It's a pretty laid back week so far here in Jyväskylä.

Yesterday I went to this cute little vegetarian restaurant in the city centre. I will be definitely be going back there, great soups, breads and great prices!

Fall has arrived in Finland. The leaves on the trees are quickly changing. It's also getting a lot colder, it's been around zero the last few mornings. I'm hoping that I get at least a few more weeks with this weather, anything colder is not good in my books!

Not much to write about right now, sorry for the short post.. but stay tuned for exciting adventures!!

Here's some pictures from the hockey game I went to last week!

Hockey Night In Finland!

Just moments ago I arrived home from my first Finnish hockey game. The local team JYU lost 4-3 to the opposing HIFK from Helsinki.

The Game:
I mean no disrespect to the Finns, but the skill level was not nearly as high as I had expected for an elite league. Between missed passes, the misread plays and messy skating I would place this team somewhere between Jr. A and OHL. At moments you were "wowed" but then a sloppy play only seconds later put the game back into perspective.

The seven goals made the game quite entertaining as HIFK had at one point been winning 3-0.

The Ads:

Ads are everywhere. On the nets, the refs, the players, the boards, the ice. Everywhere. There was a Bauer ad with an unidentified Goalie wearing a Leafs jersey. Nice to see JYV likes the Leafs too!

The Fans:
The ends of the rink had the standing sections/cheap seats. Mainly filled with students, and the dedicated fans. A drummer kept the crowd clapping most of the night. Over all I would say the crowd was fairly unenthused. Of course they cheered for the goals and big saves, but overall there wasnt much. The cheering that occured for some of the hits certainly made me (the Canadian hockey fan) laugh. A hit which at home would go by with very little notice stirred the crowed here.

My TSN Turning Point:
For me the defining moment at the game was not a part of the game itself. I looked up at the clock early in the first to see 4 minutes, I was shocked at how fast the period had gone by. Then minutes later I looked up again to see more time on the clock. That is when it hit me. I am actually watching a game in Europe. At that moment my location in the world became clear. Despite having spent three weeks here, that was the moment I truly realised I was in Europe. I have watched games from Europe on TV for as long as I can remember, but to realise I'm actaully here, my night was made :)

In the last few days, many people have assumed that I am Finnish. Yesterday however, I unintentionally gave away my true nationality. While sitting in class, I pulled out my Hilroy notebook. The guy beside me then said "Oh, you're an exchange student! I thought you were a Finn!" He apparently knew I was an exchange student because I had the paper all of the exchange students have. Who knew a simple notebook could reveal so much about someone!

(I should probably state that the paper commonly used here is what I would call graph paper. Also, if the paper is punched to fit in a binder, it has either 2 or 4 holes. I have yet to find any 3 hole lined paper here!)

Now for some exciting news! I have booked a trip to Lapland! Not only will I be travelling to the Arctic Circle, I will get to go to a reindeer farm, visit Santa's Village and hopefully see the northern lights!!

I've also attached some pictures to this post, enjoy!

Typical scenery in Jyväskylä.

Famous bridge in Jyväskylä, located on campus

Bikes in the city centre.

Me with my bike (note the bike shelters behind me).

Well folks, school is underway here in Jyväskylä. I have had 2 Finnish courses so far. It will certainly take a lot of effort for me to learn the language, but I know it will be worth it. Tomorrow I have a four hour lecture. Eeek. Let's hope we cover an interesting topic!

I must take a moment to talk about my bike. So far, other than food, my bike has probably been my best purchase here in Finland. The bike has made the journey to and from school much easier, not to mention faster. Today I conquered a hill which only days ago I said I would never be able to ride up. Next hill on the list is right outside of my flat. Today seeing a child ride up the hill as I walked my bike will act as extra motivation on my next attempt.

I would also like to discuss the dirt bikes and motorcycles here. (I am reminded as one drives past my window.) They seem to be very popular among tweens and teens. Groups gather at the school yard near my flat to see who can ride the fastest, make the most noise or do the best trick. I would compare the school yard to the infamous Tim Horton's parking lot at home. The bikes simply take the place of strollers.

Oh, I am still in seach of a store that sells alarm clocks, so if you know one in the Jyväskylä area, please let me know!

Stoiltellaan!

Finnish Life Lessons. Part 2.

11. Moi is not pronounced like 'I' in French. It is pronounced "moy" and is a greeting like "hi".
12. The top seats in a sauna are much hotter than the lower seats.
13. It can be quite entertaining when someone who hasn't been on a bike for 10+ years attempts to ride a bike which is too big for them.
14. Nordic walking is all the rage. Let's see if it will catch on anywhere else in the world. (Google pictures!)
15. The person who invented curtains is brilliant... I really need to get some.

My rez is slowly becoming a bit more homey. I'm now unpacked and have put up a few decorations. My roommate and I have created a makeshift dining room in our small common space. It's been great to have someone to eat with and talk to.
I went to my first Finnish sau na yesterday. It was quite an expeience. The lake isn't too cold yet which was a bonus.
Talk to you soon!

Finnish life lessons. Part 1

1. Bikes are essential. They are not a want, but a need. Unfortunately the arrival of students in September leaves the bike shops in short supply.
2. Lunch is accompanied by a glass of water and a glass of milk.
3. Locks are locked by turning them to the left. No more "righty tighty, lefty loosey"
4. Shredded carrots are an acceptable replacement for salad. They are not simply sprinkled on a salad to add more colour, they are a main dish.
5. Do not trust cookies that have an unidentifiable grey icing. Beware, the chocolate cookie is deceiving.
6. Group meals are complicated by the fact that the majority of exchange students currently own one for and one knife. The key is to know the pattern on your cutlery so that you can take it home to wash it yourself.
7. It is important to walk in a straight line. If you do not odds are you will be struck by a bike.
8. It is normal for a male to have a flowered or pink blanket for their bed... well that is if they are an exchange student with a survival kit!
9. Being fluent in multiple languages is the norm. Good thing my finnish courses start next week!
10. Canadians are awesome.


All in all things here in Jyväskylä are pretty good. I'm slowly learning my way around and there seems to be a lot of cool little stores that I will have to check out. Classes start next week which will be awesome for meeting more people. I've been very busy this week with an orientation for international students. Learned a bit but sat through a bunch of seemingly pointless presentations.