The final meet-up with friends (Veera and Jerina) and th final sauna the evening before I left.
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Saturday, January 18, 2014
Sunday, August 11, 2013
American Embassy
On Friday I had the honor of attending a Finland-US exchange alumni gathering at the US Embassy in Helsinki. Usually, as you could guess, the American alumni are rarely in Finland so since I wasn't officially invited my friend Veera helped get me on the list. (Kiitos Veera!)
The program I took part in was the Finland US Senate Youth Exchange scholarship from the Finnish government for a dozen American students to live in Finland for about two months each summer. My class was the thirtieth to go to Finland, so it was a big year for the exchange organization, Youth For Understanding. On the other hand, the scholarship for Finnish students to go to the United States for two months in the summer was only started three years ago, so only three classes of students have gone.
Luckily last year at the end of our stay, we got to meet the first two classes of Finnish students who had gone to the US at the American Embassy. My stay here in Finland this summer was timed perfectly for me to attend this year's reunion. I got to see most of my friends that I met last year and then I also got to meet the 2013 class of Finnish students who had just returned to Finland a few weeks ago. It was nice to see everybody again and it was really an honor to be able to meet Ambassador Bruce Oreck of the US again. I haven't met many government officials before, but Mr. Oreck is one of the most kind and sincere people I have ever met. He just loves people and he always makes us feel very welcome there, whether Finnish or American.
At the meeting, there were a few presentations and discussions of future plans but I think my favorite part was when Ambassador Oreck brought the whole group out on the to top floor balcony with the best view of Helsinki harbor to ask the Finnish students questions about how their stay was in America and how it had changed them. Of course I was the only American student there, but it is always interesting to hear others' impressions of my home country.
After the meeting, a large part of the group went to the center of Helsinki for a picnic in Kaisaniemi Park, right next to the railway station. I hung around with everybody until 9:00 when I had to catch my train back to Tampere. All in all, it was a very memorable day filled with friends and happiness that I won't forget.
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share of the Embassy meeting, as cameras weren't allowed within the building.
The program I took part in was the Finland US Senate Youth Exchange scholarship from the Finnish government for a dozen American students to live in Finland for about two months each summer. My class was the thirtieth to go to Finland, so it was a big year for the exchange organization, Youth For Understanding. On the other hand, the scholarship for Finnish students to go to the United States for two months in the summer was only started three years ago, so only three classes of students have gone.
Luckily last year at the end of our stay, we got to meet the first two classes of Finnish students who had gone to the US at the American Embassy. My stay here in Finland this summer was timed perfectly for me to attend this year's reunion. I got to see most of my friends that I met last year and then I also got to meet the 2013 class of Finnish students who had just returned to Finland a few weeks ago. It was nice to see everybody again and it was really an honor to be able to meet Ambassador Bruce Oreck of the US again. I haven't met many government officials before, but Mr. Oreck is one of the most kind and sincere people I have ever met. He just loves people and he always makes us feel very welcome there, whether Finnish or American.
At the meeting, there were a few presentations and discussions of future plans but I think my favorite part was when Ambassador Oreck brought the whole group out on the to top floor balcony with the best view of Helsinki harbor to ask the Finnish students questions about how their stay was in America and how it had changed them. Of course I was the only American student there, but it is always interesting to hear others' impressions of my home country.
After the meeting, a large part of the group went to the center of Helsinki for a picnic in Kaisaniemi Park, right next to the railway station. I hung around with everybody until 9:00 when I had to catch my train back to Tampere. All in all, it was a very memorable day filled with friends and happiness that I won't forget.
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to share of the Embassy meeting, as cameras weren't allowed within the building.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
muikku ja aurinko
This morning I met up with my friend Veera, a former exchange student to the US on the reverse program of mine, in the center of Tampere. We hung around for a while and walked to some different places and for a snack had muikku, delicious crispy fried fish. I saw it last year but never had it until this year.
The rest of the day consisted of spending time at home picking berries (of course) and enjoying the sun, but the highlight of this was baking pulla. Pulla is a Finnish sweet bread pastry that you will see in just about every cafe and food shop. It can be compared to a cinnamon roll (it does have cinnamon in it) but the main flavor in pulla is cardamom.
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There is sugar on top, not salt; something I was confused about last year.
Other photos of the day:
Other photos of the day:
Friday, August 2, 2013
Helsinki
Yesterday I took the train into Helsinki to meet up with my friend Matti for the day. He was an exchange student in Buffalo this past year and we also shared a mutual friend in Finland. We had a busy day of walking everywhere and seeing everything. It made for a tiring yet very fun day in the capital.
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| The Buffalo kids. |
Monday, July 29, 2013
Thursday, July 25, 2013
aurinkoinen päivä Pyhäjärvellä - a sunny day on Lake Pyhäjärvi
Today a family friend, Petri, took us on his boat from Nokia to Tampere on Pyhäjärvi. Once there we had lunch in the harbor and then sailed back. On the way back we stopped at Viikinsari island to wander around and have something to drink. To put the icing on the cake, today's weather was the best it has been since I've been here. I even wore shorts! And dare I say that I got some color from the sun... in Finland.
Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Yesterday we woke up early and set out to the Helsinki metropolitan area, which includes Espoo where we first ventured to. After a two hour drive from Nokia, we landed at the Akseli Gallen-Kallela studio museum. Gallen-Kallela is one of the most famous and influential Finnish painters. I also have a pretty big connection to him back in Buffalo too. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo recently just got a new art museum director from Helsinki. His name is Janne Gallen-Kallela Siren. The names are similar you say? Indeed. His great grandfather is the Aksel Gallen-Kallela. I always find weird connections to Buffalo.We toured around the gallery for a while and walked a the surrounding land along an inlet of the sea. After sitting for two hours in the car it was nice to finally stand up.
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