“ Let me tell you a true story which keeps amusing me even though much time has passed since. Some exchange students were having their first lunch in Monttu with me, their tutor. An Italian student, Luigi (name changed), noticed a table full of baked goods and let his legs take him there. After a moment he returned with a big smile on his face holding something in his hand. “Look,” he said to us, “so nice Finnish chocolate cake!” That was the day Luigi got to taste Finnish rye bread for the first time in his life…

It takes a lot of balls from foreigners to try the Finnish lifestyle and habits – swamp football, drinking milk with lunch or taking a 24h cruise to Stockholm without actually ever stepping on the Swedish land, just to mention a few. And the Finnish language is an obstacle they just can’t handle. Kitos, Onella, Kaupattori, Tupplapuki and moi moi is all they will ever learn. Finland is harsh, not only because of the weather but also the people might have a shell too thick for outsiders to break. And if you smile to a stranger on the street they might consider you crazy or at least very creepy.

They say that the Germans are punctual, the Americans are fat and the French are great lovers but bad drivers. So what is a stereotypical Finn really like? He is quiet and modest, but he might kill you with his knife after he’s taken a few drinks. In Finland they have polar bears walking down the streets, children shooting each other in elementary schools and news anchors getting fired for making jokes on national TV. And the drinking is what keeps Finns alive during the extremely cold winters. But is that really how they see us? What makes them come to Finland among all countries?

Actually a surprising number of exchange students end up in Finland because they couldn’t get an Erasmus place in Sweden. Others wanted to study in English. A few wanted to see the polar bears. Then there are those who wanted to experience something extreme and challenge themselves in a totally new environment. The latters are somehow usually never disappointed. They always seem to find so many good things that the Finns themselves have failed to notice. Making snow angels in a clear white snow, being able to drink tap water, getting a lost wallet returned on the same day (untouched!), not having to pay for your studies… The nature is clean and peaceful, the people are hard-working and the country has won many awards for being the best place to live in. And when they eventually get to know a real Finn they see that the locals are warm and friendly and that they will become their friends for life. In fact, it looks like Finland is not that bad at all.“
(text Joanna Wierzchowiecka)

Sorry for not reporting so much within the last days, but there wasn’t really something interesting. We had to hand in three tasks until yesterday so that me were mainly studying all the time. And this will continue through the weekend. We will have our first exam here in Finland on Tuesday and there is a whole book, 8 articles and the course slides to study…