tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72883966884190342962024-03-13T02:20:27.391-07:00NiceInTheFinnishWaySophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-57991601192523630962011-10-15T06:18:00.000-07:002011-10-15T06:19:25.341-07:00Euro-Tour- 86 Exchange Students, 19 Days, 9 Countries (Days 6 to 7)<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b>Day 6 </b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The 6<sup>th</sup> Day of Euro-tour began in Paris, with a visit to Versailles. I was excited to be visiting the home of Marie-Antoinette. The palace is beautiful, but I was surprised that the rooms were not the same as I had seen on TV, or maybe I didn’t see all the rooms, Versailles is massive, easily twice the size of the Hermitage (or at least I remember it feeling bigger) the ceilings are higher, and the building is huge from the outside too. There is even more gold then in Russia too! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_aTBLBalm2PbhQkonY3sX_VRoUlM-x_Gf2pf9aqBF9u13y7T5ShNuHWWJ-tGd9HUFeCpM1rWDZFz3J-kpe9p5hDnjtHK9E5NoMZD3jX50s3Nx_ycmNHXsXOe-cKKy4q6vdRjk1DW9Dw/s1600/IMG_4196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7_aTBLBalm2PbhQkonY3sX_VRoUlM-x_Gf2pf9aqBF9u13y7T5ShNuHWWJ-tGd9HUFeCpM1rWDZFz3J-kpe9p5hDnjtHK9E5NoMZD3jX50s3Nx_ycmNHXsXOe-cKKy4q6vdRjk1DW9Dw/s320/IMG_4196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We had audio guides that told us a bit about the history of the place, but it was hard to concentrate on anything because there was so many people everywhere. I have never seen so many people in one place at one time in my life. It was packed. There also seemed to be many cute French children who shouted all their English knowledge at passing tourists. They were probably the highlight of the visit because the crowds made it almost impossible to take in any of the beauty of the palace. <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">The gardens were fantastic and I wish I had spent my time outside instead of inside. It was easily the best backyard in the world, and it looked like it went on forever. I was just perfect.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">After lunch (which unfortunately resembled Finnish school food in taste and appearance) we had a bus tour of the city. I think I like Paris and I can see why everyone goes on about it so much. Its like the real thing, and I can see where imitation French style comes from now. It is pretty everywhere and I little bit dusty so it has an interesting atmosphere. I didn’t take many photos of the tour because it was raining the whole time and I couldn’t see much, so my memories of how Paris looks, comes from the next day when we were left to explore the city on our own. </div><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">We ended the tour but climbing to the top of the Eiffel Tower, (in the lift). A word of warning for future travellers do not bring flags with you to Paris, because when you try to go up the Eiffel Tower they will be taken from you forcefully and put in the bin. The bin bag will then be changed while you are at the top, and the explanation given will be-this is the Law of the Eiffel Tower.</div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguarexUqWKnES2TdBpHNvCWNSPFT58kTgiVd1F5P5gF5IZvsSedHK7YSZ9kJ9qBtu7YIgQCRU2-dMXyoHQ4Rg6IvDZ-i5eSX7_wYAZlmT-oP0JFn_1NUbu0i-Ei7RQ7Rr76LmAOuLvKgc/s1600/IMG_4260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguarexUqWKnES2TdBpHNvCWNSPFT58kTgiVd1F5P5gF5IZvsSedHK7YSZ9kJ9qBtu7YIgQCRU2-dMXyoHQ4Rg6IvDZ-i5eSX7_wYAZlmT-oP0JFn_1NUbu0i-Ei7RQ7Rr76LmAOuLvKgc/s320/IMG_4260.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Before we had to be back at the hotel we had some free time, I visited a Tribal Art Museum with 3 of my friends. I don’t think I would recommend going in as the collection wasn’t very interesting but the outside of the building was really nice. It was covered in different kinds of plants and where it wasn’t there was glass. I think I would like to live in a house like that maybe.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">We then were taken to a kebab shop by one of the exchange students who were from Paris. The food was great, and in France they put French fries in their kebabs, which tastes lovely.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</style> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Day 7</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Day 7 was our first completely free day, we were told to be back in the hotel for breakfast the next morning at 8am. The lesson I learnt from this day was to plan ahead. 1 day might seem like a short time but it is not, you can do a lot, but you need a plan. We did not have one, and I wish we would have. It was still a pleasant day. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>We explored the city,</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span> ate amazing chocolate cake, </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>looked at shops, </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>got lost </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>and lost again, (one good thing about Paris is that even if you can’t get lost after a while walking in one direction you know exactly where you are-this is suprising because the city seems like a bit of a maze.)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Got on the wrong train and ending up in what we affectionately called the armpit of Paris.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>ate many crepes</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>met a lovely lost dog, who we thought was lost but was actually part of a street show where a cat was attached to the same lead as the dog and they sat together with the intention of looking cute. It was a bit sick really.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>tricked a caricature artist into thinking it was my birthday-I now have a drawing from him saying ‘Happy Birthday in Paris’ which I got for a discount price. A passing Eiffel Tower Key-ring seller passed and overheard and I got a free key-ring as well for my ‘Birthday’</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>We ate candy floss under the Eiffel Tower </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>Met and exchange small talk with other travellers</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>And headed back to the hotel on the last train tired with sore feet from walking all day.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-indent: -18pt;"><br />
</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-57609909231456526572011-09-18T03:59:00.000-07:002011-09-18T03:59:37.665-07:00Quick Update - More later So I haven't written anything in ages so hear are are few highlights of the past 2 months (or more) and I will write more about them later. I have been super busy and I am tired almost all of my free time when I should be updating my blog, but I will try soon I promise, I still haven't finish writing about Euro-tour and that even before I start writing about all the fantastic things that have happened since.<br />
<br />
The summer was fantastic, I spent a lot of time swimming in the lake and river and my host family took me on a trip to southern Finland. We first visited Tampere and I spend time with a German exchange student who had spent her exchange year there and was about to go home. From there we spent a few days around the Helsinki area, I did a lot of shopping with Essi my host sister and we stayed with my host father's brothers and sisters. We spent one day on Savonlinna an old fortress on a island which was a key part of defeating the Russians. The island is about 30 km from Helsinki and we took the ferry. It was absolutely beautiful and we had a picnic lunch and I went swimming in the Gulf of Finland.<br />
<br />
On of my best friend from Australia, Evelyn had been planning to come to visit Finland with her Dad as they had been on a cruise around Scandinavia, so when we were in the car on the way back from Helsinki I got a text message from her saying that they were sitting outside the local supermarket. It was really nice to see them, they were in Lieksa for the weekend. I took them on a tour of the town on their first night. The same day Lieksa Brass Week, Lieksa's main town event had started, so the next day, Saturday, we went to see different things that were happening around the town. Evelyn and I went to visit one of my good Finnish friend's house as she was going on Rotary Summer exchange the next day, and we spent Sunday with my host parents at their Summer cottage. It was really nice to have her meet everyone so next year when I talk about everyone she knows exactly who I am talking about.<br />
<br />
Last week my band got the chance to play for the President of Finland. It was so exciting to see her, all the Lieksa kids and I had wide open mouths when we saw her. She is really funny too. We played a concert for her during the day in a nearby city, she only stayed for the first half and then we provided background music for a dinner she attended that night. She cracked a joke too! The dinner was for a forestry convention and it was an informal dinner. The key note speaker a man from India gave a small toast there. He said as soon as we heard it was a informal dinner President Halonen tried to cut off my tie, and after he said this the president shouted out "But I didn't".<br />
<br />
I have also started circus school which I love, there has only been one class so far but it is so much fun. It is a small group of girls and we are starting to learn basic acrobatics.<br />
<br />
Last weekend I was at a Rotary District Camp in Central Finland. It was really nice to meet all the exchange students who have just arrived and spend time with 4 of the Australians who I arrived with. The rebounds were also there so my host sister from my next family Johanna who was in Kempsey NSW last year was also at the camp. It was such a fun weekend!<br />
<br />
<br />
MORE SOONSophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-67133407602971670222011-08-16T02:50:00.000-07:002011-08-16T05:51:26.461-07:00Back to SchoolThe Summer is now over, and this morning I had to wake up and get ready for the school day. Not only was it hard to wake up earlier then I had all summer, but I had made myself the promise that from now on I will only speak Finnish in School, so I was also worried about how that would go.<br />
<br />
Now although I already broke the no English Rule, (I spoke in English with the School Councilor when I chose my subjects, and with a friend over Lunch) I spoke more Finnish then I ever have at Lieksan Lukio. I am determined to achieve my goal of speaking Finnish well. This means speaking it at school and tomorrow when classes begin, there will be no slip ups. If I achieve this I will buy myself a bar of chocolate as a reward.<br />
<br />
But the first day back was quite ok. I was only in school between 9 and 11:30ish. We had a short assembly and then a information lesson with our home class. I got a free school diary with coupons for discounts at H&M and some food stores. This was the first highlight of my day. After this lesson was finished I went to choose my new timetable. I am now taking 2 classes of English (the same course with two different classes) - probably a bad idea in hindsight but its a break - Finnish, Psychology, Heath Sciences, Music and only one class of Sport. Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-47062438974478594012011-07-25T07:06:00.000-07:002011-07-25T10:05:52.042-07:00Euro-Tour- 86 Exchange Students, 19 Days, 9 Countries (Days 1 to 5)<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Day One;</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had an early start to the Euro-tour, waking up at 4 am so I could arrive in Joensuu on time of my 6:40am train to get to Turku which is in the South West corner of Finland. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was a long train trip, but I met up with more and more of the exchangers as I got closer to Turku, so the time past without boredom.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We arrived in Turku at 2pm and took a taxi to the port where met up with all the 86 exchange students who we would be spending the next 19 days with. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We would first be taking an overnight ferry to Stockholm; it didn’t leave until 7pm so I spend the afternoon catching up with my friends on the grass at the bottom of Turku’s castle. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It felt so strange that Euro-tour was actually starting. I remember on Karkku Euro-Tour seemed like forever away. Some of the Oldies who were not coming on the Trip had also come to the harbour to say their final goodbyes, before they headed home ending their exchange. The start trip also meant that when we returned to Finland most of the Oldies had only a few days or weeks before it was time for them to return to their home countries. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitp_hdVGQ7BkRXkOjrtSdLaOWeUPGPCnD9La2qeeLjvuY9xpwEaulSkVdrmg2b6DeTnXu3jv6Eoxu74iB74c1cWBVLuGiXx3z8iPC7nKmAgP406etMXYSz4Q8brki9SWrBcVhDwvbsBQ/s1600/IMG_3724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitp_hdVGQ7BkRXkOjrtSdLaOWeUPGPCnD9La2qeeLjvuY9xpwEaulSkVdrmg2b6DeTnXu3jv6Eoxu74iB74c1cWBVLuGiXx3z8iPC7nKmAgP406etMXYSz4Q8brki9SWrBcVhDwvbsBQ/s400/IMG_3724.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Turku</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvRfJQZZlfbru8j5UIJlqmWl8ReyJvsB555m6v0u_wusCQXySEEVcVPPlEfeK13mPk70LitKSJlA8a8PCEuaVlzvNb9QwzQXlSgdTBmWlU9hxp_xWZmvWT0BDzEq68eiuGIMWYD-x75Q/s1600/IMG_3729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvRfJQZZlfbru8j5UIJlqmWl8ReyJvsB555m6v0u_wusCQXySEEVcVPPlEfeK13mPk70LitKSJlA8a8PCEuaVlzvNb9QwzQXlSgdTBmWlU9hxp_xWZmvWT0BDzEq68eiuGIMWYD-x75Q/s400/IMG_3729.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho1sOCrh_0s4Z4Y2eHPYwrwrHyW9FB4zy-9OJZ9IWEEkNW-PMMKKiyhxWazFABONNeZ3K3gtizlXYUK6UFvELM00oZfYzx9l4QyY_fS_DnsYeRRovMZuBYAqAAS19qhtVNfBcMpC-3a8/s1600/IMG_3730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgho1sOCrh_0s4Z4Y2eHPYwrwrHyW9FB4zy-9OJZ9IWEEkNW-PMMKKiyhxWazFABONNeZ3K3gtizlXYUK6UFvELM00oZfYzx9l4QyY_fS_DnsYeRRovMZuBYAqAAS19qhtVNfBcMpC-3a8/s400/IMG_3730.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The ship we were on was HUGE and really fancy. The food was also really good, which is always nice. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After dinner we headed off to the Karaoke Disco for the night. Almost all the exchange students were there. Two groups of Australians sang some karaoke numbers as well as several Finns, while however many exchange students sang loudly alone and danced up a storm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At one point a bald heavy metal type man came to the stage. His song choice began slowly and he began with his back to the audience. One exchange student who is a fan of this kind of music went into some kind of trance when the song started. As the song continued it picked up and our French Canadian friend began head banging, while we just looked on in amazement.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrVsL4y0NuBNAHeJHn9iy1yCVckdfWDcVVFtxvV1Fh6K7rLBH82WDRfwk-BmA15Z4Ft2SAySyhxXzkk9QMLpHMPTC39rcsV5XGhhFEPD2C8p25NWSSrxzOd3oXJ_xWsaBP1iXahgXCAM/s1600/IMG_3737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyrVsL4y0NuBNAHeJHn9iy1yCVckdfWDcVVFtxvV1Fh6K7rLBH82WDRfwk-BmA15Z4Ft2SAySyhxXzkk9QMLpHMPTC39rcsV5XGhhFEPD2C8p25NWSSrxzOd3oXJ_xWsaBP1iXahgXCAM/s400/IMG_3737.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was such a good way to begin the tour.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Day 2.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> We woke up, ate another delicious boat meal. (Overall this was probably the best food we got on Euro-tour) And headed out from our cabins, and onto the buses our home for the next 19 days. There were 2 buses and I was on bus 1. Affectionately known as the non-Latin bus. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We drove through Sweden making a quick stop, at Franssons Polkagristillverkning- a boiled sweets factory. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfugU8xLnCBqkBjtVhb9DPCHBnYpeeK5p6FobGP-57Vmnfw5SI2CHnJNqKOJnJClRSe5nJPkzawGMGMaRaYdUleF1eaoUSAVqE3ZPCKRDpLUD6cIA_G5virjJZ_GE1EpBKA-8Bd_1Mf0/s1600/IMG_3746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRfugU8xLnCBqkBjtVhb9DPCHBnYpeeK5p6FobGP-57Vmnfw5SI2CHnJNqKOJnJClRSe5nJPkzawGMGMaRaYdUleF1eaoUSAVqE3ZPCKRDpLUD6cIA_G5virjJZ_GE1EpBKA-8Bd_1Mf0/s400/IMG_3746.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxraEeuhcQ8xpJbdr-unA6sKf1bDalP0yvW_nNypbNljvfhj6A0Kb-D65CfbfdihZ_TvATuoJk_ej0ABw9lky1bMZrWM-iaeU-ohXPK7DOkdul30YRF78U0xFiTmewBpc4g_P3iZeYdg/s1600/IMG_3747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxraEeuhcQ8xpJbdr-unA6sKf1bDalP0yvW_nNypbNljvfhj6A0Kb-D65CfbfdihZ_TvATuoJk_ej0ABw9lky1bMZrWM-iaeU-ohXPK7DOkdul30YRF78U0xFiTmewBpc4g_P3iZeYdg/s400/IMG_3747.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqsrDLZNPUfkp3qrkkKKfC1aXZuQoXZcoCIeaanJIfDF88eu8FJX-UKUbkz9wzy1pRb_CvqvsxvnyL65bPDEW32RCvI78DPp5G8-_vtmHIbhWN6G0URCqmZxD36YhMbyUOuHSdPbjGv8/s1600/IMG_3755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsqsrDLZNPUfkp3qrkkKKfC1aXZuQoXZcoCIeaanJIfDF88eu8FJX-UKUbkz9wzy1pRb_CvqvsxvnyL65bPDEW32RCvI78DPp5G8-_vtmHIbhWN6G0URCqmZxD36YhMbyUOuHSdPbjGv8/s400/IMG_3755.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our next stop on Swedish shores was at the harbour, so we could take the ferry to Denmark. We spend the trip on the top deck stretching our arms our so it looked like we were touching both Sweden and Denmark at the same time.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Copenhagen was hands down my favourite city of the whole tour. As soon as it came into sight it was amazing. The buildings are beautiful. The port that we came into was right in the middle of a group of really nice old buildings and wasn’t one of those large industrial ports. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGeynGz-Q_AaQdim7xS2cjcNk8ZFhqqfXvZZ6Cy1awyi0X_VGWpEhbY7iuF7W2w7ePJC__t-FvYtWyq0qQNp37fdxDJv9qVr_dklWbChUMrjMDMwFH6LWpqPwqaJ7IKzGMWpQmskHt4g/s1600/IMG_3788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGeynGz-Q_AaQdim7xS2cjcNk8ZFhqqfXvZZ6Cy1awyi0X_VGWpEhbY7iuF7W2w7ePJC__t-FvYtWyq0qQNp37fdxDJv9qVr_dklWbChUMrjMDMwFH6LWpqPwqaJ7IKzGMWpQmskHt4g/s400/IMG_3788.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Statue of Hans Christian Anderson</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73B3zplqz78tdZt3Q9WB_iblMPSz_LLzveadrrzowdjhe8uM8kZzlhD4ir0dBIpnQFSQORSJGDkMzmrMa5qcUjXrMDBPZCjwxfT4PETVzYiSHAlSblMP9xeL3BpXr6KXJKZChMp8fg0o/s1600/IMG_3776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi73B3zplqz78tdZt3Q9WB_iblMPSz_LLzveadrrzowdjhe8uM8kZzlhD4ir0dBIpnQFSQORSJGDkMzmrMa5qcUjXrMDBPZCjwxfT4PETVzYiSHAlSblMP9xeL3BpXr6KXJKZChMp8fg0o/s400/IMG_3776.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">That evening after a quick exploratory trip around the city with one of my friends, we headed to Tivoli the original amusement park for the evening. Going into the Tivoli was like walking into the past, it looks just like the movies set in the late 19<sup>th</sup> Century. Even the modern rides had been made to look vintage. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfP2cnqHOV8QszwvJQ6XDpIXC3H9rowfZvJgpHUkhqvSHMctJ-3H2tAwjBVaEmFuun0mq89MJSvOTP6tUP2mqjnJiYEBa035Qu4qqOSVnDf9O_DNhE1dDw1xYrR5wVbhD42tq6iyQ6NE/s1600/IMG_3812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOfP2cnqHOV8QszwvJQ6XDpIXC3H9rowfZvJgpHUkhqvSHMctJ-3H2tAwjBVaEmFuun0mq89MJSvOTP6tUP2mqjnJiYEBa035Qu4qqOSVnDf9O_DNhE1dDw1xYrR5wVbhD42tq6iyQ6NE/s400/IMG_3812.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EGrhj0ox-M2m9db2b2Q5ng7ffjitDkNDn5HOmRWgpmQz312Jao-E_RaphBl66U-h2Egbh6gCAzewAVdlay05NbI-ZJg8xmHkdajNEJgmagsAmq2MMVF-nRfnHgfbDylcvlMoYc0yRmA/s1600/IMG_3825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EGrhj0ox-M2m9db2b2Q5ng7ffjitDkNDn5HOmRWgpmQz312Jao-E_RaphBl66U-h2Egbh6gCAzewAVdlay05NbI-ZJg8xmHkdajNEJgmagsAmq2MMVF-nRfnHgfbDylcvlMoYc0yRmA/s400/IMG_3825.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Clown in the Silent Pantamime in Tivoli</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdakKfOsVDX5Y7vM0Hp3V8PrBahBKXVkclewvhiLncCF945qVU-oLWkFGk40nxWVOI7Q6pETz-sthP1YQluDWZA2GDi_Y96CoFNSsIx2JCde_luOT8JhVvFQFCfynIZ4jRE8QvsUNiwQ/s1600/IMG_3839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAdakKfOsVDX5Y7vM0Hp3V8PrBahBKXVkclewvhiLncCF945qVU-oLWkFGk40nxWVOI7Q6pETz-sthP1YQluDWZA2GDi_Y96CoFNSsIx2JCde_luOT8JhVvFQFCfynIZ4jRE8QvsUNiwQ/s400/IMG_3839.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrZGWNgjlDpACPonW29amZ6sj3v6TDYBkI0vD0RzLDby5UctjuF9R-mgvuioi0urTUwsChpLe90blaJo6ilofy1Rakar_iQ0fmCWb_wqpLIxjOG_Fwf-U41FO6ljVjlFhQvalM46Cf8Y/s1600/IMG_3848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJrZGWNgjlDpACPonW29amZ6sj3v6TDYBkI0vD0RzLDby5UctjuF9R-mgvuioi0urTUwsChpLe90blaJo6ilofy1Rakar_iQ0fmCWb_wqpLIxjOG_Fwf-U41FO6ljVjlFhQvalM46Cf8Y/s400/IMG_3848.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDn36spIFcNn8ng-rTF8ZQdP2O1aMocXz7dMJpNM0KaE5y5m0F5P9LXWksi4rQ_4bHvPMIGy7aBsIwn6VwwWRucHWSuTaGoTfuvSBg867_lJFrqFX-jG5-0LrK3Kily5d5aTJXeDfAYg/s1600/IMG_3854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhDn36spIFcNn8ng-rTF8ZQdP2O1aMocXz7dMJpNM0KaE5y5m0F5P9LXWksi4rQ_4bHvPMIGy7aBsIwn6VwwWRucHWSuTaGoTfuvSBg867_lJFrqFX-jG5-0LrK3Kily5d5aTJXeDfAYg/s400/IMG_3854.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Day 3.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The hotel was so hot. I had forgotten what it is like to be in actual warm weather and I could not cope. But the rooms looked really cool because the metal of the bunk beds had been painted an ocean blue, so I liked this hotel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a bus tour of the city. The highlight of this trip was seeing the Little Mermaid, the statue in Copenhagen of the character from the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. I also like seeing the rest of the city. Copenhagen is perhaps (Equal with Dresden) the most beautiful European City I have visited. And what I liked about it most was that there was art everywhere you looked. Every corner of Copenhagen there is something beautiful to find. I remember being told at my art school interview that Copenhagen is the art hotspot at the moment. And I believe it. It is now high on my places to live list.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYorPWeRLEj9ylg8J34R4uy7jJkjJN4ihUsPXckni77gVlQm9LJ7bdJK7hpyDaH5CRO5zVV0yFmJ0j5dZu1sbmodLUr4NT1sNvq0Lyn7cClbAe2GpH3a_t2FvUpZ6qPV6TkQ277iHpB9c/s1600/IMG_3879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYorPWeRLEj9ylg8J34R4uy7jJkjJN4ihUsPXckni77gVlQm9LJ7bdJK7hpyDaH5CRO5zVV0yFmJ0j5dZu1sbmodLUr4NT1sNvq0Lyn7cClbAe2GpH3a_t2FvUpZ6qPV6TkQ277iHpB9c/s400/IMG_3879.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Danish Guards</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSH_xVTA5-GY3iS6-UfQX9rso_VY4_de_ieoT6UPRSEN9ceCaKBrI8bJDJkUdumZ5pFB1UNiEnVwP2by_Pldt_41L763r-XR1pq4ilgIRQCXltdCYdTPv4wIgDW3oTJ1WNb15F5vXK010/s1600/IMG_3922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSH_xVTA5-GY3iS6-UfQX9rso_VY4_de_ieoT6UPRSEN9ceCaKBrI8bJDJkUdumZ5pFB1UNiEnVwP2by_Pldt_41L763r-XR1pq4ilgIRQCXltdCYdTPv4wIgDW3oTJ1WNb15F5vXK010/s400/IMG_3922.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiKVkH5yRb1rRPKQLIBRKtt6kudilx3f7SgsgO8YUEUqpGxVotmd-r4VnNENYF0bmRqCZIkcVKfW-d-9Y9iYiZX9AJLbQ8yoBVkwtj4lrR44UHABbR7oJDgpbDp6oC8J2YbjWUvQvNnA/s1600/IMG_3929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieiKVkH5yRb1rRPKQLIBRKtt6kudilx3f7SgsgO8YUEUqpGxVotmd-r4VnNENYF0bmRqCZIkcVKfW-d-9Y9iYiZX9AJLbQ8yoBVkwtj4lrR44UHABbR7oJDgpbDp6oC8J2YbjWUvQvNnA/s400/IMG_3929.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Little Mermaid</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hmBmY8wpN0AYBTiPCXaerNwRJT11DaC7r8H3GU383eMVrf7gz9pRB1PVM-r6Q6rbP8L3QIuJbaSQFUfn28i6ZTW4aPLcnJWHw-x8BA8GWFI6_AodXXHr9oED69lkGQ00UZhdItZBnEY/s1600/IMG_3934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9hmBmY8wpN0AYBTiPCXaerNwRJT11DaC7r8H3GU383eMVrf7gz9pRB1PVM-r6Q6rbP8L3QIuJbaSQFUfn28i6ZTW4aPLcnJWHw-x8BA8GWFI6_AodXXHr9oED69lkGQ00UZhdItZBnEY/s400/IMG_3934.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a few hours of free time and a group of us decided to visit Christiania a free state in the middle of Copenhagen. This was a really interesting place to visit. The residents of Christiania make all their own houses so they are all unique and quirky. Like in the rest of Copenhagen there is art everywhere. In Christiania it is the murals and the houses. Photography is forbidden in Christiania, which kind of adds to the whole experience because the only thing you can take are your memories of the place. I really want to visit again and spend a day sketching, because really there is nowhere else in the world quite like Christiania.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">That night we boarded our 3<sup>rd</sup> ferry and headed off to Germany. It was comforting to be in a foreign language and be able to understand everything and communicate in it. It felt nice to be in Germany as well</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We were staying the night in Bremen home to the Bremen musician. The Statue where there is a chicken, on a cat, on a dog, on a donkey. It was on the front cover of my year 8 German book so it was weird to see it in front of me in person. When we drove into the Hotel Car park our eyes were treated to the sight of thousands of German people rollerblading. It was a never-ending chain of people in fluorescent clothing wearing 4-wheeled shoes.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Day 4.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After departing Bremen at 8am we headed to the Netherlands. We stopped off at this type of dam. The road ran over it and on one side there was the ocean and on the other there was a lake. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgSRotg438dyEYxcMVzCN4tslkQSIgN-wxLOzUgIIdGRDzHLlHTs6T0UpERwYhVdZdgw74dkrKztIiYtfB4lQagHvu9sdQg9eTfLaawZvi2ygX8CaVdpjA69MXuNuye_wpdfcE3haNSg/s1600/IMG_3956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgSRotg438dyEYxcMVzCN4tslkQSIgN-wxLOzUgIIdGRDzHLlHTs6T0UpERwYhVdZdgw74dkrKztIiYtfB4lQagHvu9sdQg9eTfLaawZvi2ygX8CaVdpjA69MXuNuye_wpdfcE3haNSg/s400/IMG_3956.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ocean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Our first tourism destination for the day was a clog and cheese factory. There were every type of wooden shoe you could imagine, high healed clogs and clogs painted like popular sports shoes. We frequented the gift shop where I was re-acquainted with Strumf-waffles which are probably one of the tastiest items of food available world wide, for many of my fellow exchange students it was their first meeting with the tasty devils, made out of 2 crispy waffle biscuits stuck together with luscious caramel. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSot4LS6KECw83EWBm9gKI-dQC1Mfo1-GYi_ilDr2hIeGFCTJxcNZNywQdhpp5fOETTQxc5GIJwNqLpyVxlVK09pXPqwTkc1lfDeDrQuWW_7JgFOwxuBIiz413Xm5BijcD-e5aHCPMEFc/s1600/IMG_3966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSot4LS6KECw83EWBm9gKI-dQC1Mfo1-GYi_ilDr2hIeGFCTJxcNZNywQdhpp5fOETTQxc5GIJwNqLpyVxlVK09pXPqwTkc1lfDeDrQuWW_7JgFOwxuBIiz413Xm5BijcD-e5aHCPMEFc/s400/IMG_3966.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWHOAOhSCdNPA5swUFWpkMylT_Cm7B3hfbGvCw6oXbvZrNqfJ_Tzz45JAIFaTQqkgOEwmqWLWKZfCQ9xjSIQX5hMTGHJl8PNoCwFlRz1B9ZiurAbBu775ssLqZep0cJ39RalOqu6angU/s1600/IMG_3967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzWHOAOhSCdNPA5swUFWpkMylT_Cm7B3hfbGvCw6oXbvZrNqfJ_Tzz45JAIFaTQqkgOEwmqWLWKZfCQ9xjSIQX5hMTGHJl8PNoCwFlRz1B9ZiurAbBu775ssLqZep0cJ39RalOqu6angU/s400/IMG_3967.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">But this location was filled with delightful flavours as the cheese factory next door contained the best cheese I have ever eaten in my life. And too take advantage of that I ate the greatest amount of cheese at once in my life. It was just so good.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0nRt-thbwTWQxv_bXiRhz0caWlOjDszSbhq65w0J9JX8KThQoGhGSaZ4dZuXrPwL9zkKfjEmfsJ6Y4YIxRRnqeuCY9mS7obkhtl9tq_JmXEMUlKcQFZii-0BFmk5x2k9TMsJtqGSmV4/s1600/IMG_3972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf0nRt-thbwTWQxv_bXiRhz0caWlOjDszSbhq65w0J9JX8KThQoGhGSaZ4dZuXrPwL9zkKfjEmfsJ6Y4YIxRRnqeuCY9mS7obkhtl9tq_JmXEMUlKcQFZii-0BFmk5x2k9TMsJtqGSmV4/s400/IMG_3972.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjnvgOjIlhOCeHm7T_86_UZK7KRF6udlXL6lIiL0py-7fryAv7zve6zYolTY5w0ZAadQYIqe8tJqdIm_nYv1vEEPJeWxsDyLbAB-dLqH4nmVL6VeJpxQ7jITr73VLCPqZG57YWAs4Ybg/s1600/IMG_3982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjnvgOjIlhOCeHm7T_86_UZK7KRF6udlXL6lIiL0py-7fryAv7zve6zYolTY5w0ZAadQYIqe8tJqdIm_nYv1vEEPJeWxsDyLbAB-dLqH4nmVL6VeJpxQ7jITr73VLCPqZG57YWAs4Ybg/s400/IMG_3982.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cheese Shop and one of the Sampling Stations</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCCQXB7-YqpjdKz9lGPS49Z9x-2G7eU8pZ4YV4Fq25jhr6IExq91gDx2LNcAVy2Tzw3TzxzwzTsEA0s7Rnm23pVei0ZGhv1n0A-xuv-HsE5GIzo74hDKN6ww1G3d7lDidZk_SkywEf2g/s1600/IMG_3979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmCCQXB7-YqpjdKz9lGPS49Z9x-2G7eU8pZ4YV4Fq25jhr6IExq91gDx2LNcAVy2Tzw3TzxzwzTsEA0s7Rnm23pVei0ZGhv1n0A-xuv-HsE5GIzo74hDKN6ww1G3d7lDidZk_SkywEf2g/s400/IMG_3979.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And there was Green Cheese, that also tasted AMAZING!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had lunch in a small Dutch village just outside of Amsterdam where we went souvenir shopping. I am now the proud owner of an Amsterdam tracksuit. What Style!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf25AaVICc5Nu0ptv9rhAKRqD1Wm2NCyGJhyphenhyphenlxUkpsNBT8S2fUnnvWvSUb9J2Xe0N9Dqx7Ir9D6NWXGNIIiigV-kB1gnGPFns85sQcmtXZQTEA58hjnttLfJDKcPjwz800A2mN9YUqrI/s1600/IMG_3985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnf25AaVICc5Nu0ptv9rhAKRqD1Wm2NCyGJhyphenhyphenlxUkpsNBT8S2fUnnvWvSUb9J2Xe0N9Dqx7Ir9D6NWXGNIIiigV-kB1gnGPFns85sQcmtXZQTEA58hjnttLfJDKcPjwz800A2mN9YUqrI/s400/IMG_3985.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWS1l5d-yqMdbSweQGRN6Bq1UcNQOpTqG1x__wzRudavJ9nWo2gezidsHpxrEfxRWebRL4Bo9Y2BzBpuxHUizgfPhxQL5o8seJbDtzhmX_WH7gznCwvXWuDaYaLpLWpGxv42wYsnMHkA/s1600/IMG_3986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWS1l5d-yqMdbSweQGRN6Bq1UcNQOpTqG1x__wzRudavJ9nWo2gezidsHpxrEfxRWebRL4Bo9Y2BzBpuxHUizgfPhxQL5o8seJbDtzhmX_WH7gznCwvXWuDaYaLpLWpGxv42wYsnMHkA/s400/IMG_3986.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After that we (and our happy tummies) headed off for an afternoon in Amsterdam. This was the only city on our schedule that I had visited before and I was excited to go back after 3 years. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We visited the Anne Frank Museum, which is in the house that her family hid from the Nazi’s in. Otto Frank, Anne’s father had decided to keep the rooms empty rather then furnish them as they were during their time in the house. It was a really interesting museum, but I think I would have got more out of it if I had read her diary before visiting.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a boat tour of Amsterdam’s canals. Amsterdam is still beautiful but it has lost some of the excitement it held when I saw it as a 15 year old. I am still definitely going back there.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-Bg6hMY3IAgmLWJ49Wgp-Xv1-D55QT5lYw8YiV7BWt-Zpvmqnthwc0DpDZI0UeaBjleGCen19YtIbRpBvmtgR1-dez6L-0chyh1ba92pj1AgHe5j_-gGO8IaRFUsp9SIc3PlWx1G0uA/s1600/IMG_4004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK-Bg6hMY3IAgmLWJ49Wgp-Xv1-D55QT5lYw8YiV7BWt-Zpvmqnthwc0DpDZI0UeaBjleGCen19YtIbRpBvmtgR1-dez6L-0chyh1ba92pj1AgHe5j_-gGO8IaRFUsp9SIc3PlWx1G0uA/s400/IMG_4004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our hotel was outside of Amsterdam and looked like a large stately home. But more importantly it was home to an EMU! I am a few of the other Australian girls were so excited to see it. One of the bad things about being away from home is that you get so excited when you see something from your home country. Over the tour we would talk to everyone we walked past with an Australian accent and take photos of everything that had something to do with Australia. You would think it would be the other way round, but no.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXZqz4P_WC_mJC2WE8mp_0myJeTec5NzBWf3xNELuX0T9nD54ll4XWxMu3FBfGFcE9qMjB3WV3FjWnDLkqHiCKy5qniiFDD5LE-GQA0MMSllzgH0Gi9AYNUmRELy0OHrRybLtmEDhE3c/s1600/IMG_4089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXZqz4P_WC_mJC2WE8mp_0myJeTec5NzBWf3xNELuX0T9nD54ll4XWxMu3FBfGFcE9qMjB3WV3FjWnDLkqHiCKy5qniiFDD5LE-GQA0MMSllzgH0Gi9AYNUmRELy0OHrRybLtmEDhE3c/s400/IMG_4089.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Day 5.</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After almost missing the hotel breakfast because I woke up too late, I made it to the bus in time and we drove for Paris via Brussels, Belgium.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I really liked Brussels. It is a beautiful city that reminds me of something carefully scap-booked. The buildings are carefully decorated with tiny details, and all are really light making the city really beautiful. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33a3pESnx8nNR7huSsE3oXai_WAmC7VmNCGK7HZR4urZq6-bHA79M_RZhZWn7aPDaZhboQktavXt66F9YV62qSFPEECR8odxOZS01dzmRbX_Sw1XBfcFp9hZboVDt5v_4uZAmrjmSHKs/s1600/IMG_4096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi33a3pESnx8nNR7huSsE3oXai_WAmC7VmNCGK7HZR4urZq6-bHA79M_RZhZWn7aPDaZhboQktavXt66F9YV62qSFPEECR8odxOZS01dzmRbX_Sw1XBfcFp9hZboVDt5v_4uZAmrjmSHKs/s400/IMG_4096.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDmP7vHnDb8WBj-SxBHbhyphenhypheniREZznvUneynJqlBZNronTd7XARMQvpjlxokag4QgMveirN2AnJb2MhQXp6qAbxm3MlZ57bQKUKEAo9NYxo9e-SD3octPruXXftzTM8FBo-V4Qt83R1ETc/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVDmP7vHnDb8WBj-SxBHbhyphenhypheniREZznvUneynJqlBZNronTd7XARMQvpjlxokag4QgMveirN2AnJb2MhQXp6qAbxm3MlZ57bQKUKEAo9NYxo9e-SD3octPruXXftzTM8FBo-V4Qt83R1ETc/s400/IMG_4102.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6vI-WJ-4ncOWbesBu3zZT2XRVHeW5LyWR1rSQtyGx5k3Id-4jt8ifw68fjACzQKocDLCnjLlrGkfNMhivgPzjOkzwOdfrhttGfazYXcslbq7EMqsUYeRvb9OEKybk1EG2iefYkzdr9s/s1600/IMG_4107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6vI-WJ-4ncOWbesBu3zZT2XRVHeW5LyWR1rSQtyGx5k3Id-4jt8ifw68fjACzQKocDLCnjLlrGkfNMhivgPzjOkzwOdfrhttGfazYXcslbq7EMqsUYeRvb9OEKybk1EG2iefYkzdr9s/s400/IMG_4107.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOYjYJiuajswhyAVH4Hesw7d-HjrLzATwKcKyvY-2hJIHKHrkMNayVlhTXXwxzFGF5QLoYgrRXYzPX_WWMz9OiEZWWEHXuJGI6e99s24YnL3YpOI1sZRFY4D6vfzcQkaaa46fFfjmWbI/s1600/IMG_4119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOYjYJiuajswhyAVH4Hesw7d-HjrLzATwKcKyvY-2hJIHKHrkMNayVlhTXXwxzFGF5QLoYgrRXYzPX_WWMz9OiEZWWEHXuJGI6e99s24YnL3YpOI1sZRFY4D6vfzcQkaaa46fFfjmWbI/s400/IMG_4119.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkTsFvZ5eLu13iXa7dN-I1cs7NXBAzYIa57bA5EbtgKyGPmvF-Y9dKwtF1d6NdinpFy3eAm9KnVkHQzwuF4PVY-WILMHpVnvilejXiOF7mgpquNmLU_w49rumf53psCPh7JnbOOF3lfI/s1600/IMG_4148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDkTsFvZ5eLu13iXa7dN-I1cs7NXBAzYIa57bA5EbtgKyGPmvF-Y9dKwtF1d6NdinpFy3eAm9KnVkHQzwuF4PVY-WILMHpVnvilejXiOF7mgpquNmLU_w49rumf53psCPh7JnbOOF3lfI/s400/IMG_4148.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMvv7niERd8HuCrCJwo-MuanlXN4eQLJafId2Dz8p3n5tEScLgCZkIiRwv2rF-kTjMOTiV8AkVgm8BlH4Z_6BC4TrE1PHb7dq6EtPo9BrPrpazehvszou_yadb2s6xkw7SPbPGMnmSlc/s1600/IMG_4157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAMvv7niERd8HuCrCJwo-MuanlXN4eQLJafId2Dz8p3n5tEScLgCZkIiRwv2rF-kTjMOTiV8AkVgm8BlH4Z_6BC4TrE1PHb7dq6EtPo9BrPrpazehvszou_yadb2s6xkw7SPbPGMnmSlc/s400/IMG_4157.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In Brussels we had free time, during which I found some people with a basket of puppies and a hamburger phone which I am now the owner of. We drove past many important buildings and had lunch.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After that we drove onto Paris. During the trip we would always drive into the cities, entering them slowly and loosing the wow factor of being dropped into somewhere amazing. I had never been one of those people who desperately wanted to go to Paris, but by the time it was coming I was excited to see the famed city. I decided to blindfold myself and take it off once we were in the middle of the city. Which would not be until the next day.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We had French Macdonald’s before going to sleep. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Having now eaten Maccas in 4 countries (not including Singapore when I was 11) I can now give you an educated ranking on how good they all are in comparison to each other. I would have to say Finnish is the best (Because the Maccas in Joensuu is really good, it is bad however in Helsinki so without the quality of the Joensuu Maccas the second place would be in first position), followed (surprisingly by) Russian, then by French and finally Australian Macdonald-which is definitely the worst. </div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-32197888533806310202011-07-25T05:29:00.000-07:002011-07-25T05:29:19.436-07:00The Six Month Mark!As of last Friday, I am half way through my exchange year.<br />
<br />
It feels really strange and I can't believe I have been away from home for 6 months already. The time has gone so quickly but I have learned a lot and had a lot of fun. I am living my Finnish life and I think I have gotten into the swing of everything. <br />
<br />
But I will be back in Perth before I know it.Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-66737943433853291782011-07-05T00:44:00.000-07:002011-07-05T00:44:58.063-07:00Finnish Graduation Day<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> Although Liikunta paiva was the last full day of school, the year officially ended on Saturday with the graduation ceremony. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">There are 3 years of high school in Finland and the Abi's (featured in the Penkkarit article back in April) had finished there exams and it was time for them to receive their hats. In Finland it is traditional for all school leavers (who have passed their exams) to receive a special hat. Although they have to buy it themselves the graduation ceremony means that they have the right to wear it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5SCHH_yC2Wb-GGDFUVS4j5wzUm-s5VwibtkKp6aWa7xb31qJ5lMPEy2h7SN5zm2SyNafn_wq6jROojQ5UAI75sj1XWfClpGFgr0GzVOzytLqvyxolCGquVt1ssREnRCZP4EOazWzhAw/s1600/IMG_3717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ5SCHH_yC2Wb-GGDFUVS4j5wzUm-s5VwibtkKp6aWa7xb31qJ5lMPEy2h7SN5zm2SyNafn_wq6jROojQ5UAI75sj1XWfClpGFgr0GzVOzytLqvyxolCGquVt1ssREnRCZP4EOazWzhAw/s400/IMG_3717.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg6DE_ZOhwDfztGyyszDJsHYkasj3yGygBXoAEgs32espdaX5fQu8El_KyVTxaafZ1xXlwvlHEu1DK5_iLyWcP3U49nMSBXRcdDfRydFG29uKrWW-fplWwPQaL26V3gh5NJ3BeAMh3xk/s1600/IMG_3718.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIg6DE_ZOhwDfztGyyszDJsHYkasj3yGygBXoAEgs32espdaX5fQu8El_KyVTxaafZ1xXlwvlHEu1DK5_iLyWcP3U49nMSBXRcdDfRydFG29uKrWW-fplWwPQaL26V3gh5NJ3BeAMh3xk/s400/IMG_3718.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">It is a big deal and the whole school attends the ceremony as well as all of the Abi's families, godparents and close friends. There are speeches, musical items and every Abi receives their hats and gives a bow or curtsy to the audience. The graduation is held in the local church, designed by the Finnish architect who also designed the Sydney Opera house. It is a really large building that seats a huge amount of people and that morning every inch of space was take by someone, there were that many people there. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span><style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">On my third day in Lieksa I auditioned for the local choir.
Choir has become one of my favourite things to go to during the week. I always
look forward to Wednesday afternoon. It was a really good idea to join the
choir because I have made friends with the other girls in choir and also learnt
some useful Finnish phrases like ‘do you still play the banjo’ from the songs
we have learnt. Being in the choir also meant that I got to take part in the graduation ceremony. So it was kind of special for me too, and it was nice to be a part of the school community rather then sit in the audience with no idea what was going on. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPEzyMkKzI6APbupMJUreZQSGJ4VdsFtcNkppP7bqkFMd2coFUFSDcff3O2969m2kGIRorqMllj4pDRCd1Efwpz6h_gqzJzzNLC7iBJV5FZ1hnmwoux8NW7UDrZGyt6Sqg3ar_NGU91E/s1600/IMG_3719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCPEzyMkKzI6APbupMJUreZQSGJ4VdsFtcNkppP7bqkFMd2coFUFSDcff3O2969m2kGIRorqMllj4pDRCd1Efwpz6h_gqzJzzNLC7iBJV5FZ1hnmwoux8NW7UDrZGyt6Sqg3ar_NGU91E/s400/IMG_3719.JPG" width="400" /> </a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">After the ceremony we headed back to school for ice-cream and to collect our marks. I received a perfect score in English. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-77100899735000725292011-07-04T12:37:00.000-07:002011-07-04T23:24:21.594-07:00Liikunta paiva-Sports DaySchool finished on the 3rd of May and to cap off the school year, Lieksan Lukio held a sports day. I was really excited for it, sport is become probably my favourite thing to do in Finland. It brings everyone together, everyone talks to me and its fun.<br />
<br />
In the morning of sports day I went kayaking. It was really nice but I ended up really wet because every time I went to paddle I would accidently dip my hand into the coldish water.<br />
<br />
After paddling we had a tournament between the different classes. There were 4 games in total, the first tug of war.<br />
<br />
The second was a piggy back race.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvB-RQaXRdKVPVazvA6RE8rtlajSsurkbeQQT_BVMyvowJA-l5JihmLPz8AqcI2G_clDmH3gDsuSbXymGgyWGj6pUGVpHqf7RH8KGu7QON9ODreCtYbqexlwBFqC7CGc8jLxUqVKEnwm8/s1600/IMG_3677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvB-RQaXRdKVPVazvA6RE8rtlajSsurkbeQQT_BVMyvowJA-l5JihmLPz8AqcI2G_clDmH3gDsuSbXymGgyWGj6pUGVpHqf7RH8KGu7QON9ODreCtYbqexlwBFqC7CGc8jLxUqVKEnwm8/s400/IMG_3677.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Milk is perhaps the most universally popular drink in Finland, everyone drinks it and at most meals. At school everyone drinks it with lunch. So the third game involved milk. Milk throwing specifically. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-4dxt6siKMn28xR89FFR4koliTJags1cw83GylrdiGScCH8f3C6AtZlAyR_a-8Xjk3_6GnI3JYdfcImQ5FhSpYo70o-LdQlchYdbo6S6Q3V0Hg0x9beIIwNZYeuod-0yxgtrl3UTG3Q/s1600/IMG_3675.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7-4dxt6siKMn28xR89FFR4koliTJags1cw83GylrdiGScCH8f3C6AtZlAyR_a-8Xjk3_6GnI3JYdfcImQ5FhSpYo70o-LdQlchYdbo6S6Q3V0Hg0x9beIIwNZYeuod-0yxgtrl3UTG3Q/s400/IMG_3675.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirq8BhMHbLZx-WTB-yHVqc61FIVvwUNpMku0MuQzgPPBrmJErjayx273Dll1CBVr3jOSKg42EdMeWnaSAmjpib8KJU345c6nXePS7D078wk_mfOGkGrr0rPmxQQYnyFnq-PmQ_gjAcTnI/s1600/IMG_3674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirq8BhMHbLZx-WTB-yHVqc61FIVvwUNpMku0MuQzgPPBrmJErjayx273Dll1CBVr3jOSKg42EdMeWnaSAmjpib8KJU345c6nXePS7D078wk_mfOGkGrr0rPmxQQYnyFnq-PmQ_gjAcTnI/s400/IMG_3674.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_C8os3KLkoaYRtgK3ZXW0ik3795IqkTw4emsFBcrqU-MNyTWvv_TeKH3GByNB3zcYBP6zdDxXNzjQhr-pT-8Gc85q4iKmPLSudDH-P9NpiBXzWky2ke0QSsgHcYBd0FVlEC6csL1p1o/s1600/IMG_3676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE_C8os3KLkoaYRtgK3ZXW0ik3795IqkTw4emsFBcrqU-MNyTWvv_TeKH3GByNB3zcYBP6zdDxXNzjQhr-pT-8Gc85q4iKmPLSudDH-P9NpiBXzWky2ke0QSsgHcYBd0FVlEC6csL1p1o/s400/IMG_3676.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
And the third was some kind of obstacle course.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAUYXk9UA36dDGEfjVTbb6OnahjrQLFX6Ru9GQXgeiqoTmyneGImT_sU5WsKSJezjd9RHRZxa4G-r5XA0SFgqHWZgZz7GGdeqeMBhPoCtEWVNtsGvDPX7cn4JvKUt3pYxCy7jk9gGz44/s1600/IMG_3685.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAUYXk9UA36dDGEfjVTbb6OnahjrQLFX6Ru9GQXgeiqoTmyneGImT_sU5WsKSJezjd9RHRZxa4G-r5XA0SFgqHWZgZz7GGdeqeMBhPoCtEWVNtsGvDPX7cn4JvKUt3pYxCy7jk9gGz44/s400/IMG_3685.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I finished to day playing <span style="font-size: small;">Pesäpallo (Finnish Baseball).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">And what made this day extra good is that we got hamburgers for lunch with the best lettuce I have ever seen in Finland.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cv5xw1Sl69wM84gII-_XUxj-c_yNoJy-yNcAisVkwWGOlmFMl0wllSfS7s4WtXbala3RuOEBvKpDjdgbE90WtREKYaSfZetVFfNYcXat-hfEtfNA10vLLWNocxw3HgzKtkmeCIHHhGA/s1600/IMG_3692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6cv5xw1Sl69wM84gII-_XUxj-c_yNoJy-yNcAisVkwWGOlmFMl0wllSfS7s4WtXbala3RuOEBvKpDjdgbE90WtREKYaSfZetVFfNYcXat-hfEtfNA10vLLWNocxw3HgzKtkmeCIHHhGA/s400/IMG_3692.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaN-qw6eIWvjWbZ6bOA8Nfb29g3-50fFNcADggQMpC0kjF-RBXvh4kO2EdjhWYr9aL5wr8gQYMNmrdK2XcbdPH7GYNkJv_2DtG7RElL96s8kTZeDJGmIIqijxKjQirFw72Yfl6DKjNFlg/s1600/IMG_3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaN-qw6eIWvjWbZ6bOA8Nfb29g3-50fFNcADggQMpC0kjF-RBXvh4kO2EdjhWYr9aL5wr8gQYMNmrdK2XcbdPH7GYNkJv_2DtG7RElL96s8kTZeDJGmIIqijxKjQirFw72Yfl6DKjNFlg/s400/IMG_3693.JPG" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So it was quite possibly the best school day ever. </div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-12028309222246843612011-07-04T07:45:00.000-07:002011-07-04T10:08:17.071-07:00District Conference<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">On the 27<sup>th</sup> of May at 1 pm I set off with the president of the Rotary Club of Lieksa for the Rotary district conference. Lieksa is part of Rotary District 1430, and this year the conference was to be held in Lappeenranta a few hours (about 4) south of Lieksa. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">It was going to be a long drive and we needed to be in Lappeenranta between 8:30 and 9:30 on the Saturday morning. Going the day before meant we didn’t have to wake up early and we could do some sight seeing on the way there.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The first stop was the Valamon Luostari, an Orthadox Monestry. In English it is called New Valamo. Established in 1940 after 190 monks from the Valaan Monestry in Karalia (Russian Karalia) were evacuated to Eastern Finland. The decided to stay in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hein%C3%A4vesi" title="Heinävesi"><span style="color: windowtext; text-decoration: none;">Heinävesi</span></a> about 2 hours south west of Lieksa. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Valamo was such a lovely place. It is a tourist attraction but it is run by the people who live there. The women are dressed in traditional Russian orthodox clothes and the monks were dressed in their costumes. (Although I did see one younger monk with a really fancy sports bag). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The paintings in the church were fantastic, (I know I am only 18 and I havn’t seen much of the world but) they were some of the best religious artwork I have ever seen. There was a perfect attention to detail and I wish I had taken my camera with me (although the photos would not have given them justice). And yes I forgot my camera, which was a huge shame because the place was so beautiful. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">It was a lovely day the sun was shining and the air was pleasantly cool. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">I also saw an art exhibition from a contemporary artist who works in crystal and metal. I hadn’t seen artwork like that which made it really interesting. And we met a friendly old monk who is always waiting for interesting foregners to visit the monestry. He is really hoping for a French or Greek visitor but he had some questions about Australia.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">We stayed overnight in Mikkeli and arrived in Lappeenranta at 9am. I was straitaway met by Maddi (also from Perth) and Ana (from N.S.W) when I arrived and all the other exchange students pretty soon after. There are 20 in district 1430 and we are all scattered around the area-most of us living very far from the nearest exchange student. It was so nice too see them again, I had not seen Julia (from Adelaide for 4 months) and the others for 2 months (since Russia tour) and there were a few I had not met yet. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">We had our own program for the weekend, and would participate in the conference as well.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">On Saturday we visited a paper mill, which makes magazine paper for 80% of the world’s magazines. Next time you are reading one just think it came from Lappeeenranta. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyLwb5ihIsBwqV0k_WVQRMzh7vDOTpCTkGUKg1OJkmGHgH1sefCNDKrzguBhsZiV3miHsEM0iNBkiwRza_wO6xowm2jUVO1nJROmyii4qTRfXCGU0gwvKlgkDbzPB3t3RhTz7wTeTO14/s1600/IMG_3509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNyLwb5ihIsBwqV0k_WVQRMzh7vDOTpCTkGUKg1OJkmGHgH1sefCNDKrzguBhsZiV3miHsEM0iNBkiwRza_wO6xowm2jUVO1nJROmyii4qTRfXCGU0gwvKlgkDbzPB3t3RhTz7wTeTO14/s400/IMG_3509.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Exchange Students of District 1430 decked out to visit the paper factory.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">From there the Rotarians had planned for us to go rowing on Lake Saimaa, however as it was raining there was a quick change of plans and we ended up going shopping. And Lappeenranta is a good place to shop, but not to buy. It is close to the Russian boarder so there are many many Russians in the city (more then every second person we walked past was Russian) and that pushes prices higher. But in chain stores to prices are the same as in all over Finland and I managed to buy 2 new dresses. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">We were going on a cruise with the Rotarians in the lake and before we went we hiked up a moderately large hill to an old fortress to look over the harbour. Lappeenranta is such a beautiful city, I hope to visit again. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5JzwKPhWk19-WAWbKP8kZjrLd6zUtWNtFnA87qPhGKmrdu6LcJ7hZCBPvXn3vwsZHcgHPeBVpG941e9n-0iAdj1xYR5rEyGbrSIhopQF3ow6o8DBYIlWaPSfBOl0aZgKFd7_LrJFSes/s1600/IMG_3510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5JzwKPhWk19-WAWbKP8kZjrLd6zUtWNtFnA87qPhGKmrdu6LcJ7hZCBPvXn3vwsZHcgHPeBVpG941e9n-0iAdj1xYR5rEyGbrSIhopQF3ow6o8DBYIlWaPSfBOl0aZgKFd7_LrJFSes/s400/IMG_3510.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lappeenranta Harbour</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">In some ways it reminds my a bit of the older parts of Sydney, because it is very urban but the nature is interspersed throughout the city. It was however cleaner then Sydney. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">On the cruise we were given raffle tickets to sell to the Rotarians. And this is where I saw the true talents and passion of the Brazilians. They were so excited to sell the tickets and they sold them fast, it became a competition between the different raffle ticket selling groups, ending in the Brazilians selling all their tickets and the remaining tickets from the other two groups. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">After this we all went up onto the top deck of the boat and ended up singing the national anthems from all our respective countries. This was maybe one of the highlights of the exchange, not only do you get to know one country and its local people, but being an exchange student mean you also learn a bit about the home countries of all the other exchange students. And make really good friends from all over the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">The District Ball was that night. There was only one shower available and a 30 minute time frame for 15 girls to get through it but we managed and were on time. Dressed in our blazers, decorated in pins from our friends from all over the world, we took our place at the exchange student table. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmJ9U2pVyOzY-zvpH6I0k058AQBbfsVCqZYHKuwBycAbCB2O_CpJBd6cP3Vz2qXuHWBp5C7mOWspiwOQfJiGiV5iUG-65ie9Su00IFeIr_wfqd8KjOhjqZEZ79L7YTuUk0JGM1xhz5t0/s1600/IMG_3522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEmJ9U2pVyOzY-zvpH6I0k058AQBbfsVCqZYHKuwBycAbCB2O_CpJBd6cP3Vz2qXuHWBp5C7mOWspiwOQfJiGiV5iUG-65ie9Su00IFeIr_wfqd8KjOhjqZEZ79L7YTuUk0JGM1xhz5t0/s400/IMG_3522.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">After dinner, the exchange students introduced themselves to the Rotarians. We had been asked to give a short reflection on our year. There are two groups of Exchange Students, oldies and newbies. The oldies are nearing the end of their exchange and arrived in Finland almost a year ago. The are all from the northern hemisphere. The newbies, at this point in time include me and the 22 others who arrived together in January. There are 4 in my district, all from Australia. We felt we couldn't reflect on our time well because at the time of the conference we had only been in Finland for 4 months. So Maddi had the idea that we would follow the oldies, introduce ourselves and then give the Rotarians a small taste of Australia, because we had only really had a taste of Finland. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><span style="font-size: small;"> We played Australian Charades (I had to jump around like a Kangaroo) and sung 'Give me a Home Among the Gum Trees' together. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The exchange students finished with a performance of the 'Banana Dance' a dance popular amongst Exchange students in Finland. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The next day, we went on a bus tour of Lappeenranta with the spouses of the Rotarians, and had a final lunch together before saying our goodbyes. It felt a bit strange because Euro-tour was the next week so we would only be separated for 5 days and then it was the actual goodbye for some people who would not be going on Euro-tour. But it was the last time the district would be together as a big group.</span><br />
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">I had to leave first because I had the longest drive home. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"></div><span style="font-size: small;">We stopped off at Patsaspuisto, a sculpture garden. It was amazing, there were thousands of life sized sculptures of cartoon-like people complete with human teeth. It was slightly creepy but probably one of the coolest places in Finland, and I think I will have too make some similar sculptures for my backyard. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1KeW8usBNRwva3mdqxzCU9pM41-hjG755xRaS0eLERqFHom7zlpliRZy1JUC8akKM-hIUZ3VkwKaf0jwzlc8hFTg4aVLO-ScVG8wMoZRlRPi9MRRgG28KhamqHNL-toysW3Ht7Ya3lw/s1600/IMG_3602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1KeW8usBNRwva3mdqxzCU9pM41-hjG755xRaS0eLERqFHom7zlpliRZy1JUC8akKM-hIUZ3VkwKaf0jwzlc8hFTg4aVLO-ScVG8wMoZRlRPi9MRRgG28KhamqHNL-toysW3Ht7Ya3lw/s400/IMG_3602.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi1j4qINqWh9C7pteR_ZsRMRFjIPAGnRelrEG1FaSWEUz2wDIBF-KJwhR1bDwaKz1aiVbf4bSQGbOO204TjR9m35hXUsrbFlVvEHt_l5zf6VPzEGfHhAkAvHvssq6rUkX7td53U54KSc/s1600/IMG_3622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi1j4qINqWh9C7pteR_ZsRMRFjIPAGnRelrEG1FaSWEUz2wDIBF-KJwhR1bDwaKz1aiVbf4bSQGbOO204TjR9m35hXUsrbFlVvEHt_l5zf6VPzEGfHhAkAvHvssq6rUkX7td53U54KSc/s400/IMG_3622.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DqRY0iSwLovejVqLgGZCWR6QBLlRaMHI-EoFvk1pdElJeIBTh7iwDqR9KoJSWoIROT2Wbh_FiYxRwJMvuSqmCK9Z9SnlB7VoPt1GiWTiNHSRcY8_3ETOhUk08O6ZC9oADEY80JLhj-k/s1600/IMG_3569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DqRY0iSwLovejVqLgGZCWR6QBLlRaMHI-EoFvk1pdElJeIBTh7iwDqR9KoJSWoIROT2Wbh_FiYxRwJMvuSqmCK9Z9SnlB7VoPt1GiWTiNHSRcY8_3ETOhUk08O6ZC9oADEY80JLhj-k/s400/IMG_3569.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihamDWzxwBs3glLwZhoGtZBL4LWMo9cYAZR-CiidMCI3EVyDOFZjyvgMz04E_MdAPtRiNNzZXHl-PZATssC1UNP2dgqsQfLivsNxAkBZ5GEChGE2pNR9qsPyVEC-mhUoVusxHzZzydSTg/s1600/IMG_3653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihamDWzxwBs3glLwZhoGtZBL4LWMo9cYAZR-CiidMCI3EVyDOFZjyvgMz04E_MdAPtRiNNzZXHl-PZATssC1UNP2dgqsQfLivsNxAkBZ5GEChGE2pNR9qsPyVEC-mhUoVusxHzZzydSTg/s400/IMG_3653.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6pfQ2VcEq-LbOtfexWh0WjjkeyK6iPzK3SnHVOhRsB1jtRaqunGZ8UthjnV0oesBl3rPsw46c-wohxS6bry-8PK1wvsTl680iL3mcW2P9PB5_rK0-OTj8eD7MUuP-f7wsR1VwkRGxn0/s1600/IMG_3639.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk6pfQ2VcEq-LbOtfexWh0WjjkeyK6iPzK3SnHVOhRsB1jtRaqunGZ8UthjnV0oesBl3rPsw46c-wohxS6bry-8PK1wvsTl680iL3mcW2P9PB5_rK0-OTj8eD7MUuP-f7wsR1VwkRGxn0/s400/IMG_3639.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was even a Kangaroo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"></div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-55265553297069691542011-07-04T06:21:00.000-07:002011-07-04T06:21:23.278-07:00Presentation on Australia, to the Rotary Club of LieksaWhen you are an exchange student, your main responsibility is to be an ambassador for your home country. You may be the first person from your home that people have met, so how you behave will influence how they view everyone from your country.<br />
<br />
Part of your job as an ambassador is tell people about where you come from.<br />
<br />
So every Rotery Exchange Student makes a speech about their home to their host Rotary Club. Mine was on the 27th of May.<br />
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I made a pact with myself at the start of my year that I would do it in Finnish. The only problem was there was no way I would be able to write an hour long speech about Australia in Finnish. <br />
<br />
So I wrote the whole thing in English.<br />
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And it was translated by my friends at Leiksan Lukio, and my Youth Exchange Officer.<br />
<br />
So I did it, 1 hour in Finnish. It was not the best performance, but it was understandable and in Finnish and that's whats most important.<br />
<br />
And I just want to thank everyone who helped me, because it would have been impossible without them.<br />
<br />
Kiitoksia paljon.Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-1959619752256353182011-05-18T11:47:00.000-07:002011-05-18T11:57:36.220-07:00EurovisionFor all of you who don't know.<br />
<br />
The Eurovision song contest was held last weekend.<br />
<br />
This year Finland sent Paradise Oskar with his song Da da dum.<br />
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qpnbAIysv74?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He didn't win in the end but he came 21st and I think lots of the world really liked him. Coming 21st means that he got through the first round of votes and into the grand final.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The winner this year was Azerbaijan. This is the official video from the winning song</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/3Vk4HYUatv8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My other favorites from the night were;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pXouSYabDig?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/OF21pTGtKTw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/FSxAdMHLYQw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/XNi_-FQXUe8/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XNi_-FQXUe8&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XNi_-FQXUe8&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the rest are on you-tube if you are interested. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Two people in my school asked me if Australia was sending someone to Eurovision this year. Not being a part of Europe it would be difficult, but I think it is something the government should seriously think about. At the beginning of the contest the hosts said hello to Australia, and the Australians watching at 5am. So I think perhaps this will help to get us in in future years. First a hello and then a winning song!</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-9946792482588950872011-05-18T11:34:00.000-07:002011-05-18T11:34:06.509-07:00Life in Lieksan Lukio<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">For the last 3 and a half months (or maybe more) I have been attending Lieksan Lukio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The school and the structure of the school day differ slightly from my life at St Mary’s. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In Finland there are 5 school terms which run back to back. It is now the 5<sup>th</sup> and in two weeks summer holidays will begin. I came to Lieksan Lukio at the beginning of the 4<sup>th</sup> term. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have been living really close to school so in the winter I would walk everyday (Even when it was colder then -20). It is the spring now and I have a bike I can ride every day to and from school. While walking is pleasant cycling is much better. School starts every day at 8am and I am generally out the door at quarter to. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lots of Finnish kids also ride there bikes but in Lieksa Mopeds and Scooters are really popular. Out the front of the school there are lots of bikes parked and out the back there are all the Mopeds and Scooters. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">At the moment I am taking English, German, Religion, Music and Sport. I also take Home Economics in the Junior High School. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But last term I studied English, German, Philosophy, History and Art as well as Sport.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In this post I will navigate you through a day in my life at my new school. That day will be Monday. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After parking my bike, I generally head across the pavement and into the school building. I will then check my schedule. On Mondays I start with German.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have two German courses this term, one with the 1<sup>st</sup> graders (they are 16 turning 17) and one with the second graders (who are all my age-I am in this year group technically). On Monday morning it is year 1 German. When I have other classes like Religion or English first up I will wait somewhere outside, but German is in a separate wing of the main building so I usually need to head there strait away when I get to school. Being fashionably late is not acceptable in Finland and I have learnt to be punctual, but I always arrive to school dead on beginning time. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In both my German classes I sit in the back corners, but on opposite sides of the room in year 1 and year 2 German. The German teacher Niina is fantastic and I think that overall German teacher must be some of the best teachers, because my Australia German teacher was so good too. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCIQvIjwfyiGab_ygrqfb4-IXFLtpQ_L1Y5Aqy4P37Y5JxgQtt7D3tLNRAD9bhutou6rO8J7P0Y_ooN18r4U6kO9snoqjD4NM6Ky2fqQG-lJWUsUop1t_wH8x36O7KYoTNqLCCK8TeJs/s1600/IMG_3371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDCIQvIjwfyiGab_ygrqfb4-IXFLtpQ_L1Y5Aqy4P37Y5JxgQtt7D3tLNRAD9bhutou6rO8J7P0Y_ooN18r4U6kO9snoqjD4NM6Ky2fqQG-lJWUsUop1t_wH8x36O7KYoTNqLCCK8TeJs/s400/IMG_3371.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from my desk in Year 2 German of my seat in Year 1 German</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the Finnish school system there is one book per course and a course last one term. There is nowhere near the amount of handouts that we were given in Australia, everything you need to know for the exam is in the one book-there are exams at the end of each term.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQf4USiGfESlYbyIIZ8JWXLGa_QTr2i000BR5fYpD-8p0qnTeqf5DkIvvUSnRjZu-L3YaJV2VGczkT6Fk-sDQ-JNOZwl5EXRT_wpaxW2_P4zzpgoLCFTMq78RXZRQ8AblVtTwYigy-Kk/s1600/IMG_0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQf4USiGfESlYbyIIZ8JWXLGa_QTr2i000BR5fYpD-8p0qnTeqf5DkIvvUSnRjZu-L3YaJV2VGczkT6Fk-sDQ-JNOZwl5EXRT_wpaxW2_P4zzpgoLCFTMq78RXZRQ8AblVtTwYigy-Kk/s400/IMG_0817.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My German Course Book, normally there is not so many lollies. This photo was taken at Penkarrit, (it shows a small portion of what I actually got that day)</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">All the first and last classes of the day are doubles and last for an hour and a half.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that there is a half hour break. I usually will spend this in the lobby of the school. There are couches, but I am normally on or near the window seat and chat to some of my friends. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA0WgK3iEMjd9P9mcV_kbB7c9WhjdjcxnFf2_qTbNWwpaDY2eDr5aQwZVHLdI4dGfXuQ1F4cT3v283qetBxOKqquS40Gjw4uIuZ7zlX8yFyYDN8U2NsxMPPkelv8uZuPiMLOY4gsL-RY/s1600/IMG_3314.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIA0WgK3iEMjd9P9mcV_kbB7c9WhjdjcxnFf2_qTbNWwpaDY2eDr5aQwZVHLdI4dGfXuQ1F4cT3v283qetBxOKqquS40Gjw4uIuZ7zlX8yFyYDN8U2NsxMPPkelv8uZuPiMLOY4gsL-RY/s400/IMG_3314.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In Finland it is a bit cold so people wear Jackets to school. There is jacket leaving stations all over the school, the one in the corridor between the Lobby and the Dining room is the most popular. I have never left my coat there though because it is to crowded. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9AihgSRgbK7PtEfeDg6TqivuzbJJ9VsgfWhXzF45Id8_EzQoiD6gSH-s5-KcmxFwD4EmpI7FyddYah2DFOUoJuqCiGhzqGNm_mO532SV2jpmjkT7zAdLVHzE01PETijiWtzZDROLEx8/s1600/IMG_3312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ9AihgSRgbK7PtEfeDg6TqivuzbJJ9VsgfWhXzF45Id8_EzQoiD6gSH-s5-KcmxFwD4EmpI7FyddYah2DFOUoJuqCiGhzqGNm_mO532SV2jpmjkT7zAdLVHzE01PETijiWtzZDROLEx8/s400/IMG_3312.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jacket-Drop-Station</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Or I can go to Sumpila-but I will talk about that later.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 309.0pt;">My next class is English. In Finland everyone has a home-class who they have all there classes with. I am in 2B but I now only have one class with them. I am in 2A for English now because the 2B lessons are at the same time as Home Economics. It is interesting to be in a different class though and to talk to more people. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfwurqNywq7N47UnOBYaF_dagiw8SJxxraqg2e1waTeHJaWUpoErwpLs_qDOgsHmXw8i9TX5oerg2voJ2xR1V1fIXsA8aGZUF6ZSHxKFHe3FjOIq2B0k_518SWsgY1o7dAGvjzp4-Kq4/s1600/IMG_3325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtfwurqNywq7N47UnOBYaF_dagiw8SJxxraqg2e1waTeHJaWUpoErwpLs_qDOgsHmXw8i9TX5oerg2voJ2xR1V1fIXsA8aGZUF6ZSHxKFHe3FjOIq2B0k_518SWsgY1o7dAGvjzp4-Kq4/s400/IMG_3325.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 309.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 309.0pt;">I usually do very well in English, which is nice. I have however been faced with some difficult word test which despite being given entirely in English were difficult and I broke my perfect average. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 309.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA8ZgispA3LYYnyxxnNV09b3_7B5VOtcB8e0NdMwvLLUoJgiJatGK7VANE-IQFGrzpFiAkU9V0Dhfut9XCVi82oPny3tFcgG3j5h_m7UpMtkBLCBc26YgBir5BefOiLP6s3vkZYbh2kQ/s1600/IMG_3323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZA8ZgispA3LYYnyxxnNV09b3_7B5VOtcB8e0NdMwvLLUoJgiJatGK7VANE-IQFGrzpFiAkU9V0Dhfut9XCVi82oPny3tFcgG3j5h_m7UpMtkBLCBc26YgBir5BefOiLP6s3vkZYbh2kQ/s400/IMG_3323.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;">I have found that most teachers in Finland do not check your homework or if people have done it, except for my English teacher, who checks homework and of you have not done it you need to tell him your excuse in English. If I don’t do it I have to tell him in Finnish (this has only happened once). Initially I thought I would rehearse my excuses and make them get progressively more absurd as the term went on. I would learn useful Finnish this way but my teacher might not like it so I decided against that plan. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;">After my English class I have double free. During this time I am free to do what ever I want, Finnish High School Students can go to and from school campus as they please. I though this would mean that people would skip all the time, but if you are absent from too many classes you are expelled from the school and need to wait till the beginning of the next school year to re-commence your studies. I like to spend my frees in the Sumpila.</div><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;">Sumpila is the common room and the heart of the school. I like going there because there is always someone to talk to and it is one place in the school where I can get to know my classmates. Everyone is always really relaxed in Sumpila, there is always music playing and someone watching a humerous video on you-tube. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGY6CQSwU0aUV_g895XAfhYMKIB5YWJf2FepKKpRysafYvMqD8Wx_7D7S9II8l3uQ2ZrNTE0LXX2yGMocKA0J2FgfUwt9gD73A6vfE39APqRtkmb8tiiFbW6oAdL9H22twyUn9M9xR8s/s1600/IMG_1819.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpGY6CQSwU0aUV_g895XAfhYMKIB5YWJf2FepKKpRysafYvMqD8Wx_7D7S9II8l3uQ2ZrNTE0LXX2yGMocKA0J2FgfUwt9gD73A6vfE39APqRtkmb8tiiFbW6oAdL9H22twyUn9M9xR8s/s400/IMG_1819.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;">There are comfy couches to sit on and if you want you can buy cheap chocolate and drink free coffee. One of the couches, which is the lowest on the pecking order was previously owned buy the town hospital, but they didn’t want it any more so they gave it to school.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTp-hYWXAXx1wV0dHKao51pVPAHbtXv0ricRrr5skSFyKrcv3yLPYmVGLNaD47BITeSVyWo7_o-ywy-jSrHnoDIGUpIwdAFifWM9vdF1vbt-x_Ge77qogpextvQAAUM_oS71zVInFclo/s1600/IMG_1820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtTp-hYWXAXx1wV0dHKao51pVPAHbtXv0ricRrr5skSFyKrcv3yLPYmVGLNaD47BITeSVyWo7_o-ywy-jSrHnoDIGUpIwdAFifWM9vdF1vbt-x_Ge77qogpextvQAAUM_oS71zVInFclo/s400/IMG_1820.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The walls in Sumpila are decorated by the students and the room has a really nice atmosphere. The newest addition to the walls is a poster from the newspaper of Finland’s National Ice Hockey team who won the World Ice Hockey Championships last weekend!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;">After my frees on Monday I have Music, and this is the best class in Lieksan Lukio. The name of the course ruffly translates into the Music Course where you make a band. So we sing and learn to play basic, piano, drums and guitar. Some students play these instruments seriously, so the sound when we do play songs through is pretty decent. I have learnt to play piano cords and have started learning the guitar. The teacher is really nice and lent me a guitar for the summer. I was too uncoordinated to achieve musical greatness when playing the drums because when I had to beat 2 drums at once it was difficult and I would forget to play one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also listen to songs from different countries every lesson. It is the best class.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;">To finish of my Monday I have sports class. This term it has been really really good for two reasons. The first the weather is so good and the second that we have been playing Pes<span style="color: black;">äpallo-Finnish baseball. And the whole year group plays it together (normally sports class is segregated usually). </span>Pes<span style="color: black;">äpallo is a lovely sport and I love it. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">I first learnt to play in Friday Sports an additional sports course I have taken. When I began to play I had no idea what was going on as the sport differs a lot from American baseball (and I don’t know the rules for that). I still am vague on what I am supposed to be doing during the game but I am learning. When It was my first turn to hit and I had run to the first base, I didn’t know when I needed to run to second, so my teacher holds up a spare bat and says “Sophie when I drop the bat, you need to run”</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fClty01t33Z8a0Bmih6RQmkokC2G0iDA3fvzx55s2j9ZJCrGUQMsmkXK42up0nOhmWvgZ-uPn7V9CBiUkE1E0tqd9AnCdXToEkH-k4VMjPo9m2R1k-ewFFg1E1gFPN6hINzMKbLTtuo/s1600/IMG_3329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0fClty01t33Z8a0Bmih6RQmkokC2G0iDA3fvzx55s2j9ZJCrGUQMsmkXK42up0nOhmWvgZ-uPn7V9CBiUkE1E0tqd9AnCdXToEkH-k4VMjPo9m2R1k-ewFFg1E1gFPN6hINzMKbLTtuo/s400/IMG_3329.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidz2SbaE4PwpEAwdL1bcD64cvFQ4VCZWqVjZjllurEfwSEQBhAIZ6mDXZ0QhlUj6rrwYkg70I44FBJpj2UyVAMYkW9-VkDa2CX69SdlHo1em5YD8rJHu1xnpQGqfv9IoGC5yHsBqCRKTY/s1600/IMG_3349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidz2SbaE4PwpEAwdL1bcD64cvFQ4VCZWqVjZjllurEfwSEQBhAIZ6mDXZ0QhlUj6rrwYkg70I44FBJpj2UyVAMYkW9-VkDa2CX69SdlHo1em5YD8rJHu1xnpQGqfv9IoGC5yHsBqCRKTY/s400/IMG_3349.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkXsTTObAM1Ok-5F1U80EMhFM5422BsQjCnyIRU206qJp2-KB22-gg62hWO9MoLpLw0ReGQ6GMuOe_1lN34v50l2DXqcOXFC0JBVOZPwsTkBYqzdwq3bbRz0LMgpQXQasWae78b_EE2A/s1600/IMG_3356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNkXsTTObAM1Ok-5F1U80EMhFM5422BsQjCnyIRU206qJp2-KB22-gg62hWO9MoLpLw0ReGQ6GMuOe_1lN34v50l2DXqcOXFC0JBVOZPwsTkBYqzdwq3bbRz0LMgpQXQasWae78b_EE2A/s400/IMG_3356.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvWEZPvRB3WrsC0qN7ObZb-zfhOmxP5WqLvhaqasCN3Kunl98qLv5r-Z9ZiZyMRTlFO1eKYNAW4GZhFCrJF2DFb4ErgWR6F4Zg7zjr1gQBWvpPY5-Albnf1N-sgtc1nSVKsmLBPxQM6o/s1600/IMG_3351.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpvWEZPvRB3WrsC0qN7ObZb-zfhOmxP5WqLvhaqasCN3Kunl98qLv5r-Z9ZiZyMRTlFO1eKYNAW4GZhFCrJF2DFb4ErgWR6F4Zg7zjr1gQBWvpPY5-Albnf1N-sgtc1nSVKsmLBPxQM6o/s400/IMG_3351.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">I play it now 4 times a week, 3 times in school and on Monday evenings with my friend (who is a really good figure skater) and the other skating ladies in Lieksa. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: 155.0pt;"><span style="color: black;">Last Monday sports was a bit different. I was the teacher and I taught my friends how to play Footy. It was a success and I think they really liked it. I had a lot of fun too and I was thankful to have had frees on Monday because I needed to google the rules. We had to improvise a bit using a square field, a rugby ball and frisbies in the places where the goals would be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was one of my favourite single lessons in my time in Lukio. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjp2WH-HqqUSRhhEhISF9sSgYE0xA9_K8y5EtB-DzIv0PZsLI7E0hODhhY23G9O8dwgISU7-ntmrEFkQ79AsJ0zA30wWZWSv2fxTgst69wbdEC3MxG1eAHapEo3gsdnSqV1mPBsECHPs/s1600/IMG_3447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNjp2WH-HqqUSRhhEhISF9sSgYE0xA9_K8y5EtB-DzIv0PZsLI7E0hODhhY23G9O8dwgISU7-ntmrEFkQ79AsJ0zA30wWZWSv2fxTgst69wbdEC3MxG1eAHapEo3gsdnSqV1mPBsECHPs/s400/IMG_3447.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7jLgrdmm6rJmLTNhfyCzZdNdybBPAwnWsCo_xlK7fV4KRShw0dXYwOYSPY7cKGNXSndGypFVkv4I4or4wRKNreH39pNnaOgnWEWxNI3dA9CNS8kVURPYwxqqryZv4LgpHWKpSE_9Jq4/s1600/IMG_3441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL7jLgrdmm6rJmLTNhfyCzZdNdybBPAwnWsCo_xlK7fV4KRShw0dXYwOYSPY7cKGNXSndGypFVkv4I4or4wRKNreH39pNnaOgnWEWxNI3dA9CNS8kVURPYwxqqryZv4LgpHWKpSE_9Jq4/s400/IMG_3441.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And do you see that Australian Football is being played by Finns wearing Finland's colours</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">?</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecOOQ7NLR5e9ZcSHMhrplwuhp4sjwnBS1tqodEvZPHDLV_Fav8nhQpUhvTvl_yCY1X-ycvM4nL3xWDuuqgNn59_5APHtrZtg09yS_coU5ZBwLE8bXo_ek-0iiPJea59LVbwwSbqOOtFs/s1600/IMG_3443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecOOQ7NLR5e9ZcSHMhrplwuhp4sjwnBS1tqodEvZPHDLV_Fav8nhQpUhvTvl_yCY1X-ycvM4nL3xWDuuqgNn59_5APHtrZtg09yS_coU5ZBwLE8bXo_ek-0iiPJea59LVbwwSbqOOtFs/s400/IMG_3443.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-81464711094656119112011-04-24T11:46:00.000-07:002011-04-24T11:52:58.033-07:00The Leikola Show<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">The spring is now in full swing. The temperature gage even said +37 today (it was not that hot but the sun was shinning strait onto it). Since the sun has been shinning and the days have become longer, I have noticed a real shift in the behaviour of the Finns. I have read that people get tired and a bit depressed over the winter and then increasingly more active as the summer comes. Now this may be true. Over the past couple of weeks since I returned from Russia my classmates are getting louder, seem to be joking around more, smiling more and some even dance in the Sumppila (Student hang out room).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To mark the beginning of the Easter holiday and celebrate the coming of spring, the Hallitus (student council) organised a concert. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There were to be two acts. The first a local Heavy Band called the Human Ruins. Before I left for Finland I had been told that Heavy Metal was very popular (it is) and so I imagined that Lieksa would have at least one local Heavy Band. It was fantastic to see that it actually did, and a pretty good one at that I think. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52cLf87XjH8eb6mWry524qKP2Pq7uw2x_vehzghKN-kyzjHC8-nZZguy9TlGyIJBBH_DRek84kKtSPw-EhS2To8p4i2REQmtegcMimgHMoQMi6p4CuFBfeob5xRA0WEBW-gUH4U0tj-4/s1600/IMG_3152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52cLf87XjH8eb6mWry524qKP2Pq7uw2x_vehzghKN-kyzjHC8-nZZguy9TlGyIJBBH_DRek84kKtSPw-EhS2To8p4i2REQmtegcMimgHMoQMi6p4CuFBfeob5xRA0WEBW-gUH4U0tj-4/s400/IMG_3152.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The second and main event of the evening was a show by Ismo Leikola; one of Finland’s most famous stand up comedian! I knew going in that I was not going to understand a word of what he was going to say. But EVERYONE in school was going so of course I had to go too. And even though I could only understand a few words and a wage jist of what he said, and none of his actual punch lines, I knew from the sound of the crowed and the sight of Finns doubled over in laughter that he was FUNNY.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEXJy-FBAeE4n_ZX6QZs-U-Uzy9vXFThyWV4q5aItlYdbGmYg_WcHcrj5kEIF1U1nYMwTEkluLg2Y3mb61FaOCVYL4o8NwFEfeNbKs3CZYlNHKZC_QTHgFkggLXi3FwxOciyoeXFrwJA/s1600/IMG_3156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEXJy-FBAeE4n_ZX6QZs-U-Uzy9vXFThyWV4q5aItlYdbGmYg_WcHcrj5kEIF1U1nYMwTEkluLg2Y3mb61FaOCVYL4o8NwFEfeNbKs3CZYlNHKZC_QTHgFkggLXi3FwxOciyoeXFrwJA/s400/IMG_3156.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leikola.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm5hJagJIlQYkT6Vp5U_kqSifG9wHANXs6Vj1BGvhz90XHCjpeyKZvXzJtLV7AkYMKiJ8NVnpzDhB5n_OdDv7MFpmcXqREDQ3sX3935-LGPd_wRpy_X6te5eAG4UtM_VyRMUXpVBWpa4/s1600/IMG_3159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUm5hJagJIlQYkT6Vp5U_kqSifG9wHANXs6Vj1BGvhz90XHCjpeyKZvXzJtLV7AkYMKiJ8NVnpzDhB5n_OdDv7MFpmcXqREDQ3sX3935-LGPd_wRpy_X6te5eAG4UtM_VyRMUXpVBWpa4/s400/IMG_3159.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leikola being funny.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaVP-DZzJYGVbxQJy0o4k1_auF-ebzB2jdWmC1ZG599NnyXmhH9TxA7oxrbrF8AFbsNIpnMH3NLTpssGS2BewNRSPIc9DxctpTHVQn3i6_6lh3QUBC8LZYaFsWzODo3XSz53CTEcKBbU/s1600/IMG_3160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGaVP-DZzJYGVbxQJy0o4k1_auF-ebzB2jdWmC1ZG599NnyXmhH9TxA7oxrbrF8AFbsNIpnMH3NLTpssGS2BewNRSPIc9DxctpTHVQn3i6_6lh3QUBC8LZYaFsWzODo3XSz53CTEcKBbU/s400/IMG_3160.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leikola playing guitarre</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXG-S20MJdgdt8CxGoPpRg4jPfkdcW0KDaqiVRqZKJ-je3CfDwBX_mjuhlF1I5mRL7Y8CQcReKKumh9gmhgLuk76QaRsDTAZHCUR5AtMma2wpiI2W6YmyLmuFRoPeiaGrXwzcfE6h6wA/s1600/IMG_3164.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZXG-S20MJdgdt8CxGoPpRg4jPfkdcW0KDaqiVRqZKJ-je3CfDwBX_mjuhlF1I5mRL7Y8CQcReKKumh9gmhgLuk76QaRsDTAZHCUR5AtMma2wpiI2W6YmyLmuFRoPeiaGrXwzcfE6h6wA/s400/IMG_3164.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I think Leikola looks like Peter Jackson and also a bit like my Dad</td></tr>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">He was funny to look at too and with the laughter around me, I really enjoyed the show and laughed along with the rest of the jam-packed hall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3Axe2fr5ngdwavS8q0GvDciSbz680dT8MlDK_6uFsy6oDD8QMl04oBzxH-0Rc8a9ZsW_OOAG1yDnnsBdnA9sPOGK4Z4o-R7KfaMGPioiBPtcenicnAwNWrpVn0fg15ztlhwkH3vETW4/s1600/IMG_3161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO3Axe2fr5ngdwavS8q0GvDciSbz680dT8MlDK_6uFsy6oDD8QMl04oBzxH-0Rc8a9ZsW_OOAG1yDnnsBdnA9sPOGK4Z4o-R7KfaMGPioiBPtcenicnAwNWrpVn0fg15ztlhwkH3vETW4/s400/IMG_3161.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The filled up hall. I clicked a moment after everyone stopped laughing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Hallitus did a great job organising the whole thing, it was a fantastic night enjoyed by many many many of the people who live in Lieksa. They are all so great.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And I cannot wait to see how everyone gets come summer.</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-4623715703467333982011-04-24T10:57:00.000-07:002011-04-24T10:57:51.003-07:00What is this?<style>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rTZhixTR_6P1g1yTW2CLWltBBv6xjYzvPcN_NWuK2ezGP_Foo29IP3hyDwNftHRtKAv1HaFA8kujZTLriIkrqqMvatVFywk9twthgd3dMv5Qg-5aQfnKIykSO1q-iw6W1TO7kWu0I3o/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rTZhixTR_6P1g1yTW2CLWltBBv6xjYzvPcN_NWuK2ezGP_Foo29IP3hyDwNftHRtKAv1HaFA8kujZTLriIkrqqMvatVFywk9twthgd3dMv5Qg-5aQfnKIykSO1q-iw6W1TO7kWu0I3o/s400/IMG_3177.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Excrement</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Mud</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c)<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A traditional Finnish Easter dessert</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And the answer is c)!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mammi is truly the stuff of legends, every visitor to Finland needs to try it at least once because I can guarantee you will never find anything else like it anywhere else in the world.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Like the blood pancakes I had heard of this odd delicacy. People were asking me if I had eaten it yet. Told me that it looks repulsive. I had heard mixed reviews about its flavour. Some said it was sweet some said it was not. The most positive thing I have heard about it is it is quite nice and most of my classmates had said they hate it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But with Easter looming I knew Mammi day would be coming up. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">According to Petri (my host father) Mammi is traditionally served in the sauna and can be enjoyed with Jegermeister. This is a complete lie (which I believed at first-not the Jegermeister part because this serving suggestion came after the lie had been uncovered).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mammi is served with cream or milk. Made completely out of rye flour and water, cooked for a long time at low temperatures I was told to eat it with a lot of cream and to minimise how much Mammi I put in my bowel.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">SO today it was Mammi-day. I had put it off over the Easter long weekend (Mammi is a good friday food) but no longer. After Easter lunch we went outside (because it is now warm in Finland) to taste the Mammi.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It smelt like rotting yeast and is the consistency of ultra thick treacle. I placed a spoon into my bowel. It slowly glooped off the spoon and into the bowel. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAWim37wboTsXI_Z4tMyqwLJqFYpCkw3pw874TeG56vClz9padT2CSM2MIxbXu_AplTfFqsiy5MSPt7wHWNaIjZ5bUCvZ-zPx7jxHG8zl5cnUZdpmEyR0otvklj1krd15D5s6hyCWWAA/s1600/IMG_3172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggAWim37wboTsXI_Z4tMyqwLJqFYpCkw3pw874TeG56vClz9padT2CSM2MIxbXu_AplTfFqsiy5MSPt7wHWNaIjZ5bUCvZ-zPx7jxHG8zl5cnUZdpmEyR0otvklj1krd15D5s6hyCWWAA/s400/IMG_3172.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I tried it first plain, found it was ok and then poured on the cream as recommended. I golpped it down quickly, really enjoying the strangely sweet goop. Then I had excess cream so I decided to finnish it off with some more Mammi (because Mammi is good I though) and then it hit me. The taste of Mammi was no longer good. It was bad, really bad. I cannot describe the taste at that moment but it was not pleasant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN3AbzFk91Fv6ixbTaNf-bDEh4xV0nRuaLnyc8tSlhaJkYSjiCOORBo2zBb6hyi_fr-Qt09X3a0-n05e-2T3o8RtMeD9Moscm4i9AQZYdv-_Q2JlRCfnGcb_OKviyRgt71nHar8Fle4U/s1600/IMG_3175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmN3AbzFk91Fv6ixbTaNf-bDEh4xV0nRuaLnyc8tSlhaJkYSjiCOORBo2zBb6hyi_fr-Qt09X3a0-n05e-2T3o8RtMeD9Moscm4i9AQZYdv-_Q2JlRCfnGcb_OKviyRgt71nHar8Fle4U/s400/IMG_3175.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So overall Mammi is good to a limit, and in moderation, once a year.</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-9680085026851155242011-04-18T09:02:00.000-07:002011-04-18T12:00:00.939-07:00Winter in Finland<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I only left Finland for 4 days and all my snow melts! I came back to a rainy Finland and the snow quickly melted away. There are still a few mounds of it but it is practically all gone!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Winter in Finland is the most beautiful thing. The Finnish forests are so open and inviting that the light shins through the wilderness and glistens on the silver birch trees. There is something magical about it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYcBCA63uCpjwdohA4kPnnxVp15bk0GCG_iQB8qBmcJuV5joU2sUTXhNGGNeSVZBySRdTDW4-_78DIuok3vmw1FvYD7Gj1PSF9_n8-2YhzCMdtB_nXdGvEXG3zgtyyXUTwf8B6eCtGps/s1600/IMG_1653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxYcBCA63uCpjwdohA4kPnnxVp15bk0GCG_iQB8qBmcJuV5joU2sUTXhNGGNeSVZBySRdTDW4-_78DIuok3vmw1FvYD7Gj1PSF9_n8-2YhzCMdtB_nXdGvEXG3zgtyyXUTwf8B6eCtGps/s400/IMG_1653.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjdwuit6_bPSiR6IFmYI-IGZFNYfy_alzZEp9vAobrLy_RJbc2TeXIkYMixyR61gbv0AVzOPAPkAzdNCjQcMIsefib6uTalzknZ_Tq6Xa0l20hejTPDrnTR5jeAZ30zkhJNECKakTZxE/s1600/IMG_1763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOjdwuit6_bPSiR6IFmYI-IGZFNYfy_alzZEp9vAobrLy_RJbc2TeXIkYMixyR61gbv0AVzOPAPkAzdNCjQcMIsefib6uTalzknZ_Tq6Xa0l20hejTPDrnTR5jeAZ30zkhJNECKakTZxE/s400/IMG_1763.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I knew I would love snow before I arrived but I must say I really really REALLY love snow. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I flew into a white Finland and now I am seeing the seasons change from Winter to Spring. I knew it would come but I hoped that it would stay the winter wonderland I arrived too for the rest of the year. I am so lucky that I came to Finland in such a snowy winter. There was over a meter of snow! And it was FANTASTIC.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKR25A37TuaWGSgKp__J8a8xmQHJbKvtCZmpZcbmmAZXMKSji0tanUrOdxkM-c9gbpub9HHqsSMYsZHrQmOFimlcEuTfKimrwTum16pOVZCJ8FSJmWAAK90dImIhewQh-d_1MX7Rg0Tc/s1600/IMG_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitKR25A37TuaWGSgKp__J8a8xmQHJbKvtCZmpZcbmmAZXMKSji0tanUrOdxkM-c9gbpub9HHqsSMYsZHrQmOFimlcEuTfKimrwTum16pOVZCJ8FSJmWAAK90dImIhewQh-d_1MX7Rg0Tc/s400/IMG_0452.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSxiTbMbpWkbGD_n6rQQH2iHoiKmR_ASFlZCycQm1BIsC3Vy3wdbwAz7BctWC9_wnxZO6kW-dw7E7gXnEBnLOCb_3kNlBNuj4_tuPNjToXCz7dzD36V3JBf6d6xb1IqXlsgKeshhCisA/s1600/IMG_0428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSxiTbMbpWkbGD_n6rQQH2iHoiKmR_ASFlZCycQm1BIsC3Vy3wdbwAz7BctWC9_wnxZO6kW-dw7E7gXnEBnLOCb_3kNlBNuj4_tuPNjToXCz7dzD36V3JBf6d6xb1IqXlsgKeshhCisA/s400/IMG_0428.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing the driveway one Sunday afternoon on my first week in Lieksa</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Yes it was cold at times less then -30 at times but even when it is that cold I didn’t care because I just looked around and saw how much snow there was and then I couldn’t feel anything negative.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Koli (the national park across Lake Pielinen) is probably the best winter place in the world. The trees look like cakes dripping in white icing. I drove over the frozen lake twice this winter to go to Koli for snowboarding. The picture probably describe it better then any words I can write, but it looks un-real. (and also it is more shiny in real life)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM4YsZH3qUgEfa-I7BzI0qlzrz-L-a4lnameNOyVGgpAP-f5nEgw5fWowAQVUEUYMAek63vw_zuWj5csUa4w_LAFD6pwxykb3_rVrR7C5VWNw2fuw-if04d_lNe5rOghjlNzffv6nO5M/s1600/IMG_0551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtM4YsZH3qUgEfa-I7BzI0qlzrz-L-a4lnameNOyVGgpAP-f5nEgw5fWowAQVUEUYMAek63vw_zuWj5csUa4w_LAFD6pwxykb3_rVrR7C5VWNw2fuw-if04d_lNe5rOghjlNzffv6nO5M/s400/IMG_0551.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTi-kENEaG5GWf9aE0ypYsFkNKtwoeVEg5lDwFqXgt5xXiB3_LtX3kZnE51UK4tbg0CVfbJvLQy9KMltInlc6SA_wKWPx3J9ujdj4LcpEu1sBmqV2NKpEu-KXbK7wLAoECdX1_2-UaRc/s1600/IMG_0538.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTi-kENEaG5GWf9aE0ypYsFkNKtwoeVEg5lDwFqXgt5xXiB3_LtX3kZnE51UK4tbg0CVfbJvLQy9KMltInlc6SA_wKWPx3J9ujdj4LcpEu1sBmqV2NKpEu-KXbK7wLAoECdX1_2-UaRc/s400/IMG_0538.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The most famous Finnish view. I hopefully can see it in all the different seasons. Summer is the most popular.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKquk_bQnQeUml6M4ONTdYOYwZPMzxseJrmxhaCXOQA5uDiFy18mdorJyRH_gtZGmfo1HCM4-aK2m1WiWRv1ExICu8kVEe3L8m9SerKPpe5JOzWsyTMWXyyaJLwLXnKPnr-cYtSVCeXHg/s1600/IMG_0627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKquk_bQnQeUml6M4ONTdYOYwZPMzxseJrmxhaCXOQA5uDiFy18mdorJyRH_gtZGmfo1HCM4-aK2m1WiWRv1ExICu8kVEe3L8m9SerKPpe5JOzWsyTMWXyyaJLwLXnKPnr-cYtSVCeXHg/s400/IMG_0627.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">All the winter I was so sad when I thought about the snow melting, but now that it has melted I have discovered that Spring is actually really nice.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Lieksa is already a totally different place, the town is more open and spacious and I now realise where the foot paths are.</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-6880125069288667452011-04-18T08:44:00.000-07:002011-04-18T10:47:45.751-07:00Russia Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> I must say that I think exchange students in other countries
do not have it as good as us in Finland. Not only are all the other exchange
students FANTASTIC but we get the opportunity to visit Russia. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">My time here is going so fast. St. Petersburg Tour has
already been and gone! </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">I woke up bright and early, at 4am to be exact on Thursday
the 31<sup>st</sup> of March to drive to Joensuu in time to catch the train to
Kouvola to meet the Rotary Bus before driving to St Petersburg! </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The bus was running a bit late because the bus missed a stop
and had to backtrack, so I spent the morning with Diego, Victor, Victoria and
Ashleigh (oldies from my district) in Kouvola. Exchange students are loud and a
lot of fun to be around. They understand what you are going though and you know
as soon as you meet them that they are your friends. I get the impression that
when exchange students get together it is always LOUD. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">When I got on the bus I met most of the oldies from my
district. The oldies have been in Finland for 8 months already and we the
newbies have just arrived. They out number us 80ish to 23. The oldies are great
and really welcomed us newbies into their fold. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was a long trip but it didn’t matter because it was fun.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">What wasn’t so enjoyable was getting through the boarder
security. You can’t talk, you can’t dance and probably breathing is a bad idea
too. Everywhere you look there are Russians glaring at you. The checkpoints are
totally silent-even by Finnish standards.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Photos are forbidden anywhere close to the boarder, but the
boarder is not so aesthetically pleasing, I don’t think the decorating on the
Russian side has changed much since the 70’s. There are slanted mirrors above
you so the ladies who check passports can see if you are short.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">When my passport was being checked the woman spoke to me in
Russian and passport in hand walked off and was gone for some minutes. Things
like these do make you feel a bit nervous and I just stood there sweat beading
up on my brow and looking nervously at the other exchangers. </div><div class="MsoNormal">It turned out ok, at least I hope so (I may now be apart of
some conspiracy or blacklisted by the mafia) but I got my passport back and was
allowed to enter the former Soviet Union.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">I practiced Russian dancing with Karla (my oldie, who lives
the nearest to me, in Joensuu) while we waited for our bus to be strip-searched.
We did get some strange looks but it was not from the Russian so it was ok.
(Russian dancing was soon to become a favourite past time of the Russia tour. I was not very good but every now and then I would dance Russian style-it is quite fun too)</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">There is a huge difference in the 100 meters surrounding the
boarder. When you cross over the Finnish-Russian boarder the first thing you
notice is that Russia is dirty. There is pollution stagnant in the air and the
snow is darker then Finnish snow. As we entered the suburbs the houses are
ostentatious, but many are abandoned and in ruins. When you look at them you
can tell that they were once beautiful but now they are falling apart. Despite
this in the block next door a new mansion is being erected. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">We had a quick stop at a small service station (the size of
my bedroom) to get water. In St Petersburg it is extremely dangerous to drink
tap water, people drink it with the intent of ending their lives. I had brought
5L from Lieksa with me but I went to the shop for the cultural experience. The
first thing you notice is that everything is extremely cheep, and the second is
the large amount of alcoholic beverages available. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">We got to the Hotel (the Hotel Azimut), had dinner, got to
know the oldies, were told stories of life in Mexico, and updated each other on
how our exchanges are going. My roommate for the trip was Ashleigh an American
from Upstate New York. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">After a cold shower and a less then appetising breakfast, I
was ready for my first proper day in Russia.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">First on the schedule was the Hermitage, I had heard that it
was the best Art Museum in the world. I was excited. But is not only an art
gallery it is the Winter Palace of the Russian Tsars. The building was so amazing
it was visually overwhelming. We toured the main rooms of the Palace. The
collection is interspersed throughout the rooms. The art was fantastic but the
interior of the building is what really stood out. Every inch was meticulously
ornate. I don’t know if I took it all in to a level which would give it
justice. The Hermitage is a place that you could live in for your entire life
and every day notice something new, several things really. To see the art
collection, looking at each piece for one minute, Monday to Friday, from 9 till
5 it would take over 14 years to see the whole thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQf5fhA0A7lW7WfH_sBcmDf6sYrd6OB5XDzROEbmrrJqA7thjDFHEoh3YKrClFO62nJGUXykcdzMLdelKzkFk9tEEdbyQjTKUPSnV8lczgWQWHhzcK633bhq9jlVGuZs5nyYN_bapsS4/s1600/IMG_2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQf5fhA0A7lW7WfH_sBcmDf6sYrd6OB5XDzROEbmrrJqA7thjDFHEoh3YKrClFO62nJGUXykcdzMLdelKzkFk9tEEdbyQjTKUPSnV8lczgWQWHhzcK633bhq9jlVGuZs5nyYN_bapsS4/s400/IMG_2633.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6KHoZBCTWoAcqaaQK-SdsC1ZIQkyQVgE8ITQVfhOyCbgdm7lp5ZR33RInnK-y7FxfF6HxNQkU1nNTeP2XFt0l1wS5Xs6nBKrySlfctEe9JKCCHOu6GmqgDNgTbc9-60nqOn9BZ445u4/s1600/IMG_2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW6KHoZBCTWoAcqaaQK-SdsC1ZIQkyQVgE8ITQVfhOyCbgdm7lp5ZR33RInnK-y7FxfF6HxNQkU1nNTeP2XFt0l1wS5Xs6nBKrySlfctEe9JKCCHOu6GmqgDNgTbc9-60nqOn9BZ445u4/s400/IMG_2641.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPb25nQBAS1GvUD-YDbZ4mooW7Hxv1lsiGDIpg8bGfOqc_Zj4If2FCp8nqlj2jg2xbaPlJ6PvCSFml0ClUdSSHiyL5xJQ5NfdS8qbtZZR93GB9RY7Lt85FCb9ndIpTDsxnOC3C1nQ4HI/s1600/IMG_2679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPb25nQBAS1GvUD-YDbZ4mooW7Hxv1lsiGDIpg8bGfOqc_Zj4If2FCp8nqlj2jg2xbaPlJ6PvCSFml0ClUdSSHiyL5xJQ5NfdS8qbtZZR93GB9RY7Lt85FCb9ndIpTDsxnOC3C1nQ4HI/s400/IMG_2679.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlPD1sEK_qknv-m8F40pgelDFbkuy2GSYPSVDcyIyViaX7upwInWOLBWFY8cnnn_bgrn3Ns_HP3BNwVvb0iPwqCk53R2o6ZADzLsr9avkbKklJITCtAuP_X0xlN3_wq86nzYtn-zJEf0/s1600/IMG_2727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlPD1sEK_qknv-m8F40pgelDFbkuy2GSYPSVDcyIyViaX7upwInWOLBWFY8cnnn_bgrn3Ns_HP3BNwVvb0iPwqCk53R2o6ZADzLsr9avkbKklJITCtAuP_X0xlN3_wq86nzYtn-zJEf0/s400/IMG_2727.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">We were shown the highlights which fit easily into tours
route. For me the highlights were two Leonardo de Vinci paintings. When I
looked at them all I could think was it is PERFECT. He applied paint perfectly
and the colours melted into each other like smoke. I am glad high realism is
not my personal artistic style because if it was I would never be able to
achieve that level of perfection. The Madonna in one of the paintings had the
same almost smile as the Mona Lisa. De Vinci’s attention to detail is
phenomenal. I really can’t describe the paintings and my photos didn’t work out
because of the glass. But anyway nothing can beat seeing the real thing.
Basically I need to go back the Hermitage and see everything again and see what
I didn’t have time too. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Also very high up on the highlight scale was seeing a
Michelangelo sculpture. It was of a crouching man and was made as a bet between
him and one of his artisans or friends. He was trying to prove that you could
take a square block and turn it into the figure of a man. It is not polished or
sanded. You can still see the marks where he chiselled the stone. So if de
Vinci make you feel like you should give up now, the Michelangelo give you hope
as it reminds you that these masters were people and things that are perfect
can be made by normal people (fantastic artist but normal non the less)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4JS8Xs86G-OhRLh0Ck8ikBHBpJS73X0n_l1yDut70q08T0cnAhgoE-0C9XbYxX75QJKN5nxXyXUAyAWnnIzYXxpwxieCW96nkxfbG-V2luZJ61MomsqUnGv1LVHKOcdaM9Uwjd81tcQ/s1600/IMG_2785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4JS8Xs86G-OhRLh0Ck8ikBHBpJS73X0n_l1yDut70q08T0cnAhgoE-0C9XbYxX75QJKN5nxXyXUAyAWnnIzYXxpwxieCW96nkxfbG-V2luZJ61MomsqUnGv1LVHKOcdaM9Uwjd81tcQ/s400/IMG_2785.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Everywhere is Russia there are people selling those fluffy
soviet style hats, and pretty well from the word go the exchange students
started buying them and wore them for more or less the rest of the tour and
perhaps longer. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">We had lunch in a traditional Russian Restaurant which was
basically under ground. It looked like the Russia I had seen in the movie <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anastasia</i> and imagined. With rich woods
and colours, and a lot of navy blue (I don’t know why I associate Russia with
Navy Blue, but perhaps because it is the colour of Anastasia’s dress on the
front cover of the DVD) and other rich colours. Puppets dressed in the
traditional costume decorated the restaurant. We had salad, beetroot soup borsk
(I think it is called) and a chicken cheese omelette (but with no egg I think
but to call it an omelette gives a good visual
picture of what it was) and a pancake with jam. I thought it all tasted good. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon we headed off to the oldest museum in St
Petersburg. The <span lang="EN-GB">Kunstkamera,
Peter the Great’s Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. I don’t know if I
would recommend it based on the tour I had. We powered though most of the
anthropological exhibits and spent a long time in a room with pickled babies
who had birth defects. A little bit upsetting, to say the least. I think the
rest of the collection is interesting and it seemed like they had a lot of
costumes and artefacts from tribal societies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">That night we went to visit Nikolai’s Palace to see a
Russian Folk Show. It is said to be the best Folk show in St Petersburg and I
do not doubt that for one second. It was FANTASTIC. The dancers had such energy
and vibrancy. You could really see how rich Russian culture was. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EkiKsl9ivSdbfSYb8kQ-nm8K4pQ6FNJOMP6KUaXc58qX9L8PUbHg5zKrJOBS88EenBgY9JFiDeq4LpgPGAseaoz8QA6ndE3PmjvJ8E3EZO_YJLpVwMOIXCAH4Vh1NuHsO18vs_XFXwo/s1600/IMG_2876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0EkiKsl9ivSdbfSYb8kQ-nm8K4pQ6FNJOMP6KUaXc58qX9L8PUbHg5zKrJOBS88EenBgY9JFiDeq4LpgPGAseaoz8QA6ndE3PmjvJ8E3EZO_YJLpVwMOIXCAH4Vh1NuHsO18vs_XFXwo/s400/IMG_2876.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">After being do well behaved on the first night the tour
organisers let us stay up an extra half hour on Friday.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Saturday was our second and last full day in St Petersburg.
We spent the morning on a bus tour of the city stoping of at the most fancy
church, a souvenir shop and the super famous horse statue. I am not normally
the biggest fan of this type of tourism, but I think it worked well and I got
the feel for the city.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakPbxQqpN3QQnjZ_HsWXjBkBDugYFw9SE-o2sCypOs3iMcYE2xp82L1o5FwZhdTRf4p5HVy9YBSz1-ztuzUbNNuyvS7kS-p7VpkLhnSZLWsHFwl3lvQDpb7fUZQKc6nB8GKa0Ltqu-6M/s1600/IMG_2939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjakPbxQqpN3QQnjZ_HsWXjBkBDugYFw9SE-o2sCypOs3iMcYE2xp82L1o5FwZhdTRf4p5HVy9YBSz1-ztuzUbNNuyvS7kS-p7VpkLhnSZLWsHFwl3lvQDpb7fUZQKc6nB8GKa0Ltqu-6M/s400/IMG_2939.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon we were left to our own devices to explore <span lang="EN-GB">Nevski Prospekt to largest shopping
area in St Petersburg. It was pretty confusing and we got lost over and over
again. During this time we saw an Orthodox Russian Church. The whole thing was
un-real, like it was a Disney movie or something. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJN6RT_rR14eMg6X4ov7doqcjpnXAzN5KsG9z7YU3zWdq6DSc7QqzgaZtUX9rSakVOfUWsuSMDTPcEPksHuNe9DN-vo4BqGW1-nsRwHeXDbidrjlFzNKIDXDl_jY4PqcUxpeamiaw5nI/s1600/IMG_3017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJN6RT_rR14eMg6X4ov7doqcjpnXAzN5KsG9z7YU3zWdq6DSc7QqzgaZtUX9rSakVOfUWsuSMDTPcEPksHuNe9DN-vo4BqGW1-nsRwHeXDbidrjlFzNKIDXDl_jY4PqcUxpeamiaw5nI/s400/IMG_3017.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BlaN5lww5aMNsO3N9a1mNSB6hAywB4AtwDC4_eZxgOPiluFelpQuepd7xOJjdocHz69aumJlCFj7LGhBJRCqd2el1k-bDX6drIuqSaOIZQFetsrUzUxHBctt5WXu2CzEgeuxBNcIMwA/s1600/IMG_2986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0BlaN5lww5aMNsO3N9a1mNSB6hAywB4AtwDC4_eZxgOPiluFelpQuepd7xOJjdocHz69aumJlCFj7LGhBJRCqd2el1k-bDX6drIuqSaOIZQFetsrUzUxHBctt5WXu2CzEgeuxBNcIMwA/s400/IMG_2986.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">We also
visited a market. Amongst the market sellers you will find some of the nicest
people, and they are all extremely well versed in foreign language. Russians
find it hard to learn languages and many only speak Russian. If you imagine we
find it hard to learn Russian it is the same for them but for every other
language, so I was surprised to find people who could speak at least 4 in
portable stores on the side of the road. I spoke German to one, English to many
and I think they are probably versed in French as well (as this language was
popular is Tsarist Russia). Victor told me that he told one of the Mexican
girls in Spanish not to buy something because he had seen it cheaper, to which
the market seller replied in Spanish that they would not find anything better
elsewhere. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">I had
thought someone had told me it was ok to barter down the prices in Russia. So
when Ashleigh tried to buy a badge from a man at the markets I began trying to
get her a discount. Alas my efforts ended in an elderly Russian man yelling at
me and me quickly running away, but now I know that discounts can only go so
far, I would have been able to get Ashleigh a 50 rouble discount if I hadn’t
tried to get an even bigger one. (But it didn’t matter because the next day we
found vintage ones that looked better and were half the price)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">On our last night we visit the Russian ballet to see a
showing of Swan Lake. The dancers were extremely precise and the show was
beautiful, but I felt that there was no emotion behind their moves and that
made the performance a bit static. I was expecting the Russian ballet to be
more rich and dynamic. But having gone
to the Russian Ballet is good card to play when bragging about life experience.
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Bed time was extended until 1am on the last night and I
realised how tired I was going to be at the end of the tour. I had been up late
talking every-night. I don’t think I have quite recovered in the sleep
department but I have plenty of time to sleep in Australia next year so I am
not to worried. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">We would exchange badges in the evenings/night and after
this my blazer is looking a lot more colourful then when I got on the plane,
and my business card collection is a lot larger. It was really great to be with the other
Exchange students. They are truly wonderful people. I will say it again but
exchange broadens your worldview I now know people who I consider to be my
friends living in places all over the world, and we have this common experience
(not just the Russia tour but living in Finland-which is pretty special and
unique) that we will remember forever. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The last day we began our journey back to Finland, stopping
in Vyborg a former Finnish Village to spend the rest of our Roubles. It is
apparently a hotspot for quality linin, but I didn’t know this until last week
so I am sorry Mum but I didn’t get you anything. But I did get some super cute
mittens, some cool fold out cups and a Lenin badge for my blazer.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The bus trip and our time getting through the boarder went a
lot quicker then when we were coming into Russia. We had lunch in Finland and
said our goodbyes to the exchangers on other buses there. It was sad to say
good-bye because I live so far from all of them. But seeing how fast my year is going I will
be on Euro-tour with them before I know it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Overall St Petersburg is an interesting city. The architecture
is very European and the buildings are beautiful. The city is beautiful and it
looks as if once it was very much loved and lots effort and money went into
making it into a real jewel. But now the buildings are falling apart and if
they are restored on the outside the inside is ruin. The pollution makes the
city look grey and the buildings are dusty. The people look as if they have a
really hard life. This is really sad because Russian culture is so vibrant and
the city is so beautiful. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYLLDR0RdHVAG3gAEtgNqogX4uYVHOe4ubzp2Iz6mTXpYIUSMFNI1oiSK57Xkoqai5qbvXCKQvUsRG7aFRhuEzDyH98Q0o_iCj3p9k7stWTeMUk5NrnKRodnP-f_7e-1IEnjrohiisCE/s1600/IMG_2821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYLLDR0RdHVAG3gAEtgNqogX4uYVHOe4ubzp2Iz6mTXpYIUSMFNI1oiSK57Xkoqai5qbvXCKQvUsRG7aFRhuEzDyH98Q0o_iCj3p9k7stWTeMUk5NrnKRodnP-f_7e-1IEnjrohiisCE/s400/IMG_2821.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was funny be in the places that I had seen in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anastasia</i>, I was constantly seeing
places that looked like the animation movie, which was really exciting. I hope
I get to visit Russia again, some summer perhaps. Russian MacDonald’s is better
then the Macca’s in Australia too. So I have many reasons to go back!</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-14763193296041932932011-04-08T04:53:00.000-07:002011-04-18T10:48:26.853-07:00First Sale<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">So I am officially a proper artist. Last night I sold my first painting!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have been taking a painting class in the local evening school since I arrived to Lieksa. I really enjoy it. The teacher is super nice, at first I could not communicate with the teacher at all but my Finnish is getting better and so is her English so we can somewhat communicate now. Before she would just hug me, point at my paintings and say noh nie (all right) and I like, is very good.She always calls me Sophia and I don't have the heart to tell her that, that is not my name.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Generally we have a model whom we paint. His name is Vladdie (or at least this is what the teacher calls him) and I am 99% sure he is Russian. He is not a brilliant model and I don’t enjoy painting him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">A couple of weeks ago I painted this picture of him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWlE1OzIbPFTrbWQDWfr1OWhyphenhyphenmwuTvDOJVd9L-Mkc5YmiNDNfPbX2wFFAL3fqvCtvYIRjjuycrklgEF6JVfiEDY4kalqFAl2eQ3p9nfjprLWGdBUI4xFg0cW-LiEwhsjEd5uEgsJvf9g/s1600/IMG_1823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihWlE1OzIbPFTrbWQDWfr1OWhyphenhyphenmwuTvDOJVd9L-Mkc5YmiNDNfPbX2wFFAL3fqvCtvYIRjjuycrklgEF6JVfiEDY4kalqFAl2eQ3p9nfjprLWGdBUI4xFg0cW-LiEwhsjEd5uEgsJvf9g/s640/IMG_1823.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was struggling to get it right the whole night. At the end the teacher complimented it and showed it around the class (who are all much older, it's an adult painting class) and some guy who is an artist in Lieksa said to me ‘how much?’!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I didn’t know what to say . I needed to think about a price, before bringing it back to him the next week to make the sale. The next week he wasn’t there and the week after that I was in Russia so it was not until last night that I made the sale.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not much can beat the feeling of selling a painting or piece of your own art. I was so sure that I would never want to part with any of my works (a bit of a problem if you want to make a living as an artist). But when someone wants to buy your art it is the greatest compliment. They are not just saying its good, they are saying that they really love it enough to pay good money for it. </div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-42827008390434362312011-04-05T05:38:00.000-07:002011-04-18T10:49:24.897-07:00Verilettu-päivää - The Day of the Blood-Pancakes<div style="color: #666666;"><style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">When visiting one of the largest supermarkets in Joensuu I
was curious to find a small red bottle in the frozen meat section. One side
said naudanveri the other side said Blod! On a side note this is an interesting
example of the use of the two official languages of
Finland; Swedish and Finnish, in an
everyday scenario. However it was my first personal introduction to one of
Finland’s traditional foods. I had heard rumours of verilettu or blood-pancakes
from the other exchange student but never had it clicked that this food was no
joke. The reality didn’t even stick when I saw photos on Facebook of Kim
enjoying a meal of veriohukainen (the proper Finnish word for blood-pancakes,
verilettu is slang). But I became curious about this Finnish delicacy asking
the kids at school whether they liked or had eaten them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuvQH2IxQKFJb6Ps3MALYtmi799WtpZjgrI-SExOVZOau1sTA2KeSa58K_rILDwv8NhfB4db-SJzeviy_67KCpS5O6eqEthZWMZRPec9jCfoLok7pkZBJ9qEIcPJ0w0r7FITgGvQXGJ4/s1600/IMG_2320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimuvQH2IxQKFJb6Ps3MALYtmi799WtpZjgrI-SExOVZOau1sTA2KeSa58K_rILDwv8NhfB4db-SJzeviy_67KCpS5O6eqEthZWMZRPec9jCfoLok7pkZBJ9qEIcPJ0w0r7FITgGvQXGJ4/s400/IMG_2320.JPG" width="223" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">So when I visited the Saarelainen family-my second hosts,
Marjaana said that Anna had told her I wanted to try them. All along I had been
unsure about whether or not I wanted to actually eat them but whether I wanted
to or not I was going to try them. This feeling was a bit nerve racking and on
Friday night the vile of frozen cows blood was brought home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">On Saturday morning I helped prepare them. It is a strange
feeling pouring half a litre of blood into a red plastic bowl (I think red is used to avoid staining). The cow’s blood was dark and as the dry ingredients
were added to the bowel the mixture thickened into a thick red paste. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkreJmCVCVukrZC-iGI4fsEbyLz4mF9gdAocEeqjnLlqFufpnT2qkm_iSj68-7l1M7wGdKN1z6Omh34Me30wOcqURHD6dra2YSuoK5Jj6zZv4ht-zhVRpod81L0heerENFmXswH8NRNU/s1600/IMG_1618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTkreJmCVCVukrZC-iGI4fsEbyLz4mF9gdAocEeqjnLlqFufpnT2qkm_iSj68-7l1M7wGdKN1z6Omh34Me30wOcqURHD6dra2YSuoK5Jj6zZv4ht-zhVRpod81L0heerENFmXswH8NRNU/s400/IMG_1618.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The ingredients for Verilettu are;</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal">Suomessa</div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoNormal">In English</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>½ l verta</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>½ l vettä tai vichjä</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>3 dl ohtajauhoja</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>2 dl ruisjauhoja</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>½ hienonnettua</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>1 ½ rkl voisulaa</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>1 rkl tumma siirappia</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>meiramia</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>valkopippuria</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>suolla</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 212.9pt;" valign="top" width="213"><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>½ l cow’s blood *</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>½ l water or mineral water</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>3 dl ground barley</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>2 dl ground rye</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>½ finely chopped onion</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>1 ½ tbl spn melted butter</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>1 tbl spn dark syrup</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>marjoram (oregano)</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>white pepper</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span>salt</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 25.1pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span>*Available
from your local supermarket freezer section in Finland-not so readily available
in other parts of the world but ask your
local butcher</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">To make the pancakes is a simple process, fry the onion in
butter and add the dry ingredients to the blood. 200 ml water (with bubbles is
better) is then added and the rest goes in just before cooking. I must admit I
felt a bit strange adding the water, which reacted with the blood, making a
watered-down blood colour of foam appear briefly. </div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">We left the pancakes to set and I awaited 4 o’clock when the
time would come for me to eat them. I will admit I was feeling a bit anxious as
I helped fry them. The pancakes are cooked the same way as ordinary breakfast
pancakes but they are smaller and need to contain small air bubbles. (This is
why gaseous water is better then flat). Honestly they look like small flat and black volcanic rocks. I wasn’t quite sure
about eating them. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRBYlTQ7ZhHB-B2-Q8xNyq0_Y1uzLXEjuAur2w5gmcKYVpDWxwVH2MXuVnJ6qhuhdIwl9qNWTT_LhwjFo-tYc6kMrcqdlG6szbLbcM_pYrIz2RKWBtSNZ8ZriA_C5IfAnhRfhUZLmnTA/s1600/IMG_1737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoRBYlTQ7ZhHB-B2-Q8xNyq0_Y1uzLXEjuAur2w5gmcKYVpDWxwVH2MXuVnJ6qhuhdIwl9qNWTT_LhwjFo-tYc6kMrcqdlG6szbLbcM_pYrIz2RKWBtSNZ8ZriA_C5IfAnhRfhUZLmnTA/s400/IMG_1737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">When it was time to eat I decided to just attack them as I
would any other food. Served traditionally with white sauce, lingonberries, and
a mash of sweet and normal potatoes, I took only two at first not sure if I
would like them but still wanting enough so that they could be arranged
prettily on my plate. (I think three is an ideal
number for an aesthetically pleasing blood pancake meal plate up). <span style="font-family: Wingdings;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbq6Qqu6P_y8fFAgF2dOn7s-JmEGCEDXaRP2YIA-FEzRX0a2GuxJ_FIvnmad24oYu4tnQ5tvRp9kHQokKZz8uZBUvY77nMbm8yfCuJPyFRZ6A7rZ7GTQFEsLy5hmKL22dYkCbxmXC7dB8/s1600/IMG_1743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbq6Qqu6P_y8fFAgF2dOn7s-JmEGCEDXaRP2YIA-FEzRX0a2GuxJ_FIvnmad24oYu4tnQ5tvRp9kHQokKZz8uZBUvY77nMbm8yfCuJPyFRZ6A7rZ7GTQFEsLy5hmKL22dYkCbxmXC7dB8/s400/IMG_1743.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">I sat down, my heart thumping. No only joking it was just
like any other meal. I documented the event with a few photos, before putting a
small piece of blood pancake with white sauce and lingonberries on my fork and
into…</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">My mouth!</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">The flavour was mild but not unpleasant. Verilettu are not
strong and overwhelming blood foods like British black pudding. And after all
that I think I quite liked them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm716lB0Si7CpMXw0sI3RRTYML5xxtNhKFIszqiftGvb0aK2ulEumdIRcg6_4aC-pnSG4ikU62SeWKsdyxZSBio3htDgzCdbrr9duLCOmrsojnNPt0eVDEWqdm6-TgHXWHkoIwStEnGs/s1600/IMG_1745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGm716lB0Si7CpMXw0sI3RRTYML5xxtNhKFIszqiftGvb0aK2ulEumdIRcg6_4aC-pnSG4ikU62SeWKsdyxZSBio3htDgzCdbrr9duLCOmrsojnNPt0eVDEWqdm6-TgHXWHkoIwStEnGs/s400/IMG_1745.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are in a foreign country I think it is very important
to try all the different foods that the locals eat. Even if you think it is a
bit strange at first. You will probably find that you like it, because the
locals would not have kept eating something – often
for many generous- if it didn’t taste good. As a general rule try things
three times-not three bites but on three separate
occasions if even after eating it once you didn’t really like it. Then you can
truly say whether you like it or not. Maybe blood pancakes will become one of
my favourite foods, I don’t think so but I will definitely enjoy again them
next time I eat them.</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-8746421360661380522011-04-05T05:29:00.000-07:002011-04-18T10:50:06.113-07:00Wanhojen Tanssit<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">When the year three<s>’</s>s
leave the school to begin studying for their final exams it is the year 2’s
turn to celebrate being the oldest members of the student
community… And they do it in Style!</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">The Penkkarit celebrations end at 12pm when the year three's begin their
truck ride around town. This is the time that the year 2’s head home to begin getting made up for the Wanhojen Tanssit-the
dance of the Oldies. After rehearsing for 4 months choosing dresses and suits
in the case of the young men. It was their big day. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">I arrived in Finland too late to take part in the
festivities but I had watched a couple of rehearsals and I was extremely
excited to see how the night panned out and the reactions of the families who
had been invited to watch. I had been told that it is the night where all the
boys’ mothers cry because they see their son dressed in white tie and acting
like a gentleman, washed and presentable and the girls’ mothers cry because the
stress of the whole ordeal is over. For some un-explainable reason I wanted to
see the parents cry. Creepy. Yes I am aware of that fact. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">Minna and I arrived early to find good seats, which we did.
I had sat on the opposite side of the room to watch practices looking directly
at the two leading couples. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7QOADSaRX-Wf4YTilne7jp6cXZ5vkhpUzD9FbHgt3SaR-PwFCpkUrpTiYNofAcJvrrtOGTAuj2G4L2dEza6wZ5ZUsWotPYQb3fn07BgVNuErxDr-INH3mpTFmYqlHOBIAtOnZqw_nqg/s1600/IMG_1055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7QOADSaRX-Wf4YTilne7jp6cXZ5vkhpUzD9FbHgt3SaR-PwFCpkUrpTiYNofAcJvrrtOGTAuj2G4L2dEza6wZ5ZUsWotPYQb3fn07BgVNuErxDr-INH3mpTFmYqlHOBIAtOnZqw_nqg/s400/IMG_1055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">The girls’ dresses were spectacular. Red was the favorite
colour for the night. Most of
the dresses were princess style with skirts that poofed out and thick festive
fabrics. One girl wore an old-fashioned style dress, which looked great. 10
years ago all the girls would have been dressed in similar style but these days
it is the modern dresses that are preferred. The boys were also dressed
fancily. Some only wore normal suits but others were in penguin suits with
tails. A few were even wearing gloves.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJ7r9_4zpEp8NzRLD44VT0r37Ego_fBZgI4Y6PmwByYGsibIAScBAvRm3kyO8hNHSSvQALJ39aErw_LWTecPyul4d0JCLk5HXkL36Ao3fDW2ArKrM_aRII_B9-XuvWu-gkRNIEDkCZkM/s1600/IMG_1084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJJ7r9_4zpEp8NzRLD44VT0r37Ego_fBZgI4Y6PmwByYGsibIAScBAvRm3kyO8hNHSSvQALJ39aErw_LWTecPyul4d0JCLk5HXkL36Ao3fDW2ArKrM_aRII_B9-XuvWu-gkRNIEDkCZkM/s400/IMG_1084.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">Over the practices I had noticed that one boy stood out from
the rest. I call him good-dancing-boy and that pretty well sums him up. He was
one of the leading pair and could dance insanely well and really gave it all
his effort, which makes a huge difference in the overall performance. He was
not they only good male dancer many other boys really got into the dancing, one
even knew the dances so well he grooved along effortlessly totally loose and
looking completely comfortable. I was surprised at how the boys were behaving
because it is totally different to how I had seen them at school, quiet and
shy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncIwXtU6-CcM7onHpXbgL8P5l0RT1pZpggfn4W8CW2Dxxc3nmJg6J5vpDjHRmea93zC30HvSNIK1hXMNNkyMGaKhbE64xPlOgAm0DsG5AYtlBHw-MS-XLUU9ScPIfxw7C28WjxCiyqU8/s1600/IMG_1194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncIwXtU6-CcM7onHpXbgL8P5l0RT1pZpggfn4W8CW2Dxxc3nmJg6J5vpDjHRmea93zC30HvSNIK1hXMNNkyMGaKhbE64xPlOgAm0DsG5AYtlBHw-MS-XLUU9ScPIfxw7C28WjxCiyqU8/s400/IMG_1194.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">The dances themselves are not traditional Finnish
choreography the Wanhat tradition stems from the Swedish speaking communities
who were at some point in Finnish history the wealthier classes. In their
attempt to become more like European aristocracy they began practicing European
dances. Today the typical repertoire consists of nine dances from all over the
world. My two favorite dances were the least serious of the nine. They were
not particularly good but entertaining to watch was people jerked their thumbs
and kicked their legs. Good-Dancing-Boy managed to kick his foot higher then
his head in this dance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_UytfyFAoL9uHUPvR_xeIXVg7baz0LcIID2x4unM1YHdXxNseZQOT42lXoVauJ7jkyPD7soLAJxlzKXLgjT3fn7HDmXxqzP7KWnoh6nxG_j-tLu8u6Hr0JhONHZ8VNLCMZNJsu53Dzg/s1600/IMG_1261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm_UytfyFAoL9uHUPvR_xeIXVg7baz0LcIID2x4unM1YHdXxNseZQOT42lXoVauJ7jkyPD7soLAJxlzKXLgjT3fn7HDmXxqzP7KWnoh6nxG_j-tLu8u6Hr0JhONHZ8VNLCMZNJsu53Dzg/s400/IMG_1261.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">Half way through the mothers and fathers join their sons and
daughters for a parent child dance. Some kids however danced with girl or
boyfriends, sisters or brothers or friends. There were 3 such numbers and each
Oldie danced at least one with a parental figure. The cutest couples were a boy
who danced with his mum while holding his much younger sister and one girl who
danced with her younger brother, who was smiling from ear to ear. I think they
must have been practicing at home because the 10 year old boy knew the steps to
the entire waltz. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">The dancing concludes with two special dances. This may be
exclusive to Lieksan Lukios Wanhojen Tannsits. The student dance choreographed
by a group of girls can be poorly described as a cross between a ballroom and a
hip-hop dance. And the evening is capped
of with the Poika Tannsit, the boys’ dance. I cannot imagine the Hale boys or
any Australian born teenage male making up and performing anything like what
the Lieksa boys did. It was a medley of several songs with thematic motifs to
match each section. A Mexican wave, disco dance moves, the terminator dodge, a
traditional Finnish dance and some death run (popular at heavy metal concerts)
were all stylishly stitched together.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnN7ZGWxnqNFxV-SXq0DDQaZRhZe50oftz9arxgAkcDPe-iXqu3f0cMbhKsK5_63J62PGR3tRZOKVFdh0aV4KJ4y6K2ichwUd9lwa1WN-SyOQZzj8AuxKhZ8aoJXugaFu4csPz5PnxGto/s1600/IMG_1281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnN7ZGWxnqNFxV-SXq0DDQaZRhZe50oftz9arxgAkcDPe-iXqu3f0cMbhKsK5_63J62PGR3tRZOKVFdh0aV4KJ4y6K2ichwUd9lwa1WN-SyOQZzj8AuxKhZ8aoJXugaFu4csPz5PnxGto/s400/IMG_1281.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">But Wanhat does not end when the night finishes. The next
day the Oldie’s get back into (or have stayed in) their outfits and head to
school. There they paint the year one’s faces with lipstick and feed them baby
food! Over the day the year ones become more and more painted with Finnish
world for baby and little kid covering their faces and necks. I have no idea
how this tradition started but it’s quite awesome.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8g9qq3wIvt9bN3LR76X2f8NSm82G-MbtI4uabQzUHuNzPp5ZOtAhDDZx-T7w74EiaO67aQ2IcNAxmnBol8lxiF86M24HBVpcOV3LoxWm4YxXfOf0bYXSBJBVmrYEyTXEgtgSgk0OUZg/s1600/IMG_1244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ8g9qq3wIvt9bN3LR76X2f8NSm82G-MbtI4uabQzUHuNzPp5ZOtAhDDZx-T7w74EiaO67aQ2IcNAxmnBol8lxiF86M24HBVpcOV3LoxWm4YxXfOf0bYXSBJBVmrYEyTXEgtgSgk0OUZg/s400/IMG_1244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">The oldies do not spend the entire day decorating their
younger peers; they go around the community showing off their dancing skills in
primary and elementary schools, banks and old peoples’ homes.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">This made the event a real community affair and it is nice
that the family and towns folk all get to be apart of it. I am a bit
disappointed that I didn’t get to participate and wear an amazing dress but if
I had I wouldn’t have been able to watch what happened and see how it all
worked. This is something else that
should be brought to Australia. It doesn’t matter if a school has only boys or
girls because two schools can join up to make a massive Tansit.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #666666;">And Wanhojen tansits do come super-sized. After seeing all my
classmates dance, Minna and I journeyed to Joensuu to watch the Wanhat there.
The Karalian Military Band and the Joensuu City Orchestra conducted by Petri.
Now it may seem over the top to get two professional music groups to play at a
high school ball, however in Joensuu all 6 Lukios combined for the Wanhat night
so their were 1 000ish dancers. It was a true spectacle and it was there where
I spotted my ultimate favorite Wanhojen tansit dress.</span><span style="color: #00b050;"><span style="color: #666666;"> I had my favorites in Lieksa but this dress was the penultimate. It was beautiful and it moved so elegantly when the girl danced in it. If I were an oldie it would be the dress I would have worn.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys1wf5VwJV3jqlDL4wrXA-40s1PEuF5srjLu-dJV3JS9X1wnsUy3sYqc-wxp6rMoo4Lt3FF-uzNLW2b9kaNmDolEmFfLfEXn2kPk-3naRybhDS6Q1KXuVMu-WOjnFw_wrnFqr1HPYFaA/s1600/IMG_1323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys1wf5VwJV3jqlDL4wrXA-40s1PEuF5srjLu-dJV3JS9X1wnsUy3sYqc-wxp6rMoo4Lt3FF-uzNLW2b9kaNmDolEmFfLfEXn2kPk-3naRybhDS6Q1KXuVMu-WOjnFw_wrnFqr1HPYFaA/s400/IMG_1323.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>It is the pink one.Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-36560787865442062562011-04-05T05:12:00.000-07:002011-04-18T10:50:34.757-07:00Penkarit<div style="background-color: white; color: #666666;"><style>
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</style></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The celebration of the year 3’s leaving Lukio, sometimes referred to as Year 3 Candy Day.</i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Traditionally (at least in Lieksa) the days begins when the Abi’s (Finnish leavers) blast music over the loud speakers and begin their classroom visits. Dressed in crazy costumes they throw candies to all the younger boys and girls before and after taping them to chairs.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I began the day safe in the thought that I would be spared in what became a taping extravaganza. I had not yet encountered any of the third graders and typically the Abi’s target their friends. Alas into the German class that day walked a boy dressed as a fire fighter. I believe he is a prominent social figure in the third class as he starred in many of the day’s events. Slowly he approached my desk in the back corner of the room. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">From his mouth came the words; I hear you are from Australia, so I am sorry but I have to tape you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">And so I was taped. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But I got a kilo of candy before 9 o’clock!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Next on the agenda we made our way to a hall to witness the Abi’s pranking of the teachers. Pekka the principal was already wearing a jumper with a camel on the back and the words, International Camel Breeders Association-Cambridge Chapter on the front. Other members of staff wore girt pillows protecting themselves from the horrors, which would soon be inflicted on them.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Some serious taping action was going down in that hall. There were at least 8 2<sup>nd</sup> graders taped to each other and then to the wall. More and more unsuspecting youngsters were added to the bunch. Legs were being tangled and taped it was insane!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-50J-E2FXkUgyjQvLy2f4RJtFu8YJbHLAFDycSiiMawZ9dqZ1hdOYxSp0zL9wk-5UZptlRSXPogC-un61jRlWajDjKGq2aH7wz4jOLZxQNr8NPUK9A7NFYFvIxTvRKURjYc71WpGsYjc/s1600/IMG_0842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-50J-E2FXkUgyjQvLy2f4RJtFu8YJbHLAFDycSiiMawZ9dqZ1hdOYxSp0zL9wk-5UZptlRSXPogC-un61jRlWajDjKGq2aH7wz4jOLZxQNr8NPUK9A7NFYFvIxTvRKURjYc71WpGsYjc/s400/IMG_0842.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The pranking proceedings were conducted by my Tapist and were completely in Finnish (save short interludes in German between the Abi’s and Nina-the German teacher.) Most of the intellectual content of this assembly were inaccessible to my understanding. Despite this the humor of rigging a student vs. teachers game of hangman and watching the principal and teachers rap evades the language barrier and I could enjoy the celebrations as my classmates were.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To cap it all off the Abi’s played a game of floor-ball against the staff. With a blanket covering the opening of their goal, 5 goalkeepers and their excitement and of course athletic skill it was the Abi’s who were victorious. Viva la Abi’s!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Upon my arrival to Lieksan Lukio the walls were decorated with frescos painted by the 3<sup>rd</sup> graders. There was one for each class group, three in total. Their fate was to be burned on the day of the Penkkarit. Following the assembly they were ripped from the walls and escorted to the caught yard to meet their glorious end. The Abi’s made a circle around them and representatives from 3 A, B and C lit their matches and said goodbye to the frescos depicting the team from Shrek, Springfield Elementary School and Richard Scarry’s Busytown. They ran in a circle holding hands shouting Nolla, Nolla, Nolla. Zero, Zero, Zero.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRonciCrDIsvpaxYgUoN2xACUHBKJJRJQ3xQwVL4NG0pvOBg_VqeGlGby7sNOl4qpOHyFyi89QXDchN6v-jLUApuzI9kh_45g68GALnB6AeYSuao9NKSfe3f4DQlmoXSlHOZ-KWR8Oz4/s1600/IMG_0894.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYRonciCrDIsvpaxYgUoN2xACUHBKJJRJQ3xQwVL4NG0pvOBg_VqeGlGby7sNOl4qpOHyFyi89QXDchN6v-jLUApuzI9kh_45g68GALnB6AeYSuao9NKSfe3f4DQlmoXSlHOZ-KWR8Oz4/s400/IMG_0894.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The now only needed to fill their bellies and be kicked out of Lukio once and for all. Hungrily we waited for the Abi’s to Finnish their lunch. When they did they gathered the remainders of their candies or new supplies delivered from parents and slid down a massive slide that covered the entire staircase. They were then carried from the school. This is normally a task of which all the younger students help with however it was -25ish degrees and perhaps people were not feeling so enthusiastic. It was a few of the ice-hockey boys in my year who took charge carrying out the older students in style in Egyptian-Pharaohs-being-supported-by-slaves fashion or like a pork carcass in the abattoir. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPiqdiHSI5tkmebEViP87jhcbPPnxWIz_caYMWuuiZDXw6qvI8AWsRf0xKfaFhYyVT5gfnqyiD_QjUTjz8CvSLKHkFO22xOV0KFhHYwrhSAqQ2odyYa6bAjW2AF2mfOJYdyAfbdQ74fQ/s1600/IMG_0971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQPiqdiHSI5tkmebEViP87jhcbPPnxWIz_caYMWuuiZDXw6qvI8AWsRf0xKfaFhYyVT5gfnqyiD_QjUTjz8CvSLKHkFO22xOV0KFhHYwrhSAqQ2odyYa6bAjW2AF2mfOJYdyAfbdQ74fQ/s400/IMG_0971.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">From there they boarded trucked and drove around Lieksa screaming Nolla and throwing candies to the crowds!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Overall it was pretty amazing to watch. The traditions of Penkkarit are fantastic fun and it brought a lot of people together to enjoy the celebrations. It is a far cry from the Muck-up days in Australia where trashing the school and destroying teachers cars are the main agenda of the day. I did not go to one of these schools and my schools traditions were wholesome and fun, we dressed up, put on an assembly for the younger girls and jumped in the ocean wearing school dresses. But it is nice to think that the activities of Penkkarit are enjoyed in similar way across the whole of Finland and that it is a unique and special Finnish tradition.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDGJS4cVgFbbYPB5UaMcU0FXvJ_u5UJ_R9WGtjYVq0wdqcBhramdp46sST1m86CdJQGt4Hux8n87VWOVPtb-b3dTe5zXC4-w_K08XxYQrnz7aw7DkPDvOybufWYV3X1RR5jKIMB3HFio/s1600/IMG_0983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDGJS4cVgFbbYPB5UaMcU0FXvJ_u5UJ_R9WGtjYVq0wdqcBhramdp46sST1m86CdJQGt4Hux8n87VWOVPtb-b3dTe5zXC4-w_K08XxYQrnz7aw7DkPDvOybufWYV3X1RR5jKIMB3HFio/s400/IMG_0983.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7288396688419034296.post-18735445402966978222011-04-05T04:54:00.000-07:002011-08-04T08:57:57.551-07:00Welcome to Finland!<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">Hi, I'm Sophie and 18 year old Western Australian girl, who on the 21st of January 2011 flew across the world. Leaving behind my easy life, my family, friends and most importantly my dog Sam, to live the life of a Finnish teenager as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange program.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">It is hard to believe that something that seemed so far away has now become my life. I am experiencing new things and finding amazing people not only from Finland but from around the world. One of the best things about living abroad is meeting new people. Living in Perth I know that there are people out there living their lives, but I don't know anything about them or how they live so it is hard to wrap your head around it. And then you fly 12 935 km across the planet and find fantastic people, and you think we can be friends and get the opportunity to learn about them and their lives.</div><table style="color: #666666;"><tbody>
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</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">I absolutely love living in Finland, I have been welcomed into Lieksa by so many people and I am beginning to think of it as a second home. I was caught calling it my Finnish hometown the other day by another exchange student. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">In the past 2 months I have seen and experienced so many things. I am learning about myself and the world and finding my independence. I have a massive support group behind me but I still need to do things of my own initiative, be aware of my surroundings. Sometimes it is hard having to do things without my Mum and Dad but I think I am managing well.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">Being an exchange student is amazingly fun but at the same time it is a full time job and you need to constantly think about what is happening and how people may react. To keep me on track this year, I have 3 main goals, which I keep in mind every day, they are:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">1) Learn the language;<span class="hps"> <span lang="FI">This year I will tackle Finnish and everyone keeps telling me how difficult it is. I am making slow progress but I understand more and more every day, it is speaking that I have trouble with.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">2) Make friends. This is always hard in a foreign country as people already have their own lives and friends so you need to make the effort. One of the characteristics of Finnish people is that they are shy which doesn’t make my job easier</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">3) Try everything. An old exchange student once told me, if I you are unsure about something – a lifestyle choice - try it for two weeks, then you can decide if it is really not for you, or maybe you will find it is ok. People wouldn’t do something unless it wasn’t. With food or activities try it 3 times before you say “No I don’t like it”, you can’t make an opinion off something that happened once. This is a rule that I am living by, keeping an open mind and making sure my exchange brings a million new experiences. Keeping positive and trying new things also helps to assimilate you into your new way of life. If you keep saying no people will soon stop asking, caring and you will miss out on amazing opportunities. After all I wanted to come to Finland and living like the Finns is what it’s all about. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">I will try and share stories of my experiences and things I find interesting about Finland on this blog and I hope you enjoy reading about them.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #666666;">x<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYtKGnryNj99eW7R1QjMiGJVC908lLZgAOLUD-7GcWMUvQseeyLPungqr-v-B-ByHlKCVgn53ZP7neawYf_hfqGkuUCWQxqcivGU9JpsVrXO0WTnAj-C2362c25tBfVmQv1XrVCMbR7Y/s1600/171607_194852837192801_100000042589899_823637_7657307_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYtKGnryNj99eW7R1QjMiGJVC908lLZgAOLUD-7GcWMUvQseeyLPungqr-v-B-ByHlKCVgn53ZP7neawYf_hfqGkuUCWQxqcivGU9JpsVrXO0WTnAj-C2362c25tBfVmQv1XrVCMbR7Y/s640/171607_194852837192801_100000042589899_823637_7657307_o.jpg" width="428" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #00b050;"></span></div>Sophie Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10990609583931886740noreply@blogger.com0