Finally, A Spring Update (Vappu included)

It feels like I haven't blogged in ages! Not good, Leilani, not good. As of today, one out of my three essays are IN. THE. BAG! The one I just handed in was about the Price-Anderson Act, which is the nuclear liability law in the United States.* The second two are learning diaries for classes in internet governance and media literacy and education. Once I'm done, I would like to travel to at least three other cities in Finland! My sights are set on Joensuu, Turku, Lahti, Pori and the Aland islands. Its a bit far and pricy to get to Rovaniemi (not to mention, the best season for that trip is over), but who knows! There are so many beautiful places in the world. And so many interesting people. Today at lunch, there were three older men sitting on the table next to us, speaking quite loudly. One man's accent sounded particularly New York-ish, and I got really excited about my plans for this summer. (I still remember the time Amaya wanted to know how much Ugg boots cost in the U.S., and I called a supplier in New York just to hear what people spoke like.) Here's a How To on talking with a NY accent: http://www.ehow.com/how_2121885_talk-new-york-accent.html.

One superimportant event that I didn't mention yet is Vappu. On Vappu, Tampere turns into a completely different place. The event is celebrated on April 31st and May 1st around Finland, and it is basically a giant party in the name of Labor Day. High School graduates celebrate by wearing a white student cap; marches and speeches are held in the city; picnics are taken in the park; first year engineering students are dipped in the lake; and everybody gets totally drunk and crazy. It was like a music festival in a crowded city, where everything is possible. I saw a fire in the park, lots of broken glass on the ground, young people drinking next to policemen, bodies lying on the ground... It was so messy and noisy! Walking back to my neighborhood, I felt relieved and comforted to feel the stillness and quietness.



(Shiz and I picnicking on Vappu)

Let's see what else... Last Wednesday, an American friend and I visited the Finnish high school Sammon Keskulukio again, talking with students from English and media classes. We got the usual questions: "Why did you come to Finland?" "What were some of the cultural shocks you experienced?" "How did you deal with the winter?" "What are schools like the US?" "How do you like Finnish food?" It was slightly painful to reflect on the experiences of the past year when I only have a few weeks left. Anyway, I'd better prepare myself with answers to these questions for when I get back.

The atmosphere at the Finnish lukio (school) just felt so different from high schools back home, which was full of teenage angst, hormones, insecurity, peer pressure, hookups and breakups. I'm sure some of this still goes on, but I noted a relatively calm and collected crowd, quite reserved. Students call their teachers by their first names; are encouraged, not required to participate; and have relative autonomy in choosing their classes and schedules. Here, high school is a place for academics (or also for athletics). In the US, my favorite memories of high school were at student activities like morning broadcast and cross country. It's hard to choose which system I would prefer, but it is clear that Finland doesn't have the education disparity like in the US.

I was again surprised to hear that the male percentage of these soon-to-be high school graduates would be doing a mandatory year of military service. They have the option to alternatively choose the civil service, but it is not popular. Some girls said that it was not manly, and that they would laugh if a guy said he was joining the civil service. Guys said that they heard it was a great experience in terms of discipline and service to their country.

Anyway, I found it very fun and informative to talk to the high school students. We asked them what sorts of issues they spoke about with friends or at home. Two that came up were: Finnish involvement in the EU and the current job situation (with a reduction in cultural/artistic jobs and increase in construction and medical ones). I wonder what I was thinking about back then...

Well, many things going on in the world and in Tampere and in my life and in everybody else's (is that even a word?) lives. Only time (and a bit of steering) will tell!

*Basically, the PAA establishes a no-fault compensation mechanism for any damages in the event of an accident. Critics call it a subsidy, because if the damages exceed the $12.5 billion liability cap, the government may use taxpayer money. Proponents say it is necessary in encouraging nuclear energy, and gives an incentive for mutual monitoring. The issue with the liability is that it is difficult to measure all the external costs and benefits involved in nuclear energy production. From the start up to operations to decommissioning to waste storing to natural catastrophes, there are lots of risks involved. There is a lot of money and support in supporting the nuclear energy, but this substitutes money and support that could be going to safer, more sustainable energy sources. Whether the nuclear liability law is efficient, and what would be a better solution, was the objective of my paper.