It Rained.. ❤

Too Much Cake

For the good of everyone in Helsinki area or thinking of visiting Finland, I highly suggest going to Kakku Galleria. It is utterly amazing. It is a little all you can eat cake and coffee place about a mile from Helsinki city center. There is a huge variety of beautiful cakes that you can choose 3 pieces every visit to the counter. For only around 12 euros you can have as much cake as you want.

About 15 of us somehow fit into this small shop. We spent hours sitting, talking, and eating mass amounts of cake. Looking at the portion sizes and seeing that you only get 3 small slices each time you go back up for more you don't think you can get full. Trust me... You can.

There is also the cat cafe in Helsinki close to Kamppi and I'm so excited to go there. I miss my furry ball of joy. If a place has coffee and cats that I can let while I drink my coffee.. I'm there!

- The American

Where it Starts

You could say that my first day wasn't the most pleasant experience. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't awful it was just very confusing to say in the least. 

First off I know the minimal amount of Finnish. I really only know how to ask questions and say hello, goodbye, thank you, and so on. Entering the school and trying to figure out where I was supposed to go was definitely the most confusing thing ever. The whole foyer was filled with first year students that were practically in the same boat as me. I would awkwardly walk up to some people and ask if they knew anything and most of them just shook their head and had no idea. 

I ended up finding myself sitting in an auditorium like area with a bunch of first year students happily introducing themselves in Finnish to one another. I didn't talk to anyone much for the first half of the day. 

My day from 9:00-12:30 was filled with sitting in one place for extended periods of time listening to information that would in general bore me but was even more boring because it was in a different language. I really didn't understand anything... At all.

I honestly was not prepared for school. Like I thought: oh school is school... But it isn't here. It is way harder because I am being talked at for 4 hours a day in a totally different language. It may seem easy and that is what I expected as well, but in reality it's really difficult. I'm constantly trying to understand what is happening and trying to figure out if I am supposed to do something, or if I have homework. For example the other day my host sister started talking to me about the homework in art class... I didn't even know we had homework! The teacher just didn't feel it was necessary to tell the English speaking students important information that had to do with the class we were taking. 

However, not all hope is lost for my first few days. Waiting in a quite long que to get my schedule I met an Aussie guy that is a exchange student as well. This guy is kind of like my savior to be honest. He introduced me to so many new people and he is overall a great friend to have and to teach me the way of the Finns. 

Socially I am very happy with the people I have met and the "friends" I have so far, they are all so great. When it comes to the school part, Hopefully I'll get the hang of it soon enough!

-       - The American

Mökki Love ❤ (Days at the Summer Cottage)

Birthday love for Emmet

It's That Time of Year Again

There is no stopping the inevitable, school has to come back around. A great summer always ends with the abrupt change in pace of going back to school. Waking up early, long days, people that you may or may not want to see are part of the many horrors that have to do with starting up school again. 

Surprisingly I was actually ecstatic to start school with a hint of fear as well. One of the big reasons I came to Finland was so I could see the education program here. Finland has the best education system in the world and I was fascinated in that since 1. I want to be a teacher and 2. I've been stuck in the same terrible school system for 11 years. I am hoping to see that there is more to my schooling than just textbooks and robotic teachers reciting out of a handbook hoping that students do good on tests for them to keep their jobs.

In a different sense I am also interested in seeing the social system in the school as well. Finland has no class system, so there are barely any homeless people and everyone is in some way on the same level. People are different here than in America yes, but I observe a lot of the same behaviors within teenagers here as well.

Overall school and the school environment are the main reasons I wanted to come to Finland. 

I will be posting soon about my first days amongst  the halls of my new school, but first I will be spending the weekend with my host family at their summer cottage.

Moi moi to you all,

The American

First Things First

It's crazy to think that I am here. After a year of planning everything I am actually here. I am in a country full of new people, that I don't know and full of people that are speaking a language that is completely foreign. I want to say that I am excited but also completely freaked out of my mind. I don't always show my nervousness or my fear but this is completely new for me. Every single thing around me is new. Once in awhile I'll see a McDonald's or a Subway and it'll feel like America but it's not.

There are a lot of similarities but in the end I'm halfway across the world from home. Most of all though I do love it here. Everything is bright (for the moment) and there is nature everywhere. Even in the city there are trees and flowers. Not everything has been taken over by condos and buildings. It is not full of dozens of people trying to be squished in small areas. It's nice to walk in Helsinki and see nature and old buildings. There are not really any skyscrapers or large condo buildings or apartments. Everything is quaint and authentic.

It may seem that not knowing the language and not knowing anyone is hell and sometimes it can be but it's like I learn something new everyday. Someone's name, what a word means, how to take the bus, and so much more.  It's an amazing feeling when you can finally say something in a different language. I am slowly learning all the cues and cultural differences trying to become one with this culture I will be occupying for a year,

I just love to watch people and look at what everyone is doing and how people are acting. Since I don't know the language, facial  expressions and body gestures are what I live on. Sometimes I can tell what people are talking about just by their expressions and gestures.

I have only been here a week and I'm loving everything. The food is great, people are interesting, and the sights are to die for. I hope you all read and check in often and hopefully I can be a form of entertainment. There is more to come from me definitely! Till next time

- The American

The streets of Finland

Tuomio kirkko

Let's go to the beach