Getting involved

This past week has been a good one for feeling like I'm really involved in where I am and what I'm doing.
Last Wednesday (today is Tuesday) I went to do a presentation for a project based on international relations, integration and communication. Their focus is on education, working, learning and creating a generalised successful integration for people who wish to do so as well as encouraging acceptance to make this a positive experience. So as a Sociologist, I was interested to get to know about the project and definitely happy to be a part of it. My role as a presenter was to be a local example of promoting cultural awareness and education, having hopefully at least made a start on widening the cultural horizons and teaching acceptance to the Kinderi kids.
It was great to have been asked to be a part of it and to use a different skill. It was failry relaxed and I think it went quite well.

Also this past week, me and Anu have been organising an English club for kids to learn English in a fun environment before they are taught at schools. So we put together an idea and made some flyers. We then arranged to visit the local pre schools to spread the word. We visited 2 of 6 school (we will visit the other 4 later this week) and already have 5 members signed up to start next Wednesday!

Today, me and Steven went to our first Finish class, 'Finnish for Foreigners' held at the local high school, barely a 5 min  cycle away. We are the only 2 Brits and there are 2 Polish people, 1 Russian, 1 Japanese, 2 Bulgarian and 1 Sri Lankan. We learnt the alphabet, numbers, began to practice pronunciation and intonation (and learned of the frightening similarity between 'to kill' and 'to meet' - I am a little worried I might seem like a psycho at times) as well as how to say our nationality, language and country. So far, numbers are really long but more logically formed and the country/nationality/language thing is also much more logically formed. I'm hoping after getting over initial hurdles and learning irregular verbs, that it might make some sort of sense!

So yeah, sorry if this is a boring post, but it's nice to be involved so I thought I would share this with you :) To make it more interesting...here's a few pics of mine and Steven's jaunt out to the lake yesterday.

On shore at the lake about a 20 min cycle from home. About to take the boat out.

Is that an island I see in the distance? Ooooo...I wonder what's on it!

It's getting closer......

We're here! So there's a hut...

Let's look inside....

Creepy 70's decor, overturned bed and some 70's fishing mags...

More creepyness....handmade fishing rods and a table that looks untouched for years...Let's stay outside. 

There was a newer looking hut with a solid door. Through the keyhole it looked like a possible sauna. 

The first hut...looks well safe...not falling into the water at all.....

Private island picnic and beers :)

Lovely views all around...getting snap happy

Feeling like we're in an American coming of age film and shooting some cans...not too bad!

Then we sailed to part of the main foresty shore. Looks like somebody's been having a fishy bbq! Mmmmmm, innards.

Aforementioned foresty shore. We saw a woodpecker swoop down right  onto the tree just in front of us and peck his way all the way up for a few mins...amazing!

More snap happy-ing at lovely views

Amy and Steven woz 'ere

Nice eh?

Relaxing on the row way back to the docking shore. 

Steven rowing us home in his awesome new Birthday hat. 

In other news, I have booked a trip back to England to see my newly birthed neice! Eeeeek and yay! :-D Following this will be 6 days in St Petersburg with Steven. Currently sorting out a Russian visa....a joyful organisational addition. Following this, I will come back to my home in Kauhava whilst Steven goes and meets friends for a week in Lithuania and Latvia! Slightly disappointed to be missing out on this adventure but the excitement of a neice more than makes up for it! It will also be lovely to see everybody at home and have a reasonably priced pint and maybe a dance to some decent music. Some quality time with the estranged 'I'm trying to be Australian but I'm a lobster' Laura will be lovely :) It's just a shame Sophie's still away so that we have to wait until Crimbo for the full reuinion!

Steven's arrival & Bday & rest of Aug

My apologies for the serious delay with updating this blog. We only got internet in the flat just under a week ago and it has been a busy one what with Steven's birthday and a weekend break. 

We're getting used to life with 2 in the studio flat and it's feeling like home. On returning from our trip we both felt like we had returned home so that was a pleasant realisation! There is a slight chill in the air now and we feel like cramming in as much as possible outside whilst it's still warm and snow free! We've been (mainly me, Amy) getting really excited about pictures of the northern lights taken over the past few days both near where we live and near where we went away. Eeeeek! So planning a trip to Lapland is definitely on the cards. Perhaps before Christmas, but we shall see.

I decided it would be easiest for me to add a selection of photo's and captions to show you what we've been up to. I hope it's not too boring with the lack of much insight into my views and thoughts at the time. The pictures are in chronological order over the month, so view away. 

Lotta from work kindly took me for a swim at a nearby lake on a sunny day after work. She showed me the way and showed me how to bike to another one and to the local bar and local pub. This little bit of  lake is surrounded by forest and other tiny lakes and is only about a 15 min cycle from home :)

At the second lake Lotta showed me. Forest and huts...stereotypical for a reason!

Charming li'l toilets at an animal sanctuary I visited with Tiina (a mum at Kinderi and part of the committe who run it) and her daughter Ella. 

Ridiculously stunning sky taken whilst lounging on my bed through my bedroom window. 

Sky on the same night just in a different direction. 

Getting really excited for Steven to join me! Eeeeek! A hamper of all the things he has at home. 

Toby and Duck Duck - our lifelong soft toys- finally meet and hit it off a storm! (Toby's definitely winning)

Tooley looking rather at home with his new air rifle. 

Our first target...not so bad! Pretty close range though...we're developing now as we find more good woodland to play in!

Steven looking all Scandinavian with his bike, gun, yellow field and red hut. 

Me, looking all Scandinavian on a bike ride and stroll through some fields and forest. 

Casual regular stunning view from in bed. And yes, I mean the toe. 

Steven's Birthday! As seeing as we're in Moomin Land and he has Moomin Eyes, it only seems right that he should get a Moomin cake! Excuse the unneat decorative finnish...I had very limited time and a birthday boy to visit on my lunch!
Later, we used to car that Chris (Tiina's husband) had lent us and drove to the nearby seaside town of Vaasa on The Ostrobothnian Coast. That's the Finnish coast of the gulf that's between Sweden and Finland...we're about halfway up. Aka, the Baltic Sea. We played some good miniature golf (which I won *ahem*) and then found a gorgeous sunset on one of the little islands. 

Steven at said lovely sunset. 

Kinderi Carnival week! We had made bunting and carnival masks and this is them enjoying a video of Leeds Carnival Parade. 

Totes driving a car. Successfully. Note the lovely hoody, it was made for me by Outi at work cause she's really nice :) It was a lovely surprise!

Target shooting from much further afield...expensive toy but I must admit it's pretty fun!

Just looking badass with the gun. 

We went to Oulu for the weekend (Ostrobothnian Coast again, but much bigger town and much further north). We ventured out on the Friday night heading into town and found ourselves in a street of 32000 roses! Flowers flowers everywhere!

Cheap evening drinks by the bustling harbour amongst the local students and families. Behind us is several restaurants/bars in old old wooden huts and the market square. 

Aahh yeah :D Found me some nice strong British Cheddar in the market hall! Hangover cured :)  

Steven trying to keep on the good side of the police. This was Oulu's famous statue of a policeman with a traditional end of summer festival wreath. 

We had Lingonberyy wine and Cloudberry Sorbet in an old salt mill. Again, rustic hut :)

Bike Envy. We saw an old rusty bike that seemed otherwise in working order in a junk shop for 35euros....project maybe. 

Still in Oulu. A snap of one of the many old rusty looking wooden huts that lined the harbour.

Coast in Oulu (there are several small islands)

Home becoming more home like. Plants, lamps, cushions and curtains have been added. But due to their stupid non sensical bedding sizes and them not matching with the quilt sizes available, we have no bedding still.