Silence

Exchange students have told me that they have been really amazed when they have seen two Finnish friends sitting together for a half an hour without saying anything to each other. Foreigners cannot understand how Finnish can be so long time without speaking. Now a days I feel more uncomfortable in the silence than before. I think that hanging out a lot with foreigners have changed me that now I prefer to keep the conversation going on than being in the silence. Time goes by more nicely when having a conversation with someone.

Dressing room

Everyone in Spain took their clothes with them after changing them in the dressing room because they are afraid that their clothes might get stolen. Here I said to one Spanish guy that it is fine to leave your clothes to the dressing because no one will steal them. He took my advice too literally and left also his wallet to the dressing room. Luckily anyone did not steal his wallet that time. Many exchange students think that nothing will get stolen in Finland. One guy even lost his wallet and got it back without even losing the cash which was inside the wallet.

Accent of Spaniards

In Spain is five official languages which are Spanish, Catalan/Valencian, Galician, Basque and Aranese. Still Spanish is spoken everywhere in Spain. Before going to exchange I could not hear the difference between Spanish accents but now I can hear it. In Joensuu there are Spanish students all the different parts of Spain and I have now heard Spanish with different accents. I can hear a clear difference in the Spanish of southern Spaniards but the rest of the Spaniards seem to be talking with the same accent.

Finnish flavours

Finnish kitchen is not very famous for its dishes. Potato is included in many Finnish dishes and exchange students in Joensuu have said that they are tired of eating so much potatoes in the student restaurant. Salmiakki is my favorite candy and many other fins like it too but almost any foreigner do not like it. Pulla is a sweet Finnish pastry and so far all who have tried it have liked it. Many ask also the recipe to make it by themselves.

Spanish on ice

Today we went Ice skating and this video shows how Spanish can ice skate

Expressing

Italians and Spanish have many similar characteristics. Once I asked my Italian flatmate how she sees the difference between the people in these two countries. She explained that Spanish people express themselves much more with facial expressions than Italians. Italians express themselves by moving hands a lot. I expected that Spanish people would move much more their hands and I never really paid even attention to it that Spanish would be doing it more than the Finnish people.

First Spanish movie

I have now watched my first Spanish movie in Spanish. I have to say that it took a look long time before I watched one even I speak Spanish fluently. The movie was about a riot in a jail and it was called Celda 211. I could not follow Spanish movie as well as I can follow a movie in English. I will watch some more movies in Spanish to improve my understanding. I think that it might be useful to add the Spanish subtitles to make sure that I understand everything what is said.

Dirty old man

In Spain I had one professor who was known as a dirty old man. He was already close to retiring age and walked limping. I had him as a professor in two subjects. I think that he was a nice man and he was telling jokes in the lessons but his behavior towards girls could be considered as a sexual harassment. Sometimes he held hand with the girls, asked them to come up to show some example and he kindle touched them to shoulder or arm. You could see that he liked good looking girls. When I asked from any Spanish student that do you know the dirty old man everyone knew immediately about who I was talking about.

International friends

Tutoring exchange students have given me a great opportunity to meet people all over the world. Travelling to some destination is much more enjoyable if you have a friend in the destination. I have met 19 international friends afterwards outside of Finland. I have met also some who have returned to Joensuu after their exchange year like today it was very nice surprise to meet someone who was in Joensuu academic year 2008-2009. I am looking forward to meet these people again and to see people who I have not seen after Spain or after my first tutoring year.

Back in Joensuu

I have returned back to Joensuu after the Christmas holidays. I am tutoring exchange students also in the second semester. Today I welcomed the first student with my tutoring partner and I did not speak any Spanish even she is Spanish. I greeted her with two kisses like in Spain to see how my tutoring partner will react to it. He did not follow my example and shook just hands.

New year

Happy new year 2011. Last year I saw very few fireworks in Spain but this year I saw plenty of fireworks. I did not make any new year resolutions. I do not feel like that new year is a beginning of new because I do not see any big changes what is going to happen. End of summer is much more start of a new because then begins the new studying year and then have happened the biggest changes in my life.