What a place. The most Finns i have ever seen together! We went to the game tonight! It was a lot of fun, even though TPS wasnt playing very well at all!!! But I got my TRIP (yes i was TRIPPING during the game, (the juice boxes in finland are called TRIP!!!)) haha! We visited Bedrock (from the flinstones) between periods and had some snacks, and watched TPS (the Turku team) play the Ilves....(which I first thought was called ILLNESS...that got a laugh) [View Full Entry]

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It has been snowing the last couple of days so today we finally had enough to go out and play in it! Matsku and I sledded down the big hill next to our house a couple times, then I built an igloo in the pile of snow the neighbors had shoveled off the street. Matsku was helping...(haha NOT, more like throwing snow down my shirt and on my head!!!! its a brother thing.) :) [View Full Entry]

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So its finally "ski break"!!! Which means I am off to Austria. Yes, to ski the Alps!!! SAALBACH HERE WE COME!!!!!!!!!!!!! Saturday- Packed and spent the night at the Ailios Sunday- woke up at 3am, took a taxi to Turku, then a bus to Helsinki Airport, then a plane to Salzberg, Austria! Arrived at the Salzberg airport, (where we could see the Alps already!) and met up with the Sunski (finnish travel agency) people, Hannu "Peltsi", and Katja "Kassu" (our Finnish guides), who loaded us into a big bus with fellow Finns and we bussed to Saalbach! We passed the most [View Full Entry]

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What a day. I can honestly say that this has been one of the most exciting days here! I woke up early and got into the car in my pj's and boots with Iska (h.dad). He dropped me over at Leena's where we ate some eggs together for breakfast, then I went upstairs to put the curlers in my hair! Today was the big day, finally! All these hours of practicing and it was here!!! February 15, 2008!!! The VANHOJEN TANSSIT!!! The Vanhojen Tanssit is an old tradition in Finnish schools. The second graders (or juniors) all practice and learn special [View Full Entry]

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Today was the Abi show and Ystavan Paivaa (Valentines day)! Today was the Abi (seniors) last day at school, so they put on a play making jokes about the past year and all the teachers! It was very funny! Then after lunch all the abis wearing their abi outfit thingys got on this big trucks and threw candy to us as they left for Turku centrum! Oh yes, and I wore a big heart around my neck and collected hugs! Good fun! [View Full Entry]

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So this was a very long weekend, so Im definitely not going to write everything that happened, but Ellen came to visit me again from Kankaanpaa! Friday night we went to my host aunt's dogs birthday (she has no children, but she has little NELSON!!!), it was pirate themed, and we had a lot of fun...well everyone attacked me with those little popper things, it was a blast, uncontrolable laughing. Saturday Ellen and I met up with Eddy Mexico and a couple other exchange students in Turku and got some free massages and some chinese food! Then Sunday morning was crazy [View Full Entry]

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So I took the SAT. Finally. I have been studying like crazy, and I finished the Official College Board SAT book....the entire 800 or so pages, so I am extremely releaved to be back to reading and studying finnish instead of reviewing everything I have learned in high school! The test was in Helsinki, at the Helsinki School of Economics (HSE) at 7:45 am on Saturday the 26th. Eija (my rotary counslor) picked me up early from school Friday and (with he two daughters Emmi and Nelli) drove me to Helsinki. On the way we stopped at IKEA!!! My favorite store [View Full Entry]

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So, its Wednesday. And the new exchange students from Australia, South Africa and Brazil have arrived a few days a go, and they have been attending language camp in Karkku!!!! There are 22 of them, and today they came to Tampere to tour the city, SO WE WENT TO MEET THEM!!!! About 20 of us met in Tampere at 12 and headed to this really cool lounge/bar/cafe in the city. We hung out there for an hour or so catching up, and drinking hot cocoa! Eddy Meksiko, Valeria and I came together on the train from Turku, and on the way [View Full Entry]

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So today I worked at kindie with Hanna aiti! She teaches at the Paivakoti daycare and kindie! Its not to far from home, so Iska Tom drove me over around 8 so I could make it for breakfast. Yum yogurt and pourage. I met the adorable little Finns, as they ran away from me to hide. Suvi, Veera and Sanni made me a little picture of me with some jewels glued onto it. It was very sweet. We baked some Pulla (finnish sweet rolls) and went outside for recess...where I got a TON of exercise. Those little kids can RUN! We [View Full Entry]

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So this journal entry is the beginning of my LONGEST week in Finland. I bussed (is that a word?) to Turku this morning at 8:20 and met Rick at his host grandmoters flat. We hung around the city at a couple coffee shops, then went to search for some jeans. We both got our "American hug fill" then chased the pidgions in the centrum. My host parents came by to pick me up at 12:35ish and the traveling began. It was snowing the entire ride to Helsinki, where we stopped at a Hesburger for lunch around 2. I almost the entire [View Full Entry]

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