Sommarvärme!!
Vappu
The Finnish Valborg - Student life high light of the year. It is celebration of Spring and Labor day combined. They have been talking about this event ever since I arrived the first week of September. And I have to agree Vappu is something special. The atmospere has been very cheerful for over a week but especially the past three days. It is a noticeble contrast to the normal more reserved and careful Finnish style. The whole city has really come to life. Both young and old have been wearing there student caps and overalls and if not owning any of those, something else festive. For example a baloon :D
The drink Sima (mead) and pastry munkki (sugar donut) are Vappu specialties.
The drink Sima (mead) and pastry munkki (sugar donut) are Vappu specialties.
Helsinki from above
Sunday I visited The Olympic Stadium. Helsinki hosted The Olympic Games in 1952. The student housing at Otaniemi campus (where I have had most of my classes this year) was actually originally built as housing for the Olympic athletes.
By paying 5 EUR I was able to go up in the 72 meter high Olympic Tower. 72 meters is not that high compared to buildings in other citys, but it was enough to get a good view of Helsinki!
Here is a 180 degree view of the central parts of Helsinki divided into three pictures.
The view of Töölö Bay and the area where I have been living during my stay here. Otaniemi Campus is located on the other side of the bay.
The view of the main road Mannerheimientie going through Tölöö leading down to the city centre. In the far you can see the harbour.
The view of Töölö lake with Finlandia hall to the right and the railway tracks to the left.
Soumenlinna
Soumenlinna or Sveaborg in Swedish. A fortress Island with 6 km of walls guarding the city of Helsinki. Originally Soumenlinna belonged to Sweden, then Russia. During the fist World war the fortress functioned as a prison. During the second World war is was a submarine base. The military moved away from the Island in the 1970's, now it is mainly a tourist attraction. The Island is now an UNESCO World herritage for military architecture. However people also live on the Island. It is connected to the city with ferris that run on the regular public transportation system which makes it really easy to get there. I would like to return for a picnic when the grass is greener.
Oulu
The speksi tour was a lot of fun! I learned at least two new Finnish words: käärme ja paratiisi (snake and paradise) The tour had the theme paradise since one of the stops was a spa named Eden. The people that were organizing the tour had then found a song containing basically two words; snake and paradise that were played every so often. It resulted in someone always humming on it and Friday night one of the sound guys made a dubstep version of it!
I borrowed this picture from the Teekkarispeksi facebook page.48 people in a bubble pool! I am the awkward one looking in the wrong direction. It is not easy all the time to be in a group where everyone but you speaks another language.
After lunch on Friday when the stage was built up at the Theatre I had some free time and explored Oulu a bit with a hand drawn map that I had recieved prior to the trip, from a friend originally from Oulu . It was nice to return to the warm theatre afterwards. Later I met up with Lauri's brother Jussi. We met when I was visiting Lapua earlier this semester. He studies in Oulu and showed me his favorit place to have coffee.
Take away coffee
Teachers in Finland
I now know why Finnish students do so well in international rankings! I am convinced that it has to do with how teachers are viewed in Finland. In order to teach in Finland you have to have a masters degree. And in order to get in to a teaching program you have to belong to the top 10 % of your class. On top of that, if I have understood it correctly, the standard is tree teachers per twenty students.
Being a teacher in Finland is a high status job compared to for example Sweden where weiges and the attitude towards teachers is awful. Not to offend anyone, but when you chose to become a teacher in Sweden, I feel like the case more often is that you do not know what you would like to do, compared to making the choice because you are passionate about teaching.
Being a teacher in Finland is a high status job compared to for example Sweden where weiges and the attitude towards teachers is awful. Not to offend anyone, but when you chose to become a teacher in Sweden, I feel like the case more often is that you do not know what you would like to do, compared to making the choice because you are passionate about teaching.
The Finnish Parliament
Spontanious daytrip to Tallinn
Estland is just 2.5 hour away by ferry from Helsinki. The stereotypical Helsinki-Tallinn cruiser travels with a suitcase on wheels - empthy on the way there, filled with cheap alcohol on the way back. Seeing the old parts of Tallinn made me realize how young Helsinki is. Everything in Helsinki is basically built around the same time where as in Tallinn almost every building is totally different from its neighbor. It makes it a pretty and charming city with lots of character :)
Some video footage might show up later this week.
Being a Finnish university student
It seems like students here have a greater value for the working industy. Besides recieving all kinds of discounts companies are keen to hire you. Most of my Finnish friends are working with something related to their studies parallell with studying. Actually I do not think I know of anyone who does not. This often lead to extended studies. The average study time for finishing a five year university program is seven years. In one way it is kind of nice that people are not in a hurry. They study, work and enjoy student life. I have a lot of classes with six year students. Sometimes I feel rather unexperienced.The other day I started talking to a guy that was on his 11th year! But I am pretty sure he belongs to the extreme.
Kallio
Yesterday I walked around in the residential area Kallio or Berghäll as it is called in Swedish. It is an area in Helsinki, a little oustide the very centre. I have visited a couple of cafés and bars there before, and travelled through it a bunch of times to get to the Aalto arts campus in Arabia, but this was the first time I really explored Kallio. I do not know why I have not done it earlier. Kallio has a lot to offer. It is a former workers district,with interesting architecture, bars and music, ethnic restaurants and small shops of all sorts. In tourist guides it is often compared to Kreuzberg in Berlin. In Kallio you are guaranteed to find both alcoholics and hipsters. Kallio is infamous for its public drunkenness (drunks wandering the streets in daytime) and sex shops, but those phenomena live side by side with old grannies, families with small children, vintage stores and trendy organic cafes. It is an odd mix. 
Yrjönkadun uimahalli
I belive that I have told most people about Yrjönkadun uimahalli, nude swimming place. It is kind of a funny story. The sign outside the buliding says simhall, the Swedish word for a public swimming place, so that is how I found my way there the first time.
When I was standing in the line to pay for the entrance that first time I noticed a map with the floor plan.
It seemed like the place had an unusually open floor plan for being a swimming place. Before I got the chance to pay I had time to think "where should I change?". But then I discarded that though and was happy to discover that they had student discount. 2.50 EUR just like student lunch! I payed, took my shoes off en entered through a curtain. When I stepped through the curtains I immideiatly ended up next to the pool.
First though: "WHOA! Finns are really open with nudity!"
Second though: "Ok, if they do it, I can do it."
Third thought, after looking around a bit and taking it in: "There is only women here and some are actually wearing swimming suites".
I think Nordic people are quite open about nudity but a mixed nude public swimming pool might be a bit of a stretch. It turned out that Yrjönkadun uimahalli is a place with seperate days for women and men where you have the option to by nude or not. So by accident I arrived there on a correct day. I guess they would have denied me at the cash register otherwise. I played it safe the first time and kept my swimming suit on. The second time I went I ironically forgot my swimming suit there. So since then I have been going nude. Seeing people with a swimming cap, goggles and then nothing more is quite a funny sight!
When Maria visited me during the fall we went with our Finnish friend Rosa and tried a package deal. It was quite an experience. The package included:
- a bath robe
- a one time sauna towel
- access to the second floor where they serve drinks
- your own booth with bed where you could get changed and relax
AND besides the electric sauna downstairs, access to the more luxurious steem sauna and the wooden sauna. According to our Finnish sauna expert, Rosa, the wooden sauna is the best one!
I have to say that I have really learned to appriciate this strange place. It is a peaceful place. Besides Rosa, few of my Finnish friends seem to know about its existance.
Sometimes this sign will be on the door. Then you can rent a swimming suit for free. Haha :P
Hufvudstatsbladet
Yesterday I found a Swedish speaking café/information place/library (I do not know what to call it) in the center. I have walked past it before but never noticed it. It was a nice suprise to be able to make myself comfortable in one of their couches and flipp through a varity of Swedish newspapers and magazines. I realized how much I have missed reading a real newspaper. It is something special with flipping a page and see what you find on the other side. I have heard of Huvfudstadsbladet, the Swedish language newspaper for the Helsinki region, but this was the first time I got the chance to read it. I might consider subscribing to it the price is desent. When I came to the comics section, Moomin was off course one on the featured series :)
Almost sunny today!
The right country to loose your scissors
For as long as I can remember I have had a pair of Finnish Fiskars Kids scissors. That is until about a month ago when I lost my pencil case. Today I decided it was time to give up trying to find it and move on. #Arabiaoutlet
