Alright so, let's skip through all the details, but basically: I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I got an email last Tuesday from a company I had interviewed with in March, and they wanted me to start last week! So I went in on Friday and have since worked this week on Tuesday and Wednesday as well.
In the meantime, Jibbie, Juha's friend from Mannheim, came to visit us! She was visiting her twin in Mannheim and planned some stops along the way. I'm happy to report, Finland was among the stops! We took her to a hockey game [yes, it was my first hockey game ever!!!!] and sightseeing around Helsinki! [Though I sadly had to miss some of the sights due to school and work.]
Now I really want to tell you guys that: I LOVE TAMPERE!
Here is why...
I had lunch with Nina today and Juha came for a bit too. Then he left for Germany during lunch, and Nina and I hung out post-food.
Then I went to the bank and spoke in Finnish! Now only that but the bank teller was so sweet and started asking me how long I've been in Finland for, am I a student, etc. She was soooo nice and spoke to me so clearly and I understood everything she said!!!!
So I walked out of there with a spring in my step, went to get a bus pass, and basically got paid for it... it was in Juha's name but I asked if we could change the name. Apparently we could! [Juha, I owe you a bus pass! And some change.]
On my way home, I ran into a friend from school - Murat. Him and his friend were out buying a present for someone's birthday. We ran around town for a bit before we all headed home.
It was all quite random, but just a nice flow throughout the day! Tonight, I got plans with the girls :)
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Modern Couple.
I spent 8 hours at school today. 3 hours was spent in class. Probably about 2 hours, at least, was spent in the cafeteria and throughout, I thought a lot. Mostly I thought about all my physical displacements between Tampere and Helsinki and somewhere along that though-path, numerous couples popped into my mind and I realized that relationships everywhere are facing very different challenges than those our parents once faced. It seems to me, though I am probably exposed to a more limited or specific base, that couples are changing... and it is because of this that I came up with the concept of "The modern couple."
Just the generations X and Y and Z, the baby boomers and other segments, the modern couple has implications that may be familiar to some, but overall new in terms of blanket meanings. (That sentence didn't make much sense but I'm too tired to fix it. Alas, I have more explications that should clarify.)
Now what I mean by the modern couple is specifically: geographical separation. Although there are still lots of couples that may live and work in the same city, this is not always the case. People are moving around more for work, school, family or just a change of scenery. For example, people may be in the same city for university, 8 months a year, but summertime may mean having to go home to your respective cities. In Canada, you may well both be Canadian but the country is pretty big and you may find yourselves bound to two different oceans/sides of the continent. In Finland, I've met many couples who are from different cities, though they may live together now... or couples in which one person is from abroad. The combinations are endless! This has great implications for an open-minded world and as cultures are mixing, thinking about the future is making me more and more excited. How will this shape the world over the course of this century? Surely this will have to impact how we think about cultures, religion, nations, manners, etc.
Now there are other considerations too, and specifically, this is what I pondered today somewhere between (during) class and lunch. Even if you both live in Toronto, chances are that you'll have to spend some time apart at one point. It seems to almost be a given these days! Maybe I'm thinking that this happens to everyone because every couple I could think of had/has/will have to experience this at some point. Humans are curious and it's becoming possible to satisfy that curiosity and move around a lot. This could mean spending a semester abroad without your boy/girlfriend. Or it could mean taking them with you. Or it could mean you both go aboard at the same time to different places. Or it could mean you go abroad at different times to different places, or the same place!
Adapting is not always easy. And people have asked me: why move to Finland and then have to move away from Tampere? Well my friends, this is a good question. As humans, and especially as a woman in my case, we are constantly adapting to changes all around. This means learning a new language, getting used to colder/hotter temperatures, learning customs and traditions, partaking in celebrations, seeing your family less often, making new family ties, meeting new, different people, eating new food, cooking new food, exploring different music, getting a new hobby... I think I could go on forever but you can refer to the rest of the blog for other examples. The point is, some aspects of adapting are easier than others. This all depends on you and where your comfort zone lies. But most importantly, you have to realize that you need to adapt in the right way. Aka. sitting in your apartment crying for 3 years is not adapting...obviously (and this can happen if you go about it the wrong way... and no this did not happen to me). You need to feel great in all aspects of your life! And by great, I mean fulfilled, so that is why, I went back to school and that is why I'm taking full advantage of the situation to meet lots of great people and get involved at school. I am really excited about what this year, and this degree, will bring!
So really what I'm trying to say is that: I believe that striving for all that fulfillment, including relationships with anyone and everyone, is an important part of living... (even the Sims know that haha.) I say this because I've also been asked: "couldn't you find a boyfriend closer to home?" and ironically, that was never a thought that I asked myself! haha. And I'm happy I didn't because that's just not how my brain works. (Ok, ok, I'm trying to get to my point but I do enjoy babbling so much) The point is that modern couples are pushing boundaries and stretching limits all over the place. And that no matter what the outcome in the end, the lessons learned along the way and the struggles endured with strengthen and shape you and those around you in all sorts of positive ways.
(Yes this was really bias. And by long distances, I also mean a 30 minute drive apart. It's all about how you think about it. And none of this is to say that you can't date your neighbour! I was just thinking very specifically.)
Just the generations X and Y and Z, the baby boomers and other segments, the modern couple has implications that may be familiar to some, but overall new in terms of blanket meanings. (That sentence didn't make much sense but I'm too tired to fix it. Alas, I have more explications that should clarify.)
Now what I mean by the modern couple is specifically: geographical separation. Although there are still lots of couples that may live and work in the same city, this is not always the case. People are moving around more for work, school, family or just a change of scenery. For example, people may be in the same city for university, 8 months a year, but summertime may mean having to go home to your respective cities. In Canada, you may well both be Canadian but the country is pretty big and you may find yourselves bound to two different oceans/sides of the continent. In Finland, I've met many couples who are from different cities, though they may live together now... or couples in which one person is from abroad. The combinations are endless! This has great implications for an open-minded world and as cultures are mixing, thinking about the future is making me more and more excited. How will this shape the world over the course of this century? Surely this will have to impact how we think about cultures, religion, nations, manners, etc.
Now there are other considerations too, and specifically, this is what I pondered today somewhere between (during) class and lunch. Even if you both live in Toronto, chances are that you'll have to spend some time apart at one point. It seems to almost be a given these days! Maybe I'm thinking that this happens to everyone because every couple I could think of had/has/will have to experience this at some point. Humans are curious and it's becoming possible to satisfy that curiosity and move around a lot. This could mean spending a semester abroad without your boy/girlfriend. Or it could mean taking them with you. Or it could mean you both go aboard at the same time to different places. Or it could mean you go abroad at different times to different places, or the same place!
Adapting is not always easy. And people have asked me: why move to Finland and then have to move away from Tampere? Well my friends, this is a good question. As humans, and especially as a woman in my case, we are constantly adapting to changes all around. This means learning a new language, getting used to colder/hotter temperatures, learning customs and traditions, partaking in celebrations, seeing your family less often, making new family ties, meeting new, different people, eating new food, cooking new food, exploring different music, getting a new hobby... I think I could go on forever but you can refer to the rest of the blog for other examples. The point is, some aspects of adapting are easier than others. This all depends on you and where your comfort zone lies. But most importantly, you have to realize that you need to adapt in the right way. Aka. sitting in your apartment crying for 3 years is not adapting...obviously (and this can happen if you go about it the wrong way... and no this did not happen to me). You need to feel great in all aspects of your life! And by great, I mean fulfilled, so that is why, I went back to school and that is why I'm taking full advantage of the situation to meet lots of great people and get involved at school. I am really excited about what this year, and this degree, will bring!
So really what I'm trying to say is that: I believe that striving for all that fulfillment, including relationships with anyone and everyone, is an important part of living... (even the Sims know that haha.) I say this because I've also been asked: "couldn't you find a boyfriend closer to home?" and ironically, that was never a thought that I asked myself! haha. And I'm happy I didn't because that's just not how my brain works. (Ok, ok, I'm trying to get to my point but I do enjoy babbling so much) The point is that modern couples are pushing boundaries and stretching limits all over the place. And that no matter what the outcome in the end, the lessons learned along the way and the struggles endured with strengthen and shape you and those around you in all sorts of positive ways.
(Yes this was really bias. And by long distances, I also mean a 30 minute drive apart. It's all about how you think about it. And none of this is to say that you can't date your neighbour! I was just thinking very specifically.)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
100th post!
This is my 100th post and though I started this blog a few days before moving to Finland, I consider it a milestone to mark my time here. Also, I'm not really sure how I managed to keep on babbling for 8 months about my time here but somehow I always had something to say, even if there were not dry spells.
I decided to blog today because I feel like I've been sitting around and waiting for almost an entire day now. We're doing a group project for one of my courses and my friend and I have paired up with two first year girls. The girls were supposed to do questions a) and c) of the assignment and we were supposed to take care of b). But we need part a) to start b) and we're still waiting for it (the deadline is tomorrow at 10am.) Well if it's any proof of how I'm trying to relax about life and school, this has to be a step in the right direction. Because no matter what, I'm pretty sure we're not gonna fail... so there's no real reason to panic. I sort of did the same thing with an assignment which was due on Tuesday... I don't think I did a great job, but I finished it on time and handed it in. I really have to fight against my instinct to do everything 100%. When it really matters, that's where all my effort will be... and this way, I don't spread myself thin... but I do have to spread myself over something! So I'm thinking of writing, photographing or doing layouts for the school paper. I just haven't decided yet. I also need a sport to stay active... I'm just not sure where gymnasts get their fix in Helsinki... I'm gonna look into that right now.
I decided to blog today because I feel like I've been sitting around and waiting for almost an entire day now. We're doing a group project for one of my courses and my friend and I have paired up with two first year girls. The girls were supposed to do questions a) and c) of the assignment and we were supposed to take care of b). But we need part a) to start b) and we're still waiting for it (the deadline is tomorrow at 10am.) Well if it's any proof of how I'm trying to relax about life and school, this has to be a step in the right direction. Because no matter what, I'm pretty sure we're not gonna fail... so there's no real reason to panic. I sort of did the same thing with an assignment which was due on Tuesday... I don't think I did a great job, but I finished it on time and handed it in. I really have to fight against my instinct to do everything 100%. When it really matters, that's where all my effort will be... and this way, I don't spread myself thin... but I do have to spread myself over something! So I'm thinking of writing, photographing or doing layouts for the school paper. I just haven't decided yet. I also need a sport to stay active... I'm just not sure where gymnasts get their fix in Helsinki... I'm gonna look into that right now.
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Importance of Fine-home Furnishings.
This week I learned the importance of fine-home furnishings for one's mental and physical transition into a new environment.
I got in on Sunday night and my internet was broken... wow... it feels like that was 2 weeks ago. Monday, I got it all sorted it out and by the time I got home in the evening, I was connected to the world wide web!
Tuesday, I dreaded going home and sweeping so much that after class Sara and I chatted and met up with Anna-Riikka [I hope I got that right], and later, her boyfriend Jose at Nolla. Iida was there too. I got a call from Heli, inviting me to dinner and pre-drink at her place, and I met up with Sanna and May beforehand. The medicine girls slowly arrived at Heli's and by 10pm we had a pretty big group... or like 8 people... or maybe 6 but you get the point. I had left the house at 7:45am that day so after 30 minutes in the club, I was pretty tired and went home. I got home around midnight. I took a few minutes to dust my shelves haha.
Wednesday I woke up, in my boring room, on my mattress on the floor... I didn't think a chair or two would really change my impression of the room but after Juha arrive, we cleaned the floor, brought in a big chair, a coffee table, an air mattress and a desk chair. We went for dinner at Tuk Tuk, had ice cream and went to Matti and Anne's to watch I love you Phillip Morris [it's worth seeing.] Matti and Anne were also kind enough to lend me a table of theirs for a couple weeks.
Waking up on Thursday had a completely different feel to it. I have furniture in my room! I even came home after lunch to hang out here for a bit before going to the Welcome Dinner... from which I arrived home around 3:45am. [Also, our flat is complete with the arrival of our roommate! Whose name I still haven't managed to learn. Shh.]
So yeah, furniture is important... and you get a whole lot more out of it than just functionality. Hoorah!
I got in on Sunday night and my internet was broken... wow... it feels like that was 2 weeks ago. Monday, I got it all sorted it out and by the time I got home in the evening, I was connected to the world wide web!
Tuesday, I dreaded going home and sweeping so much that after class Sara and I chatted and met up with Anna-Riikka [I hope I got that right], and later, her boyfriend Jose at Nolla. Iida was there too. I got a call from Heli, inviting me to dinner and pre-drink at her place, and I met up with Sanna and May beforehand. The medicine girls slowly arrived at Heli's and by 10pm we had a pretty big group... or like 8 people... or maybe 6 but you get the point. I had left the house at 7:45am that day so after 30 minutes in the club, I was pretty tired and went home. I got home around midnight. I took a few minutes to dust my shelves haha.
Wednesday I woke up, in my boring room, on my mattress on the floor... I didn't think a chair or two would really change my impression of the room but after Juha arrive, we cleaned the floor, brought in a big chair, a coffee table, an air mattress and a desk chair. We went for dinner at Tuk Tuk, had ice cream and went to Matti and Anne's to watch I love you Phillip Morris [it's worth seeing.] Matti and Anne were also kind enough to lend me a table of theirs for a couple weeks.
Waking up on Thursday had a completely different feel to it. I have furniture in my room! I even came home after lunch to hang out here for a bit before going to the Welcome Dinner... from which I arrived home around 3:45am. [Also, our flat is complete with the arrival of our roommate! Whose name I still haven't managed to learn. Shh.]
So yeah, furniture is important... and you get a whole lot more out of it than just functionality. Hoorah!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Finnish life 202.
It was while eating at the university [of Tampere] on Friday that I made great strides towards understanding something about Finns and how foreigners perceive them. Ever since I moved here, people, including Finns, have been asking me what I think of Finns. "Some people think we're really rude." I would always draw a blank when I got this question because it confused me. I have many Finnish friends and acquaintances, none of which I consider rude, so why would people keep asking me that?
And then it hit me.
It's a slight difference in culture that sometimes makes people from a different culture slightly uncomfortable... and it happened to me last Friday. I realize now that it's happened before [which is why I was able to draw some "conclusions"] but I never really thought much about it. So here goes...[btw, this is a stupid story that you're likely to consider pointless.]
I was getting food from the vegetarian line-up, which apart from me was empty, but I was having a hard time understanding which was a side-dish and which was a main course. Then another girl came and since I didn't want to be in the way, I moved my tray and said: "you can go ahead, haha" followed by a somewhat awkward laugh, the kind you sometimes end up making when talking to a stranger. She seemed to give me a weird look and went in front without saying anything.
Now I don't know, and feel free to comment and prove me wrong, if Finns see anything wrong with that, but us North Americans do. [At least in the context of our own culture.] In Canada, it's polite to say thank you, or at least something to make you not feel silly, since no one wants to feel weird for too long. I discussed it with Juha and Jonne after and they both laughed at the expectation for further, however brief, dialogue.
So alas, I guess some cultural implications don't translate into other cultures. By now I know it doesn't matter how prepared you are; you'll still find these little things happening to you. Even after the tiny, meaningless thing, I couldn't help but feel a little stupid... and here I am, writing about it and reliving it haha.
And then it hit me.
It's a slight difference in culture that sometimes makes people from a different culture slightly uncomfortable... and it happened to me last Friday. I realize now that it's happened before [which is why I was able to draw some "conclusions"] but I never really thought much about it. So here goes...[btw, this is a stupid story that you're likely to consider pointless.]
I was getting food from the vegetarian line-up, which apart from me was empty, but I was having a hard time understanding which was a side-dish and which was a main course. Then another girl came and since I didn't want to be in the way, I moved my tray and said: "you can go ahead, haha" followed by a somewhat awkward laugh, the kind you sometimes end up making when talking to a stranger. She seemed to give me a weird look and went in front without saying anything.
Now I don't know, and feel free to comment and prove me wrong, if Finns see anything wrong with that, but us North Americans do. [At least in the context of our own culture.] In Canada, it's polite to say thank you, or at least something to make you not feel silly, since no one wants to feel weird for too long. I discussed it with Juha and Jonne after and they both laughed at the expectation for further, however brief, dialogue.
So alas, I guess some cultural implications don't translate into other cultures. By now I know it doesn't matter how prepared you are; you'll still find these little things happening to you. Even after the tiny, meaningless thing, I couldn't help but feel a little stupid... and here I am, writing about it and reliving it haha.
Friday, September 3, 2010
First Impressions of Planet Earth.
So this is pretty much life at H@nken in a week-format:
Monday, 6:45am wake up.
Take the train to Helsinki.
Go to class at 10:15am.
Go sign HOAS contract, print syllabus, eat lunch, run around doing bureaucratic things, get library books.
Go to class at 2:30pm.
Make groups for the "upcoming" project due October 7th. [And arrange to meet the next day.]
Take the tram to Matti and Anne's, read, hang out, make/eat dinner, read, go to bed.
Tuesday, 7am wake up.
Read. Eat. Return library book [1/2].
Go to group meeting at 10am. Organize research plan for project. Discuss options.
Eat lunch.
Take the 13:06 train back to Tampere.
Arrive in Tampere at 14:52. Meet Jackie and Juha at the station.
Go to Hesburger. Eat french fries. Walk home. Nap. Walk to WokWok. Eat.
Go to Makuuni. Pick up car. Watch "The Ghost Writer." Enjoy. Go to bed.
Wednesday, 6:15am wake up.
Eat. Pack. Leave.
Load a few things in the car. Drive to Helsinki. Drop off car.
Take the tram to the train station. Drop off Jackie's stuff.
Run to 10:15am mandatory attendance guest lecture. Enjoy profusely/take notes.
Meet Jackie. Go to train station. Inquire about bus times. See Jackie off.
Go to bank. Go pick up keys from HOAS. Call Sara. Meet Sara. Drink coffee. Have a long meeting discussing project [later find out it's only worth 5%] and life in general. Take tram to car. Have Sara lead the way to my apartment. Move 2 things into the apartment. Meet new roommate: Nina. Drive to TAIKK. Pick up Pirjo. Have Pirjo drop us off. Walk with Sara to tram. Go to Valintatalo and stock up on some necessities for the night. Come home. Cook dinner. Read. Eat. Read. Write [no computer] report for project. Read. Take a shower. Go to bed in empty room void of any light... not even ceiling lamp.
Thursday, 7am wake up.
Eat, 'pack' aka put a shirt in my bag. Take the bus to school.
Go to the computer lab and print articles to read for the weekend. Type up project from the night before. Meet Sara to discuss everything not related to project. Be interviewed for school's external relations marketing campaign. Receive free t-shirt and lunch. Eat. Run to catch 13:06 train back to Tampere. Sleep on train after hopeless attempts trying to read. Arrive in Tampere at 14:52. Walk home. Talk to Juha. Read. Go to Sale. Read. Make dinner. Read. Skype with Mom. Watch TV. Pass out.
Friday, 8am wake up... and after some hesitation 8:30am wake up.
Re-read syllabus. Eat. Write assignment due today at 2pm. Eat chocolate. Listen to 'Rocket in the Sky' by Benny Benassi. Dance a little. Watch interview from yesterday. Sweat. Re-read assignment. Facebook. Receive duck delivery. Blog... and here we are.
I'm hoping that conveyed the serious hectic nature of this week... but don't worry, there's more next week, due next week and to do this weekend. So I'll be sure to keep you all posted.
Monday, 6:45am wake up.
Take the train to Helsinki.
Go to class at 10:15am.
Go sign HOAS contract, print syllabus, eat lunch, run around doing bureaucratic things, get library books.
Go to class at 2:30pm.
Make groups for the "upcoming" project due October 7th. [And arrange to meet the next day.]
Take the tram to Matti and Anne's, read, hang out, make/eat dinner, read, go to bed.
Tuesday, 7am wake up.
Read. Eat. Return library book [1/2].
Go to group meeting at 10am. Organize research plan for project. Discuss options.
Eat lunch.
Take the 13:06 train back to Tampere.
Arrive in Tampere at 14:52. Meet Jackie and Juha at the station.
Go to Hesburger. Eat french fries. Walk home. Nap. Walk to WokWok. Eat.
Go to Makuuni. Pick up car. Watch "The Ghost Writer." Enjoy. Go to bed.
Wednesday, 6:15am wake up.
Eat. Pack. Leave.
Load a few things in the car. Drive to Helsinki. Drop off car.
Take the tram to the train station. Drop off Jackie's stuff.
Run to 10:15am mandatory attendance guest lecture. Enjoy profusely/take notes.
Meet Jackie. Go to train station. Inquire about bus times. See Jackie off.
Go to bank. Go pick up keys from HOAS. Call Sara. Meet Sara. Drink coffee. Have a long meeting discussing project [later find out it's only worth 5%] and life in general. Take tram to car. Have Sara lead the way to my apartment. Move 2 things into the apartment. Meet new roommate: Nina. Drive to TAIKK. Pick up Pirjo. Have Pirjo drop us off. Walk with Sara to tram. Go to Valintatalo and stock up on some necessities for the night. Come home. Cook dinner. Read. Eat. Read. Write [no computer] report for project. Read. Take a shower. Go to bed in empty room void of any light... not even ceiling lamp.
Thursday, 7am wake up.
Eat, 'pack' aka put a shirt in my bag. Take the bus to school.
Go to the computer lab and print articles to read for the weekend. Type up project from the night before. Meet Sara to discuss everything not related to project. Be interviewed for school's external relations marketing campaign. Receive free t-shirt and lunch. Eat. Run to catch 13:06 train back to Tampere. Sleep on train after hopeless attempts trying to read. Arrive in Tampere at 14:52. Walk home. Talk to Juha. Read. Go to Sale. Read. Make dinner. Read. Skype with Mom. Watch TV. Pass out.
Friday, 8am wake up... and after some hesitation 8:30am wake up.
Re-read syllabus. Eat. Write assignment due today at 2pm. Eat chocolate. Listen to 'Rocket in the Sky' by Benny Benassi. Dance a little. Watch interview from yesterday. Sweat. Re-read assignment. Facebook. Receive duck delivery. Blog... and here we are.
I'm hoping that conveyed the serious hectic nature of this week... but don't worry, there's more next week, due next week and to do this weekend. So I'll be sure to keep you all posted.
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