Feeling at home in Finland

It is quite amazing how fast you can feel at home here, with each other and with our wonderful host families.  We laugh, eat, giggle, trip over our words on occasion, and enjoy ourselves through it all.  Each day I am amazed at the generosity & kindness shown from our new Finnish friends.  From the delicious food & excellent organizing skills to the relaxing saunas and interesting conversations, Finns really do have the good things in life figured out. 

Just look at some of the wonderful food we have been enjoying . . . just today.

Many of these photos are from a beautiful B & B in nearby Ristiina.  Later, after visiting Kuoma

shoe production center, we again enjoyed coffee with cake, bread, and cookies. 

Just a Typical Day in Mikkeli

1.  Eat a "Rice Pie" with Egg Butter and LOVE it.
2.  Tour one of the most successful school systems in the world.
3.  See 7th grade girls learning to sew, and be told that boys learn to sew, too!
4.  Tell a room full of foreigners that sometimes I pose as a comedienne.
5.  Go to a Horse Racing Track in high heels.
6.  Go for the second run in two days in Mikkeli!  Pedestrian paths, YAY!  Sleet. . . umm. . . not so yay.
7.  Eat authentic Chinese food in Finland!  (Deliciously prepared by Poh Suan)
8.  Find out a 3.5 year old knows more English than I know Finnish.
9.  Slide down a fireman's pole at a Firehouse while host Tero films it.
10.  Finnish SAUNA!

What a great day!  What a great town!
Man, I'm sleepy.
Robin

Helsinki - Belly Full of Food, Brain Full of Art

We leave Helsinki tomorrow morning and I am pretty sure we are all really going to miss its offerings.  We are so happy we get to spend another weekend in Helsinki in May!  Yesterday, we walked to the Kiasmi Museum of Contemporary Art.  The building was designed by American architect Steven Holl, which had Robin geeking out. These photos show the building's exterior and interior entry.

click for museum info 

This photo shows an adorable Finnish kid dressed for the snowy, wet weather, who is also useful for scale.

One of the exhibits was called 'Eyeballing:  The new forms of comics'  One artist printed small graphic images onto 3 large sheets of plywood.  The storyline depicted the image of immigrants in the media.  It was both graphically beautiful from a distance

as well as within very close view.

We had dinner at a DELICIOUS italian restaurant called Vespa.  The food was tremendous and the service was warm and wonderful.  Carla and Robin proved that cheese does in fact make a perfect dessert.

We have been staying in hotel GLO.  click here for the hotel info   We did not really know the meaning of a continental breakfast until awaking to this feast.  There are eggs, breads, cheeses, meats, jams, oatmeal, fruits, nuts, berries, yogurts, soups and salads.  The coffee is strong but kept the group buzzing for hours.  After a GLO breakfast, lunch is optional.

Tonight we dined at a delicious Finnish restaurant called Salve.  It was a seafood lover's dream come true.  Brian taught the group how to delicately remove the bones from our very first sampling of herring, while Stephanie had the white fish and Robin had a Finnish take on Bubble and Squeak.

Herring!!!! Finally!!!

Bubble and Squeak!! MMMM!!

We are off to bed thinking of Mikkeli tomorrow. . . . but, dreaming of what food and art we have found here in Helsinki today.

Dinner at Carla's

On February 24th, we gathered together at Carla's lovely home for our American take on a Finnish dinner.  We enjoyed dishes such as lohikeitto (salmon soup), haudutettu punakaali (braised red cabbage, sienipiirakka (mushroom pie), and sipulisalaatti (salad) among other dishes and an absolutely fantastic chocolate dessert.  We had several Rotarian guests with us as well as a former Rotary exchange student who lived in Finland for a year.  It was a real treat to speak with all of them.  I think meeting together, discussing the upcoming trip, and learning about others' experiences with Rotary really creates such an electricity within the group- we couldn't feel more ready to go!

 The table is set.

We enjoyed listening to Merritt Cole's experiences in Finland.

Delicious!

(top L-R) Bill Parker- District Governor, Carla Hughson-Schmitt- GSE leader to Finland, Oscar Wong- Asheville Rotary Club President, & Michael Greene- GSE Committee Chair 

(bottom L-R) Stephanie Laseter, Amber Westall Briggs, Robin Raines, & Brian Rodriguez

the team showing our comic side

Many of these pictures were taken by Bill Biddle, former GSE leader to the Philippines.  Thanks Bill.

Planning

We leave in less than two months! 

I think we all can say with most certainty that it still feels somewhat surreal to be chosen for this group study exchange to Finland.  We have been so warmly accepted into our sponsoring Rotary Club of Asheville and our group itself is developing strong friendships very quickly. 

planning with our team leader

Carla Hughson-Schmitt & Stephanie Laseter

Amber Westall Briggs, Brian Rodriguez & Robin Raines

Preparations are under way for our journey, as we meet about once every two weeks in our central location of Asheville with our enthusiastic leader, Carla, to plan our presentations and share our new knowledge of Finland.  Much anticipation fills these days ahead as we wonder about the exciting adventures that await us in this amazing country.  More to come soon . . .