Wow! What a week!

Greetings Friends and Family,

I hope you are all doing well in your corner of the world.  Finland is treating me well.  I'm having a wonderful experience.  I'm in awe that it has already been two weeks.  Two classes down and two to go.  Time moves so fast sometimes.  This week was full of activities and I stayed very busy.

Monday: Monday started a little overcast and cloudy.  I woke up early and left my dorm about two hours before class was supposed to start at 9:15.  I wanted to leave early to give myself time to find the new classroom and then most importantly use the wifi.  As a peddled through main campus I searched for the correct building.  From what the website said I should look for AgC 322.  I didn't quite understand what the abbreviations were but I certain it wouldn't be too hard to figure out.  Well, I guessed wrong because I cycled all around main campus with no luck.  I was forced to ask for directions, which I really don't like doing.  I would rather get lost and have to take the long route to get somewhere then ask for directions, but in this case when I was on a time schedule for class I had to concede that I needed to ask for directions.  Luckily, a kind middle-aged man was able to send me in the right direction.  At least now I knew which building it was in.  Down to the other campus, right on the shore of the lake.  Ag stands for Agora building. C is the wing.  This is a beautiful, modern, clean, academic building.

The Lobby of the Agora Building

       Easy enough now, I just had to go to the 3rd floor and find room 322.  Wrong.  Not so easy.  By this time I was still good with time, but I still had to hustle to keep enough of a cushion.  I was a little sweaty from the bike ride and the nerves and stress added to my overall glistening look.    I climbed the stairs to the third floor and find room number 319, 320, 321..... No 322.  What?! Panic. Panic. Panic. More sweat.  I wander through a small hallway that leads to offices.  Nope this isn't it.  So I go back downstairs to the big open lobby area.  I noticed when I first came in there were signs and posters and important looking papers on a bulletin board.  So this time I gave the bulletin board more than a passing glance, it had a sheet of paper which class names, times and locations. Aha! Emotions in sport performance, 9:15,  room 233. Oh! The mistake, 233 not 322.  I again climb the stairs this time to the 2nd floor, turn the corner, find the door with 233 and as I open it, it's a classroom! Phew! Relief sweeps over me as I find comfort in the familiarity of desks.  I also had the small victory of making it there on time, not by much but I still was there before 9:15.

The Classroom

      Turns out I wasn't the only one to have trouble finding the class because everyone else came late and looked just as frazzled as I imagined I looked.  Not the most ideal way to start the class but it started none the less at 9:30.  The class was Emotions in Sport Performance, a psychology class taught by Yuri Hannin.  An extremely interesting class.  It was a lot of information in a very short amount of time but extremely interesting.  We were released from class at three.  I cooked dinner and then Becca came over to eat with me.  It was a nice evening.  We talked about conveniences of U.S.A. and the differences between cultures.  We shared our observations of our fellow students and how each of them interacted.  It was a really enjoyable evening of good conversation.  That was Monday

Tuesday:  Tuesday was not as eventful or stressful.  Class was from 9:15 to 3:35.  It was pretty intensive but so interesting it was worth it.  The free time activity that Tehja (Finnish student) planned was to go to another beach.  Everyone met at 5:15 to trek on to the beach.  Just before we left I discovered I left my key card on my desk, in my room.  Well shoot!  I didn't want to leave it unsolved until we got back to the beach because after six they charge more for night hours so I called maintenance to rescue my card key.  I told the group to leave without me and I would catch up with them later.  I already had an idea of where the beach was so I could find it.  Merle, a friend from the Netherlands, volunteered to stay with me.  They left and we went upstairs to my room to wait for the guy with the master key.  So so stupid of me to forget my key.  It was sitting exactly where I thought I left it.  I was so mad at myself.  Anyway, once that was taken care of Merle and I decided to take our bikes to the beach, a much faster option.  We got to the beach about the same time that the group did so we didn't miss a thing.  Just a short swim, the water was pretty cold, then a picnic meal, then a game of moulke.  It is a Finnish game with pegs and throwing a stick.  Quite simple and fun but difficult to explain through text.  A fun evening came to a close with a bike ride back to the dorms and some much needed sleep.

The Beach

Picnic Group

Picnic Group

Moulke, the Finnish Game

Wednesday:  During the day I attended class and enjoyed hanging out with the other international students.  They have grown to become good friends.  It is sad and odd to think that this short amount of time could be the only time ever to see them.  In previous days we  had talked about having a meal together some night.  As the planning progressed it was decided to have a mexican fiesta on wednesday night, everyone bring something to share.  Lauren, another American from San Diego hosted and it actually turned into quite the feast.  Lots of yummy food.

 I was wiped out from class because the content is so dense, so I left somewhat early for some sleep.

Thursday: Class again.  It was a down day.  Everyone seemed to be wiped out.  Usually bouncy, chatty people were more somber and quiet.  The lunch and coffee break conversations were not as lively.  I think everyone was tired.  After class I biked to the city center and went shopping.  It is so overwhelming to go shopping in a hypermarket.  They have so much!  I had such a difficult time deciding what to get.  Eventually I got an entire outfit! I never buy full outfits! Another big deal is I got skinny jeans! Whoa! I don't wear skinny jeans, well now I do.  I am the proud owner of a very cute pair of black skinny jeans.  It rained that afternoon/evening.  Whenever I hear thunder I'm instantly reminded of summer.  I just love it.  Late that night we stayed up to see the sunrise (which happens sometime around 2-3) because Sebastian, Robia and Túmas all were leaving Saturday.  They only stayed for two weeks.  It was somewhat of a goodbye event.

This is the Sun around 3:30 in the morning

Friday: Friday was very exciting.  Class only lasted from 9:15 to 10:45.  After class Robia, Merle, Luuk, Juli,  Jia and I went to the Museum of Central Finland to get some postcards and then we met up for a late picnic lunch.  Everyone dispersed for the rest of the afternoon for naps and such.  At 5 we reconvened to head to a Sauna.  Tehja led us to Kiviniemi--a cottage that is near the lake.  It has two sauna's a regular and smoke sauna.  It also has a fire pit for cooking.  The sauna was fun.  Swimming in the lake was fun.  It was warmer than other areas of the lake but it wasn't as clean.  We roasted sausages and marshmallows over the fire.  Some very in depth conversations occurred.  Around 11pm we left.

     

A smaller group of us planned to meet again at 11:45 to go to the city center.  After a very fast shower and wardrobe change we journeyed to the city center.  From word of mouth we went to Shaker's, apparently the best place to go.  It was really contemporary.  I felt so chic being in there.  There was techno music playing and we danced to it the best that we could.  It took some people a while to loosen up but once someone brought up the fact that you'll never see these people again it doesn't matter if you look stupid dancing, the limbs moved more freely.  Around 2am, Shaker's grew old so a few of us went across the street to Escape.  Shaker's was a bar, Esacpe was a dance club.  Dancing! Lots and lots of dancing! Loud music! Young people! Neon lights! Fun!  The club shut down around 3:30.  Of course we stayed to the close.  It was the weirdest thing to come out of the dark club, knowing it was three in the morning and it being light. Normally when I''m out this late it is pitch black dark.  Here it is light and getting lighter.  Seeing drunk people stumble around in brightness is so strange.  Luuk and I had our bike's and Robia did not so Robia rode on the back of my bike back to the dorms.  Sebastian and Jia walked.  Robia and Sebastian had a taxi to meet at 4:30 so I stayed up with Robia until her taxi came.  She finished packing and gave me some of her left over food.  I said my goodbyes to Robia and Sebastian.  It was sad to know that I may never see them again.  I finally went to sleep around 4:45...but not for long

Saturday:  I didn't sleep for very long because I had to get up again to catch a train to Tampere.  A town  in between Helsinki and Jyväskylä.  We planned to meet at 7:15 so I was awake by 6:15ish.  I struggled getting out of bed but I eventually started functioning.  My morning started off wonderfully because I calculated what time it was at home and then decided to FaceTime my dad.  He answered and it turns out several of our family's friends were over for a get together.  I got to say hi to my family and my friends--a perfect way to begin the day.  I'm sure many of you readers were at my house Friday night when I called Saturday morning.  ;)  It was good to briefly talk to all of you.  Love and Miss Ya!
      After that phone call we went to the city center to the train station and then on to the train.  An hour and half later the six of us, Becca, Lauren, Charlie, Merle, Teresa and I arrived in the working city of Tampere.  It is bigger then Jyväskylä but smaller than Helsinki.  We ate at a lovely little coffee shop.  We strolled through a market.  We walked through a tree-filled park.  We came to a tower overlooking the city.  We saw the views from atop.  We ate famous Tampere doughnuts accompanied by an ever so delicious mocha.  We went to a museum.  We sat on the bench soaking up vitamin D and chatting.  We walked some more.  We tried Hesburger.  And then Charlie, Merle and I took the return train to Jyväskylä.  Lauren took the train to Helsinki.  Becca, Teresa and Tumas remained to attend a music festival.  It was a nice day.  I wouldn't say it was the best day.  It is unfavorable to wander a city with more than two or three people, especially tired, hangry people.

The view from the top of the tower at Tampere

Sunday: After a very full night of sleep I woke this morning in time to go to church.  Although I still did not understand the language I was able to give thanks and contemplate the universe.  Back in my apartment I cooked myself some lunch and began writing.  I was able to do some laundry this afternoon and believe a nap or suntanning, or both are in my near future.

It was busy week.

Love,
McCall