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! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



New Ways To Communicate

No niin, Mä vain kirjoittaa vähän suomeksi, koska se vie on pitkän ajan...Mutta, viime viikonloppuna, mä menit lapissa kanssa mun host-perheeni. Lähdimme perjantaina illalla, ja menimme sinne myöhään illalla! Lauantaina menin lumilautailu kanssa mun host-isäni! Se oli mun ensimmäinen kerta, mutta se oli kylmä...Kävimme myös jääkiekko peli, ja satoi lunta. Sunnuntaina kävin hiihto ensimmäistä kertaa myös! Mutta se oli todella kylmä! (Se oli -27c)  Mä puhuin vain Suomea, ja ihmiset ymmärsivät minua! (He vain nauroivat vähän) ;)


Viime viikolla, opettajani antoi minulle suomen kieli koe, ja sain 8.5! Yayyyyy! Se oli tosi hyvä!


Tällä viikolla on koeviikko, mutta mun on vain 2 koe. Historia ja Maantiedea, mutta mun maantiedea koe on vain suomeksi, niin se on ei hyvä haha, mutta mä voin yrittää. Mä täytyy on myös kirjoittaa vain suomeksi. (Ehkä mä itken perjantaina hahaha)


Mun historia koe on helppoa, koska se on erilainen kuin mun luokkatoverit. Ja se on hyvä. :D


I thought I would tell you about the weekend that I just had, and about the little things that I have learned from it. It was actually a really cool experience for me in MANY ways, because I learned a whole lot more than what was planned! :)

Im not sure if I can explain it all very well, but I will try my best and add some pictures while I go. :D


This last Friday, my host parents and I left for Lapland again to stay for the weekend. We didn't leave until pretty late in the evening, so we didn't arrive to our final destination until almost 2am! (It was pretty late!)

BUT! I have a story to tell you!

 

During our drive to Lapland, I was falling asleep in the backseat- and my host dad woke me up, and was pointing out the window. (I didn't really understand what was going on, because after a certain time in the evening, I get so tiered that I don't understand Finnish anymore, and English is out the window from my brain at this time too, so im just kind of an empty sack.) BUT that's beside the point...

I couldn't tell what he was pointing at, because it was so dark outside; but he kept on pointing- and then I finally saw it!

You could SEE the Northern Lights above SWEDEN!!!

They were pretty faint, but STILL....

NORTHERN LIGHTS....OVER SWEDEN!

Do you know how cool that is?!

Geez!!!!


Anyways,

That was pretty amazing!


On Saturday, I went snowboarding for the first time with my host dad! (It was TECNICALLY my second time...but it was my first time actually TRYING, so I call it my first time.) My host dad is a ski instructor, and so it was nice that he was good at teaching!

However...we only speak in Finnish to each other, so it was REALLY  difficult for us to communicate! I couldn't understand anything that he was telling me, and he tried REALLY hard to get me to understand what he was trying to explain to me. (And I am so incredibly lucky to have a really patient Host-Dad, because im sure that this situation would be REALLY irritating and frustrating!)

Eventually after A LOT of work, we found a system that worked...we ended up dumbing it down A LOT.

We would have to sit down and draw in the snow to understand each other and what we were trying to say, and he would explain things to me by saying really simple words that I could understand.

For example:

When he was explaining to me that I had to LOOK in the direction I was going, he would yell out, "LOOK AT THE RED LIGHT, LOOK AT THE RED LIGHT, LOOK AT THE RED LIGHT!"

And then when I would switch directions, he would yell out, "LOOK AT THE YELLOW PICTURE, LOOK AT THE YELLOW PICTURE, LOOK AT THE YELLOW PICTURE!"

And then I finally understood that he meant that I needed to look in whatever direction I was going, because he was yelling out things that I could see in the direction I was going.


When my host dad was explaining to me how to switch directions, I couldn't understand what he was saying; so we ended up sitting in the snow and drawing pictures. And that helped A LOT.

We probably looked REALLY silly to everyone who was in hearing distance...but it didn't matter because we found a system of communication that WORKED and one we could BOTH understand.



This experience was really interesting for me, because it taught me that you DO NOT have to switch into a language you mutually understand when there is a miscommunication or a language barrier. You CAN find ways to communicate, instead of switching into a mutually known language...even when you both speak different languages.


I learned this lesson a SECOND time this weekend, when my host dad left to play ice hockey for the evening. I decided to cook dinner with my host mom, but it was a little tricky at first. Like with my host dad, my host mom and I only communicate in Finnish.

I didn't really understand what to do at first, but she showed me the recipe and told me to put all of the items she listed in the bowl. I didn't understand everything she was telling me to do, but she started using hand motions to go along with what she was telling me- and then I finally understood that she wanted me to mix them all together.

Eventually, I caught on- and I figured out the rest from there, and I ended up making dinner almost all by myself!

Making Finnish pizza!

 

 

And now time for the cheese!

 

My Final product! :D

(My host mom even told me that I was awesome at making Finnish pizza haha!)

 

 

I started learning different terms for things, and names for spices and different food items...It was really fun! It was a little difficult at first, because I didn't understand; but that was okay because I eventually caught on to what was being said!

 

I LOVE having a host family that ONLY speaks to me in Finnish. It is frustrating sometimes, and I cant even start to imagine just how frustrating it is for them! But I am SO glad that they are super patient with me and willing to explain things SO many times for me to finally understand what is being said.

 

I cant imagine hosting an Exchange Student who BARELY speaks my language, and who never even HEARD my language spoken until they arrived in my home...I cant even start to think how hard it must be for my host family sometimes, but I am sure glad that they stick to speaking to me in only Finnish. They are SO, SO incredibly patient with the Exchange Student they have in their house. (Who is me haha!) :D

 

 

Along with that, this weekend it was THE COLDEST WEEKEND OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!

 

I have NEVER, EVER experienced anything below -6 Celsius before. (I think its 18 in F.)

 

This weekend it was -22, and -27 degrees Celsius at night...which is almost -20 degrees in F!

 

It was literally PAINFULL and scary haha! But I loved every single moment of it! :)

 

 

The view out my window in the morning.

 

 

 

 

As a little side note: It must have been so funny for my host family to watch me literally run from the car inside, and then they would find me standing by the fireplace haha! My host dad  actually asked me once this weekend if I was cold while I was standing in front of the fireplace, and to that I replied, "Outside is cold...but here is warm, so im happy." :)

 

 

 

Overall, this weekend I learned A LOT of things...Not just the basics of Finnish Cooking, Skiing, Snowboarding, and how to survive the COLDEST day of my life haha; but I learned that you really CAN communicate with people in different ways when you speak another language.

 

 

So many people ALWAYS switch into English when they speak to me, especially at school. And yet, I have found that you CAN communicate without a mutually known language. Although it is frustrating, and takes a lot of patience...you can make it work, and eventually you find a way to communicate. :)

 

I wish that everyone would do this with me, instead of only my host family and a handful of my friends...I feel as though with a total immersion, everyone speaking Finnish to me everywhere I go, I would learn Finnish SO much faster instead of little tastes of the language here and there with people who are willing to speak Finnish with me. (Im sure the fact that I mention this in almost every post I write about learning Finnish gets annoying, so I will try to stop haha.)

 

The good thing though, is that a few exchange students and I speak Finnglish to each other, so that's always interesting haha. We say everything in Finnish up until we don't know a word. (Then we say the word in English haha.) So our conversations probably sound really funny when we are out in public. We've gotten a few stares and weird looks...but they are all worth it, because it means that we are learning haha. :D

 

We have started ordering things in Finnish every time we can, and sometimes people who hear us try to hold back laughter...which IS really embarrassing, but that's okay because we KNOW we sound silly! (And especially with our accents, we KNOW we sound really ridiculous and strange to Finns haha.) :)

 

But that's what makes it so much more fun to speak Finnish!

 

Also as a little side note:

 

This weekend, I also decided to start updating my blog a lot more. I think that using a blog is MUCH easier than posting short little updates on facebook and hundreds of pictures that don't really go along with anything...When I make a blog post, things are much more explained and organized, and people who read it are actually interested in what I am posting instead of just random facebook posts that don't really apply to anything and pictures which are randomly posted without an explanation that no one really wants to see...PLUS, I have realized this past weekend when I didn't have any internet, that I am MUCH, MUCH happier on my exchange WITHOUT facebook.  

 

This past weekend, that awkward phase of exchange went COMPLETELY away, and I was actually having the time of my life! SURE, there were lots of distractions from it, but I think part of that was that I had no way to use internet...it was absolutely great! (And to anyone on facebook, please don't take it personally! I still have email...but I really do think that bloging is a much better choice when it comes to updating about my exchange.) :)

 

SO, until then, be prepared for more posts! :D

 

 

 

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That Awkward Moment

I remember last year, sitting at Rotary Oreintations with all of the other Outbound Students while we talked about things like Culture Shock, and Hosickness, and Learning a New Language- and all that fun stuff.

I remember a Rotarian telling us that if our Exchange didnt have ups and downs ALL time time, and that if it only stayed neutral, that we werent experiencing our exchange year correctly...

And this is what I wanted to post about...

those crazy ups and downs.

Now, I DONT want you all thinking that I am homesick, or having a bad time, or just plainly hating life...because that is TOTALLY not the case! (I just always post about the ups, and never about the downs- and I think that this is an important thing to address as an Exchange Student.)

As an Exchange Student, the first few months are GLORIOUS...ABSOLUTLY glorious.

Everything is new.

Everything is different. 

Everyone is speaking a different language. 

You see things and do things you have never done before. 

Its just glorious!

But then as things get into routine, and everything settles in...you experience a pretty bad low. (Or at least I did.) It wasnt that I was homesick, or that I missed a lot of things from home, or that I was talking to my friends from home too much or anything like that...I just cant really explain it, or WHY I was feeling so low.

I guess I was kind of always trying to speak Finnish, and listen to Finnish, and try to do my school work in Finnish. I had to translate all of my notes, so I was doing all of my school work TWICE in a day; and I just never really got a break.

As all of this is happening, you feel like you always have to be super happy, and smiling, and interesting...because you just want to fit the profile of a typical exchange student.

I thought I would make a post about this phase of Exchange, because I know that many other exchange students from my home district are also going through this. It has been hitting us all at different times, and to different degress..and I am offically one of the LAST ones to get to this phase. 

I thought it was never going to hit me...but alas, I was wrong. :/

I decided to post kind of about what other exchange students (and myself) have gone through during this phase, and kind of talk about it through my point of view as well as others. 

1.) You are tired all the time.

I am actually naturally just tired all the time in my home country, so I guess this is something I would experience either way! 

You are always speaking another language, and going to school in another langauge, and EVERYTHING around you is just moving fast, and it doesnt stop. 

You are trying to study this foriegn language, and trying to speak it all the time...and while you are doing this, you are still trying to be the always-happy foreign exchange student; who is absolutly exhausted all the time.

And in Finland, the sun sets really early- so its dark a lot of the time, which doesnt really help you to stay awake. 

(I was actually SO tired once after translating all of my notes from school, that I went to bed at 7.30.)

2.) You use social media/ skype a lot. 

 

I have only skyped home once, however I know that some other exchange students probably skype more that I do.

I HAVE been guilty about using facebook..but its hard to explain because I dont actually talk with a whole lot of people from home. (AGAIN, I apologize to any of my friends from home who read this...) 

I think the reason why I use it so much, is because I really dont have very many people to hang out with in my Host Country yet, and things are still settling in at school and what not. 

During this stage in Exchange, you are just kind of bored and you dont really have hobbies in your host country yet and you dont really have good enough friends to just call up and do things with yet. (Not that you are bored with your host country, but that you just dont know anyone well enough to hang out with them or to message them.)

3.) You start getting lazy with your host language

At this stage, you kind of get lazy with studying your host language- and you fall into habit of just speaking English (or whichever your native language is). You kind of fall behind with speaking and studying.

In this part of your exchange, you REALLY have to just force yourself to study, and to keep on speaking- even if you dont really want to. 

And sometimes this is hard for me when I have a bad day, and I just DONT want to deal with miscommunication and not understanding people, because they all speak English anways. (BUT its something that ive been working on!)

Part of your key to getting out of this stage of Exchange is actually learning your Host-Language more. It opens A LOT of doors in your exchange, and even though its frusterating now- itll be worth it, because then most of these problems will all be taken care of. 

My personal Experience...

 

In my case, everything was GREAT until I started having skip hours EVERY single day at school. While everyone else was in class, I had 2-4 hours every single day of just sitting around alone, waiting for my next class to start... 

I had to sit alone every day for at least two hours. (Sometimes a total of 4 hours a day, if the day was Tuesday.) And then after school, it would be totally dark and I would just go home and then translate all of my notes from school, because it was too late to do anything else after school. (My day would always end at 4pm, unless I had Finnish class and then I wouldnt be home until around 8.30.)

And this is all that I did for a few weeks. 

I think that NOW since classes are ending, and we are getting new ones- that things will get a WHOLE lot better...like NIGHT and DAY difference because I wont just have to sit around the school by myself every single day and now im starting to actually get friends at school and such. 

 Over-all, this stage in my exchange only lasted for a few weeks- and now I think that its not going to be long until its over. (I think the switch in classes will help a lot.)

I know that im not the only Exchange Student going through this phase of Exchange in Finland, but I think a lot of the reason why a lot of us are, is because that its so dark a lot of the time, and none of us really have lot of friends at school yet and people to talk to...so its just sort of a really depressing mood to have when its dark, and your cold, and you are just kind of alone with no one to really talk to...

BUT I mean, it doenst last all the time; and most of the time we are all super happy and everything! Just sometimes you get really down, and sort of depressed because of this awkward phase of exchange...

Im sure that once the classes end, and we get new classes and with the change and the holidays coming up; everything will perk up again and this phase will be offically over with!

(LIKE I SAID, dont get me wrong! I am still having the time of my life! Its not that im homesick, or anything of the sort...this is just one of those awkward exchange student phases and downs that I wanted to post about. I dont think an exchange blog should JUST be about all of the up´s you experience. They should be the ups, and downs, and everything inbetween.) :D 

One Year Ago/ Language Update

I got to thinking, and I realized that exactly ONE year ago THIS last weekend, I was called and told that my Rotary Club was selecting me to be their Long-Term Exchange student!

November 17th, 2012 I was called by the Youth Exchange Officer in my Rotary Club, and I was told that I was going on exchange. I even remember the EXACT phone call, and what we said.

Exactly a YEAR ago last weekend, I was accepted into the Rotary Youth Exchange Program!

Yaayyyyyyy!!!!!


Its crazy to think that im currently listening to a song that I wouldn't have understood last year, sitting in a bedroom that is MY bedroom, in a COMPLETLY different house...a COMPLETLY different country.

Its crazy to think that I am now speaking a language that I had NEVER heard one year ago; and im using it EVERYDAY. EVEYWHERE Finnish.


I LOVE Finnish. I LOVE Finland.

I cant even imagine myself last year, not knowing basically ANYTHING about the Finnish language, and Finland as a country. It literally IS mind blowing.

I used to speak pretty good French. I lived in France the Summer before my Exchange year, and I was GOOD at French. I studied French in school, and I loved listening to it...I got good grades in French. I could understand people when they spoke French...And now my Finnish is better than my French EVER was. (I actually cant even remember how to speak it anymore...)

I cant even think about going back home and NOT speaking Finnish. I cant think about going back to a place where almost no one speaks Finnish...where almost no one knows this language that I am now using every single day. Where so little people have ever even heard it spoken.

Now hold up, - my Finnish is NOT that good. In fact its amazing if I say anything grammatically correct! But I still use it EVERY single day, and speak it almost the ENTIRE day.

I stutter. I always have to repeat myself. And what I say really isn't grammatically correct.

But I TRY, and people can understand me. (for the most part.) :)

BUT this is where I am going to with this post, I guess. (A few of my friends at school have actually asked me to update my blog, so I guess that means that its been a little while since ive posted anything about whats been happening and such!) so I will use this post as a little miniature update until I can really sit down and add pictures and such.

1.) My language skills

FIRST comes first, FINNISH. There is a HUGE improvement since the last time I posted.

HUGE, HUGE, HUGE.

 Last time I talked about this, I was really frustrated with how bad my Finnish was, and how little I was able to speak. I posted about how little people would speak it with me, and how I REALLY wanted to speak Finnish...

Fast forward to now: HUUUUUUGGGEEEE improvement!

I started speaking 100% Finnish with my host family about 3 weeks ago; so since then I have only been speaking Finnish with my host family in all of our conversations and phone calls/text messages.

At school MORE and MORE people are speaking to me in Finnish, and it is literally AMAZING!!!!

It actually look a really, really long time for me to get people at school to speak to me in Finnish; because almost everyone speaks English- and Finnish is not a very common language, so they don't really expect me to understand or be able to speak. (The expectation for an Exchange Student to learn Finnish is pretty low.)  And that is kind of sad, I think. It was this reason why it was REALLY hard to start speaking Finnish at school!

But now, almost everyone at school speaks to me in Finnish- and its actually really cool!

I get a little embarrassed about it sometimes, because when I am talking with someone in the hallway, heads ALWAYS turn my way, and people sometimes LITERALLY stop and listen to me speak Finnish!!!

Who knew that speaking Finnish would be such a head turner?!

It makes me feel kind of embarrassed when people just stop to listen to me speak, or they turn their heads to see because they can hear me speaking! (My accent is so bad, and I stutter; so its VERY obvious when I speak Finnish!) But at the same time, it feels kind of...interesting to have people just stop and listen to me speak in the middle of the hallway. (I don't know a word to describe it, but its not bad!)

People always ask me why I want to learn Finnish SO badly, and they ask me why I don't just speak English during my ExchangeYear like some other exchange students who come to Finland. And my answer is confusing, but simple at the same time...

Of course I want to learn Finnish for A LOT of reasons. But the reason why I want to learn MORE Finnish than JUST being able to easily get by, is becuase  its different having a conversation with people in English than it is when I speak to them in Finnish. Its hard to explain...but I will try my best. (And it might sound cheesy!) :D

"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.
If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart."

I feel like this quote is the BEST way to describe it...

Just the WAY people look at me is different when I speak Finnish. Their eyes light up, and they smile, and it turns into a REAL genuine conversation instead of just a way of communicating.

And I love it.


Almost everyone who I talk to at school speaks to me in Finnish, and I even know people who have only heard me speak English only a hand-full of times! (Even though my Finnish is so bad!)

My friends are actually great. REALLY great. They are so incredibly patient with me, and willing to help me with my Finnish. I can understand ALMOST everything that people say, but of course they have to still speak slowly and I have to say, "What?" a lot of the time...But they are so incredibly helpful because they STILL speak Finnish to me, and they listen to me when I try to talk to them in Finnish.

A lot of people dont expect me to learn Finnish, and so most of the time people dont really expect me to understand what they say; so when most people meet me they will almost ALWAYS speak in English.

And its REALLY incredible when im with my friends, and they actually step into the conversation and correct the person speaking English to me; and they tell them to speak to me in Finnish and tell them that I can understand.

You have NO idea just how good that feels!!!

When I think about it, they actually have to be pretty good friends if we both know that it would be MUCH easier and faster for everyone if we just spoke in English- because they already speak English! BUT instead they actually speak to me in Finnish, just because of how badly I want to learn.  

Friends is actually the downfall of my exchange, and its very embarassing for me to admit...but finding friends is THE single hardest thing for me, being an exchange student in Finland. (And its SO embarassing for me to tell people that.)

In Finland, it takes a very long time to make friends. You have to really know a person for a long time before you befriend them, and you cant really understand why its like that unless you have spent a good amount of time in Finland. (I cant really BEST explain Finnish culture unless you yourself have experienced it, and learned to understand it, but I try my best.)

But THIS is where I boast about my friends again. (And I know that quite a few of my Finnish friends read my blog, and so if I embarass you, im sorry!) :)

They always encourage me to keep trying to talk to people, and to not give up on trying to make friends and to not be ashamed of my horrible Finnish. (Which sounds really cheesey when I write it down haha.) :)

They tell me that in Finland it just takes time to make friends, and to not feel like people just dont want to talk to me or befriend me; because they do. They tell me just to walk up and talk to people, even if they look closed off- because inside, they really DO want you to talk to them. And coming from my Finnish friends, that means A LOT to me.

And I KNOW that this all sound very cheesy...but I feel as though I need to write about both the ups AND the downs of my exchange...and this is for sure of those downs that im hoping I get over in the next few weeks. :D