Blogs from Southwest Finland, Finland, Europe - page 7

So, I don't really know if I mentioned this already, but at my last host family I decided to cook some American/New Mexican style breakfast every Sunday or so. It all started that day I had the finnish pancake fiasco! The next weekend I made american style pancakes, but then we also had a little problem, because my wonderful host aiti told me that the flour was baking powder, so I ended up adding two types of baking poweder, which made some very flat pancakes, but in the end we figured it out, and had a couple good ones! Hey, they still tasted good alright? :) Oh and we also had Pikkuprinssinakki (those tiny little sausages) AND...drumm roll please....MAPLE SYRUP! wooo hooo! A taste of home right there! Alright so then the next few weekends, one ... read more

Today we kiddies sat down and ate our gingerbread house showing the end of Christmas time! YUMMY!!!! (michelle, check out those yopuku! (pj's!!!)) ... read more

So todays the day WE DIDDLE THE CUSTOMERS...(ok inside joke...mom? seany? haha alright) well today I spent the day packing. It was rather sad, seeing my side of the once oh so crowded room now so empty.... I wasnt homesick, I was nervous. Very. This really seemed like my frist move, because I dont know my new family really well (as I did when I moved into the Ailio's), and my new house is further away from the Ahti's! This was all crashing down on me as I re-searched the bathroom and picked up a couple lonely bobby pins. After all my items were packed and Henkka had reminded me to take down my New Mexico flag hanging over my bed, we (Henkka, Heini, and I) went downstairs to play one last game of Monolippu (spelling ... read more

Gingerbread. Chocolate. Ham. Glogi. Champane. Gingerbread. Chocolate. Silli. Ham. Gingerbread. HAM!!! Ok, so it IS FINALLY CHRISTMAS EVE IN FINLAND!!! I MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "and there was much rejoicing"!!!! Alright, so I have to admit, it was SO MUCH better then I could have ever imagined. I was incandescently happy the entire day! We woke up late, and dressed in our warm comfy clothes, to walk to the old town center. There, around the towering Christmas tree music played, and the towns people gathered. There were at least 200 people, crowed around. I spotted many people I knew from school, and Rotary. I met up with Eija, and she gave me a glass of Glogi. I returned to Heini, Henkka and Marru, for the annual Christmas Peace speech. Drums played, and three women came out and sang ... read more

Today was the last day of school before CHRISTMAS BREAK!!! WOO HOO! Christmas break this year in Finland is the same as Rio Rancho High in NM! How crazy is that? Alright, so Henkka and I finished school early today at 2pm, walked home and met up with Heini (My host sister who just returned from Paris!). Heini took us to pick up Eveliina (Heini's friend who went on exchange to Mexico a couple years ago!). We went to Turku to SHOP!!! We shopped around for a couple hours, then came home and relaxed. I changed into my Pj's, but I couldn't relax for long, tonight is the Yokirkko (night church) for our school, and I am singing and playing the clarinet in it! I changed into nice clothes and walked over to the church at ... read more