The comfortable tourist

For me, traveling in a country with a foreign language is exciting at first, but then leads to frustration and the feeling of aloneness. Anyway, I'm beginning to fit into Heidelberg, and get the feel of its streets. And Anne translates most of the important or interesting conversations.

Yesterday we went to the Heidelberger Schloss castle.







(all photos taken with iPod touch)

• To discover more about Heidelberg's landmark castle, visit: http://www.schloss-heidelberg.de/en/palace-heidelberg/Home/267923.html

Since I'm pretty out of shape, it was a long way up to see it. What a fantastic view of the old city's red roofs among trees and mountains, next to a bridge going over a small river. "Have you ever seen a castle before?" Anne asked. "Maybe once," I responded.

More pictures from the city:







We met up with Anne's Italian language partner for an hour. After, we drank some Apple-cinnamin glöhwein at the christmas market (you pay €4.70, and get a refund of €2.20 by returning the cup). For dinner, we got döner kebab at Yufka's. We took the tram back home and hung out in the kitchen for a while. Anne read a text for class while I got updated on the latest current events and tried to study some Finnish. In between we talked about music and movies and ethnology. A few hours later, we watched an episode of the Big Bang Theory and then went to bed.

Today we went to Mannheim, a city about 16 minutes away by train. Two days ago, overlooking the view of the old city near the castle, I asked Anne whether all cities in Germany were so beautiful. She chuckled. "Okay, tomorrow we're going to Mannheim," she said.

I stepped out of the bus to a gray and dull environment. The city was bombed during the war and rebuilt without many colors. Apparently there are more problems dealing with immigration here than in Heidelberg. Nevertheless, the city is popular for its shopping strip and Christmas market.





(This large castle is Mannheim University, well known for its economics program.)





(I would probably need to up my dosage of vitamin D pills to live in this place.)



(Arriving at the Christmas market, we can see the Wasserturm (the Water Tower), which is Mannheim's landmark.)

The Christmas market was bigger and better than the one in Heidelberg. The prices were a bit cheaper too. I tried flammkuchen for the first time. Mmm...

So it's getting late, and we must get up early tomorrow to go to Hardegsen. I'm so excited to meet Anne's family and to see her town!

Guten nacht und Auf Wiedersehen!

Winter Travels Part 1: The buzz about Heidelberg

(A view from Anne's window)



(Waiting for the tram)



(Walking through the the city)

Here I am, in Heidelberg! (Did you know that the first human in Europe has been traced to this city?) Waking up at 11 in the morning never felt so good. Lounging on a giant bed, I face a window that reveals a mountain with patches of snow and tall trees lining the top that begin to fade with the clouds. This is no longer Tampere, with it's dense forests, serene lakes, quiet public areas, unthreatening faces.

Heidelberg University is the oldest university in Germany. The chattery, excited atmosphere reminds me Harvard, where many students study and live, but also where many tourists visit. During the air raids of World War II, Heidelberg was not destroyed like many other German cities. Therefore, buildings and artefacts date back to the middle ages and early renaissance. Many tourists are attracted to this city, admiring the castle, the bridge, and other sites. Sometimes the German residents get annoyed with obnoxious or slow visitors.

I'm staying in this city with a friend, Anne, I made this summer in Tampere. She's from a small town a bit north called Hardegsen, where we'll visit her family for christmas. So far, I've been to Anne's class, met Isabella from Oregon (and heard her stories from Tanzania these past few months), walked around the christmas market, eaten a typical 1/2 meter sausage and drank meade wine (instead ofr glöwein). In the evening, Anne's roommates prepared a christmas dinner. There was a wreathe in the center of the table, with decorations and candles that gave off a seasonal feel. For dessert we dipped fruit into melted chocolate. Later, we went to Vetter's Brauhaus, where I tried Helles and Weizen beer, and loved it. We finished at a very crowded, smoky pub for melon shnapps, uniqe to Heidelberg. I'm trying to learn some German phrases and vocabulary, but the pronounciation is not easz. Not to mention, I try not to divert too much attention from Finnish, so I continue to say "kiitos" (thank you) and "yo" (yes, and pretty much yes in German) and "moi moi" (bye). I miss this strange sounding language in my quiet town, but I'm quickly becoming wooed by Heidelberg.

We take the tram everywhere. Even if transportation wasn't wonderful, we would have no trouble walking. It's a small place. Yesterday it snowed a little, and rained a lot. It reminded me of a certain raining college town in Eugene Today I'm planning to visit the castle and do a few other touristy things, not forgetting the list Alison sent me.

If you're reading this, I hope you are staying warm this winter, surrounded by nice people, and eating lots of good food.

Getting Through December

I'm beat. Couldn't sleep last night. It's almost 3 a.m. It's been a full day of school, work, meetings, goodbyes, walking on hard ice. One weekend left until Germany. One weekend left to finish everything here and prepare everything for there. I'm nervous, but very excited and satisfied. I feel overwhelmed and tense, but happy and fulfilled.

Favorite pieces of advice this week:

1. Don't think so much!! (Zhenia's sister)
2. Let things go (Maiki)

"U.S. War in Iraq Declared Officially Over"

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/16/world/middleeast/panetta-in-baghdad-for-iraq-military-handover-ceremony.html?pagewanted=all&src=ISMR_AP_LO_MST_FB

Sticking to the highlights: Kainui's birthday and last day at doc lounge

Time: 50 minutes past midnight.
Temperature: 3˚C
Most recent activity: Saw "A Small Act" at Doc Lounge

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. So much has happened, but I'll stick to the highlights. First of all, it's my younger brother Kainui's birthday. He's 17, and I can hardly believe it! I would always wonder what he would be like as a teenager, I mean as a 17 or 18 year old, and here he is. There he is. Past years of quarrels and conflict, I think we have finally met on common ground, and I recognize what an open-minded, sweet, caring person he is. I have learned a lot from Kainui and from being an older sister in general. So happy birthday Kainui! The world is large, and I'm glad to have spent most of my life with you.

This morning, I found a surprise in front of my door.



Who was is from? Why was it there? On top, there was a beautiful paper forest with a deer, and I brought it to the windowsill to examine it properly.





I opened the container to find a million gingerbread cookies, thinly sliced, and shaped as hearts. They brought memories of past winter seasons, never without the ginger spice, and woke me up from a groggy morning.

S and I walked to the university to meet Z and the Spanish guys (and Ana) for lunch. The ground still has snow, but the increase in temperature is making it a patched icy, hard thing. I can proudly say that I haven't slipped yet. And that I've survived with one pair of boots that were not made for this weather.

This afternoon I went to the last Doc Lounge screening for the season. The film was "A Small Act" (Jennifer Arnold, 2010), and it is about generosity, education, friendship, and the long way a small act can go. In the documentary, Chris Mbruru from Kenya starts a fund to sponsor bright Kenyan students to go to high school, as only primary school is free. Chris names the fund after Hilde Back, who many years ago sponsored him to go to secondary school. During the Holocaust, Hilde was fortunate to be accepted into Sweden as a refugee, and has since found it important to be aware of international current events and to support education. She didn't realize that her 15 dollars a term would allow Chris to go on to Harvard and to work as a prominent UN human rights lawyer. In the film, Chris finally meets Hidle, we are introduced to the lives and struggles of three Kenyan children competing for the scholarship, and this all happens amidst the ethnic-based violence during the Kenyan elections of 2007 and the shortcomings of Kenyan public schools.

I was expecting some formulated, standard fundraising documentary, but found myself touched by the messages, struggles, and trickle effect of altruism. The filmmaker caught very powerful and spontaneous moments. There was a kind of "happy ending," but not everything ended super hollywood-well. So I was motivated to do more research on Kenya and organizations that support education.

After the documentary, one of the Doc Lounge employees brought me a t-shirt and said that I could get a free drink from the bar, as part of tradition. I was overwhelmed with love for my time at doc lounge, and said thank you a million times in my head.



Well, gotta get some sleep. One last exam tomorrow and a paper to write.

So many people are leaving, and I've been managing to hold the sad emotions tight in my chest.

I guess chapters end, but they provide room for new ones to open.

P.S.: Thanks Zhenia, for the awesome surprise!

Forest trip, a success!

Tiago and Federiko had to be woken up in the morning, but Kuba, Anton, Shizuka, Uzair and Albert were up and ready to go. It was snowing when we left, and the wind made it more chilly.



We met Elina and Kirta, two master's level forestry students, at TAMK University at 11. About a month ago, many of us attended a lecture on trees and forests in Finland as part of the Finnish Culture and Society series. The topic was so interesting and made me wonder: what better way to learn about nature than to explore it? Not to mention, we're foreign students who have much more to learn here. At the end of class, I asked the professor if there were any students willing to take us on a field trip around the forest. He said he would pass my contact information along. A few weeks later, I got an e-mail from the two forestry students. They were enthused to do the project because it would earn them 1 ECTS credit point. We met to discuss the plan: a power point presentation, a walk into the forest, a quiz, and a prize. It sounded great. They were doing lot of work, and I didn't know what to expect.

And it turned out very well. The girls took us on a path that lasted a bit over an hour, pointing out certain trees (Scots pine, Norway spruce, birch) and sharing facts about Finland's forests. I was excited to hear that Finland is the most forested country in Europe, with about 70 percent of the land covered in forest. It explains why so much of Finnish culture is tied to nature. Sixty-one percent of forests are privately owned, while the state owns 25 percent; companies own 9 percent and other organizations, 5 percent. Finland's "Everyman's Right" allows people to walk around or camp in any forest or countryside. Moreover, they can pick berries and mushrooms as they please.

Here are some pictures from the trip:



(Elina places us on the map and explains the route we'll take.)



(And we're off!)



























(Uzair takes home the prize: "The Kalevala" translated into English)

I have two exams tomorrow, so I can't write much more. But I really had a nice time and hope to do it again.

Joulutori Opens

Uno said that it's snowing cats and dogs. That's a good way of putting it.

Today's web publishing exam went fine. It was half multiple choice, half short answer. After we finished, I had lunch with the Spanish guys, Vikki, S and Z. The cafeteria food was boring (sausages with rice), but we had fun.

Diego, Pablo and Vikki left, so the rest of us decided to check out Joulutori, the christmas market in Keskustori that began today.





(Along the way we stopped for a break and for a quick snowball fight.)

At Joulutori, it was too cold and windy to walk around leisurely. We found a hut, bought some glögi, and sat around a small table next to a window.



Albert and Zhenia had to go, so Shizuka and I stopped at some other booths. We found a hut that looked like a yurt, with a fireplace in the center and seats all around. Four Finnish students in vocational school were managing the place. One student, who said she was from Thailand, was quite talkative and asked us about our stay in Finland. I asked if they worked here every winter. One student said that it was his last year of school and he wanted to make money for the future and for now. They gave us each a long metal stick with a sausage pierced at the end to grill.

After about 10 minutes, the meat was ready, and our feet were freezing (Shizuka has a hole in her boot!). We ate and left promptly. On the way to the bus stop, we stopped at a booth with honey and soap and other products from bees. The seller, a man with a pleasant smile and a large hat, said he was a beekeeper in Ylöjärvi, about 50 kilometers west of Tampere. He has been in the profession for over 20 years. "What inspired you to take up beekeeping?" I asked. He chuckled, "It's a long story," he said. He was living in Helsinki many years ago, when a friend asked him if he wanted to bring bees to the country side. "In two seconds I said yes," he said, "not knowing anything about bees." He gave us a sample of honey, which was rich and had a rougher texture than honey I've tried. I said thanks, and that we needed to leave because our feet were killing us. "Then you need to walk like Donald Duck," the man advised. He said that by walking in an exaggerated way for many minutes, the blood flow in our feet would speed up. We said thanks, and were on our way to the bus stop.

At home, I took a two hour nap. I was exhausted. I hung out with the girls for a while, and then cooked dinner (scrambled eggs with potatoes, purple onion, garlic and cheese). Tomorrow we're going on the forest visit that I've been arranging with two degree students. Hopefully the weather won't be awful!

Finding a way out of life in the social network

As I was coming home from school today, I bumped into Juha, the theater manager at Niagara Arthouse Cinema. Juha was on his way to the public sauna in our neighborhood. I asked him if he swam in the lake after sauna, because I had seen pictures of Finnish people doing this. "Of course," he said. This was at 6:30 p.m., and at -1 degree Celsius. Amazing. When I gushed about the amazing walk I took yesterday, he told me that the name of the area was Lapland.

I'm nervous about social networking as a substitute or distraction from introspection and meaningful social interaction. We have the ability to be connected and stimulated during every hour of our waking life. I mean, people can make it whatever they want it to be, but the more I study, the more I isolate myself, the more I communicate online, the more I forget about living in the "all-important" moment. I remember one day a few months ago, in Eugene, biking to the scene of a potential multimedia story, and ending up standing on the street with a few ladies for about 30 minutes. No talking, no iPod, no moving. Less doing, more being. It was a breath of fresh air from the days filled with excitement, worry and hurry. Further, I remember long bus rides to the city center in Spain, long bus rides around Israel, staring out at the scenery, listening to the quiet chatter on the bus, smelling the strange odors. I was really there. My reality was the reality I saw, heard and smelled in the moment. I was a part of it, making it.

I guess there's no sense in being without doing. Part of our being is doing. The problem comes when doing overshadows the being.



Uhh... right.

So it's definitely time for me to go to bed. I have a web publishing exam in the morning (I think I've mentioned this exam twice already), and then I'll go with S and Z to the christmas market. Happy Friday!

Winter, like a dream

Today was magical, fantastic, beautiful. And it was all because of the snow.

Well, the day started off with lunch.



(We've decided that cafeteria food is the same everywhere.)

It was the last day of Finnish Society and Culture, and this time we learned about Finland in the international scope.



(I mostly took this picture to assure my dad that I'm attending classes.)

Class ended, and outside we were greeted with a snow shower.



It was a lovely walk home.









At 10 p.m., most of Lapinkaari gathered outside to take a group picture. Many students are returning to their home countries in two weeks, and it's going to be hard for everyone to say goodbye.



After the series of pictures, I saw Zhenia walking away. I decided to follow her, as she knows the best paths around the neighborhood and is great company. The snow began to fall in larger flakes, and the ground collected a substantial soft layer that made funny noises against our boots each time we stepped. We took a path that I never explored before (thinking it led to a giant forest), and it opened up into a neighborhood of cozy family houses. We could see dim lights, decorations, candles and kitchen tables through the windows. The air was full and fresh and silent, except for our footsteps and the falling snow. Suddenly we heard barking. We turned to see a beautiful white dog, as soft as the snow, jumping excitedly. We watched it for a while, and then continued on our way. The streetlights gave off a perfect color; not too yellow or white. We walked past more houses, and it really felt like we were in a fairytale or a postcard. The path grew dimmer and darker until there were no houses, just sturdy trees and shrubbery and sticks kissed with snow. It was a romantic, serene, natural scene. We found our way back to the main road, and stopped to look up. As the flakes fell on our faces, we imagined ourselves flying through space. I had never experienced such a thing, and asked Zhenia if snow was still amazing for her after all the years of experiencing it. She said that it was still, and that it was like watching the sunrise or the sunset, things you don't really get tired of. Later, though, she said the transition from winter to spring can get pretty ugly in Russia, with everything melting and muddy.

We arrived back to see the guys engaged in a "heated" snowball fight. I asked my friend Kuba, from Poland, why he enjoyed doing this. "It relaxes me," he said. "It's something from childhood, which makes you happy. And it's, you know, it's very very innocent." Then I asked him what the art of snowballing is all about. "Just to shot as many head shots as I can. The best is to make somebody's cap fall off his head and I had it twice last time with Sanam's head," Kuba said, smiling. I asked my friend Chris, from Germany, for advice in snowball fighting. "Be fast," she said. "Be aware of snow showers." Naively, I asked her what a snow shower was, and became the next victim.

Zhenia and I hung out in the stairwell until about 1 a.m., and then retreated to our rooms. One final this week, two finals next, and a paper. I'm sad to think about Zhenia leaving and our other friends leaving. But this has been an exciting and rich experience together this semester at Lapinkaari.



Last note: I have been videotaping a lot of conversations and scenery in Tampere, and haven't quite had the time to edit them. When I find the time, I will need to figure out what editor I should use.

Finnish Independence Day, a quiet one

(Time to go, Leilani!)



(It's so warm indoors, but prettier out!)

Most public places and shops were closed today, so S, Z and I walked to Keskustori.



We watched soldiers marching and kids playing on tanks. It was crowded and cold.





We went to a cute little cafe called Valo (light) and were soon greeted by a group of friends.

And then we went home.