Fun in Finland

The beginning...  

It was the middle of January that I left Australia - ready for an adventure that almost didn't happen.  At the time that I left, Brisbane and most of Queensland were in the middle of their worst flooding disasters since the 1970s.  After having a few goodbye dos with some friends down in Brisbane, I was temporarily stuck there for a night or two just days before I was due to depart the country.  Thankfully, the big guy upstairs was looking out for me and I still left as planned.  

On January 17, my family and some friends came down to Brisbane International Airport to say goodbye, and after a few tears (or many in some cases) I walked downstairs through customs not really coming to terms with the fact that this was REALLY happening!  Within an hour I was all on my own - which would be the case for the next year also, I guess!  A short four-hour layover in Hong Kong meant a quick Skype call to Mum and Dad and then I was on my way, yet again jet-setting across the world!

Emily, Robyn, Jacinta, Jess, Louise, Dad, Mum, Aunty Brigitte, Dan, Jess

Brisbane International Airport

Arriving in Finland in the peak of winter was the perfect start to an amazing twenty11. 

When I set foot on Finnish land (...yes, right there in the airport) - I already felt like I was 'home' and did not want to leave.  I almost considered on the spot to stay in Finland and not continue the journey to London!  I was so excited to be in the country especially as I had rights as a citizen this time round (yay for dual-citizenship).  For the week that I was there, I stayed with Raija (Dad's cousin) and her husband Juha, for which I was very grateful.  They met me at the airport and took me back to their home.

Snowfall
Finland met me with fresh snowfall every day - which was just beautiful.  Until I tried to shovel it off the driveway with Juha in my dress boots.  NOT a good idea.  There were a few times where I almost landed on my butt or in the pile of snow I had started to make!  Shovelling snow from the driveway is actually a job that must be done by LAW, each day that there is snowfall!  While I was stoked that it was snowing this much, I guess the residents shovelling the snow weren't exactly thrilled. 

Järvenpää 

On my first day, Raija took a VERY tired me out and about Järvenpää (my Dad's birthplace I think!)  We went to visit her mother and saw the house that my Pappa built before immigrating to Australia.  She also indulged me in helping me to make my favourite snow creation - a lumilyhty (pronoucned loomee-loo-tu).  After making one 11 years ago - I couldn't wait to make another one!

Me and the Lumilyhty

Food - "Ruoka"

Raija and Juha introduced me to my new favourite food - authentic Karjalanpiiraka (a sort of bread-cake with a rice filling).  You can eat it plain, or as I like it best, warmed up with ham and cheese.  During brekkie every day, Raija and Juha tried to teach me some new Finnish words - which then encouraged me to go and buy a Finnish-English dictionary!!  I have been using it a little bit since leaving Finland but it is difficult to keep learning when you can't keep practising.

Arki (yoghurt), Karjalanpiiraka, Kaffee (coffee)

A most delicious breakfast

Andrew, Kerthy and family

During my week in Finland I managed to spend at least part of each day with the amazing Wharton-Kimonis family.  Seeing my cousin Andrew living in Finland was great.  I enjoyed seeing that learning the Finnish language is possible (though extremely hard) and proved that it is still something that I would very much like to do.  Spending time with Kerthy through the day and the three little ones was so lovely and fun.  Although Zoe was sick at the time, we had some fun playing and reading and at the advice of Andrew, she helped me learn a little more Finnish by watching children's TV programs.  On one of my last days in Finland, Kerthy and I went to some Finnish Flea markets where I scored a few souvenir bargains and amongst other things - a very warm 100% woollen coat for €2 - unbelievable!

Finnish Schools
I also met up with another of Dad's cousins, Riitta and helped her teach a day in her Kindergarten class (same as Prep or Reception in Australia - they're just a year older but do the same thing).  So cool to see how the Finns teach and children learn.  They seemed so settled and capable.  I also went and spoke to Riitta's daughters English class about Australia and they had a chance to talk to a 'real' English-speaking person and ask me all kinds of questions about Australia!  They were very intrigued about all the dangerous animals of the East coast!

Helsinki

The day before I left Finland, I met up with Juhani (yes, yet another of Dad's cousins!) and he gave me an amazing 10km walk around Helsinki!!  He was able to give much history of the city including the 'unspoken' strained relationship between Finland and Russia!

A few highlights from Helsinki...
*seeing the frozen ocean (yes - I was so surprised!!) apparently the water has a 0.3% salt saturation in comparison to the 3% that the major oceans have!
*the statue that symbolises peace between Russia and Finland (I found it interesting that it faces East towards Russia - almost like it's keeping a close eye on the neighbouring country!)
*The Ateljee bar (located at the top of the Torni Hotel which has a perfect view across the city from a high vantage point.  The women's loo also has a pretty good view (which makes the Moloolaba 'Loo With A View' rather inferior!)

Ladies toilet at the Ateljee Bar

Later that day Juhani and I met up with Sara and had dinner in the city.  We then went for drinks at the Marski bar where I had my first Finnish beer 'Koff'.  Not a bad drop for a lager.  Their hospitality was very kind and it was a perfect end to my brief one week stay in Finland.

Koff beer

Departing Finland
The day I left Finland, Vesa (Raija's brother) met up with me at the airport... it was wonderful to see so many people in just one week!  It was with bittersweet emotion that I hopped on the plane to London.  I was very much tempted to stay in the 'motherland' (that one's for you Hados!!)
So on the plane flight over, I decided to try out my newly aquired Finnish vocabulary... so I picked up a Finnish newspaper to read during the three hour flight - EPIC fail.  Clearly you can't learn a wide Finnish reading vocabulary in 7 days!!  What did surprise me was that using very simple Finnish (and a weak Finnish accent) I made the flight attendant believe I was Finnish for almost the entire flight!  Lots of nodding and smiling with the few words I could pick out passed for the most part.  However, my downfall came when she asked if I wanted milk and butter in their shortened language forms and I had to think too long remembering what those words were - so she gave me a little smile and switched to English... DANG - so close!

Spraying anti-freeze onto the wings prior to lift-off!

I look forward to catching up with many more people in my family in Finland when I return later in the year.  At this stage, I am hoping to be back for Juhannus - a midsummer celebration held on the longest day of the year.  

All in all, it was an AWESOME start to an amazing year!

But until next time... Cheers!

For MORE photos from Fun in Finland, visit this link via Facebook (you will not need a Facebook account to view them).
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=267949&id=502734513&l=debfa9af0c