Part Duex....(these pictures are older)








1. I am working in the kitchen! (everybody run!!)
2-4. Various views of the lovely SUVIMÄEN KLUBITALO (Suvimaki).
5. The typical Finnish dancehall.
6. The lake by the dancehall at "twilight."
7. People dancing in FINLAND! (notice how I am not in these pictures. Some humiliations are not for mass consumption yall)
8. This picture was taken at 11:30pm. 'Nuff said...

I was looking at all the pictures I have taken since I came to Finland and realized that I have not posted any on this blog in a couple of weeks. So here is a whole slew of them...










1. The Harju in bloom.
2. The center of Jyväskylä town from the viewing tower on top of the Harju.
3. Purrdeee clouds.
4. Some chick sitting in the sun on the Harju.
5. This picture was taken just hours before I would discover that the water was actually colder then it looked.
6. The beautiful setting for the jazz concert.
7. Anyone else think its funny that I am wearing a Amsterdam shirt when I am in Finland?
8. Boats going through the locke between two of Finland's largest lakes.
9. A sign in Finnish!! (rough translation: Fishing is forbidden beyond this point). Now try pronouncing it...
10. A lakeside beach (I don't even want to think about how cold that water must be).

This weekend was more social than usual. When I got back to my apartment on Friday afternoon, the sun was shining and I was eager to get outside. When I walked in the door, my cell phone started ringing. It was a friend of Kati’s who I had met before Kati had left for NYC. We made plans to meet later in the evening at a bar in the city center. Her boyfriend (was here in Finland visiting) is American and she speaks English fluently. We had a fabulous time…but sadly, that night had an ill affect on me all the rest of the weekend and into Monday. I feel so old! Saturday morning and afternoon was spent recuperating from the previous evening and gearing up for going out again that evening. I was going dancing!! As I wrote in my last post, I was going to a Finnish style dancehall with some folks from Suvimaki. The place we went to dance was typical of a traditional Finnish dancehall in that it was out in the country among plenty of birch and fir trees and situated next to a beautiful lake. There was even a dock for people with boats who wanted to come and dance in the evening. It had been raining off and on all day, but by the time we arrived at the hall, it had cleared up considerably. It turned out to be a beautiful night.

The live band was playing many traditional Finnish songs which sounded very Russian in tempo and style. As is the problem with many dancing establishments in the United States, there were too many women and not enough men to have as partners! What made it more difficult was the tradition that only men could ask women to dance. Women asking men to dance was generally frowned upon, unless directed by the band to do so. However, despite these obstacles, I was able to dance a few! I danced a humpa (Finnish polka) which was really fun, though I wasn’t very good at it. I also danced a tango, which I have never danced with any seriousness before. Most of the evening was spent watching the other couples dance. Most of the folks at this dancehall looked like they could have been professional ballroom dancers. It was really fun to watch. Around midnight, we all piled into a cab and headed back to Jyväskylä. I was finally asleep at about 2am.

Sunday dawned and it turned out to be a gorgeous day. I spent it reading (I finished rereading The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe and started The Mother Tongue, an unfunny but very interesting history of the English language by the usually hysterical Bill Bryson) and walking through the harju (meaning hill park in English) across the street from my apartment. At the top of the harju is an observation tower from which (on a clear day) you can see all of Jyväskylä and its surrounding lakes and countryside. The view was worth every step to the top, and there were may.

I can honestly (and a little reluctantly as well) say that my father was right. Digital is the way to go! I am completely addicted to my digital camera and have gotten used to taking all the pictures I want instead of just some. I have taken almost 1,000 pictures since arriving in Finland. You all have seen some of these and given me positive feedback. This has really encouraged me to continue developing my photography skills-something which I didn’t think I had the time or money to do. I hope to keep using this blog once I get back to the States to share with people my experiences living and working in the city. Certainly my pictures would play a big roll in this.

What do you all think? Would you keep tuning in when I am just writing about my dull, drab life in NYC? (Of course I am only kidding. My life isn’t dull…just drab!)

Hope you all are doing very well. Before long I will be back on American soil :(/:) But first, there is my last week in Jyväskylä and then 2 weeks traveling with some dude named Rick;) Love you and miss you all!

Until next time!


P.S. A word (or two) on Saunailta (or Sauna Night). Last night after work, a group of about 10 members and staff went to enjoy Finnish sauna, roast sausages, and play games in a cabin by a lake. It was Ladies First and we ladies really enjoyed ourselves. We sat in sauna and talked for about 25 minutes before leaving to “rinse off.” Since the cabin was right next to one of Jyväskylä’s major lakes, there were several women who planned to take a dip in the lake in lieu of the shower. Well, I just had to join them. We all giggled down the path, anticipating the shock of the freezing water. And the lake did not disappoint. While the Finns I was with commented almost mildly (relative to me anyways) about the chilly water, I started screaming as soon as one foot was in the water. “Oh God! Oh God! Damn it! Its cold!” Something to that affect anyways. The others later joked that I sounded like a bird caught in the clutches of a predator. Soon, my old swim team mentality kicked in and I fully submerged myself and immediately started treading water. I was numb all over and then I started feeling pins and nettles all over my body. When we finally got out of the water (we weren’t in for longer than 3 minutes), every inch of my skin was beginning to tingle. I could feel the blood rushing through my veins. It felt truly exhilarating! Sweating my guts out and then submerging my self in frigid waters meant nothing to me after this feeling. I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

The rest of the evening was spent playing games and roasting sausages over a fire. It was a very Finnish evening. It was incredibly fun!

Ok, I am done now…again:)

The week is over (2 more weeks left!!) and I think I have spent it well. On the nice days I have sat and read in the park that is a few blocks from my apartment. The grass is very lush and together with the sun, often induces sleepiness. I love falling asleep outside...its a really fabulous feeling to wake up from a doze in the warm sun and hear everyone around you laughing and talking. Must do this more when I get back to NYC. Aside from sleeping, I have also written a lot of letters and postcards to you folks back home. I have even managed to finish reading several books (including Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which is hilarious...although youall would know this because I am apparently the only person in the world who hasn't read it yet). Anyways...

More news of the day...
*Apparently I know something about international hockey. In celebration of the Hockey World Championships this past month, some members and staff at Suvimaki put together a sort of hockey pool (like we do for the NCAA basketball tournement). You had to decide who would win each game and then in the end which teams would be the top three. I know hockey teams even less than I know basketball teams, and thats saying a lot. Therefore, I guessed my way through the pool. I guessed based on countries I would like to visit most, for instance, I would like to visit the Czech Republic more than I would like to visit Belarus. Sorry Belarus:(And it turns out that guessing works! I, along with two other members, took first place in the pool. Needless to say, I was astonished. Yesterday, the folks who had put together the pool gave the winners each a certificate saying they had gotten first in the pool and a bag of Finnish chocolates (yum!). Everyone is convinced that I was understating my knowledge of international hockey. Sadly, nobody has asked me to be a part of the World Cup pool yet. Now soccer I know!
*Also yesterday, I also finally got up the nerve to help lead the afternoon meeting. Everyone was so pleased that they all clapped everytime I wrote someone's name down correctly. And after the end of the meeting, they all stood up and cheered. Gah! I was really embarrassed. Fortunately for you all, there is once again documentation of my humiliation in the form of a photograph. Thank you Suvimaki!
*Tomorrow night I am going with a group from the Clubhouse to a Finnish dance hall. I will be tangoing and waltzing all night! More news (and most likely pictures) of that next week.

Hope you all are well! I love you and miss you all...

P.S. My friend is getting married tomorrow! Woot!! Congratulations to Shannon and John!! I am so happy for youall:)

P.P.S. Tomorrow is also the anniversary of the first day of the best year of my life. I love you...

Hello! And now for something completely different...

So, having read all about my weekend adventures, I thought it high time for me to tell youall about my weekday life. Essentially, it centers around the workday at Suvimaki (8.30am to 16.00, or 4pm for those non-military folks out there). Until last week I was working mainly in the Employment and Education office. I helped to gather information about member work placements and to coordinate weekly trainings on various employment and education topics. Twice I presented to the group how each of these programs (transitional employment and supportive education) worked at Fountain House. People were very interested at how much we can do at FH and are hoping to expand their programs so that more members have the opportunity to achieve their goals in these areas. Occassionally, as I might have already mentioned, I help members and staff translate important Clubhouse documents from Finnish to English and from English to Finnish. Because of this translation work and the language barrier (which is actually more like white picket fence than a barrier), I have had to become more precise in my word choice and expression. I can think of at least two people (maybe more if former English teachers are also reading this) who are excited about this development. Aside from this, I have really enjoyed talking with people about how best to capture the true meanings of the words they are translating. I have stressed a need to be careful about how something is translated. If not careful, meaning could be changed or even lost.

Since last week, I have been working in the Kitchen unit. I am loving it!I love cutting things (imagine that! Folks who knew me when I was four years old know from experience the importance of me loving to cut things...ha!) and helping to create the daily lunch. Today we are making spaghetti and meat sauce. Yum! In the kitchen, there is a work deadline every afternoon at 12pm. We get a lot of help from the members and time just flies! Meghan (hi!): you would be interested to know that the first thing I do every morning is to make the salad (haha). Anyways, cutting things is a nice change of pace. I will work in the kitchen till the end of this week and then I will spend my last two weeks at Suvimaki (yikes!) working in the Reception unit. I am not sure what I will be doing there but I have been told that its very similar to my unit (Research!) back at home. I really like being able to work in different units. It allows me the opportunity to get to know more people. There is no such thing as boredom in Clubhouse.

Last Thursday was a day off for everyone in Finland (Holy Thursday) and so I spent the day with a friend from work. She just moved with her husband and two girls to a new house and it is really nice. Most of the day was spent driving to pick up some furniture from a friend. I was happy to tag along especially because it gave me an opportunity to see more of what lies outside of Jyväskylä. It was a cold clear day...perfect for taking a drive. The Finnish countryside reminds me a lot of Washington State (without Mt. Reiner sadly). When we got back to the house, we had dinner and watched some TV. My friend's youngest daughter and I have become great friends. She is really adorable!

This weekend was very relaxing. I spent a lot of time reading and listening to music. On Saturday, it was nice enough to read outside. In the evening, I went to see The DaVinci Code. I haven't read the book so I don't know if I should feel disappointed. I liked it well enough and thought it presented some very interesting ideas (if only they weren't fiction!). On Sunday, I went to have dinner with the director of Suvimaki and her family. It was really great to sit back and relax and to talk to these friendly folks. After dinner, we went for a walk to the big lake nearby and then "got lost" walking in the woods on the way back to the house. I cannot tell you all enough, it is really lovely here, everything is so green and fresh looking. I have been relishing the cool spring here, knowing that pretty soon I will be going home to sit in a boiling pot of water until September (and thats if I am lucky). Boooo! for NYC summers.

It is hard to believe that I only have three weeks left in Findland. This experience is almost over and I am at once happy to be góing home and sad to be leaving these wonderful people. The one thing I am certain of however, if I had to do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat. Until next time...

I love you and miss you all!

Whew...ok here we go
1) In case youall are forgetting (have forgot?) what I look like, here's me with the beautiful city of Tallin behind me.
2) An artisy shot of one of the old look out towers that is part of the city's defensive wall.
3) Another artisy shot of the city wall.
4) What you might find when turning a corner in Tallin.
5) The walkway between the two city walls.
6) A view of the Town Hall and its Square from one of the narrow side streets of Tallin's Old City.
7. A lovely little park tucked away between the narrow side streets.
8. A narrow side street (ha).

Well it was still raining when we got to Tallin, and actually it was getting worse by the moment. After some searching (aka following everyone else into town), I finally found my hostel. Most hostels I have had the pleasure of staying in are these big, dorm filled places that if you are lucky will also be filled with friendly fellow travelers. I really like hostels, even the crappy ones, for this very reason. I never have felt so comfortable having impromptu discussions with perfect strangers about politics and religion and traveling. If you have never stayed in a hostel, I suggest you try it. Anyways. This hostel I stayed in Tallin was in the Old City and felt more like a guesthouse than a hostel. It was ridiculously small…seriously there was one room with two bunk beds, and that’s it. I felt a little weird but then I figured that I wasn’t going to be spending much time there.

The man who was running the hostel when I came in was very friendly. He even offered me to use one of the hostel umbrellas when I went back out in the rain to explore the rest of the town. I accepted, figuring that this wasn‘t NYC and I wasn‘t libel to get my eyes gouged out and so my whole principle thing about umbrellas was unnecessary. It was pouring when I came back outside. But despite the rain, there were quite a few people out and about doing just what I was doing.

Tallin is the capital of Estonia and because it is so easy to get to from Finland, many Finns travel here for the weekend. Though their motivation is a tad different from the average tourist. Everything in Estonia, including alcohol and tobacco, is cheaper. Essentially, folks come for the weekend to stock up as it were. Those interested in doing the touristy things stick to the Old City. Which is what I was planning on doing.

The Old City is very old indeed. It dates way back to Medieval times (again no history lesson this time) and is separated from the other parts of Tallin by two huge, protective walls. Inside the walls, you feel as though you have stepped back in time. The streets are all cobbled and narrow. There is a big town center which also contains the town hall where concerts and town meetings are held. When I walked by the town hall, I could hear a choir warming up for practice. Standing outside in the rain and listening to those voices was a really beautiful moment. I walked on through the square and climbed the hills to the top of the city. The view of the old city from the top was just amazing. The Old City also has several fantastic churches, each following a different style of architecture.

Even though it was still raining, I felt encouraged and fortunate to be able to see this city. Unfortunately it was at this time that I discovered my camera battery was running low. I was going to have to come back in the morning to take pictures of the city. And hopefully, it would be nicer out in the morning.

For dinner I decided to go to one of the two Medieval-style restaurants in town. I met two other Americans while eating (the food was good by the way) and we got to talking about our travels. They were very nice people and after dinner we decided to go in search of a good bar. After some searching we finally found a place. I spent the next couple hours talking to them and it was really nice. This kind of thing is exactly what I like about traveling.

I went back to the hostel and with the rest of the group (of four) staying there, watched the final night of the Eurovision Song Contest. It was really hilarious. The commentator was British and he kept making all these pithy, very English comments about the show and the scoring. To make it even funnier, there was an American woman and a Greek man running the show-they had no chemistry whatsoever and managed very well to come off as being horribly awkward. In the end, Finland was victorious!! I have noticed in the last few days the contest that news of Finland’s win made the news in the States. So maybe you all have read about this already?

I woke up early the next morning, camera batteries charged and ready to go. It did turn out to be a really lovely day and all told, I took about 200 pictures. Here’s a note to my day (hi, dad!): I took these pictures in both black and white and color. I think they all turned out very well. Also, I am going to have a hell of a time deciding which pictures to post…there might be more than usual folks.

I miss you all and can’t wait to see you! *mwah*