Happy Thanksgiving!

Had a wonderful Thanksgiving with exchangees. Got an awesome package from my awesome cousin and it made me cry cause it was so sweet and so unexpected :) And got another package from home with a few necesities (lots of socks) which iam thankful for when I go to Lapland (north Finland) next week and it is -30C...let me put that into perspective. Lapland=30C. My freezer=20C. THAT cold. Getting cards from people warms my soul :) Thanksgiving is over now on to Christmas time! There was a Christmas tree in school...That would NEVER happen in America- too many contradictions and complainers. Oh and my cousin gave me a mini pumpkin- and Michelle, it was in perfect condition when it got here :D I did not see one pumpkin in Finland :(

2 roasted chickens, stuffing, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, banaffie pie, and cookies. happy thanksgiving!

thanks for the knitted hat and scarf michelle! i love them :)

made 3 batches of cookies. the first batch was eaten before i even made the batter for the second batch...by the way, this was the finnish picture (hence the frowns)

Well

Time is flying by way too fast. November just began and now it looks as if it is going to end soon. What! Well, anyways I have to sum up 2 or 3 weeks now because I have failed to update it weekendly once again. So last weekend I had my district inbound camp (1410) and it was a blast. We played a few games- I won charades :) and ate Finnish food and drank coffee, etc. etc. It was really good to be with EVERYONE from our district because I only see a few sometimes. We meet in a cafe by the river every Wednesday, but it's only the people who live close enough to Turku to go. We arrived in Laitila (where we stayed at) around noon on Saturday and spent the night (I got top bunk -.-) and left the next morning after having a Father's day dinner...with no fathers...in a church...There is something really wrong with that picture...Anyways! OH! And we also did sauna and jumped in the lake. The lake wasn't frozen yet, but it was so much fun jumping in the lake- and addicting! I went quite a few times. The temperatures have remained around -2-5C. And we are also getting a little snow just before Thanksgiving :) Which, by the way, the exchange students and I ARE celebrating. It may not be traditional Thanksgiving, but we'll whip something homely up. The picture below this post is of a parent's night on Thursday at which I sang "Don't Stop Belevin'" and had 5 back-up singers and it was so nice to perform. I miss theatre like crazy. Especially having so many people so close to you. Then on Wednesday Gaby and I gave a presentatin on our life in Lieto. We made a video and I handed out Laffy Taffy...no banana ones though, because as my mom and I both know, those are the best. This week is test week so I will have a test tomorrow and another on Thursday. Both English, but those tests aren't as easy as you'd think! The listening comprehensions are quite tricky...Anyways, I think I am going to a place called 'Caribia' on Tuesday. It has an indoor pool and an outdoor pool that is heated :) It sounds amazing! I have been quite tired lately. It gets dark around 4PM and remains dark until around 9:30AM or so. They put sand down on the streets, but the snow remains on the streets so when it is packed down, it is incredibly slippery...I know because I have caught myself from falling over 15 times now. OH and last week, I also went to Gaby's house and made quesedillas as well as chocolate chip cookies :) They were delicious. I made some for my host family, too and I think they liked them. I also made them American pancakes, too. They have crepes here. But they are both delicious :) I am picking up on more of the language, I think. I went to a party last night and let me tell you, drunk Finns LOVE speaking English. It was refreshing to hear English amongst kids my age again :) And they speak really well. But sometimes when they speak Finnish, I pick up on the sentence about 2 or 3 minutes after they said it...but still! I am learning :) That's all for now! Until next time...

snow! gaby and i

America V. Mexico!

us at the father's day breakfast (it was fathers day in finland by the way)

Wow!

So it has been quite some time since I last wrote...about 2 weeks approximately. I am sure you have all been refreshing the page at work awaiting the next post <Aunt Tina ;)> So I will start with last weekend, which was Syysloma- fall break. I went to my friend Christine's house in Eura (outside of Pori where my family rented a cottage). We went to her friend's houses at nighttime after a little arts and crafts session and just talked about all of the things we have been doing and of course how much we miss Taco Bell! Then the next night I stayed in the cottage and my family took me to the coast and it was absolutely gorgeous! Pori is a semi-bigger town on the coast of Finland. Unfortunately my camera broke because some rain got into it, but I will be receiving my mom's camera shortly. Fortunately, however, my host family was kind enough to take pictures of us on the coast which I will put up at some point in time :P

The next night (Sunday night) I went to an Abi Bileet (third year party). It was a blast!! There were a lot of kids from my school, and a few that I had never seen, at that party. It was at a plce called ParmaHarju, which is kind of like  YMCA establishment to some degree. For example, they have a gym, sauna, eating area, etc. I do not know what else to compare it to, it is cheap to rent though, hence the third years wanting to rent it. It is so funny because all the guys in my class won't talk to me when they're sober...but when they get drunk, they are literally in my face asking me dozens of questions, which is okay, if they all weren't at the same time :P We left around 2 I think and most other people either stayed there or left around 6AM.

That week on Monday I also went to a billiards place in Turku with some exchange friends and it was a blast, even though I completely suck at pool! We were being too loud (what a surprise in a Finnish bar) and a man who had brought his own cue (very serious about his playing) yelled at us to be quiet. Luckily, we had a Finn with us so we knew what he said! I also went to get a prescription and I went to the SCHOOL doctor! They have a doctor and a dentist at Liedon Lukio so that we don't have to leave campus. AND it is free!

Then this Wednesday I went to an indoor cross country skiing place with my host mom, Gaby, my host sister, and her friend! It was so much fun! I was terrible and had snow all over me, but it was so much fun! People go to Paippi, the place, all year round and people go to practice lots of times a week if they are really dedicated. There were literally kids under 12 passing me with flying colors and I thought it was hilarious, but Hanna told me that they have been doing competitions. I thought it was going to be similar to ice skating, but I kept on putting my sticks on top of each other and falling over. Haha! The track is 700 meters long and is about -2 to -3 degrees celcius. My family had skiis for me and I rented boots. But it was incredibly fun and such a treat- a lot of my friends said they had never been there! I couldn't stop laughing because I made such a fool of myself, but people understood when I was on the ground after trying to ski UP a hill...hard work! Lots of upper strength...which I completely lack...

Me and Gaby in Paippi!

Then this last Friday second years dressed as hippies for Halloween, third years dressed as "snobs", and first years whatever they wanted to be. Halloween really is not a big deal here, but that is later.

hippies!

Friday night I went to my German friend Leonard's house with Georgia (from Australia) and Alec (from Colorado) and we just hung out and his mom made us Finnish pizza (peaches and ham)- delicious! It was very nice to be with exchange students, as always! But while I was there, my little host sister, Alina, had her own little Halloween party! I am sad that I missed it because it sounded like fun! There were some kids at another party trying to scare the girls that were in our house and so Hanna played a little trick on them and scared them away- it sounded hilarious! Then my family was in the forest in the backyard and the girls walked around and were terrified of going anyone near my host mom, dad, or brother because they were the scary characters! Then Saturday I went to my friend's Halloween party! On the way there, we saw trick or treaters in the neighborhood...on Saturday! Halloween is a very new holiday here. I think Hanna said there was one group of kids that came to the door! I got a Halloween card from home and it was so sweet :) Always makes my day!! But anyways, I went as a black cat to my friend Sanni's party (so original!) It was the same house that I went to the girl's night last month. It was quite fun! Lots of the girls dressed up, but it is still a strange holiday to them.

cat, rockstar, cowgirl, crazy dead wife! :)

Then the next day, yesterday- Sunday, I went as an 80's girl to the rotary Halloween party. It was held at a Swedish restaraunt place in Turku. It was so much fun! I hung out with 3 Aussies- they come in January (when Australians schoo lyear starts) and they are leaving this January! So soon! But anwyays at the party we played a few games and just hung out and ate. Nothing like a real good old fashioned American Halloween party, but it was good just to celebrate it as I know they do not celebrate it at ALL in other countries. The girl on the right is a rubiks cube. Finns like dressing in grotesque costumes as opposed to America where girls dress in as little clothes as possible using Halloween as an excuse.
After the party, my host parents picked up Christine and I and we came back to our place where we relaxed and had delicious and filling pizza that was homemade. Peaches and ham :) Christine stayed at my house because she lives about an hour away and it would be a while until she got home. So she went to school with me today then we came home after eating lunch around 10.15 with the younger kids took the dog out, and then honestly passed out. We had a long weekend!
My Finnish comprehension is getting better, I think. I can kind of pick out what coversations are about. I don't even pay attention to the endings, right now, I am just trying to listen for words that I know! Over Syysloma, my friend went to Paris and she sent me a postcard and it was so incredibly sweet of her!! I have something from Paris! Oh, and my host grandparents went to Tunis and they brought us all back a little stuffed animal camel and a keychain :) So international!! :D That is all for now! <3

Everythings as if we never said goodbye

Snow!!!

I had my soccer trainings this week at 8PM at night! On a turf field. It was so good to get out on the field again. It is a good stress relief and somehow centers me and keeps me grounded. Literally and physically. I can't really say much about my weekend. It snowed for the first time, though! Nothing stuck to the ground, unfortunately. It is getting quite chillier, but if the sun is out, it is not too bad. I was talking to my friend Jenna Porter who lives in Helsinki and I met her before I left. At the last foreign exchange conference we had in the U.S.A we roomed together. We have gone through the whole process together and now we are here! But anyways, we were talking about how much we missed theatre. We feel so empty without it. Being on stage is so fulfilling and here it is so time consuming it would be hard to do especially since it is in Turku and I would be going there a lot. But I have, however, joined a choir of about 7 people at my high school. We will sing on a Swedish Saint Lucia holiday and also on a parent's night I believe. This week is also the start of the fall break. From Thursday to next Tuesday we have a fall break. I think I am going to a cottage in Pori but my friend Christine lives really close to there so I will stay one night at her house! Yay! I also think that the exchange students near Turku are putting together a Thanksgiving :) Yummy! The leaves are turning and it is so beautiful! Especially during dusk. When I woke up this morning, I thought it was 2AM and really, it was 6! It was still black outside! Ou nouuu!! Anyways, I am going to eat lunch now and warm myself up!

This weekend

This week was my first week with my new schedule. I have a psychology class and when I walked in, he asked if I knew what a white-tailed deer was and continued by saying that he killed two before going to school that morning. Then I have two other English classes and a sports class and hopefully I will be getting a singing course and possibly a dance course. For the next period, I will take a class for the old dance. We have to learn the dance and then perform it for people. Much different than prom! I am also joining the soccer team and some friends from Helsinki are thinking of starting a foreign exchange theatre group (yay!) I am like a fish without water because I have not been performing. On my weekend, well, Friday, I went to a Mexican and Finnish bar. At the Finnish bar, cleverly named "poro" (reindeer), I met two adults from the United States that worked with Carnival cruise lines. I eavesdropped and heard them say "Turku" like an American and I was like HEY! I am going to talk to them! Very refreshing to hear that. I think it is going to be so strange to come back to the states and understand all the conversations being had because I am so used to not understanding fully what people are saying. I am beginning to understand much more, though. Thank God! I can pick up on words and hopefully in a few weeks, I will be able to piece together what people are talking about. On Saturday, I lounged around did laundry etc. Then around 7 I went to Linda's house, the girl from Rotex who went on exchange to Mexico in 08-09 and there was a little girls night. One of her friends went to France and another to Italy. The girl from Itally Anni, did all of our nails and was such a sweetheart! Then today I went to a basketball game with a team from Turku vs. Helsinki. There were two American players, and the coaches were screaming in English (yay!) Then I went home and did sauna :) I have not been warm in a long time and it definetely helped. Supposedly, this is supposed to be the coldest winter in 1,000 years. Perfect timing, Christina! Anyways, tomorrow I will be going to Turku because my English teacher has a colleague there, and coincidentally, it is my next host sister's school! It is called TSYK. I have realized that my English is getting worse and worse. Uh oh. Tuesday I have training at 8 o'clock. Since we do not have practice after school, we have it very late in the night. AKA: cold! No pictures this time, sorry! Hyää yötä (goodnight)

Every weekend

Emppu, me, Gaby and Maiju on the top floor

sunset on the baltic

I have decided that I will blog post every weekend because it will be much easier for me and gives me something to do on lazy Sundays. So this week/end went by SO quickly! It is already October! This week I had my English exam and finished it rather quickly, as you can imagine...But afterwards it was nice to come home and relax. Then on Wednesday, I went to Turku with exchange students and had coffee and walked around. I cannot express how awesome it is being with them. Then on Thursday, Gaby and I went to Turku and then took the wrong bus to a town outside of Lieto. The bus read "Lieto As." which we mistook for Lieto central...gah! So we went to Aura and I was so happy because when we walked into somewhere to ask when the next bus was coming I said, "Milloin on seurava linea-autoa" which is like When is the next bus? And she understood me and gave us a schedule! Gaby's mom came and got us,, that will never happen again!! Then on Friday I just layed low, went to the skatepark, because yetserday morning I got up around 7 to leave at 7:45 for the Picnic Cruiser! Gaby, her host mom, Hanna (my mom), Maiju, and Enppu went on a HUGE cruiser to the middle of Finland and Sweden then we switched boats and came back to Turku. Everything on the boat was tax-free including alcohol and the adults there were not afraid to show it...There were SO MANY drunk people, it was actually quite frightening...I was sitting there thinking "That could be my mom falling down that ramp". It was like a security blanket was just ripped away because average adults were stumbling drunk.

some islands before sweden-ish area

Finland is too good for other vodkas so they made their own :)

But other than that, the sights were absolutely BEAUTIFUL! There are thousands of islands between them and some of them have never had man step on them before. The islands go from lots of foliage, to rocky, and that is how you know you are getting closer to Sweden. There were quite a few foreign people and quite a few people that acted foreign (who were just drunk). The food was SO DELICIOUS! And it was buffet style. Watching the sea and eating fish- not a good mix. I ate deer and it was disgusting. My mom let me have a glass of wine. And I was hammered. Not really. But the shops were really nice and I got a Svea hat! Everyone my age has a Svea hat and theyre about 19 Euro, but on the boat they were 16 Euro. It is a Swedish company, but Finland wears it...strange because they hate each other. Anyways, the boat had I think 7 floors and a nightclub, sauna, etc. Then when we got home around 8PM i was exhausted. I will add pictures later! God bless! Until next time

turku river at night

i thought this was a cool picture of the cold fog riding my bike to school in the morning