Sunday 9.1.2011
I'm still getting over Jetlag... so I rested most of the day. I ended up working on registering for classes and TRYING to figure out a few other things online for my current university. A group of us ended up playing the card game Uno in Cat's room. I kept asking how to say the colors in the languages of the other players. It was a great way to end the night.
Monday 10.1.2011
Looong day... Good day... Went to city centre all by myself :) wandered around all day before heading to a meeting on campus and then hanging with Catherine and Alex (both from North Carolina) for bit. Home now... and happy for it... BOUGHT SOME AWESOME CHOCOLATE today :) yum! I had dinner at city bar and heard a FINNISH version of "Black Velvet" on the radio! I ended the night catching up on Dr. Who. It was a good day :)
Tuesday 11.1.2011
I had an early morning, and it was really hard to wake up (because its so cold and still dark!). My tutor, Sanna, took me to the Biology building for advisement. The facility is SO NICE and gorgeous. I need to contact a few instructors about Book Exams (private study) until then I don't really have classes until March. I have an online class back home with TTU and an online class here as well that starts next week. If I add a Finnish language class that will put me in a class room this coming week as well. I'm still working out all the registration bugs. I was going to try to find swing dancing tonight...but I'm not brave enough to venture out alone at night in the freezing wet snow, when I'm not realllly sure where I am even going LOL. There was a HUGE party downtown to kick off the new semester, but I wasn't feeling it. I can't keep up with the rest of these kids, haha. I just decided to chill and call it a night.
Wednesday 12.1.2011
I didn't do much today. I went shopping for grocieres, it was exhausting! I seriously need a translator next time. haha. I ran into Martin (Czech Republic) and Pascal (Switzerland) on the way home. I was updated on the party I missed the night before and they helped me carry my bags. I came home to put away my groceries and organize the house a bit. It was freezing in my room! So I went to city bar and hung with Danny (North Carolina) for a bit. It's much warmer there and they have a great wifi signal. I used the rest of the night to work on class registration and blogs.
Thursday 13.1.2011
I decided I wanted to get out of the house today, so arranged to meet Bayley (Indiana) on campus for lunch. I got lost trying to find the cafeteria and went to the entirely opposite end of campus. I was so cold and frustrated, but I eventually found my way. We went to the library on camps and we met up with Adrien (Paris). Bayley unfortunately lives on the other side of town, so I don't get to see her as much as the other people I've met here. We walked to our bus stops and went home. I was invited to the Jyvaskyla Basketball game, but didn't feel well enough to attend. Instead I decided to go with Adrien to watch the Swing dance lesson. One of the instructors was nice enough to pick us up in her car and drive us there! The lesson was a bit more advanced than Adrien was used to, so the instructor gave us some things to work on instead. He's learning so fast! I'm hopeful to drag as many internationals out dancing as I can! haha The dance group was SO nice, welcoming, and fun! I am seriously looking forward to dancing with them. I danced a few times with some of them, asked about their versions of dances and so on. Toward the end of the night I was talking to one of the instructors and she asked if I knew any routines and if I would be willing to teach for them a little bit! I was so shocked and honored! They also told me about their showcase performance team and asked if I would be interested in joining! :) :) I didn't think the night could get any better... but just before we left they decided to practice a routine they had been working on and it happened to be one I knew (Gangbusters)!! My friend Aba (an amazing dancer and choreographer) from Nashville had created this routine a few years ago. This was the icing on an already awesome night. I couldn't believe I was in Finland seeing a routine from Tennessee! One of the dancers was kind enough to walk us back to our apartments. I was so excited and worked up that I stayed up for a little while longer and decided to go to Rentukka (also very near my house) for the Stammtisch party they have every other Thursday for the internationals. I didn't stay long, but I had a good time seeing everyone one else party hardy.
It's been challenging for me socially here. Only because I have people back home who I am SO close to. I don't have that here, yet. I am enjoying meet sooo many new people and starting relationships with them, but I really miss my friends back home. I don't know what I'd do without Facebook and Skype and so on. I can already see great friendships starting with several of the people I've met. The dance group and my new music jam friends have also given me hope, to find a social scene where I have common ground interests. It's a challenge for me to be open at times. I sometimes unknowingly separate myself because of my age or my life experience. I am not being judgmental about that... just honest. I have a hard time relating in many situations, its just that simple. I accidentally start retreating back to my shy and introverted self. (yes that part of me exists!) It's what happens when I disappear for a few days sometimes. haha. At least I can now recognize that this is happening, so hopefully I can try to work on it and not let it keep me from experiencing all that I can while I'm here.
Friday 14.1.2011
My friend Juho came to visit me here in Jyvaskyla today! (He is the one who picked me up from the airport my first day here) I basically told him that we would go where ever he wanted since I still don't know this city very well, and since he is Finnish its much easier for him to figure out where we are going. haha We went to the Natural History Museum (all museums are FREE on Fridays) and I made him do a lot of translating for me. This is very funny because as we were LEAVING we found the book that has all the exhibits in English! There was also an observation / overlook tower at the top of museum so that you could see the entire city. It was a great time, and yes I took lots of pictures.
I was sooo tired after our adventures... Finnish people walk fast! lol I don't know how they do it in this COLD weather. As usual, it was soooo cold in my room when I got home. So I went to City Bar to hang out, be warm, and get on their faster internet. It's more like a cafe/coffee shop for us internationals I think lol. We always end up finding one another in there... for example - I ran into my musician friend Agu (Spain), he invited me over to play poker with a few friends. They were very patient with me, since I had never played. I had a blast and stayed up way way too late.