tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5534699446387871072024-03-05T02:27:17.420-08:00Hello HelsinkiKristin Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18365179928343266502noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553469944638787107.post-10998723898058450572012-03-13T07:01:00.004-07:002012-03-13T07:12:08.187-07:00ADVENTURE #3: APPRECIATING A DIFFERENT CULTURE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo9dqwm69mQKo4oqG6geruwy9jpoB-RU5mXvVXU0t8NKqeMC15-ilDU3kA5wzQmAYUHBj8oCxSKFu4TMWboTM_qF443EkqvCIdx-u8oAVWA7Q9i-e0hr46kU8_YGtw5GvT3uttuQYPjK7/s1600/Ducks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNo9dqwm69mQKo4oqG6geruwy9jpoB-RU5mXvVXU0t8NKqeMC15-ilDU3kA5wzQmAYUHBj8oCxSKFu4TMWboTM_qF443EkqvCIdx-u8oAVWA7Q9i-e0hr46kU8_YGtw5GvT3uttuQYPjK7/s320/Ducks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Culture is a little like dropping
an Alka-Seltzer into a glass - you don't see it, but somehow it does
something.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hans Magnus Enzensberger<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ADVENTURE # 3:
APPRECIATING A DIFFERENT CULTURE</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I
pass these ducks every time I walk to school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Sometimes my Italian roommate walks with me and we have to stop (or as
she would say, “take a pause”) so she can watch them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She frequently starts a conversation, telling
them how cute they are, apologizing for not having any bread today, asking them
if they’re cold, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes she even
takes their picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the same
routine every time we pass them - two to three times a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doesn’t matter how cold it is or if we’re
running late to class, she stops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It drives
me absolutely crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I mean, they’re
ordinary ducks. They have them in Italy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Why do we have to stop?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">To
her, though, they aren’t “just” ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These are Finnish ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has
been walking by them on her way to school since September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though there are similar
ducks in Italy, they aren’t THESE ducks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, she will continue to stop each time she sees them because once she
leaves Helsinki, she won’t see them again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Leave
it to an Italian girl’s love of ducks to make me take a closer look at my time here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my quest to absorb all the sights and
sounds of Finland, I have been running around from place to place, in search of
the big things, like museums, art galleries, and events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been a so wrapped up in “finding”
culture, that I have failed to truly appreciate the culture diversity I am exposed to
every day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Things
like “taking a coffee” most afternoons around 3:00 p.m. with my Italian
roommate as that is something she typically does at home, or allowing my (very
traditional) friend from Macedonia to open every door for me when we’re out
because he’s insulted if I do it myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How about watching American movies with my French and Italian neighbors
and having them hit pause so I can explain the slang?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then hearing them confer with each other
in a mixture of English and Italian/French to make sure everybody
understands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s how a group of friends
or classmates will switch from speaking in their native language to English, so
I can be included in the conversation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If
I think about it, it is exposure to these things that have affected me
the most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s not to say living in a
foreign country and going to school full time in a “traditional” setting hasn’t
been an eye-opening experience in and of itself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By all
means, it has been a lot to take in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But seeing first-hand how
these young adults have come to incorporate the nuances of the cultures of
others into their daily lives has been a humbling experience. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought I was open-minded and accepting
before coming here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn't have a
clue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These “kids” have opened my eyes
as to what it really means to be culturally diverse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And they, more than any textbook, class, or
work project, have shown me how important it is and how much we can learn from
each other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It
took flying over 4,000 miles and watching an Italian girl’s “Finnish ducks” to make
me realize that culture is around us every day. And there is so much we can
learn, if we only open our eyes and see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span>Kristin Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18365179928343266502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553469944638787107.post-68292049230524949472012-03-13T02:48:00.000-07:002012-03-13T02:49:26.617-07:00ADVENTURE #2: GROCERY SHOPPING & COOKING<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVwp987nGecn8E7ZgFbJYHnh6SInstqJA62CfVnZtzfCfScvWqmiBj_hYIbUw8W5YLR9eLJvzxd_hkLLxAdXg8aQwlBsHtx4JGqajOfW8fIEzm_q_CP6l9W4clzM6MS-rj71puUlsWkkL/s1600/IMG_0213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVwp987nGecn8E7ZgFbJYHnh6SInstqJA62CfVnZtzfCfScvWqmiBj_hYIbUw8W5YLR9eLJvzxd_hkLLxAdXg8aQwlBsHtx4JGqajOfW8fIEzm_q_CP6l9W4clzM6MS-rj71puUlsWkkL/s320/IMG_0213.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">That is what
learning is. You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life,
but in a new way. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>~ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Doris Lessing</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">ADVENTURE # 2:
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>GROCERY SHOPPING AND COOKING</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I wouldn’t
say I’m a great cook, but I can certainly hold my own in the kitchen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew I might run into a few challenges here
in Helsinki when it came to preparing food. I figured I wouldn’t be able to
read the food labels, or cooking instructions for that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, Finland, like the rest of
Europe, is on the metric scale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Goodbye
pounds, cups and ounces, say hello to grams and liters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And let’s not forget the Celsius/Fahrenheit
conversion either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a little
overwhelming, but here’s what I’ve been able to put together so far.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">BUYING
GROCERIES</span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The food labels are in Finnish (and usually
Swedish).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know, this is no surprise as
I’m in Finland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it is posing a
little more of a problem than I anticipated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Some things are easy to find, like apples, bananas, yogurt, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I call them “common sense” items that need no
label to figure out what they are.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other
items, like meat, are a little more challenging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fresh fish is very popular, after all,
Finland boarders the Baltic Sea. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I am not a connoisseur of fish
products.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salmon can look like pork and
cubed fish can look like chicken.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even
though I know the words for chicken (kana) and pork (kinkku) it doesn’t do me
much good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes there’s just a
general term listed, like liha (meat) or filee (filet), and I guess I’m just
supposed to know what variety it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
for now, I’ll just stick to what I can identify, fruits, vegetables, cereals,
yogurt, and frozen pizza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">COOKING</span></u><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The old saying of “you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone” holds
true here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no microwave and no
toaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not that they don’t have
these things in Finland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just that
my apartment doesn’t have them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I
never realized how much I used either one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gone are the days of grabbing a slice of
toast and heading out the door because I’m running late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toast takes about a half hour – 15 minutes
for the oven to heat up and about 5 minutes on each side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can eat a bowl of cereal faster than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Along the same lines, leftovers can take time
to heat up as well. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve found it’s
easier to heat those up on the stovetop as I’m still playing with oven temperatures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it comes to cooking, converting Celsius
to Fahrenheit is not an exact science.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have managed, however, to master the art of baking the perfect frozen
pizza.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I should also
mention that there is no coffee maker, but rather coffee is made in the moka,
one cup at a time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water is put in the
bottom, coffee grounds in the “filter,” screw on the top and put on the
stove.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 5 minutes later, you have a
nice cup of coffee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t tell you
it’s great coffee, or even good coffee, because I didn’t drink coffee until I
got here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve always been a Diet Coke
kind of girl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, at 1.80 euros for
.5 liter bottle (about $2.30 for a 16.9 oz bottle), I’m confident I can learn
to love coffee.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Living in
Helsinki has given me a new appreciation for the everyday tasks (like
cooking and grocery shopping) that I never gave more than a passing thought to before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are some of the things I have observed
and learned:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">1.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Groceries
are purchased more often rather than in bulk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have yet to see a cart full of food in the checkout lane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve seen some full baskets from time to
time, but they mostly contain perishable items (milk, fresh fruit, vegetables,
etc.).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">2.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
you don’t bring a bag with you to carry your groceries home, you will need to
purchase one for around 20 cents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I
tend to carry a bag with me, just in case a quick trip for milk turns into
something else.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps this has
something to do with why groceries are purchased in smaller quantities?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe because carrying more than two bags
home on the train is extremely difficult. . . . <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">3.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Many
of the food labels are in three or four languages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other than the usual Finnish and Swedish, the
languages are usually German and Russian. Sometimes a product will have “new
and improved” written in English, but the rest of the label is in a language
other than English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">4.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Google
translate does not work particularly well at converting recipes OR directions
on the back of packages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
Finnish/English dictionary from the library causes fewer issues and has more
words available than any “free” dictionary download I could find.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">5.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
metric conversion charts online are fantastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I particularly found </span><a href="http://www.jsward.com/cooking/cooking-metric.shtml"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.jsward.com/cooking/cooking-metric.shtml</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> to be helpful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Kristin Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18365179928343266502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553469944638787107.post-20994843301128141302012-01-26T12:11:00.001-08:002012-01-26T12:17:13.339-08:00Starting my Adventure<a href="https://augnet.augsburg.edu/news-archives/2012/01_09_12/gilman_schmidt.html">https://augnet.augsburg.edu/news-archives/2012/01_09_12/gilman_schmidt.html</a>Kristin Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18365179928343266502noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-553469944638787107.post-3771203744013852182012-01-24T13:06:00.000-08:002012-01-24T13:06:34.936-08:00ADVENTURE # 1: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TW3EmaoHPTfFTFGU7i0g_flsOXMficflszXfH6c37dXParVwjmoaMKzAQFmkQcqJ5zlO97BHupgEJYsO51_9XKhpxBwbtkZrPDuw7RzdWR84OHsDaQCXJRskuMKyMXApR7ncO1lr_MXK/s1600/P1140021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TW3EmaoHPTfFTFGU7i0g_flsOXMficflszXfH6c37dXParVwjmoaMKzAQFmkQcqJ5zlO97BHupgEJYsO51_9XKhpxBwbtkZrPDuw7RzdWR84OHsDaQCXJRskuMKyMXApR7ncO1lr_MXK/s320/P1140021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Courage is
the first of human virtues because it makes all others possible. ~ Aristotle</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">My father
says I have no sense of direction. And for the most part, he's right. So when I
was investigating various study abroad options, I knew I would have to take my
"directional impairment" into account. After all, I wouldn't want to
accidently take the wrong train and end up in Russia. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Finland has a
very good mass transit system that's easy to use, even for someone like me.
There's a website (</span><a href="http://www.hsl.fi/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">www.hsl.fi</span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">) that tells me how to get
anywhere I want to go. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, it's not
fool proof. And sometimes there are a few too many options. Here's a little
Public Transportation 101 so you can see what I mean. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There are
four major modes of public transportation: bus, tram, train, and metro. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The bus
routes run like the MTC routes, only more frequently. If I don't want to walk
to school, I can take a 506 that picks up near my apartment. It's about a 25
minute ride and the bus drops off a few blocks away from the school. PLEASE
NOTE: If you accidently take a 505 instead, you can get off at any point and
eventually pick up a 506 across the street that will take you to school. Plan
on being about an hour late for class when that happens. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The tram
(which is in the yellow and green vehicle in the picture) runs along tracks in
the street. I can pick up the #6 from school and it will take me into downtown
Helsinki (called "the Centre"). It drops me off in front of the main
railway station (also pictured above) where I can hop a train or get on to the
metro. PLEASE NOTE: The trams go all over town and use the same street as the
cars. It's not uncommon to look out the window and see a car driving along side
of you, just inches away, with no barrier in between. </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The train is by far the fastest and
most convenient mode of transportation. One of the train stations is a short
walk from my apartment, and every train stops at Pasila Bӧle (my stop) both on
the way into the Centre and on the way back. There's no need to look at a
timetable because there's a train leaving every 5 to 10 minutes. PLEASE NOTE:
The trains and the trams share some of the same numbers (4, 6, 7, 9) so when
someone gives you directions, be sure to clarify the difference between train
and tram, or you may end up on the opposite side of town.</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Metro is the underground subway.
I take it from my language class (located on one of the University of Helsinki
campuses) to the Central Railway Station. I think this is the easiest of all
the modes to use because at every platform there is a big map of the entire
line. You find where you want to go and get on the train traveling in that
direction. At each stop, there's a voice that tells you in Finnish, Swedish,
and English where you are. PLEASE NOTE: If you don't recognize the name of the
stop, get off and hop a tram going in the opposite direction. (I haven't done
this one yet, but there's still time.)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With the right planning, you can get
anywhere using one or more of these modes of transportation. But when all else
fails, you can call on the fifth mode of public transportation, a taxi. Just
make sure you have the street address of where you want go. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now that you have a brief overview
of the public transportation system, here are some things I have observed while
taking it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Public
transportation is highly utilized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
frequently see entire families riding together. Infants in baby strollers are
not uncommon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even dogs come along for
the ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The infrastructure of the
transportation system is such that you really can get pretty much wherever you
need to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Could explain why two out of
five Finnish residents don’t own a car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
are many different ways to pay your fare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are cards that you can purchase at the Central Station that give
you unlimited rides from two weeks to an entire year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can also purchase a single fair from a
ticket machine, a convenience store, or with your cell phone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If all else fails, you pay the driver when
you get on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And unlike MTC, the drivers
make change. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There
is very little eye contact and no idle chit chat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finns are by nature reserved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no striking up a conversation with
the stranger in the next seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No one
will even make eye contact if they can help it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although
English is widely spoken throughout Finland, many Finns (especially those over
40) don’t speak English or know only a little English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is also true of many of the bus drivers,
whether they are originally from Finland or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, it’s best to ask (in Finnish) if
someone speaks English before you ask a question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is especially helpful when asking for
directions as many people won’t acknowledge you are speaking to them if they
hear a question in English.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>Kristin Schmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18365179928343266502noreply@blogger.com0