First Christmas in Finland Since 2014

Kukkuu. Täällä sitä ollaan taas joululoman "joululoman" jälkeen palattu Madridiin. Pakko kyllä sanoa, että oli vähän kurjaa lukea kokeisiin ja kirjoittaa valokuva-analyysi sekä kirjallisuuden työ tuon parin viikon aikana, kun kerrankin meni jouluksi Suomeen. Käytännössähän täällä on nyt vielä koko tammikuu vapaata, eli nyt on vain pari viikkoa kokeita ja sitten on taas parin viikon loma ennen seuraavaa jaksoa. En tiedä, mikä järki siinä on, mutta näin ne asiat on haluttu järjestää Espanjassa.

Hello! Here we are, back in Madrid after a nice little Christmas break "break". I have to say it was a bit miserable to spend nearly all my time studying for exams, writing a photo analysis and finishing my French literature assignment during those two weeks when I finally went back to Finland for Christmas. Practically, we have the whole of January off, so that's just a few weeks of exams and then we're on holiday before spring term. How exciting. I don't understand the logic behind it, but this is how Spain has decided to organise stuff.

First time at the main square at wintertime in three years - this time in a little blizzard! 

Kuopio market hall all christmassy - notice the guy sweeping off snow after being outside!

Ensimmäinen koe oli toissapäivänä ja se olikin kertaheitolla se pahin alta: ranskan keski- ja renessanssiajan kirjallisuutta. Luennoilla ei hirveänä tullut käytyä eikä niitä vanhalla ranskan kielellä kirjoitettuja tekstejä tullut luettua, joten lopputyö ja koe-essee ovat varmasti vähintäänkin mielenkiitoista kamaa...

I had my first exam the day before yesterday and that was the worst one out of the way: Medieval and Renaissance French literature. My assistance in lectures was pretty non-existent and the texts written in old French were so complicated I didn't really bother reading them, so my final assignment and exam must be interesting, to say the least...

Mä en varmaan täällä blogissa ole avannut mitään mun työjuttuja, mutta aloin viime syksynä tekemään transkriptioita (mitä nää ees on oikeella suomen kielellä??) osa-aikaisena etätöitä. Tuo töiden joustavuus on ihan unelma, kun pystyn järjestämään työtunnit, miten haluan eikä työmatkoihin aikaa (Madridin kokoisessa kaupungissa täydellistä!) Hyvä puoli on siis se, että pääsin töistä huolimatta Suomeen - huono puoli se, että ne työt tosiaan seurasivat mukana sinne. Onneksi en tee niitä kuin 10 tuntia viikossa, joten opiskelutkaan ei kärsi.

So I haven't really been speaking about my work stuff, but I started doing transcriptions last autumn as a part-time remote job. That flexibility is exactly what I need, since I can organise my working hours each week and won't be wasting time in commuting, which is a huge plus in a city like Madrid. The good thing is that I could travel to Finland thanks to my job's flexible character, but the downside is that the working hours followed me, of course. Luckily I only do 10 hours a week so it doesn'teven affect my studies.

niece and step sister decorating the tree

smoked salmon crackers! probably one of the best foods EVER

a sister and her little brother

No juu, ehdin mä opiskelujen ja töiden lisäksi käymään Kuopio-Lapinlahti-Iisalmi akselilla, viettää aikaa perheen kanssa, nähdä kavereita (joskin vain muutamaa), nauttimaan suomiherkuista, käymään Gina Tricotin alennusmyynneissä, juhlimaan uuttavuotta Puikkarissa, ihmettelemään ainaista harmautta, pelaamaan Guitar Herota, aloittamaan Skam kaverin suosituksesta ja uusimaan passin. Varsin tehokkaat pari viikkoa, sanotaanko näin!

So apart from studying and working I did have time to visit Kuopio, Lapinlahti and Iisalmi, spend time with my family, meet some friends (although only a few), enjoy Finnish delicacies, check out Gina Tricot's sales, celebrate New Year's Ever at Puikkari, marvel at the constant greyness, play Guitar Hero, start watching Skam thanks to my friend's recommendation and renew my passport. Quite efficiently used two weeks, shall I say!

some great tits feasting on seeds

a woodpecker having his daily lunch 

Mutta hei! Tämä yksinmatkaaja lähtee taas kokeiden jälkeen - pakkohan tuollainen lukukausien välinen pari viikkoa hyödyntää jollain tavalla. Silloin ei nimittäin opiskelija voi edes potea huonoa omatuntoa opiskelemattomuudesta, koska mitään opiskeltavaa ei ole! Lähden Romaniaan viikoksi. Ei ehkä se tyypillisin matkakohde Euroopassa, mutta siksi se onkin niin kiehtova. Googlettelin jo eri nähtävyyksiä sekä romanian alkeita - se kun kuuluu samaan kieliperheeseen espanjan, ranskan ja italian kanssa. Ainakin nyt sen verran, että osaan paikkojen nimet lausua oikein ja sanoa vaikka terve, hahaa.

Anyway! This solo traveller strikes again after the exams - I just have to take advantage of such a long gap between the terms, right? A student cannot feel guilty for not studying if there's nothing to study! I'll be off to Romania for a week. Yup, not the most popular travel destination in Europe, but that's what makes it so intriguing. I already googled some of the sights to see and the basics of Romanian, which happens to belong to the same language family as Spanish, Italian and French. At least enough to know how to pronounce the names of the places correctly and say hello, ahah.

THINGS I'VE MISSED ABOUT FINLAND

Bremen - Tampere €22,90, thanks Ryanair!

1. Irtokarkit.
Nam. Espanjassa ei ole mitään Suomen kaltaista.

2. Bussien ja junien toimivuus
Siis kaukobussit lähtevät oikeasti minuutilleen ajoissa. Uskomatonta.

3. Maitotuotteet
Täällä on niin hyviä jugurtteja, juustoja, rahkoja...

4. Sauna ja kylpyhuoneet
On niin ihanaa, että on kokonainen huone jossa voi peseytyä kopin tai kylpyammeen sijaan!

5. Rauhallisuus
On ihan okei olla lähtemättä minnekään

View at Pyynikki Tower, Tampere

1. Pick 'n' Mix
Yum. Spain's got absolutely nothing on Finland.

2. Transport functionality
Long-distance buses actually run on time. Unbelievable.

3. Dairy products
We have splendid yogurts, cheeses, quarks...

4. Sauna and wet room
Even going to the shower feels luxurious here when it can be done in a room instead of a cabin or bath tub!

 5. Tranquility
It's completely fine to stay in and do absolutely nothinggg.

Mini golf & doughnuts at Pyynikki, Tampere with my godfathers and cousins

Mä oon tullut jo siihen pisteeseen, että alkaa olla vähän tylsää taas kotona ilman opiskeluja tai töitä... Mutta nämä asiat ilahduttivat minua kotiin palatessa :) Ihana lähteä takaisin Espanjaan levänneenä sitten syyskuussa!

Ok, yeahh, I'm already at that point where you kind of get bored of being home with no work or studies... But these are some things that made me really happy upon my return. It'll be great to go back to Spain all relaxed and stuff!

All About Finland - Myths resolved

"Siis Suomessa voi uida sisämaassa?" 
Jep, käytännössä joka kaupungissa. Munkin kotikadulla on ranta, vaikka asutaan keskellä Suomea.

"So you can swim in the inland of Finland?
Yeah, practically in every town. There's even a beach on my home street even though we live in the middle of Finland.

"Ai Suomessa on kaksi kieltä? Anna kun arvaan: englanti ja öö... suomen kieli?" 
Ei, englanti ei ole virallinen kieli vaikka lähes kaikki sitä osaavatkin. Sen sijaan ruotsi on toinen virallinen kieli ja sitä täytyy kaikkien opetella koulussa.

"You have two official languages? Let me guess: English and umm... Finnish?"
Nah, we don't speak English even though the majority master it. What we do have is Swedish, a language which everyone has to learn in school.

"Mutta miksi teidän pitää opetella ruotsia? Nehän osaavat englantia siellä?" 
Niin, hyvä kysymys... Tuo kieliseikka liittyy enemmänkin kielivähemmistöön, joka meillä on Suomessa. Ei enempää kysymyksiä aiheesta. Tiedän, etteivät espanjalaisetkaan opettele katalaania, baskia, galegoa tai muuta kieltä vähemmistöjen vuoksi. 

"But why are you studying Swedish? They speak English well, don't they?"
The jury's still out on this topic. It has lots to do with our Swedish-speaking Finns in our country. Case closed. I know Spanish people don't learn catalan, basque, galician or another language spoken by the minority.

"Millainen sää Suomessa on nyt?"
(tämä oli tammikuussa) Sitä ei voi katsomatta tietää. Voi olla, että siellä on -10, -30 tai nolla, jos on tosi lämpimät kelit. Juu, kyllä, -30 ei ole mikään harvinaisuus ja se tulee joka vuosi.

"What's the weather like in Finland?"
(back in January) You can't know without checking the thermometer. Could be -10, -30 or 0 if we're in a warmer period. Yes, -30 is normal in Finland and we get it every winter.

"Tehän olette tosi itsenäisiä jo varhaisessa vaiheessa. Miten se on mahdollista?"
Tää on tosi hankala kysymys, mutta Suomessa porukka ei vain yleensä asu vanhempien kanssa päälle parikymppisinä. Opintotuki ja -laina auttaa alkuun myös tosi hyvin.

"You get independent so quickly, how is it possible?"
It's a tricky question, but in Finland people just don't tend to stay at their parents' house when they're over 20 years old. The state's financial aid and loan help out a lot.

Ehkä lempparikysymykseni on kuitenkin:

My favourite question, however, must be:

"Millaista on tyypillinen suomalainen ruoka?" 
Jaahas... Aika paljon syödään kalaa tai lihaa perunoiden kanssa. Tai, no, nyt kun mietin niin ei meillä ainakaan. Suomessa syödään muiden maiden ruokia. Riippuu perheestä. Karjalanpiirakat ovat sellainen perinteinen juttu! 

"What's typical Finnish food like?"
Let me think... we eat lots of fish and meat with potatoes. Actually, now that I think about it, we don't do it that much in our family. We have dishes from other countries. Well, Karelian pies are a traditional thing!

Monet asiat ihmetyttävät, mutta toisista ollaan ihan varmoja:

Lots of things puzzle people, but others make sense:

"Tiedän, miltä suomalaiset tytöt näyttävät. He eroavat muista pohjoismaalaisista!" *odottaa kauhulla kommenttia* "Korkeat poskipäät ja ihan vaaleat hiukset! Te olette myös tosi hyvässä kunnossa. Kunnon fitness." Mitäs tähän nyt sanoisi... en taida olla suomalainen.

"I know what Finnish girls look like. They differ from other Nordic girls!" *waiting for the comment in horror* " High cheekbones and really blonde hair! You're all also in very good shape. True fitness." What should I say... I think I'm no longer Finnish.

"Teillä on maailman paras koulujärjestelmä. Suomessahan ei anneta läksyjä ja silti te olette fiksuja. Kuinka siistiä!"
*miettii viimeistä 12 vuotta* Älkää uskoko sitä tumblr-propagandaa. Asioita käydään läpi hitaammin ja lapsilla on paljon välitunteja, mutta kyllä läksyjä tulee lähes poikkeuksetta. Puhumattakaan jostain lukiosta, jossa sisäistettävää tietoa on paljon.

"You have the best educational system in the world. Imagine, you don't even get homework and yet you're so clever. How cool is that!"
*thinking about the last 12 years* Don't believe all the tumblr propaganda. We take things slower and kids have lots of breaks, but we do get homework on a regular basis, if not every day. Not to even mention upper secondary school where you assimilate a gigantic amount of information.

Ja viimeisenä:

"Teillä on joulupukki. Ja saunoja."
Loistavaa! Niin onkin!

Last but not least:

"You have Father Christmas. And saunas"
Splendid! We sure do!

Miltäs tämmönen postaus vaikutti? Tämä on tietysti enemmän suunnattu ulkomaailaisille, mutta ajattelin, että olisi hauska suomalaistenkin peilata tunteitaan tätä kautta. Nimittäin näitä + miljoona muita asioita saa olla aina selvittämässä muille 

It's funny how differently people see my own country, but I'm always glad to share information about that unknown land. These are things I go through on a weekly basis when I meet new people. I hope you guys learnt something new about Finland!

Tree climbing and ropes course in Turku

I found myself in this climbing park Flowpark in Turku after jumping around in Ruisrock. I was so tired but I figured out it would be worth to go climbing again since I enjoyed it in France! And I was right, climbing and sliding was the best way to spend an extra day. Especially all the long glides were you had to jump on nothing were the most fun when you get used to it. There were some nets and barrels on which I couldn't dare to go as they were shaking properly. I think I would've fallen down if I were on one of them. Haha! Much to the other climbers' delight, I then had to turn back and scamper to where I had begun. Ugh.. sorry guys and thanks for moving over. Besides that, I loved this place and its activities!

Next week it's time to head to Helsinki for three days. The weather has been great so I'm really looking forward to hanging outside in parks! Also shopping and visiting a few places like Linnanmäki amusement park and Suomenlinna fortress are on our to-do list. Oh, and those cheap busses which started operating in Finland in the beginning of July? We're going to test them. Paying one euro - that's right, one (1) euro - for a six hour journey is just ridiculous. I hope the bus is alright.

Ruisrock festival day 2

Our second day at the venue started many hours later than expected due to our late arrival last night morning. Oopsie! Just missed a few artists I would've wanted to see, but to be honest, I needed sleep more than any of the shows. Luckily all the best ones were to play later and we would have well enough time to see them. But the odds weren't in my favour either in the queue, as I spilled coffee all over my white lace crop top. Rosa moved on with a sticky top and a confused look on her face...

After us having a little picnic, I went to see the lovely Veronica Maggio. She's one of the few Swedish artists I like listening to and I've actually learned quite a lot of Swedish listening to her lyrics! And singing along in Swedish didn't cause any difficulties, which I was really happy about. Veronica had a really laid-back feel to her performing which made it enjoyable to watch her

I looked at the screen while waiting for Veronica to begin and noticed she would be signing autographs after the concert. I quickly queued and bought a poster and now have it signed by her hanging on my wall. Yayy!
 

Then I rushed near the stage to wait for Studio Killers. The tent was already packed, probably because this would be the first ever live concert for Studio Killers. Therefore a very historical day! Their show was something different... big video screens, rapid lights and two animal figures in the background. Pretty cool! I myself didn't see them for a long time, though, as I wanted to ensure a good place at another stage where Lily Allen would be performing, because it had to be her I had been waiting for the most. And I've got to admit, it paid off to leave Studio Killers earlier since I was one of the happy girls seeing Lily in the 5th row! Awesomeness.

Hope you all have had a nice summer! Go to festivals if you can, it's indeed one of the best things you can do now.

Ruisrock festival day 1

So it is. The long-awaited Ruisrock festival is now over. On both days, Friday and Sturday, the tickets were sold out which meant there were 35,000 festivalgoers running around each day. That's enough to lose your friends or queue for the toilets - and pretty much anywhere you wanted to go - for at least half an hour. Anyhow, these two days were enriching in both the good and the bad. More in the good, of course!

I quickly checked out a Finnish singer Erin and a Swedish band called Mando Diao, but the first band I really queued for and was eager to see was Bastille. They played and performed really well and because they started at 8.00 PM I even got a few good shots of them. Woo! Then I went to see Example but didn't stay for a long time despite my good place, because I found their show slightly boring. I would rather sit down and rest before the last gigs. I didn't even have to sit down for a long time and there were already some locals around me with whom I chatted for some time.

After meeting my parents I scurried as fast as I could to the stage where The Offspring would be playing. It was too little, too late as the front was already packed with plenty of fans. I met some girls even shorter than me, so we squeezed together just a bit closer to the stage. Well, that happened to be a VERY BAD CHOICE because we got to be the "walls" of a mosh pit. Could you imagine a worse place? I couldn't. I had to wiggle my way backwards in order to stay on my feet. That's why I didn't really get any photos of The Offspring. But what was sweet was that some guy offered piggyback rides so I could see much better from the back. Festival people can also be lovely, thank you so much!

Last but not least it was time for David Guetta! He really made the ground move with his music (The venue ground is all clay and the bass makes it bounce up and down) The lights, the confetti and bass was everything we needed for a perfect little party.

Just to ensure you guys festivals aren't glitzy and glamourous, I would like to tell you about our nice taxi queue which was three hours long. Approximately there went 2-6 taxis in one hour. You can only imagine all the angry people who were fed up with the waiting. We got to our hotel safely, but it was already 5 AM. I could just kiss goodbye to my good night's sleep. As if being awake for 22 hours weren't enough, it would be time for another long festival day the following day.

Politics in European Youth Conference

These two previous days were something really different. Not only was it weird to travel to Helsinki on a Tuesday afternoon, but staying in a hotel room with people I didn't know in advance was a bit strange. Luckily the two other girls were very nice and we became friends during our stay!

On the first day we got precious information from interesting visitors such as MEPs, one of  Finland's ministers Alexander Stubb and an ambassador from Greece. We also followed a panel discussion by some young candidates. I must say that this discussion was impressive! The main topics on the heated debate were taxation, marketing and the value of euro.

On the second day it was our time to shine. We had the whole day to discuss nuclear power in five different political parties, which were given to us beforehand. Mine was ALDE, the Alliance of Liberal Democrats for Europe. After reaching consensus in our little group it was time for a real debate between all the parties. During a break we talked to other parties and decided to coalesce with EPP and ECR. Nearly all of our decisions were approved, which was great! The best of all was the visit of a Finnish MEP, Liisa Jaakonsaari, to whom was given our new modified directive.

Rocking the beach in Helsinki

+28℃, it's an extremely sunny day in Helsinki. Just perfect for catching a few rays! I thought it couldn't get any better, but boy how wrong I was. Oh, did I mention there was a rock festival? Quite smart actually to combine the beach and the music! This is what made the day so memorable.

The location

Two big stages on the beach, right by the water. Hietaniemi is a perfect place! Just a jump into the sea and everything's okay until the next performance. Alot of gente loca running to and fro the stages, making the sand spread into our eyes. Not such a good thing with contact lenses, ouch.

© Lotta Miettinen

Great live music
Played so loudly and showed on so big screens, you could feel the music right from the front to the back row. Billy Talent, All Time Low and Gaslight the Anthem were pretty good even from the far behind.

Green Day
Needn't say no more. One of my absolute favourite bands. The toilet paper gun, shooting GD t-shirts and all the clowning around and those heeey-ohhs, I bet you'd love their show!

The atmosphere
Relaxed, happy people feeling the freedom. Everyone forgets about their troubles. Small bruises and make-up smudges don't matter a bit. Once in a while it starts to rain, but not many seem to care. Suddenly the area teems with tons of pink, disposable raincoats. My friend and I decide to be without them. #yolo

 

I've got to thank the organizers and staff of Rock the beach-festival. All the little things like the toilets, water points and stalls functioned really well. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making it possible! Hopefully next year it'll be as awesome!

Ughh, there was some technical glitch and my blog's template went all crazy. I already fixed it mostly, but it might look slightly weird:(