quick update from Saturday, June 2:

I'm waking up in New York City for the first time, looking at the pleasant blue sky through the curtains. Yesterday afternoon, I spent over 12 hours in transit. A 2-hr train ride from Tampere to Helsinki, 45-min bus to the airport, 3-hr flight to Reykjavik and 6-hr flight to JFK. Since I didn't know how to navigate New York transportation, I lugged two heavy suitcases and a bag with me for two hours trying to find my destination. It was weird to hear so many American accents, and weirder to understand the English all around me. Unfortunately, I heard mostly complaining and personal gossip. For the past year, I have been unable to pick up conversations in buses and cafes and on the street. Israel, Finland, Norway, Germany, Estonia, Sweden and Russia -- the voices in these countries were just background noise to my day. I got used to being surrounded by international people and other languages. Now I have this overwhelming feeling of being able to read other peoples' private thoughts. I'm also used to the stereotypical Finnish silence in public places. My arrival in the Iceland airport was met with American tourists chatting loudly. I just stood still, not wanting to speak to someone or for someone to speak to me. Oh, Finland. In the line to the bathroom, an American girl started talking to me. I was stunned, forgetting how to continue small talk. The few times Finns initiated conversations with me were mostly in sauna. But throughout the evening, I started to be immensely thankful that people would start talking to me or asking if I needed help. Moreover, there was no language barrier, and if there was, it would be Spanish, which I needed to use twice to get help. Finally, there was some comfort in being back in my home country.

There are so many more important things to write, but my days are so busy and limited, that my blog may take a hit.

Getting sunburnt in FInland

The sun is turning everyone weird colors of tan and orange and red.

I spent the day working on an essay, and in the afternoon went out to read a book near the lake.

Some pictures:

















Approaching midnight, it's hard to tell whether the sun is going down or coming up.

One week left

Time is really speeding up. Every so often, I imagine myself in the middle of crowded, noisy New York, when in reality, I'm standing in Tampere, on a quiet, lonely road with few signs and parked cars. Get back to the present and enjoy, Leilani!

It's 11:30 p.m., but the sky is not dark yet and the birds go on chirping. One advantage of living on the ground floor is that I get to hear and see (and sometimes interact with) the life outside. I forget about being cooped up in a small room. Today, Uz, Al and I walked around the city, ending up at Pyynikki (a popular observation tower) for munkki and kahvia (doughnuts and coffee). We sat outside, talking story and cracking jokes. Besides the three of us 20-somethings from Pakistan, Catalonia and America, there were teenagers, runners, and some older folk hanging around. With these sunny, long days, Finland is becoming the place I first saw in August.

Lots of full circles. I've met several people I haven't seen since the first few months of my exchange. I finally visited the store managed by the university club I was introduced to in late September. I've said goodbyes with memories of the initial meetings. Maybe the full circle idea helps cope with finalities. Like what started is ending, but is complete. Anyway, I've got a million things on my mind, so now it's time to turn them into actions.

And so the goodbyes begin

Keeping busy definitely helps. On Saturday, Henri took us on a mini road trip around Tampere. We visited Kangasala, Valkeakoski and other sites (will post pix soon). People have told me that it's pretty much the same all around Finland: trees, grass, lakes -- oh, a house! A moose! A town! There may be some truth to that, but Finland's sameness is so darn beautiful. I lose myself every time staring out of the window.

That afternoon, Al, Uz and I went to a screening of the Tuberculosis ad/short that we acted in. It was interesting to be a part of the production process, and I guess the final edit will make it to the Internet in a few weeks... After, we went to see The Avengers in 3D. On Sunday, we met a Finnish friend for lunch at a Nepalese restaurant. That evening we met other Finnish friends for a goodbye dinner for Pablo, who left this morning.

And so the goodbyes begin.