Helsinki

These are some photos of John (Canada) Abbi (USA) and I roaming the streets of Helsinki one chilly winters day. The place looks so much like melbourne, I was suitably flabbergasted!!

the end

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Sääksjärventie 34

33880 Lempäälä

FINLAND

Currently Listening The City Sleeps in Flames By Scary Kids Scaring Kids see related

Estonia

 This my friends is the city of Tampere, its about a 15 minute bus ride from my house. I love the place, it reminds me of melbourne, and its nice to feel at home. I dont have much to say today. ESTONIA tomorrow, i really have to pack. i will tell you about it when i get back, photos and all. I finally figured out a painless way to imput my blogs, because for some reason photobucket/myspace/meaccidently has changed something, thank god for word . . haha

ok /nerd

let me know what you think of these

love you guys

they have these in all your coles/safeway type supermarkets i loled then took a picture

kolme

Good morning forward slash evening, whatever the time zone permits. Well I made it to February that was my first goal. I started school this week, it pretty much sucks, the Finnish are painfully shy, so that rules out anybody talking to you, my running tally of people randomly approaching me has reached 3, yup 3 people in 4 days, I should consider myself lucky! Haha its not all that bad, I only have to be here 2-3 hours a day, and that comes with a hot lunch, what more could a girl ask for? Ok I'm being a smartarse, sozlol.

So I'm in history at the moment, and my non English speaking teacher is blabbing on in Finnish about Greece. She is wearing bright blue Crocs, and if you know me, you know how I feel about Crocs. The pictures in my textbook are keeping me amused, as well as writing this blog. So in Finland school starts at 8.15, that means I have to be awake and dressed (which takes me about 20 minutes because I have to put on so many layers) and out the door on the 1km hike to the bus by about 7.30. Not happy Jan! But hey that's only 2 days a week, so I will survive, ohhh as long as I know how to love I know I'll stay alive. Ok stop. If you're interested I'm taking.

• Ceramics
  
• Math
  
• Art
  
• Sport
  
• History
  
• ENGLISH which I am clearly gunna ace!

So yeah as you can see I'm really challenging myself.

Yesterday I got a few photo frames and some pictures printed, I stuck your happy faces all over my room, this morning when I was going to school I didn't want to leave you guys, sadface. I like looking at them and remembering Dong.

My host dad, Pasi, is a passionate ice hockey lover; he took us to a game last week. I can safely say I have been converted!! If you can be bothered Google the Tampere Tapparas, you will find some information on my newly adopted team. Carn the blue and orange!! It's a very "cool" game, the quickest in the world, so Pasi tells me.

Last weekend was spent at the summer house by Suonjarvi (note jarvi means lake, there are a shit load here.) we went snowmobiling on Friday night, and the following Saturday was spent skiing and snowboarding at a small but extremely steep slope called Ellivuori. It took me a while to remember how to ski, and I had about 4 severe stacks, one of which involved me crashing into a rock, and another falling off the thing you put between your legs to go up the hill. Kind of embarrassing, cause even 4 year olds can snowboard here. I went home bruised and tired, but happy. We will visit again in two weeks. I've actually been hurting myself a great deal in the past few days. I fell down the stairs last night, suffered a bruised foot and I think I did a kidney. Nobody saw thank god. I have to be really really careful when I cross roads, because the cars come from the other direction, and I'm constantly gong around the wrong side of the car.

Two days ago it was -33!!ARGH!! it was too cold to walk to the bus stop (I catch the bus heaps) so I had to get a lift to school. *note to any future snow beasts do not under any circumstances wear earrings outside when is minus anything. Hurtie hurtie cold metal hurtie. Haha, Lano and Woodley moment.  

At the moment my love for the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has been rekindled, and I'm listening to them heaps. Pity my Ipod doesn't like being cold. The battery lasts a good 30 minutes out in the elements, same with my phone and camera.

So now at this moment its Friday at 1.21pm and tonight my host sister Mariina is taking me to party with her near Tampere. So I'm excited, perhaps Finns talk when their drunk. I will let you know!

Also on my list of exciting events is my impending journey to Estonia. I will spend 4 days with my host family at a luxury spa by the cold Baltic Sea. Apparently the ferry there and back is the most fun. I've heard that some people just do a round trip on the boat for the fun of it.

Well I hope Dong drama is at a minimum, and everybody is settling into school/Tafe well, so everybody has been telling me this and I think its good advice, give it time. Everything new takes some getting used to.

I miss you guys like CRAZY. There have been so many times in the last few days when I wished you had been here to laugh at something stupid, like my history teachers ugly shoes. It's hard not having somebody to talk to around every corner. But I will give it time!

 

kaksi

The cold hits me every time I walk out the door. It's a good feeling, the chill makes everything that much more intense. The trees, cars, houses, and roads are covered in the snow. It's amazingly beautiful. It makes my head spin to think of the distance between all my friends and family. I am keeping myself busy and centered. I have discovered there is a difference between alone and lonely. Lonely is when you know nobody is there for you. I am not lonely but I am alone here, I like it that way. It makes me feel strong and alive. I am alone and independent on the other side of the world. I am taking time to listen to my thoughts and take in the space around me. I feel very content and relaxed. I have already met some great people. Exchange students and Finns included. The Finnish are very shy but in the last few days I have been talking with some of the students at the school where I have been staying for the last week.  On Saturday I will be meeting my host family for the first time. I'm having that nervous excited feeling when I think about it.

Everything is different here. Not good or bad just different. The street signs and food and clothes, the change is refreshing to me. Its Australia day and I can imagine all of you will be heading down to the river and soaking up the warm weather (lucky bastards). Hehe, be sure to send me some photos. I hate to miss out on all that kind of stuff. Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY HUNTER. I met a Finnish metal that looks like Alexi Leiho. I thought of you :P hehe hope you have a good one.

Ummmm what else. Its been a hectic week for me, hardcore Finnish learning, about 5 hours a day. i had a sauna and then ran to the icy lake and jumped in got out and rolled in the snow !! it's a good feeling you should try it if you ever get the opportunity.

I don't have much else to say . . .

I have a new mobile number.

Txt me sometime . . .

+35468478119

bri and i going to tampere

karkku klan

thats where we are :D

hamish and i

in the class room getting some finnish into me !!