The Little Creeepy Things

By living in Finland, and being able to learn about Finnish culture and the little differences between the two cultures (USA and Finland.), I have actually learned that there are some things that I just CAN NOT change about myself! They are just ingraved in me from my own culture in the USA, and they are just little things that come naturally and without thinking about.

Ive been thinking about these things a lot, and a few of them actually tend to make me laugh! Ive gotten into a few very awkward moments by doing these things, and sometimes it makes other people laugh too!

So, as you guessed it- this is going to be a post about some things about my culture from home that is unchanging about myself, other things that I have seen about Finnish culture and the Finnish ways of doing things, AND little habits that I have picked up. :)

Lets just get RIGHT into it, shall we? ;)

1.) My American Smile

 

Oh boy...WHERE do I start?! 

The typical American smile is smiling with your whole face. Not just with your teeth showing, but smiling so you see it in your eyes. (I dont really know how to explain it.). I ALWAYS made my last host family laugh because whenever we would take a picture, they would always comment on my smile and how "American" my smile was. :) 

I remember taking a picture with my whole class, and when I recieved the copy of the picture, I couldnt help but laugh because I was the only one with this HUGE cheesy smile on my face!

The typical Finnish smile is generally just looking at the camera with a straight face, or awkwardly cracking a small smirk, which can be taken as a smile. (And hopefully that description doesnt offend anyone!) 

Its very, very different for me! My host family couldnt help but laugh at me when they told me to try to make a picture with a, "Finnish smile". I couldnt! I physically couldnt keep a straight enough face! (I ended up looking angry or like I was taking a mug shot! I just CANT keep a straight face without looking angry!) 

I am not at all in any way trying to portray the, "Finnish smile" in a bad light. I just think that its interesting how different things can be, even when just taking a picture. :)
 

 

 

2.) Smiling and Waving at random people

 

In Finland, it is very awkward to go up and talk to a person you have never met nor seen before. Its just seen as a, "no-no". Its not done very often, and usually it makes someone pretty uncomfortable and it feels a bit creepy sometimes. 

Coming from the USA, I have a VERY VERY bad habit of waving at random people and smiling at everyone I walk by. I come from a small community, and in Oregon, I live on a big hill out in the middle of nowhere. When we drive home, we ALWAYS wave at people on the hill. When we drive past another car on the hill, we always wave at the driver. I guess its just WHAT we do.

When I came to Finland, it felt so WEIRD for me. It was suddenly CREEPY to wave at people, and I didnt know HOW to just walk passed someone without smiling or waving. 

Unfortunately, I cant seem to stop smiling at people while I walk by them. Its just something ingrained into me, and I cant seem to stop. And to tell you the truth, I dont actually want to stop! :)

 

It almost feels as though this is everyone´s reaction when I wave at people I don't know...or at least this is how I feel on the inside!

3.) Being loud.

 

I KNOW what you are thinking...and I hate to follow the stereotype...but YES. I AM loud. 

Its very interesting because before coming to Finland, I actually didnt notice how loud I REALLY was. Everything in Finland is just so quiet, and so silent.

I didnt really notice how loud I had the potential of being until I was walking down the street with another American Exchange Student, and we were turning heads everywhere we went! It wasnt that we were TRYING to talk loud, or that we were trying to get attention...it just sort of happend! 

Of course we are not meaning to attract so much attention...I guess since our culture is just that way, that we dont really realize how loud we are talking sometimes. 

 

 



This is what our faces generally look like when we realize how loud we are being...

 

4.) Talking with my Hands 

 

I always talk with my hands! Everywhere I go. No matter if I am sitting at a desk, or standing up. Even if I am whispering or trying to explain a math problem...I talk with my hands! 

I guess it just helps me explain what im saying better, and it helps me get my point across. (Im not even sure if this is something I did before I became an Exchange Student, or if I picked it up when I wasnt able to communicate!) 

I talk with my hands both when speaking Finnish AND English, and to tell you the truth, I cant really tell you why!

People tend to laugh when I am having a conversation with someone, because I talk with my hands SO much! (And they tend to laugh even HARDER when I am having a conversation with another American exchange student, because he does the same thing!)

 

Im guessing that this is what I must look like...

 

 



5.) We like saying names.

 

Im not exactly sure WHY, but when I have conversations with other Americans, I have realized that we like saying peoples NAMES a lot.

 "How are you, (insert name)", "Oh Hi, (insert name)" Annnnd you get the idea. 

 Im not sure WHY we do it, but we sure do...

I have gotten a comment or two about it, and to tell you the truth, I dont even realize when I do it!

 

A couple of my friends have given me this same exact facial expression when I use their names way too many times during a conversation...

6.) Eating with Both Hands

 

To tell you the truth, eating with both hands isnt something I am actually used to! The social "norm" in the USA is eating with one hand, and having the other hand on your lap, or just in general below the table. 

We dont actually eat with a knife in one hand, and a fork in the other! We just kind of pick up the knife if we need it, and then set it on the side of our plate again until you need it again. 

It was a little weird for me to learn how to eat with BOTH of my hands, and in a way it felt like I was multitasking for awhile! It wasnt that it was hard or anything like that; it was just different. And I had to learn how to do it. (As sad as that sounds!)

 

I felt like this every time I had to awkwardly eat until I finally figured out how to do it without looking silly!

7.) Not saying what you mean

This is sort of a big one. I have found that Finns say exactly what they mean; and in the USA we basically keep our opinions to ourselves and dont really explain how we REALLY feel unless you are either family or REALLY good friends with someone. (Depending on the situation and the culture of where you live in the USA.)
 

We dont want to hurt peoples feelings, and we feel bad being brutally honest about things unless we know the person really well or we are related to them. In Finland, people only say things if something needs to be said or needs to be talked about. So naturally, they say what they mean. 

I have learned that in American English, "How are you?" isnt actually a question. Its a greeting. You never REALLY tell the person how you are; and instead everyone answers with, "Im fine, how are you?". 

I cant really honestly think of a situation where someone tells how they are REALLY feeling when asked, "How are you?" If you honestly want to know how the person is, you would rephrase the question. 

In Finnish however, the person honestly wants to know how you are. 

I guess its just a culture difference! 

 

This is a little exaggerated, but I thought it was funny: When someone insists you try something, and you don't like it- but you don't want to hurt the persons feelings!

 

 

 

8.) Apologizing a lot.

 

 

This one might be the BIGGEST for me, and the only I ABSOLUTLY cant change! I dont know WHY I apologize so much, but I do! I always say, "Oh, im so sorry!" or, "Im sorry!"

 

And people always comment on it and say, "Why are you sorry?!" and I have to reply with, "...I don't know, actually!" and then they say, "Thats weird..."

 

And its true! It actually makes people uncomfortable! Im not sure WHY I apologize so much, I just do; and it seems to be an American thing because the other American Exchange Students always apologize to each other all the time as well. None of us know WHY, its just something we do...we dont even realize just how MUCH we really say it!

 



 

I can imagine that we accidentally sound like this when we apologize so much...

 

 

 

9.) I like to talk...a lot.

 

In Finland, small talk doesnt really exist...and to tell you the truth, sometimes that's really hard for me! I never realized just HOW talkative I REALLY was until I came to Finland!

 

I have even been told by one of my Finnish friends that if I was a Super-Villain, my power would be talking someone to death haha! ;)

 

And im glad that Finns are so honest, because none of my friends are ever afraid to tell me to stop talking when they want some peace and quiet haha. ;)

 

I never noticed before how much I actually talk, and sometimes I feel quite bad about just how MUCH and how OFTEN I actually talk...

 

 

 



 

I don't know what I would do without my friend´s brutal honesty haha. ;)

 

 

10.) Casual Talking

 

In the USA, its really natural and normal to talk to random people. At the grocery store, at the gas station...its just something we do! We are super casual, and we like company. We like talking to people and being social.

 

So naturally, of course I learned pretty quick that this was NOT casual OR normal in Finland haha! :D

 

I had to kind of learn how to reproach people without scaring them away or coming off in a bad light. Its not something bad at all, and I think its a really good lesson that I learned about the culture in Finland!



Im betting that this is probably what a lot of people thought when I first arrived in Finland...

 

 

 

 

 

And that pretty much wraps up 10 cultural difference from the USA and Finland! Some of these things I had to relearn, and others I simply can not change about myself. I think its great how different the culture is between the USA and Finland; and even though some differences are bigger than others, I seriously love it- and Finland.

 

Ive learned so much about myself this year and I even realized things that I didn't even know were a part of my culture and myself! It has taught me to understand Finnish culture, and to notice the small and big differences between my country and the country that I am currently living in...and I wouldn't have it any other way! :D

 

 

New Chapters!

So, as you all know- from my last post, I have changed host families! :D And all is well regarding that, and things are seriously great!

I decided to really update a bit about my life instead of doing a specific post this time, because im sure that it might be a bit more interesting this time rather than just doing "Subject-Specific" posts.

SCHOOL!  

 

At school I am taking a grand-spanking total of 5 courses. (Which to be honest, is the bare-minimum you can take at my school!) In the beginning of the courses, I WAS taking Biology at the International Campus of Lyseo, because I thought it would be easier to make friends in IB. (Which to be honest, it REALLY is- and currently almost all of my friends go to the International School.) However, it just didn't feel right to take a course there...my biology class was in English, and after working so hard to study Finnish all this time- I somehow just felt as if I was letting myself down a little bit; even though that wasn't the case at all!

Im not exactly sure why I felt so icky going to that class...but if im honest with myself, I guess the big part of it is that my Exchange is slowly coming to an end, and by taking a class in English- it almost felt as though my exchange was ending even sooner than I intended!

I switched the course to another art class, and so now I am taking all of my courses at the regular Finnish campus of my lukio instead. And although it is much harder that way, I feel much more comfortable that way and happy! (Funny that how being UNCOMFORTABLE is now COMFORTALBE for me.) ;) I guess I am all around much happier when I speak Finnish, no matter HOW bad it is; and it makes me happy! Im not ashamed! ;)

Along with that art course, I am also taking History, English, Geography, and another Art class. I decided to take classes where I could socialize a bit more, because then I could speak Finnish at the same time and work on my speaking skills-. which is what I really need!

My Finnish is always slowly but surely improving though, and fortunately- I can now hold pretty easy conversations fluently and I understand almost everything that people say at full speed! Hilariously though, I still cant really understand very much when it comes to more educational discussions...so for example, when a Teacher assigns group discussions or projects, the person sitting next to me and I exchange an expression exactly like this:



The reason why its so hilarious is because I can understand EXACTLY what the teacher is saying, until she is talking about the subject we are supposed to present a project on or hold a discussion about...but im not capable to discuss what we are talking about at all! So my partner and I just awkwardly look at each other, while they try to figure out what to do with me!


I am also taking an Art History class...but unfortunately, we are supposed to memorize different famous art pieces and during the final we are supposed to give the names of them. But we discuss them all in Finnish, so I can never remember the names. (Especially because the names are not on our copies of the art work we are supposed to memorize!) But I am sure I will figure something out!

In my History class, I understand enough to follow the idea of whats going on, and if I tried really really hard, I could get out the most important information from the course...but because the whole lesson is always a lecture, its so hard to get through the whole class! It just feels although it drags on and on! (although it IS interesting...Finnish isn't my first language, and im no where near fluent! Its hard to get a lot out of the class without giving myself a headache!)

Anyway, I guess that is more than enough about my school update!

SPORTS

 

As everyone knows, we recently had the Winter Olympics! They were SO much fun to watch with my host family, and surprisingly its really super popular to watch them in Finland! Everyone was following it on TV and posting about it on facebook, and it surprised me a lot because in the USA we watch it of course, but we don't talk about it very much or follow it as closely as my host family or friends did in Finland.

 

When the hockey games started coming along- I would run home from my bus stop to watch the games on time, and of course when the bigger games came around, I got SUPER excited about it! (Like USA VS. FINLAND and FINLAND VS. SWEDEN.)

 

 



 

I was seriously SO into the Finnish games that I probably looked something like this...

 

 

It was crazy how all of my friends got so into everything once the hockey games started coming! The games were on the TV in stockmann (a small department store complex), and when Finland played Sweden. my teacher put it up on the big screen and we all got to watch the game! I was a little bit sad about the outcome...but im glad that Finland won the Bronze! :D

 

 

Everything else in-between...

 

Socially, now that wanhat is over, im trying to figure out exactly WHAT to do with all of my Free Time! Im excited that I get to attend more Rotary meetings now, and its nice to be able to get to know the Rotarians a bit more and attend the Rotary meetings about school. And fortunately, there is also an Interact club in Oulu now! (Which is a program for youth that is sponsored by Rotary and they create projects to help out the city and people, and its pretty cool.) Its the very first Interact Club in Finland- so its a pretty big deal!

 

I think its mighty snazzy that its in my host city! Especially because I am in need of hobbies; and it will be awesome to get involved more with my host city and rotary. ;)

 

One of the hardest parts about being an exchange student is keeping busy! You cant wait for people to invite you to things or for hobbies to come your way. You just gotta grab ´em as they come, and invite people to do things with you. Its hard sometimes, especially when so many things cost money; but there are plenty of fun things to do if you just go find them. :)

 

So far so good, my exchange is as great as ever! My ONLY current struggle is just finding things to do after school. ;)

 

OH- and I almost forgot! I have an announcement to make!

 

*drum rollllllll*

 

 

I- Jennifer, have OFFICIALLY signed up for the National Finnish Fluency Exam! (intermediate level of course haha)

 

But still! YAY! I am officially testing my Finnish skills April 5th!

 

I am no where near ready to take this exam...but im hoping that with lots of studying and preparing that I will be able to take the exam and do okay at it. But I guess what happens, happens. ;)

 

 

How was that for an update!? :)

 

 

 



 

 

Update (Suomeks)

nonii, tänään oli...no, se oli...tylsä haha. Tylsä koska mulla oli historia. Voin ymmärrän paljon, mutta se on nii tylsä... :/

Mulla oli vain yks tuntia koulussa, nii, se oli helppo päivää tänään haha. Myös mä menit kirjastoon, koska mun täytyy löydää jotain noin mun suomen kieli koe. Haluasin ottaa suomen kieli koe, mutta en tiedä, jos tiedän tarpeeks suomea haha. Ehkä voin ottaa sen jos puhun vain suomeks, koko ajan haha. ;)

Se on vähä outo, koska nyt, ymmärrän kuin mä katso suomalainen elokuvat, tai televisiota. Ja ennen, en voinut. En ymmärtä miks, voin nyt haha. Voin kirjoittaa parempi, kuin voin puhua...mutta toivon, että, voin puhua myös pian. ;)

Luulen, että, jos voin ymmärrän paljon nyt, ehkä voin puhua, myös haha. Mutta se on vaikea puhua, koska en voi sanoa oikea. Mutta, mun ystävät, auttavat mua, ja se on tosi kiva! :D

No nii, myös- asun uusi perheni kanssa, ja he ovat tosi kiva! Mulla on host äiti, host isä, ja kaks host-siskot. (Mutta, vain yks asuu kotona.). Mun host sisko, oli vaihtari USA:saa, viime vuonna. Hän puhuu englantia,

 mutta puhumme suomeks. (koska haluasin oppia suomea haha.)

Mun täytyy puhua enemmän suomea, koska en ajattele, että, puhun tarpeeks. ;) Ja ehkä olisi helpompi, jos puhun enemmän... ;)

Mun uus host-perheeni, katsovat paljon suomalainen elokuvat. Ja se on hyvää, koska sitten, voin katso elokuva suomeks. ;) Mun host-sisko, sanoo, että- voin katso sen suomea tekstitys kanssa, tai ei mitään haha. Ja se on hyvä, koska sitten, mun täytyy katso ja lukea VAIN suomeks. ;)

Emmä tiedä mitas muut sanoa...mutta mä vain halusin kirjoitaa suomeks. ;)

Mutta no, kaiken kaikkiaan, elämäni on kaunis. ;)

Night and Day Difference

No, anteeks en ole kirjoittanut, pitkään aikaan. Se on vähä nolostuttava, kertoa miks en ole kirjoittanut....mutta, mun täytyy kertoa miks haha. ;) Mä oli vähä surullinen, pitkään aikaan, koska mulla ei ollut ystävät tai jotain tehdä. Nii, mä oli yksin, kanssa ei mitään tehdä mun aikaani.

Se on nolostuttava myöntää, mutta se on totta...emmä tiedä miks, mutta joo haha. Ehkä se on koska se oli pimeä, pitkään ajan haha. Emmä tiedä! MUTTA...nyt se on jännittävä sanoa, että, mä oon tosi onnellinen. ;)


So, unfortuantly- I did NOT translate that before posting...so hopefully my Finnish didnt fail me haha. ;)

Back to the beginning; I guess I should translate and kind of talk more about what has been going on. I mean, its been awhile! :D

Unfortunatly, what I say stands true. Part of the reason why I hadent been posting for a long time was because I was just kind of having a hard time. It wasnt that I was homesick, or any of that stuff...it was just that things were the same everyday. (And I dont mean in an ordinary, "im used to this", boring sort of way...)

I mean that I didnt have anyone to sit with at lunch very often, my language skills were still on the rocks, I had TOO much free time on my hands that I spent alone, and it was dark and cold all the time.

At a glance, I just really wasnt having the HAPPIEST time on my exchange. It was super dark outside, it was COLD...and I think the darkness sort had a lot to do with it, as embarassing as it is for me to admit!

To ANY exchange students who come to Finland, I absolutly recommend vitamin D suppliments, as cheesy as that sounds! I didnt think I would need them at all, (sorry, mom.) and I sort of regret it. I thought it was cheesy to take them, and even though I had them on my bedside table- I never really picked them up. I thought that the darkness wouldnt get to me, and wouldnt bother me at all...but really, it sort of did, without me even realizing it!

I guess that as an Exchange Student, you just have TOO much going on at one time- and a little boost of happiness never hurts anyone. ;) (And yes...Vitamin D makes you happier haha...and I had to find that out the hard way.) :)

Once I actually STARTED taking the suppliments that I brought with me, I started noticing a HUGE, HUGE difference. And I was pretty embarassed about it too, because it was SUCH a little thing! Unfortunatly, when I started taking them, it was starting to get light again- and so I felt like I had lost a lot of the time on my exchange...and there was no way to get it back again! So that was pretty sad...

But fortunatly, I think its just a "Finland Exchange Student" thing, because I KNOW I wasnt the only one. When all of the Exchange Students in Oulu hung out together, we all seemed pretty blue and depressed...and I think NONE of us wanted to admit it! 

Its not that we wanted to feel that way, or that we just let it happen...I cant really explain it. There IS no way to explain it...but you could for sure see the difference in all of us Exchange Students. I think it was just that the weather was so extream and dark, and we just werent used to it being so dark and cold and silent all the time...

Once it started getting lighter, things REALLY started to look up. And this is actually something that is SUPER embrassing to post about! But I feel as though since this is a blog about my exchange in Finland, that I need to include all the little details and such that go along with what an Exchange in Finland is like.

I am not trying to say that any exchanger that comes to Finland will be a little depressed during the darker months in Finland, but this is just the experience that I personally had, and that I saw other Exchangers in my host city have. I think its normal, and there are for sure ways to distract yourself from the darkness and create other ways to boost your happiness. :)

Currently, things have SERIOUSLY looked up- and I am literally having the time of my life! I guess the darkest part of the Finnish winter was just a little bump in the road for everyone. ;)

It sort of actually reminds me of the song, "Here Comes The Sun" by the Beatles, as cheesy as that sounds. :)

I kind of look at it as an interesting experience though, to tell you the truth. When I picked Finland, I wanted a challenge. A different sort of challenge that I would battle by going to a country with a more reserved culture and a difficult language. I guess that this little bump in the road was just part of that challenge, and im actually really glad that I expienced it, even though I wasnt expecting it! I guess I SHOULD have seen it coming when I found out how little sunlight there was in the winter in Northern Finland...but it REALLY didnt cross my mind that it would effect me at all. I thought it wouldnt effect me what so ever, and I didnt even REALIZE it did until after some time! But man, am I glad that that little bump in the road is past; because its sure good to feel amazing again! :D


“You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”



“Maybe the paths that you each shall tread are already laid before your feet though you do not see them”

 

Puhutko suomea?

With this post- I have actually gotten A LOT of questions from curious Finns and friends, and so I decided to write a blog post about it. As always, I am NOT going to sugar coat it. I feel like I need to give honest answers. I mean otherwise, this blog wouldnt be realistic and it wouldnt portray Exchange in the right way. (And as a warning: This blog post is NOT meant to be negative in ANY way!) Mostly, I will only be embarrassing MYSELF! :D

And this post is going to be a whole MIX of just random stuff...

As you all know, I have been on my Exchange in Finland for 5 months now! :D

Which is CRAZY thinking that its already HALF WAY OVER....however, what comes with that is also my language skills. Which I KNOW I post about A LOT, but its one of the biggest parts of my exchange, and its something that is very important to me. Which brings me to jump right into what im going to tell you next:


I honestly think that finding opportunities to PRACTICE and LEARN Finnish is MUCH, MUCH harder than the actual Language!

Although my host family speaks to me in only Finnish, it is VERY difficult to find people who are willing to speak to me in Finnish. They always ask me questions or say things like, "Finnish will NEVER be useful for you.", "No Exchange Student has ever learned Finnish!", "Youll never speak it again after this year, so its okay if you never learn it."

(I feel as though before I go on any more with this post, that I need to clear some things up- people are NOT trying to be rude by not speaking to me in Finnish. Until very recently, not many foreigners have gone to Finland. So naturally, Finns are not used to hearing their language spoken incorrectly or with a heavy accent; and therefore some people actually CANT understand me when I speak Finnish sometimes! And some people try to be really nice and speak to me in English, becuase most Finns can speak English fluently, and they think I cant speak any Finnish.)


SO many people ask me how im learning Finnish, and other people are asking me how to get people to speak Finnish to them, and so I decided to make a post that reveals all my silly little secrets when it comes to learning Finnish and how I feel about it.

Sometimes, I actually have a strong dislike for having my native language be English. SO many people want to practice their English; however I dont WANT to speak English anymore! And even when I speak to them in Finnish, THEY REPLY back to me in English as soon as they hear my accent! (Its a struggle just to ORDER something in Finnish without the person switching into English.) 

But... I WANT to learn Finnish. Ive put A LOT of work into studying Finnish, and I have spent SO many hours memorizing hundreds of verbs. (LITERALLY. I have memorized over 300 verbs.) And I just wish that the language would FINALLY just come to me!

 I have to remember to not be offended or taken back at people not wanting to speak Finnish with me...I eventually realized that it must be MUCH more interesting for them to practice English, and that its much easier and faster to maintain a conversation in ENGLISH- because it is a language they all already know almost fluently. I needed to realize that it is NOT fun or interesting AT ALL if my language skills are not good enough to do so in Finnish...

After realizing this, I came to terms with it- and decided that I had to come up with SOME way to be able to speak Finnish, and to do what I came here to do and LEARN Finnish.

And this is what some Finns are curious about, and they ask me about how I do it. I have ALSO been asked by a lot of Exchange Students about how they can get people to speak to them in Finnish. Which I honestly STILL struggle with! (However I am not sure if my secrets will work anymore after I tell all of them on this blog post haha!) 

(I decided to do a two-in one sort of thing with this. So each number will give answers to both questions.)

1. Just ASK 

 

I myself have not had much luck with this one, but it is the EASIEST way to approach it. People DO NOT mean to be rude or insult your language skills- but they just typically find it the most logical choice when trying to maintain a conversation. But be BRAVE and ASK them (IN YOUR HOST LANGUAGE).

Youd be surprised at how many people would take up the offer! (HOWEVER, when I have tried it- it has only lasted a short while before the person says, "I dont want to be rude, but I am going to speak English to you." 

Which of course, kind of disapoints me- but other exchange students may have more success than I did when it comes to just simpily asking people to speak to you in their language. 

There are a few cases when after I have asked, the person just thought my accent was amusing and didnt really try to understand me- so they automatically switched back into English after hearing me speak Finnish!

On the Brightside though, when I am around people and they speak Finnish together- its also nice for me to just kind of sit and listen, because then I can actually learn from their conversation. (I know that sounds creepy...but it helps me learn new things!)

And this is kind of how I feel when I finally understand what something means, after hearing it!

2. Inroduce it on a personal level

 

 

  This has actually been the MOST effective way for me to ask people to speak to me in Finnish, because my SPOKEN Finnish REALLY isnt as good as my understanding level of Finnish! Its hard to get people to speak to me in Finnish just by ASKING. Asking is generally NOT enough. (In my experience.) 

When asking doesnt work or do enough- I generally then introduce my REASONING behind it. Not in a rude way, not in a negative way...just simply saying WHY I want to learn Finnish, or my GOALS, or something like that. (As cheesy as that sounds). 

I have found that when I actually tell them a bit about WHY I want to learn Finnish- people open up A LOT! They are super supportive of helping me learn and after that they actually WANT to speak Finnish with me.

I tell them that I am planning to take an exam at the university next Spring to test my fluency in Finnish- and that I have a goal to become as fluent as I can in Finnish. I tell them how much I study the language everyday, and how much I want to practice my Finnish.

 It also helps a lot when I tell them how I want to come back to Finland for university after I graduate High School in the USA- and after I admit all of this, they are usually REALLY surprised, and they become INTERESTED in helping me.

I actually know a good deal of Finnish, and people are very surprised when I can actually UNDERSTAND them or contribute to the conversation.

Their reactions are usually very hilarious for me when they hear me speak Finnish with my host family, or when I comment on something that they are talking about in Finnish. They are ALWAYS surprised!

3. Trying to keep the conversation alive

 

 

After I have tried the previous two things; my BIGGEST struggle is to keep the conversation alive, and to keep the conversation IN FINNISH. People loose interest in my langauge skills pretty fast, and speaking it is the ONLY way that my language skills will really take off at this point; so its REALLY important for me to speak Finnish! 

(Finns like silence; and small talk doesnt really exist...so my opportunities to speak Finnish are actually pretty low a lot of the time; so its REALLY REALLY important to me to keep conversations alive!)

To be completely honest...this is REALLY REALLY difficult, and it usually goes one of two ways:

1. At first people give me funny looks because of my "attemps" to speak Finnish, and then they start to smile because of my low langauge skills. A lot of times, they think its a bit of a joke and they say, "Okay...now we can speak English haha. Good try." 

2. They will look impacient at my struggle to speak to them in Finnish, and wont want to talk to me anymore. 

So THIS is where my EMBARASSING secret comes in...

Being honest, NO ONE wants to talk to someone with really low langauge skills! Its not interesting, its awkward, it takes a lot of pacience, and its just NOT fun for anyone...SO, I had to come up with ways to distract people from my low language skills. 

I actually try to make the conversation more dramatic, to take away from my awkward pauses when I try to think of what word to say next, and how to phrase my next sentence! So, for example- while im thinking, I will sometimes just have this super dramatic pause before I go on with what im saying! :)

(BUT THANKFULLY- in Finland, silence is a part of converation...So I can sit there for a little bit and actually THINK of what to say before I say it!) VERY VERY HELPFUL!!!! :D

I also add more facial expressions and hand motions in my conversations to help make things interesting. (WHICH, I naturally do anyways when I talk to people- so this one just comes to me without having to think about it haha.) This also helps with  discribing things when you cant find any other words for things. So, its a win-win!

If I have a big smile on my face, and if im SUPER enthusiastic about this converation- all of the attention is taken away from my poor speaking and grammar skills; and instead they are all looking at how happy the conversation is making me. (This secret also just comes naturally to me!) 

And usually, the person I am talking to starts smiling and laughing along with me. :) 

Its sometimes super embarassing because of course they think my language skills are VERY amusing. (I mean, its true!) But you CAN NOT take your converations too seriously. (Especially for me, because my language skills are not very good yet.) So, being able to laugh at yourself and your own mistakes is REALLY important! :D



When I DO successfully only have a 100% FINNISH conversation with someone, THIS is how I feel. :D

 

 

 

NOT GIVING IN

 

 

As I said in the beginning of this post, I NEED to be honest...

I find it SUPER important to actually learn your host country´s language as an Exchange Student. (And I know how silly I must sound when I barely speak my own host country´s langauge!) 

BUT- I am really trying to stand my ground when it comes to speaking only Finnish. Its actually really difficult sometimes because I dont want to offend the other person. Sometimes its like a battle- you BOTH want to improve your language skills, you are BOTH modivated to learn...it almost feels as though someone has to be the winner! :P

THIS is when I have to REALLY look at it, and realize that I am NOT going to go through my exchange year with speaking ONLY Finnish; as much as I would LOVE to. 

Which is why with a very small handful of my friends, we decide to compromise sometimes. We speak for awhile in English, and THEN we speak Finnish for the rest of the time. OR sometimes they speak English, and I speak Finnish. I have to find a way to let BOTH people win sometimes!

However, it is actually REALLY difficult to find people to speak with! And that is the HARDEST part!  And of course this is something that is very embarrassing for ANYONE to admit, especially me being an Exchange Student.

Friendship JUST takes TIME in Finland.

And that I think is the HARDEST part for me to accept! It is very hard for me because in Finland, its very uncomfortable and not at all part of the culture to walk up to people and just start talking. Which of course being an exchange student, you NEED to do it, and go out of the cultural norms and just be brave!

And this also contributes to my language learning, because it is not part of the culture to have small talk; and so it ist is very hard to find ways to practice my Finnish! (The way I have the majority of my practice is by watching Disney Movies and reading the subtitles outloud in Finnish, or talking to myself, talking to my host dog, or just flat out sitting down and studying!)

 

So naturally, I STILL feel like this sometimes!

Its super embarassing for me to admit it, but its true. I LOVE Finland, and EVERYTHING about Finland...but finding friends is something that I am still really struggling with! 

Thankfully though, my Finnish skills are now raising through the roof- and so hopefully this will help me A LOT! I got myself back into the habit of sitting down and studying Finnish every single day, and I have actually gotten a lot of compliments about it in these past two weeks! :D

Im hoping that by the next time classes change, I can finally start REALLY being able to communicate with people! Even though I cant actually say a lot of GRAMMATICALLY correct things in Finnish, I can still be understood, and hopefully with some REAL practice, ill be able to learn even faster! 

I really AM having an amazing exchange, and I feel as though as this last half begins- ill really settle in and make Finland my second home. This first half of my exchange has honestly been pretty rough! Theres been LOTS of ups and downs, especially with gaining a basic foundation of the language and trying to make friends! But I know that now that I DO have a good foundation of the language, that so many doors will be open for me now with finally making friendships and really making a place for me here. :)

 “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.”



Lessons Learned

"I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught."

~Winston Churchill

 

 

 

 

"You have learned something.  That always feels at first as if you had lost something."

  ~H.G. Wells

 

 

 

"You are everything that is, your thoughts, your life, your dreams come true. You are everything you choose to be. You are as unlimited as the endless universe."

~Shad Helmstetter

 

 

 

 

These quotes help me introduce the new direction of this post, and they help me express the topic that I will be posting about today. I thought that since my exchange is now almost officially halfway over, that it would be rewarding to post about how IVE changed. The LESSONS I have learned, both GOOD and BAD. The new things that I have DISCOVERED about the WORLD, and MYSELF.

 

Its a little bit difficult for me to introduce, because as I think about how I will eventually need to go back home; as much as I don't want to think about it! And I cant help but be a bit reluctant about seeing everyone again; and my reason is that I am not the same person as I was 5 months ago. Nope.

 

Its difficult, because people expect you to come home the same person. Your friends expect you to come home and start right back up where you left off; and it is almost as if they imagine that you hit a big <PAUSE> button in the way that you were. But it doesn't work that way.

 

I have learned a HECK of a lot more in these past 5 months, than I would have if I didn't go on this Rotary Exchange, and I for SURE wouldn't be the person I am now if I didn't decide to come to Finland.

 

So, this is probably where you are thinking, "What exactly is different?", "What do you mean you're not the same person?!" Well...let me kind of clear some things up, and elaborate a bit more on the topic.

 

I decided in this post (both Silly and Serious) to make a list of some of the ways that I have Changed. The different Lessons that I have learned by living in Finland and being away from my family and from being an exchange student.

 

 

 

1.) I actually LIKE mustard.

 

YES! You heard me! I LIKE MUSTARD!!!

 

Who knew?!

 

And I know what you're thinking...but coming from someone who HATES ketchup, and ANY condiments and sauces of ANY kind...this is HUGE!

 

And how did it come to be?!

 

Well, it was simple. I tried new things. I thought for sure I wouldn't like it, but I decided to say, "Why not?!" and order myself something WITH mustard! (I thought I was insane!)

 

BUT- I learned TWO things that day. First off, I learned that I liked mustard! And secondly, I learned that no matter HOW crazy it was or how much I already think im NOT going to like something...that I should just GO CRAZY and try it and do it!

 

Especially with being an Exchange Student, trying new things is essential. You try new things EVERY day, EVERYWHERE you go. Trying mustard, as SIMPLE as it was, it taught me that even though you have tried something, it doesn't mean that you should NEVER try it again- and convince yourself that you will NEVER like it.

 

My host mom has a saying that I actually LOVE! "You must try something at LEAST 23 times. If you STILL don't like it after trying it 23 times, then you can say you don't like it." :)

 

 

 

2.) People are genuine and nice. (And they are only human!) :)

 

 

No matter WHERE you go in the world, people will go out of their way and help other people. PEOPLE help other PEOPLE.

 

People are very powerful creatures. We have the power to create change, and to effect other peoples lives. We can make educated guesses, and big decisions. We learn through watching, and we advocate through action. We learn from mistakes, and sometimes it takes a few chances to realize our mistakes.

 

People are only human, and we have bad days and misunderstandings, but that doesn't mean that people are ALWAYS like that. And we need to remember that sometimes good intentions go misread and don't fall through the way we expect; and that's OKAY.

 

I have learned so far from living in Finland, that people will truly go out of their way to help people; and that people are still people everywhere you go. (Which of course this experience is not the first time I have learned this lesson, but it really put it into perspective for me.)

 

Along with this lesson- I ALSO learned that people are only human. You cant always set expectations for everyone around you, and see people unrealistically. We make mistakes, we learn through experience, and sometimes we have to go through lessons multiple times before we learn. We all have different learning speeds, visions, and perspectives.

 

And part of LIFE is learning how to work with all kinds of different people and work with all kinds of visions and perspectives, and make it WORK. You need to learn to be adaptive, and have an open mind and heart to ALL KINDS of different views, cultures, and perspectives.

 

 I feel as though not everyone learns this lesson until they are placed in positions where they have to introduce and adapt to various ideas and inputs from: clients, colleagues, room mates, teachers...you name it, the list goes on.

 

Its not always a lesson you learn in high school. Students generally hang out with people with similar views and interests, and you can easily avoid people whose persepctives and views are different than yours. (As sad as that is.). You have mutual things in common with your friends, right? Well...then what happens when you have to work with people with DIFFERENT interests, perspectives, religions, goals, dreams? You learn to appreciate other views, take in different perspectives, and learn how to ADAPT and TOLERATE. That is how the real world works. And I feel as though when I return home, that I will be a lot different than everyone else around me- and really ready to take on higher leadership rolls and jobs. (And I am NOT saying that I feel as though I would be better qualified than others, in ANY way! I just have a wider perspective that I did before, now that I have friends from Germany, Croatia, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, South Africa...and SO many different countries and places and regions.)

 

 

 



3.) Its OKAY to do things differently

 

 

Coming from the United States, its sometimes actually REALLY awkward to be the American Exchange Student.

 

I have been asked if I have EVER heard another language spoken. I have been asked if I am friends with Selena Gomez. I have been asked if I know there are other governments in other countries. I have been asked if I have ever met someone from a different country before coming to Finland.

 

And to tell you the truth...its a little embarrassing that I have been asked some of these questions. And some of them make me feel pretty uncomfortable.

 

It seems to be the stereotype that Americans are overly patriotic. (Which of course, there are some people who are like that.) And its pretty awkward when people ask me some of these questions, like if I have very heard another language spoken, or if I have ever met someone from a different country before coming to Finland.

 

I have also heard an opposite side of this, and I have been told that more people should act like Americans! That they should do things more like they do in the USA. And that kind of breaks my heart whenever I hear other people saying that they should be more like someone else, and another culture.

 

I think that it is AMAZING to have different cultures doing every-day tasks differently. You see people that do things differently than you, and they are HAPPY doing it that way. Its AWESOME to realize that there are SO many different ways to do things; and that people are HAPPY doing it differently!

 

They aren't always things you think about doing. They are simple things. But they are done just a little bit different everywhere you go. And that's something that's really cool to see. And I wish that there would be more opportunities for us to see it more in the USA.

 

The United States is such a big country, and it is more difficult for us to travel to different countries. While in Europe however, it is quite easy to travel to different countries; and you hear so many different languages and you have tons of different cultures so close by you. So, perhaps this is something I myself learned from traveling. (However, I have been REALLY fortunate to be able to travel to 8 different countries; While I have friends in the USA who have never even left the West Coast.)

 

 

 

 

4.) I am spontaneous.

 

Alright, you caught me!

 

Exchange has for sure taught me to be spontaneous with my decisions sometimes! Sometimes we don't make the most logical decisions in the world...but last minute trips and decisions  make the BEST memories. :D

 

 

 

 

5.) Do things that scare you.

 

To tell you the absolute truth: I have learned that BIG rewards, do not come without BIG risks.

 

I was 16 years old, and I decided to pack up a couple of suitcases and live in a country where I had NEVER heard the language spoken, to live with a family who (at the time) were just names on an email, and live 8,294 km (5153 miles) away from home.

 

My friends all thought I was crazy and insane, and in a way I guess I am! But I wouldn't change what I did in a MILLION years!

 

This Exchange has taught me that I can achieve ANY of my goals, no matter how big- and that the options are endless. Only YOU can limit yourself, and if you honestly work hard enough for something, then you CAN do it. A lot of people disagree with what I just said, but it honestly just takes a heck of a lot of work, and a positive brain. There are always loop holes, and ways to get to your goals. You just have to be smart about it and really work toward it and know how to get there.

 

 

 

 

 

6.) How to ask for HELP.

 

This one is HUGE for me. Before my time in Finland, I wouldn't ask anyone for help with things. (You can even ask my mom!) I would take on ALL of these projects and go ABOVE AND BEYOND with them and it would be totally unrealistic to pull off, but I TRIED- and I would never ask for help with any of them!

 

I just physically couldnt and wouldn't do it. I didnt like it. I just didnt know how to ask, and I honestly just didnt want to. I LIKE being independent. And if I REALLY needed help with something, I would look up a youtube tutorial for it, or google myself directions...

 

It wasn't until I became an Exchange Student that I realized that I couldn't live like that anymore. There are COUNTLESS times when I need to just swallow my pride and ASK for help.

 

I was around people who were all speaking another language, I was lost and didn't know where I was, I would get on the WRONG bus and had no idea WHERE I was going...the list is endless.

 

Its pretty humbling to be 17 years old, and need to call someone you barely know from school, because you got lost trying to go to the grocery store. Its humbling to let someone walk you home, because you got lost down the street- and cant find your way back to your house.

 

Exchange has REALLY taught me that its OKAY to ask for help sometimes, and it was a really hard lesson for me to learn. But once I just dropped my pride, and LET someone help me...I finally realized that it was an OKAY thing to do.

 

 

 

 

7.) Question the Status-Quo

 

I always knew that manners and regular behavior changed country to country, culture to culture...

 

But coming to Finland kind of made me learn it through experience.

 

In the USA, you always look at people when you walk by. I dont know WHY, but its just what happens. You WAVE to people, you SMILE at them while you walk by...you just sort of acknowledge their presence.

 

In Finland- you dont look at people while they walk by. Ever. You just kind of do your own thing, and just go where you need to go. You dont really catch anyone's eye, and you dont really make eye contact while you walk by someone.

 

I remember just how AWKWARD I felt when no one would look at me in the school hallway, and I felt totally and completely invisible! BUT I soon realized that this was just the custom.

 

I felt SO awkward when I tried to copy the students around me, and not make eye contact with those whom I walked by. It was SO hard for me NOT to smile or wave to everyone while I walked by...and I felt so strange!



 

In the Finnish language, there is no word for, "Please". Instead, to be polite you just say, "Thank you" after you ask for something. I felt SO rude when I asked for anything...because without a word for, "please" I didn't know how to ask, and I felt so rude and out of place! But I realized that it was JUST how it was done in Finland, and that I wasn't being rude at all!

 

I learned that things are just different, and that even though I felt as if I was being rude- that I was in a different culture and that it was JUST how things were done. I was really actually being rude at all!

 

My ideas were totally flipped around, and I saw that my expectations were totally thrown out the window- and I began to see things the way that the Finns see them.

 

 

 

8.) Being aware of those around me. 

 

I was always aware of people back home, and I always tried to include those around me in things- but becoming a foreign exchange student has taught me how to do so even MORE.

 

While being an Exchange Student, I have sat alone for lunch COUNTLESS times, and I know what it feels like to be the weird foreign kid who nobody wants to talk to. I know what it feels like to be the kid with the thick accent that no one can understand, and the kid who nobody wants to be paired with for a project, because you would be stuck doing the whole thing yourself!

 

And it has made me a WHOLE lot aware for the kids around me who are naturally sitting alone. And I have learned that there's NOTHING that makes them smile more, than when a foreign kid with the vocabulary of a 6 year old, comes up and tries to hold a conversation with them!

 

 

I feel as though when I come back home, that I will be able to pay attention to people a WHOLE lot more, and be able to really include them in activities and conversations. :D

 

 

9.) Throwing shyness out the window!

 

As an Exchange student, your time is VERY limited. You don't have the time to take things slow and be shy...you just need to THROW yourself out there, and BE who YOU are.

 

When people imagine Exchange Students, they imagine kids who are super outgoing! Well...I have learned that in reality, a lot of times that ISNT the case- and that we have to REALLY put ourselves out there, and its HARD.

 

We only have a YEAR, and that year goes by fast, and its something that is VERY special. We need to cherish that time, and in order to do that; we need to just throw ourselves out there and talk with everyone. Be silly, be loud, be yourself! Its hard to put yourself out there like that, because you dont know how people will react or how things could go.

 

 An Exchange Student once said to me that our time is VERY limited, and that I am ONLY in Finland for a year. He told me that the ONLY people who will remember me are my host families, and the best friends that I will make during my exchange year. That YEARS from now, no one in my class will remember my name, that to them I am just another exchange student in the cycle...but that my BEST friends and my host families will ALWAYS remember me.

 

And he told me that the way to make those best friends, is by totally throwing myself out there right from the beginning and being silly and talk with everyone and just be totally ME. And from doing this, I have found that although it is hard- it is SO rewarding.

 

 

Its hard to do, especially when you are the foreign kid...but it really teaches you just to not care at all what other people think, and to just put yourself out there completely and talk with everyone and to not be ashamed with how horrible your language skills are, or for being different. I am ONLY here for a limited time, and this time next year- those at my school wont even remember just how terrible my grammar was or my thick accent; and those who will remember will be my friends forever. ;)

 

So its a win, win situation; you see?! :D

 

10.) Being capable.

 

I have learned in the past 5 months, that I am a LOT more capable than I give myself credit for. I have learned that you have to be ready for things, even if you dont feel qualified or ready for them...you need to take risks and just stay positive, even when you aren't ready to take the next step.

 

You are always more capable and qualified than you give yourself credit for, and I think that this was a pretty good lesson that I myself needed to learn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And those are just a few of the lessons that I have learned during my short 5 months in Finland! Although almost all of these lessons were learned the hard way, Im glad that I had the opportunity to learn them and I hope that learning them will help me become much more open with the many more lessons that are to come with the rest of my exchange! :D

 

 

 

 



 

 



 



 

 





 

 

 

 

 





 

 

A Very Finnish Christmas

Okay, Okay...I KNOW its been exactly a month since my last post...A MONTH.

Geez. I believe an apology should be in order.

I am VERY VERY sorry. I promise to blog more. ;)


Alright...Now that was done, I guess its time to post about my Christmas in FINLAND!

Ill jump RIGHT into it with Christmas Eve.

To tell you the absolute truth, I didn't at all know what to expect- and I sure didn't know what the plan for the night was. I was pretty scared at first to tell you the truth. I didn't know how to dress, what kinds of traditions were going to happen, how I was supposed to act, WHO was all coming...needless to say I over thank EVERYTHING at first!

Our Christmas tree

 

 

I woke up on Tuesday not at ALL knowing what to expect; and it was kind of a scary feeling to tell you the truth. What was Christmas going to be like with another family? Who was all coming over? How am I supposed to dress? What kinds of traditions are we going to celebrate? How different will this year be? Will I be able to understand and communicate with everyone? The questions were ENDLESS...

My host parents had begun cooking the night before, and everyone was running around getting everything in order and getting ready for the evening to come...And all while that was going on, I was watching, trying to figure out WHAT was going to happen, and WHAT exactly I should be doing to prepare as well!

Making my moms Christmas cookies! (My real mommas cookies!) ;)

 

The finished product!

 

We started the day with Rice Pudding for breakfast, and it is tradition that an almond is hidden in the pudding, and for the person that finds it they either get a present or they have to sing a song, or something like that...I guess it is different family to family. :)

My rice pudding breakfast. :D

After breakfast, we watched Christmas shows while my host parents baked, and we ended up watching Swedish Cartoons with Finnish Subtitles! (And boy...that was interesting for my head to have to listen to Swedish and read Finnish at the same time haha.). It is also pretty traditional to go for a sauna on Christmas eve as well.

Things after that were kind of just getting ready...like lighting candles, and setting up the dinner table, and changing into nice clothes. We ate dinner around 5pm, and my host grandparents came to join us.

One of the candles we lit.

For dinner we had moose and ham. (The ham was served with REALLY strong mustard), and we had different kinds of fish, and rutabaga casserole, carrot casserole, and beetroot salad- and different kinds of traditional dishes that are served in Finland for Christmas dinner.

To tell you the absolute truth...During dinner, I was pretty depressed. It wasn't that I wanted to go home, but I just really missed the Christmas dinner that I usually had. Everything was SO different than what I was used to having, and to tell you the truth- it wasn't until AFTER dinner that I realized that I was longing for the Christmas that I always had. I wanted those traditions that I was used to.

It was at THAT point that I realized that I CAME here for a reason, and that reason was to try NEW things. And I realized that I WAS capable of TRYING something new and totally different, and that I wasn't GOING to have the kind of Christmas that I was always used to having. I was GOING to have something NEW and DIFFERENT, and that was OKAY.


I NEEDED to realize that things were going to be totally different, and that it would be OKAY. And I needed to get PAST my comfort zone of EVERY Christmas I ever knew, and be TOTALLY open to EVERYTHING that was being thrown at me- and just take ALL of it in.

 

And after telling myself that, I began to really open up and have a good time.

 

 

 

My two host cousins, Antti and Mikko came over- and my host aunt came over too. We kind of socialized for a bit, and my host family skyped their daughter- who is a Rotary Youth Exchange Student in the USA. And that was super sweet for her to be able to join Christmas with her family through Skype. ;)

 

It was a little bit sad for me at first, because I felt like I was intruding while their family was trying to Skype with my host sister, and I missed my own family; but I realized that I shouldn't worry about it, and that I truly WASNT intruding in, and that everything was okay. :D

 

After a bit, my host cousin Antti disappeared...

 

And of course since the REAL Santa lives in Finland; its tradition that he visits your house on Christmas Eve. ;)

 

So, naturally- we received a knock on the door- and Santa came to visit us. We took pictures, and we talked a little bit- and everyone sang a little song about Santa in Finnish (Except me of course, because I had NO idea what was going on haha!) And then he handed out presents from his sack, and then left.

 

And of course after a few minutes, my host cousin comes out of the back room and says to everyone, "Ohhhhh...sorry guys, I was in the bathroom." ;)

 

 

My host family with, "Santa" :D

 

 

 

We all opened our presents, and it was really nice! I gave my host siblings and parents Christmas ornaments from Oregon, and they seemed to like them a lot! I wanted to give them something simple but meaningful, and now every year they can put an Oregon Christmas Ornament on their Christmas tree, and remember me. ;)

 

I got some Children's books in Finish, which is seriously awesome! :D And I got a shirt for my local hockey team in my host city, which is ALSO incredibly awesome, because its something that I secretly really wanted haha. And of course I got chocolate, and new Pjs (which is great, because I didn't take any cute ones with me to Finland!), and things like that.

 

After we opened our presents, we had coffee (I had juice haha), and cake. We just kind of sat around and socialized, and it was nice. And soon after, everyone slowly left. Over all it was pretty good!

 

On Christmas, my host family tried really hard to make sure I didn't feel homesick, and it was really nice of them! I watched a movie with my host sister and host mom, and we ate icecream and for lunch I had leftovers from Christmas dinner. :)

 

I waited around until 4pm, and that is when I skyped with my sister and my parents! We talked for a long time, and I opened up my Christmas package from home then, and I got to open my presents from home over Skype. It was REALLY nice to have a long Skype session with them, and talk to my sisters family too! I got to meet my new niece and see what my little nieces got for Christmas, and that was really fun.

 

I also got to Skype my brothers family, and see my other niece and that was really fun too. (And they even let me Skype with my dog!) :D

 

So, over all Christmas this year was very different, but also very rewarding! :)