so when someone ONLY uses Finnish to communicate with me, it makes me REALLY happy and excited inside! :)

It takes a LOT of patients to talk to me only using Finnish.

You have to speak REALLY slow, and you have to try REALLY hard to understand what I am trying to say. It takes me awhile to say the words that I am trying to say to you, and they NEVER come out right, and the are usually NEVER grammatically correct.

BUT it makes my day EVERYTIME someone ONLY uses Finnish to communicate with me.

Even though you know that English would be faster and easier for the both of us, instead you take the time to be patient with me and teach me, because you know that I want to learn Finnish.

It really DOES mean the world to me; and I wish that more people would only speak to me only using Finnish.

2.) People respect the fact that you try:

I KNOW that I sound silly and REALLY unintelligent when I speak Finnish...but I try anyway. I KNOW what I say usually isn't ever grammatically correct, but I say it anyways because if I want to learn, I CANT be afraid to make huge mistakes.

BUT I have found that people will usually NEVER treat you like an idiot, no matter how much of one you sound like.

People really respect the fact that I am trying my very best to speak Finnish, and even though I make really silly mistakes ALL the time; people simply correct me and teach me the right way to say and pronounce things.

It really makes my day because I KNOW I sound stupid, and yet people NEVER treat me like the idiot I really sound like.

It is still really embarrassing for me to speak Finnish because I know before I even start speaking that what I am about to say is NOT correct and that I will sound silly...but I am always really surprised when I find that people never, ever treat me as if I am really stupid and cant communicate when I speak Finnish. They understand that I cant speak very well, and yet they are always willing to let me try to communicate in Finnish and they are always happy to help me.

I am no longer afraid to speak Finnish, and if someone speaks to me in Finnish I dont switch into English, and I will try my best to speak to them only in Finnish. I am REALLY hoping that eventually everyone just speaks to me in Finnish so that I can then REALLY start learning and speaking and communicating in the language.


The BEST compliment by far that I have ever gotten was from one of my friends when they told that I had some real Finnish Sisu in me.

Which meant a HUGE deal to me.

"Sisu" is a hard word for me to translate...

But I guess it means determination, perseverance and strength.

It is something that comes from inside of you I guess, and its is a part of the Finns. Its kind of the like the ability to stay the same, and the word, "sisu" has a very big cultural significance.


 I am REALLY starting to feel at home here in Finland and I am FINALLY settling into life here. I feel as though I actually LIVE here, and in a way I REALLY do. I have my own bedroom, I actually LIVE at my host family's house, I am a real student in school, and I legally LIVE in Finland for a year.

I have chores that I do at my house, I have my own house key, I know where the bus routes go (for the most part), and I know my way around the city, and I even take my host dog for walks.

Being on an exchange is NOT the same as being on vacation or a long holiday...I actually have friends here, and I feel as though I really do have family here. I go to school here, and I LIVE here.

I have a life in Finland, complete with my own little world.

This may sound silly, but I seriously feel like Hannah Montana, because I live two completely different and totally lives... and Oulu, Finland really DOES feel like my second home now.

Things are really starting to fall into place, and I am really starting to love my life here in Finland. :)


“There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.”
 – Robert Louis Stevenson

Everyday Random Differences

I made a post about the cultural differences...but I thought that I would also add a list of totally random differences between Finland and the USA, and a short description. I know that a lot of my Finnish friends read my blog, and I am sure they will find this post rather silly...but I just HAD to make a post about it!

1.) The Shower:

The first time I used a shower in Finland, I had NO idea what to do.

It is literally just a shower head, generally placed in the corner of a tiled room; with a drain in the middle of the room. So,You basically shower in an open room without a specific closed area to shower in...its just a shower "room" basically. (But of course the room is closed and no one can see you...but it still felt mighty awkward at first.)

2.) At the bottom of almost EVERY doorway, there is a raised little...platform?

I'm not sure what to call it...but you have to step over this little edge that is raised from the floor at the bottom of the doorway. It's not a step, but it's just this extra piece of wood that is raised from the bottom of the doorway. (I can't explain it any better.)

This is what it looks like.

 I trip over it EVERY time, and I have even fallen at school a few times because I always forget that it's there. It's not very big, and its not a big deal, but I seem to always trip over it. It's very weird for me to have to STEP before I can just walk straight out of a doorway.

I probably look very silly because I have to literally look down and step over it. I can't just walk through it like everyone else, or else I will trip and fall. :P

It's something they all do subconsciously, and I get some pretty wired looks when people watch me step out of a doorway at school.


3.) There is a hose located by the toilet in the bathroom.

I really honestly don't know what it is...but there's a little hose that's always next to all of the toilets.

I feel as though no matter HOW good of friends I am with someone, this is a question that falls into the category of questions TOO awkward to ask anyone...



4.) I have seen more people just casually in their underwear in public than I have in my entire life.

I'm not sure HOW common this ACTUALLY is, so don't take my word for it...But for example: in the span of TWO days, I've seen 8 people in their underwear in the city.

I'll tell you a little story:

I was at a cafe with some exchange students, and we turn around and see some college kids taking off their shoes and socks and putting them in a line...we thought it was kind of weird, so we just turned away and ignored it and started talking.

Not 5 minutes later, we hear yelling. We turn back around and ALL of them are yelling and cheering at each other, standing in their underwear...

Want to hear another story?

 I was in the city center, as I walked by a department store...

There was a dude in the department store window, causally doing yoga in his underwear. :P

Awesome.

I literally rubbed my eyes a little to make sure I was really seeing what I was seeing...and after a good 3 seconds, I awkwardly turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Im not sure how common this REALLY is, so please DONT believe that this is how all of Finland is, or that this is totally normal; because maybe I am just a foreign exchange student who was at the wrong place at the wrong time...who knows. :)



5.) Random sinks at the school

In some of the hallways and classrooms in my school, there are random sinks with soap and paper towel dispensers and mirrors...It's not a bad thing at all; but its just,

BAM- theres a sink!

 I'm not sure just how common this really is in Finland either, but they are in my school. It is not a bad thing at all, and it is actually a really good idea.



6.)  The Crosswalks

People only cross at the crosswalks if the light is green. Seriously. Even if its red and there are NO cars coming, they never cross. They almost ALWAYS wait until its green.

To be completely honest, my worst habit at home in the USA was Jay-Walking. (Jay Walking is basically just randomly crossing the street without a cross walk, and not watching for cars.)

And even although I hate admitting this...but I always just crossed the street wherever, even if cars were coming. Which is NOT what you should do, so NEVER take advice from me when it comes to crossing the street!

 I have only Jay-Walked twice since being here; and I have actually gotten yelled at once for walking the cross walk when the light was red, even though there weren't cars coming.

This is something that I REALLY need to learn; and I think this is the number one way you can automatically tell I'm not Finnish.

If the light is red, and no cars are coming; I always walk. (Its a HORRIBLE habit.)

Finnish people almost never, ever do that.

I know that I should just wait for the light to turn green like every other Finnish person...but for some reason I just can't!

If I want to cross the street, I just do!

 To be honest, I don't think I've ever waited for the light to turn green at a cross walk before. (Sorry mom and dad.)



7.) Riding bikes with no hands

This makes me SO jealous! I always see kids riding their bikes, and they are almost always riding them without using their hands. Its not unusual to see kids eating, texting or reading while riding a bike without their hands.

I think it really takes some serious talent...talent that I do not have. :(

8.) The clouds

This is going to sound silly...but the clouds literally look animated!

They ALWAYS look absolutely perfect like someone painted them there.

Its amazing!



And those are 8 random little differences between Finland and the USA. Of course these are just personally little differences that I have found, and please don't take them all to heart because every person's opinion is different. These are 8 little differences that I have found myself while on my exchange so far, and I just wanted to share with you some of the little things that I have found during my 7 weeks in Finland. :)

5 Cultural Differences

I thought many of you would be curious about some of the everyday culture differences between Finland and the USA; so I thought I would make a post about 5 interesting cultural differences between the countries.

(Keep in mind though that this is written from an American point of view, and that my observations and opinions may be different than someone else's.)



1.) The houses and Finnish homes.

Houses here from what I've seen are usually painted either pastel colors, a solid bright red, or also dark green.

In the outside of the houses, a lot of people have white picket fences. My host family, (as well as a lot of Finnish families) don't have a clothes drier; so we hang our clothes outside to dry. So I see a lot of clothes lines in backyards as well. A lot of Finnish families also have a huge wood pile on the side of their house for the winter, so that is very typical sight to see as well.

You always take your shoes off as soon as you enter the house, and almost everyone always wears socks inside the house.

The USA is more casual about shoes in the house, and I never wore socks inside. While being in Finland, I actually felt rather awkward when I realized that I'm always the only one without socks. So needless to say, I started wearing my socks inside the house.

(As a little side note: Finns are also very polite and respect privacy; so if your bedroom door is closed, generally no one will bother you or knock on your door.)

Because of this, I actually always leave my door open unless I am sleeping or changing my clothes or something like that.

This is also very different from the United States, because people aren't shy to just open your door immediately after knocking, or even sometimes without knocking. This isn't because we're impolite or not respecting your privacy...but it's just HOW we, as Americans are. (For the most part.)

Houses in Finland are painted light colors on the inside, and usually the wood furniture inside is also light. It took me a while to figure it out why this is so common; but I think that it is because it is SO dark outside during the winter, and the winter is so long, that having light on the INSIDE it makes people happier and brightens the room during the long, dark season.

Most Finnish families have Marimekko in their house; and my host mom has Marimekko curtains in the kitchen and living room. (Marimekko is Finnish design, and they have bags, towels, pencil pouches...lots of stuff like that.)

2.) Riding The Bus

 This one is going to be harder to explain, because you can't relate to it  or understand it unless you have experienced it.

A lot of people ride the bus in Finland, and to be honest, I think you can really see the culture of Finland when you ride the bus.

The first few times I rode the bus in Finland, I was TERRIFIED! It took me a good week and a half to understand what I should and shouldn't do while riding the bus, and to understand what was going on.

To best explain it, I think I'll just walk you through what I do:

I walk to my bus stop, and once I get there I casually stand NEAR the bus stop. (People don't stand next to each other; and people don't line up...we just stand scattered somewhat near the stop.)

Once the bus starts coming, we walk a little closer to each other, to alert wether or not that the bus we will be taking, and we wait for the bus to stop.

When the bus stops, we let people on the bus basically in the order in which we arrived. (It's awkward if instead of getting on when it's your "turn", you  just wait by the bus and let others on before you...just get on the bus in the order which you arrived, and that's polite enough.)

Once I get on the bus, I check my bus card though, and then I find a seat and sit alone in the window seat. You never really sit by a random person unless there is literally nowhere else to sit; and some people actually stand instead of sit next to a random person. (I have been guilty of this.)

Riding the bus in Finland is actually amazing because the bus can be FILLED with people, and it is still absolutely silent. Since small talk doesn't exist, you don't really talk on the bus, even if you're sitting next to your friend. (And THIS is what freaked me out so badly the first few times that I rode the bus!)

Why was everyone so quiet?!

Was this normal?!

Indeed, this is totally normal.

(Another interesting little side note about the bus is that when your friend gets on the bus and you see them, it's not rude to only just look at each other and smile or give a little nod; and then just look out the window and go back to doing your own thing.)

I guess now I should mention what you do when you get OFF the bus. The bus actually has little red buttons located throughout the bus that you press when your stop is next. You don't have to say anything...you just press the button that beeps and notifies the driver that your stop is next.

So, how do you let the person next to you know that your stop is next?!

This one was a toughy for me, and the first few times I REALLY didn't know what to do. You never really just start talking to a stranger or someone you barely know unless you have a purpose; and so I learned that to notify the person next to you that your stop is next, you just start gathering your things. They will get the idea, and when the bus stops they will stand up and let you by. You don't have to use words to notify the person next to you that your stop is next. It actually took me awhile to figure out exactly how to ride the bus without looking like an idiot, and now it doesn't feel so foreign for me to ride the bus this way.

I think that this is one of the biggest differences between the USA and Finland...not the fact that they ride the bus this way, but because this is Finnish culture.

It's very different from people in the USA, and I think that's that's why I like it so much...the people are so different! It's not different in a bad way; it is so unique and different from the culture of American people.

3.)  School Fife and School in General

The school system is completely different from the schooling in the United States. Everyday I have a different schedule, and my school day starts at different times based on that day's schedule.

I already talked a bit about the school system in another post; so instead of repeating myself, I decided to just talk about the daily differences.

The classroom door is locked until the time class is supposed to start; and the teacher is the one who has the key. We wait until class starts, and all of the students stand scattered around the general area of the classroom. (Much like the bus stop.)

 Teachers arrive when class starts, and they unlock the door, and let the students in. We don't line up, and instead it's a bit of a game to see who goes in which order. Basically it's a polite push and shove game, and it works like this:

You all crowd around the door, and you sort of politely push your way through...people won't actually touch you though, and only one person goes through the door at once; so basically if you're walking through the door, the next person will wait until you're in the room to go.

It's a quick process, and it's something that I actually had to learn how the system works. This probably sounds funny, because its something that they all naturally do, and if any of my Finnish friends are reading this, they are probably pretty confused because its not something they have to think about. It IS just  walking through a door to get to class; but there is a certain order system that goes along with it; that is unconsciencely done.

In the USA, the classroom is generally always unlocked, and the teacher is usually there waiting for the class to start. So it is rather usual to wait outside of a locked classroom for the teacher.

4.) Riding In The Car

Riding in the car was rather awkward for me at first. This is also something that is very hard to explain unless you have actually experienced it...

I have said this a lot, but yes...Finns are very quiet people. (For the most part.) In the car, people generally don't talk much, since there isn't much to talk about that has purpose. (I can't think of a better way to best explain this.)

It's not that they are being rude, or trying to make things awkward for you; but small talk just DOESN'T exist. If you say something, you say it because you have a purpose or meaning behind it. (Generally speaking.)

However, there ARE times when small conversation pieces come up, but generally they are pretty short; but I guess they can be long as well. (It all depends on the subject.)

(Just as a little side note, I actually never put my headphones in while in the car; even if its a long trip. This is because the moment you put your headphones in, you automatically close the door for any opportunities for conversation later. Finns are very polite, and they won't bother you if you have headphones in.)

5.) The Views on Friendship

Friendship means a lot to a Finn, and for me it was actually VERY hard to start making friends, and I am continuing to still have this struggle.

BUT, this is actually one of my MOST favorite things about Finland and Finnish culture; because once you make friends with a Finn, you are friends for life.

THAT is how important friendship is to a Finn. Friendship is something special, and it is something that takes a long time to create and be worthy of.

It's a little frustrating because I feel sort of lonely sometimes, but I know that once I start REALLY making Finnish friends, that our friendship will last a lifetime. It's well worth the wait for sure, but I just wish that the process wouldn't take so long to make really good friends.



And I think that's a wrap up of our 5 examples of Finnish cultural differences! It's a little difficult to explain in the right way, and I'm sure that I could have done a better job...but it's hard explaining culture if you haven't seen it and experienced it for yourself. So hopefully you could kind of understand what I was trying to explain with the cultural differences.

Norway and First Rotary Meeting

This last weekend I had the chance to go to Norway for the day with my host family!

My host family and I left Friday after school and started our road trip. We stopped half way and spent the night in a little village, and then continued the following morning to arrive at our destination in Kipisjärvi.

On the way, we stopped and went to a little kirppis in Ylläs. There were cars there that were selling things from their trucks; and they were selling everything from socks to jewelry to food. We walked by the food, and I saw some people selling pies and goods like that...they were even selling canned bear meat!

We bought some little pastries as a snack for our long drive, and I thought were cute little Pulla...but when we got on the car, I bit into one...I realized that the brown stuff inside was NOT cinnamon!!!!

Maybe you can relate if you've ever taken a huge bite out of something, only to find that it tastes exactly opposite of what you thought it was...You can imagine what my face looked like.

You're probably wondering what that brown stuff was...It was actually meat! It had the texture of dried crumbled bacon, but it tasted totally different. I had NO idea what KIND of meat it was.

What was I eating?!

I asked my host mom in Finnish what it was, and she said that it was some kind of wild bird...

So I indeed ate a pastry with some kind of wild bird meat in it.

It wasn't bad though...I honestly thought it was pretty cool that I had no idea what I was eating; and I ended up eating 2 more.

I still can't describe what it tasted like, but I think it was good?

I still haven't really decided yet...

We stopped again a few hours later to take another break, and we stopped at this little shop. Outside of the shop, there was the Finnish flag and the Sami flag; which was really cool.

Inside the shop, traditional Sami music was playing, and they had Sami dolls for sale, and drums, and dream catchers and knifes...stuff like that. We bought munkki and mehu, and we took a little break before we finished the rest of the trip.

We finally arrived where we needed to be in Kipisjärvi, and we stopped at a little K Market. It was FILLED with Norwegian people; and The line was crazier than Costco!!!!!

We decided to go to the store later, and it was amazing because in the parking lot of the little grocery store, I could actually SEE Sweden AND Norway.

How amazing is that?!

We drove a short way to Norway, and we stopped at the boarder between Finland and Norway to take pictures. We continued driving past the boarder, and into Norway; and to be honest...it was absolutely gorgeous.

My host mom, host sister and I standing at the border of Finland and Norway.

 As we drove into Norway, There were mountains all around us, and fall colored trees covering them. All you could see were these gorgeous red, orange, and yellow trees covering these HUGE mountains all around you. You could actually SEE water running down some of the mountains in trickles, and you could see lakes of huge bodies of water below the mountains, into the valley.

And this was the scenery you could see for miles and miles and miles.

It was literally stunning and jaw droppingly gorgeous.

Looking around

 

Walking around

 

Standing by a waterfall... in NORWAY!

 

 It made me wish that in school in the USA we would learn more about different countries.

It made me actually feel almost a bit embarrassed at the fact that literally the only things I knew about these countries I have visited in the past few weeks is where they are located, their capitals, and the languages they speak.

Although these countries may not have world famous cuisine, and huge tourist attractions...I have learned that they are rich in natural and organic beauty and culture.

I almost feel as though their beauty is a total secret to the rest of the world...

I feel mighty special to have had the opportunity to come to Finland; and I know that I mention this in EVERY blog post... but that's because it is absolutely TRUE.

How fortunate am I to learn a unique language that prior to coming to Finland, I have never heard before?

How fortunate am I to learn about a culture that I never knew.

And how fortunate am I to come live in a country that I barely knew about.

By coming on exchange to a county that I did not know about; it is giving me learning opportunities each and everyday; and it gives me the opportunity to educate people back home in the USA about a country so completely foreign to them.

Finland is not a country that is talked about often in the USA; and looking back, it's actually hard to believe that I didn't know very much about Finland before I arrived...it makes me wonder about when my exchange is over, if people will be able to relate to my stories I tell them or understand  what it is like and the experiences I am having.


Today I had the opportunity to go to my first Rotary meeting for my hosting Rotary club. I was a little scared at first, but it went okay. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I wore my Rotary blazer and brought my business cards and my pins with me. I also brought my laptop, because I was going to give my first Rotary Presentation at tonight's meeting.

I went to the meeting with my host dad, and I met the Youth Exchange Officer of the Rotary club. We started the meeting casually by getting a light meal, and chatting together. My hosting Rotary club is rather small, and it is an International Club. There are many Rotarians that share different cultures and Nationalities in my Rotary club. It was a small meeting, and there were only 9 Rotarians at the meeting; and they use English as a mutual language for their meetings.

I gave my presentation, but sadly...the internet did not work in the building where the meeting was being held, and so my presentation did not work out as well, and go as smoothly as I would have liked it to, unfortunately.

I told my Rotary Club about myself and my state and my country; and it went well for the most part. They asked lots of questions, and it was nice to finally meet my club. I think it went well, and I am hoping that I made a good first impression!

Over all this weekend was pretty great; and hopefully the rest of the week will go just as well!

Light Bulb Moment!

I know that ive been posting everyday for the past few days...but so much has been going on, and ive wanted to write about them the DAY they happen, so I wont forget!

Anyways,

Today I had the WEIRDEST thing happen to me...

Its like a woke up and *POOF* its like I understand.

It literally feels like someone just turned on the light switch.

Let me explain what this means...

I went to school today, and I ACTUALLY understood my English class...like...SERIOUSLY understood.

And I know what you're thinking, but THIS time it wasn't  just the English!

I ACTUALLY understood 65% of my teacher's Finnish.

 

65%

I mean, sure my English teacher speaks Finnish pretty slow and clear for the most part...but MAN, what happened?!

I swear I didn't understand this much the last time we had class...

I also understood about 30-35% of what my music teacher was saying. (Something about the classical music in Finland and how we needed to discus what we knew about it.)

"Did I seriously just understand that?!"

 

 

 

She of course thought that I didn't understand, (because to be honest, I normally don't understand a single word.) and she translated it for me into English...my first thought was automatically:

 

"Wow....I REALLY understood that..."

 



 

To be honest, I always thought it was really ridiculous when people told me that one day the light switch will just turn on in your brain, and you will start understanding...seriously; it was just NOT realistic!

But today I was literally feeling awesome like a super hero, because for some STRANGE reason, I was ACTUALLY understanding what teachers were saying...

Which is awesome and really creepy at the same time.

How could I just one day go to class and ACTUALLY understand.

You can only imagine what my face looked like...

After WEEKS of not understand a SINGLE word, and then all of a sudden im drawing a picture and I look up because I ACTUALLY understand what the teacher is saying!

I literally wanted to just jump up on the table, and have a party and start dancing around....

(And sorry to disappoint you...but I didn't actually get up and dance around the classroom.)

I DID actually get super excited and gasped and started looking around the classroom at everyone to see if I truly DID understand.

I got a lot of weird looks, and I might have scared some people; because I was so excited. It probably looked really funny, because I was randomly SO excited in class while the teacher was giving a lecture. No one in my class probably had ANY clue as to why I was gasping and looking around...I probably looked pretty delusional...but it literally felt like Christmas morning to me! :)

Im trying not to get TOO over excited about it though, because this IS the first time that I understood anything my teachers said in Finnish; and im not sure if it is something that will last, or if I just got lucky this time.

But now that I am starting to understand more, I wish that people would stop translating for me and switching into English for me. I really DO need to make that transition over to Finnish, and I think that now that its been a little over a month, that I have enough understanding to make the transition over.

I just need to find a nice way to ask people to stop speaking English to me...I always feel mean when im having a conversation with them and I randomly say, "Can you only talk to me in Finnish please?" or "Can we please only talk in Finnish?"

I just feel SO bad because I feel like im being rude...but I really DO need to learn Finnish; and today was pretty exciting because I am finally starting to have these fictional light bulb moments!

But I am still convinced that this is just an exchange student super power...because after weeks of understand absolutely nothing; I finally understood my teacher for once. At first it was rather creepy because it wasn't like I understood one word...and then a while later I understood another word...It was like I actually understood PHRASES and whole SENTENCES.

How is it that after not understanding ANYTHING, one day I show up to class and I actually understood real PHRASES the teachers said?!

It was seriously the most magical moment ive ever had in my entire life...and it felt as it it was literally raining puppies and skittles...

I cant describe it in any other way.

THIS is how happy you feel when after WEEKS of just sitting in a classroom, having NO clue what is going on day after day... and then one day you FINALLY start understanding what's going on.

For the past few weeks at school, (especially in these past two weeks...) I have felt like Alice wandering around Wonderland...

I am seeing all of these new things, hearing people speak a new language, and never really knowing where im going or where I will end up at school.

BUT today was the first time that I ACTUALLY began to understand anything my teachers say!

I sure hope that this feeling of understanding beings to last, because it seriously feels AWESOME!


"It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change."

- Alice in Wonderland

The Stereotypical Exchange Student

I had an interesting realization today...

I seriously fit the stereotype of an exchange student.

And I haven't totally decided whether or not this is a good thing or not.

I barely speak the language, I have a thick accent, and I generally never know whats going on...

I have learned that there are in fact TWO very different exchange student stereotypes from the media:

Type #1: They speak the language well, and of course they have a nice sounding accent. They are generally really good looking, and they are super popular.

Type #2: They cant speak the language at all, they have a really thick accent, they are weird, and they never know whats going on.


You always have movies about exchange students that are portrayed in both kinds of stereotypes, right? Well...in reality for the MOST part...its never like the movies.

For me, I always feel like when I meet people they always have the same reaction,

"You're really weird...but I like you."

I can only imagine what I must sound like when I try to speak Finnish...but I try, and hopefully soon ill be able to have REAL conversations instead of just being able to get by with someone at least understanding what I am TRYING to say. I can actually SAY a lot...not necessarily that it is at all grammatically correct...but people can get the general idea of what I am trying to say to them, and at least that means I am improving. :)

Today was...interesting to say in the least; which is part of the reason why I decided to introduce the Exchange Student Stereotypes. (Which is why I decided to make a post about today.)



I started with going to school; and it was odd because I was running a bit late, and there weren't nearly as many bikes outside as there normally were. I opened the door and walked inside, and the hallways are almost completely EMPTY...

I went to my class, and there was literally not a single person in the entire hallway.

I sat there and waited...and waited...AND waited...

Thinking about what happened LAST time I was in this situation, I decided to check my email. Of course I got an email from my teacher, and the only words I understood were,

"Hour" and "Morning"

Lovely.

Did that mean class was starting late, or that we didn't have any class?

I had NO idea.

I decided just to sit there and wait just in case....And of course no one showed up.

I decided to wait for my music class, which was in an hour and a half; and an HOUR and a HALF later, I decided to go downstairs and wait by my classroom for my next class to start.

As I was walking downstairs, I kept on seeing these signs on these stands that were all over in the middle of the hallways, and I literally had NO idea what they said...I went and sat on another staircase what was right by my classroom door; and THANKFULLY the other kids in my class were there.

We waited for our teacher...and we waited...and waited...

And then people in my class realized there was a sign on the classroom door, and people started leaving.

What?!

I walked up to the door, and just blankly stared at the piece of paper that was on the door. The only words I understood were:

 

"Hour"

 

"Time"

 

"Teacher"

 

"Car"

 

 

 

How glorious.

 

Eventually a guy that works at the school came and unlocked the door, and by that time half of the class had already left...

 

We all went into the classroom and just sat in our seats.

 

The guy that worked at the school started talking, and he only said a few short sentences before he left...

 

The only word I understood was, "France"

 

What did that mean?!

 

Was my teacher in France?

Was my teacher's CAR in France?

Maybe he said something about French class?

WHY would he be talking about French class?

...Wait; was I even in the right classroom then?!

 

 

After he left, we all just continued to sit there in silence. I REALLY couldn't tell you what was going on, or what we were supposed to do...I wasn't really sure.

 

But eventually after about 20 minutes or so, everyone in my class randomly starting leaving.

 

Apparently our teacher didn't show up, so everyone just left...

 

Beautiful.

 

So, that meant I had ANOTHER 3 and a half hours to wait until my NEXT class...

 

Yes. I waited 5 hours today to go to a single class today.

 

It wouldn't be THIS frustrating if I could actually READ the emails my teachers sent to me, or if I could READ the signs on my teachers classrooms to inform me of these things...I cant help but only imagine how hilarious I must look to other kids at my school when these things happen though.

 

Walking by as the Foreign Exchange Student is standing in the hallway alone utterly confused, wondering WHERE in the heck their class is, and wondering if their whole class has suddenly become invisible...

 

I have now actually begun to get super suspicious whenever I get an email from a teacher now...My first response is always to think, "Nooooooo!!!"

 

I cant read it, and whenever it happens; NO one shows up to class! ...It feels like some sort of cruel April Fools Joke...

 

I never know if its just information for the class, or if the teacher is telling us we don't have class...and since I cant read it, I can never tell what the email is saying!

 

Gaahhhhhh!!!!

 

This is the 5th time this has happened in these past two weeks...5 TIMES!

 

 

 

...Every time I always half expect my class to jump out at me and yell,

 

"HA! We tricked the Foreign Exchange Student!"

 

 

And I swear I DONT skip class...my class skips ME! :(

 

 

To tell you the truth...I really DO LOVE being an exchange student.

 

I love every moment of speaking the language horribly, saying things wrong, ALWAYS being confused, not knowing where to go, and ALL of the other confusing and all of the other incredibly true  stereotypical things that happen as an exchange student....

 

WHY?!

 

Because THATS how you make the best memories!

 

Even though I always feel like a total idiot when im the ONLY one who is waiting for a class that no one will show up to. Even though I look TOTALLY ridiculous when I cant read a map or a simple sign on a classroom door that tells me where my class is. Even though I cant for the LIFE of me read the emails my teachers send me. Even though I speak terrible Finnish and have a thick accent.

 

AND Even though I am a stereotypical exchange student...

 

I love EVERY single minute of it! :)

 

 

I will have the best stories this way, and make the best memories; and its sad to think that my life will actually never be like this again. I am living like a true Finn, and living with a real Finnish family and attending High School like a Finn...

 

My life will NEVER be like this again; and this year is really, really special to me because of it.

 

So, why be embarrassed to make mistakes and look incredibly stupid?!

 

...Im an Exchange Student! Its what we do!

 

Well...im sure SOMEONE in the world could come up with a good argument...but I decided to just start EMBRASING it.

 

I am going to embrace all of the stupid little moments in my day, and start embracing all of the silly language mistakes I make with my horrible accent and speaking skills, and just enjoy all of the silly little moments in my day.

 

My exchange year is still ONLY in the beginning...and these stupid little Stereotypical Exchange Student Moments in my day wont last forever once I start really getting the hang of the language and the customs.

 

You HAVE to learn how to laugh at yourself as an exchange student; and just accept the fact that you are going to make silly mistakes and get yourself into silly situations sometimes. Its just part of the life of an exchange student. :)

 

 

“Personally I like going places where I don't speak the language, don't know anybody, don't know my way around and don't have any delusions that I'm in control. Disoriented, even frightened, I feel alive, awake in ways I never am at home.”
― Michael Mewshaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Rotary event ja oppia puhumaan Suomea!

Niin, tämä viime viikonloppuna minä menit Rotary tapahtuma varten Rotary piiri 1400! Se on paljon hauska! Tapasin vaihto-opiskelijat piiriissa, ja oli viisi meistä. Kaksi Oregonista, yksi Italiaista, yksi Australiasta, ja yksi Chilestä. Oli viisi Rebound vaihto-opiskelijat kanssamme liian. Me menimme syömaan jälkeen keilailu, ja menimme puhumaan yhdessä suomea mutta me puhumme vähän niin me en puhumaan paljon suomea. Ja Tilasin minun ruokaa suomenissa kielen! Olin niin onnellinen! :D



And this was my first attempt of writing part of a blog post in Finnish...my Finnish isn't very good, but I really, really want to learn; and the only way I will learn is by speaking. (But I will write about this part later in this blog post.)

Ill start out by saying that this past weekend I had my first Rotary District event! The inbounds and rebounds from Rotary District 1400 in Northern Finland all got together and we went bowling and out to Dinner.

Rotary District 1400 Northern Finland! :)

 

 

I have to say...I did absolutely TERRIBLE at bowling, but it was so much fun to be with other Rotary exchange students and meet the Finnish rebounds. I even got to meet my host sister from my next host family! :)

 

We went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant together afterward, and I was SO excited because I actually ordered in Finnish! I may not have had very good pronunciation, but I tried my best and I was really proud of myself! We talked about our exchanges and how things were going so far, and it was actually really awesome that we all just got to get to know each other and talk about what we were going through and be able to talk to the Rebounds about their experiences as Rotary Exchange Students and the kind of things they did.

 

Over-all it was a really good day.

 

 

So, NOW its time to talk about Finnish...

 

 

I have been in Finland for a little over 5 weeks now, and im starting to get a hang of the language...slowly, but surely! I have actually been afraid to speak Finnish. Its scary speaking a language that EVERYONE but you can speak. I have been afraid to speak a language that I barely know, and to tell you the truth...its a language that I have never actually heard spoken aloud until 5 weeks ago! Its scary speaking Finnish when everyone around me speaks English and has been studying it for years; and everyone at my school is all pretty fluent in English for the most part.

 

Its possible to go on exchange to Finland and learning LITTLE or NO Finnish; or even just enough to get by...but I don't want to learn JUST enough to get by. I WANT to learn the language and I WANT to speak with people. Learning a language isn't just a way to communicate with people...I think its something deeper than that. It has meaning, and it gives you a new way to look at things and to think about them. Its special and important, and its a language that I will never have the chance to learn again after my exchange year.

 

I USED to be afraid to speak...but now Im not. Im not really sure what changed...but now I really DO want to speak with people and try to talk to them, no matter how many silly mistakes I make. I used to be really, really afraid to speak in Finnish to people in groups of more than one person, but now I really DO want to go up and talk to people in Finnish.

 

I know that I really cant say that much yet, and that people have to talk really slow for me to understand them; but I am hoping that I will learn. But in order for me to learn I have to

 

STOP.SPEAKING.ENGLISH! 

 

Sometimes its SO nice to talk to people in English...but I am speaking English 85% of the time; and I am NEVER going to learn Finnish if I keep on speaking English!

 

I actually wish that people would stop translating for me, and would let me just sink or swim.

 

People are SO nice to me that they will talk to me in English to make things easier for me, and they will translate everything that people say for me. Which really is a HUGE blessing, and I am so thankful that they are willing to help me and talk to me...but I really just need to cut the rope with English and just sink or swim.

 

I may be utterly and totally CLUELESS, but I REALLY do need to stop speaking English.

 

I signed up for weekly Finnish classes today, and tomorrow my host mom is going to pick me up after school and come with me to my lessons to show me where to go. The classes are at a different lukio (High School) in Oulu; and I am pretty sure there are two other exchange students who are going to the classes as well. I am actually SUPER excited because my school counselor told me that  these Finnish classes may actually be TOO easy for me; and that I might have to take the classes for Foreigners who have been taking Finnish classes for a year.

 

A YEAR!

 

That made me feel SO much better about my terrible Finnish skills, and it made me actually believe that I might ACTUALLY be able to learn Finnish! I KNOW that its possible and that I CAN do it.

 

I think the reason why its taken me SO long to really get the ball rolling for learning Finnish is because I always SAID that I wanted to learn, and that I was trying hard to learn it. Which IS true! But SAYING and DOING are two totally separate things.

 

I think my intentions were in the right place, and that I was SO motivated to learn...but that I was just TOO afraid to speak! You CANT learn a language without SPEAKING it.

 

Its just not possible!

 

I was too afraid to speak, so I really wasn't learning anything!

 

If I REALLY want to learn Finnish, I HAVE to speak.

 

If I was brave enough to move to a different country, and live with a different family, and go to school in a different language...I think it was pretty pathetic of myself that I was too afraid to speak the new language I was learning.

 

Yes its scary...but learning a different language is part of being an exchange student, and I just need to be brave and force myself to speak! :)

 

EVEN if I make mistakes, and EVEN if my accent is horrible, and EVEN if people might not understand what I say, and EVEN if what I say is not grammatically correct...I HAVE to learn to be brave and just SPEAK!

 

 

Minä ajattelen se on aika lopettaa puhumaan englantia...olen opetella puhumaan suomea! :D

 

 

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.”
― Theodore Roosevelt

 

 

"I thought brave was not being afraid. You've taught me that bravery is being terrified and doing it anyway.”