September 26, 2009
Today has been very easy-going. Yesterday was Kerstin’s birthday and we had a little surprise party for her in the upstairs of the Kasino where the Monarch students have their studio. We had food and music and it was a fun time to sit with some of my friends and acquaintances.
My professor Leena joined us and was telling us about our trip to Rovaniemi and about our ski trip and talked to us about Northern Lights and things of this nature that I think we all sort of have questions about. The professors here are so great! They genuinely love to be around us and I feel like they think we are just so much fun and they always are in such good moods and very helpful. It will be strange to return to UNCG and notice that none of my professors ask you to join them for coffee after a lecture.
Last night we went to Kerstin’s apartment and had sushi and some drinks and played games and talked for a few hours before heading to the city.
It was very fun to go out with these people and feel like I am forming friendships and learning how to communicate better with people who mostly do not use English as their first language. It seems like a silly thing, but often this is what makes jokes and humor kind of impossible and can create a sort of uncomfortable environment. I am trying to get past all of that so that I can learn to socialize with all types of people. It rained all last night so I looked like a wet poodle by the time I arrived home. Bike rides have been great for meeting new Finnish friends lately, as one came up and talked to Brittany and myself on our ride home again last night.
I finally met Teemu the other day. Teemu is a Finnish boy who knew Melanie when she studied abroad here last year. She told him that I was coming this semester and she told me about him before I left. There’s a really ironic story here. A few weeks back, I went salsa dancing with some of my architecture girls. Teemu saw me and asked me if I had gone salsa dancing the week before. I recognized him and I said, “Yes. You were there, weren’t you?” Apparently he is always there and he was telling me that we should all come again. Then followed the usual international conversation… where are you from, what are you studying, how long… etc. When I said Greensboro, he said he had some friends from there. I asked about Melanie and he said he knew her and began telling me stories about last year. I had an epiphany. I said, “What was your name again?” and he said Teemu again. Then I realized this was the guy that Melanie had told me about before I left. He seemed like a very nice person and was very friendly and I could see him being helpful if I ever needed it. We talked about Melanie and Finns for a bit longer before I left. It’s good to meet nice Finns around here. I feel if I’m ever in a jam, it would be nice to have a good Finnish friend to help me out haha.
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