No matter how much things change, they always stay the same.

In the past two months, my life has completely changed. In moving to Finland, I've had to adapt to everything being new and different, from little things like the shape of the electrical sockets, to bigger things, like a new language. I had to leave my family that I've been living with for 17 years, and move in with a family that, as of about 2 months ago, I hadn't seen nor heard before in my life. I've had to leave my friends of 8-4 years, and make new friends. I've had to learn how to remember to say 'Hyvä huomenta' in the morning instead of 'good morning'. I've had to learn how to laugh at my stupid mistakes, like saying 'Hyvä huomenna' (Good tomorrow?) and confusing 'brother' and 'water'. It's kind of humbling, stepping foot into a culture where you can't communicate with everyone like you are used to doing. It's re-learning how to behave in a culture that you've never been in before, and having to get used to doing new things without insulting people by calling it 'weird'.

It's suprising though, in that how much has changed in the past two months, so much has remained the same. I don't know how to explain it very well, but people don't seem to change much personality-wise. There are character traits that I see in people here that remind me of traits I see in people back in Canada. When I notice something like that, I feel a little tugging on my heart, like it's pulling me 'home' in a sense. It's ...I can't put it into words. It's like a feeling that no matter where I am, there's always going to be something that's familiar, and that makes it hard to forget everything about my 'previous life' and just be here and not here, AND Canada at the same time. I absolutely love it here, and I don't know where I'm trying to go with this, but I love it here, and I don't wish for a second that I hadn't gone. I'm not trying to say that I don't miss people and stuff that you just can't find here, because I do. I miss some things and people so much, but I know that it will all be there when I get back.

Okay, now for some what-I-did-these-past-days time:

Friday :I went to school and then decided that art wouldn't be as cool as celebrating our two month anniversary with Sasha, Tamra and Marion. So I hopped the bus to Tampere and after a while I found Sasha's apartment. That involved some directions given by her hanging out of a window on her phone and me standing in the middle of the road looking for her. Heh. Fun times. So we went shopping and I got a jacket, because in Finland, you need a fall jacket, because it's not cold enough for a winter jacket yet, but it's not warm enough to wear a sweater. So me and Sasha now have almost matching jackets, mine is black and white, and hers is brown and turquoiseish (like her and Marion's tights!!!). We walked around and talked and stuff, and eventually we all went our separate ways. Me and Sasha are host cousins, being that my host family is her host family's cousins:D. So Friday night I went to this 'rap concert' with my host sisters because I had a lack of anything else to do. It was okay, there were alot of 12 year olds and younger kids there, but it was interesting. They breath-a-lyzered me on the way in, and went through my bag, but I took my camera in and took some pictures. It was free, or I wouldn't have gone. Not that I don't like rap, I just....don't like rap. Not enough to pay for it, unless it was MC Solaar or something. He has GOOD rap.

Saturday:Annina had this competition thing in Anttilla in the afternoon, so I went with the family to support her. It was like a competition to be sort of a public relations person thing with Anttilla I think. I really don't understand it fully, but yeah. Alas, she didn't win, but she did good. I'm proud of her. After that, we(Riitta(hostmom),Annina, Jannika, and my host grandma and some friend of Riitta's) went to "Manhattan Steak House" for some lunch. It was good food, although messy. VERY messy. Then Saturday night I went to Helianna's house for some movie watching with a bunch of people from school. That was fun, we watched "Duplex" which wasn't a bad movie. It had some funny points. We ate burritos and listened to music and talked and stuff. It was rather fun. I biked there, because if I took the bus, I would have had to walk home anyways(because the bus is double price after midnight, even with my bus card), and it's about a 10 minute walk from the bus stop anyways. So I met up with Hellu and Ulpa and biked down to Helianna's place. It was all in all an enjoyable evening.

Sunday:I woke up fairly early(10.30)and tidied my room, and then basically talked to Annina and knitted(?) all day. I've pretty much finished the scarf that I started last Monday, so that was pretty quick.

On a side note, just for the parentals because I know you're reading this :P :I haven't gained that much weight yet...only about 3 or 4kgs. Which isn't bad mind you, because Iwent from eating about 2.5 meals a day to eating about 4 or 5. 6 on Wednesdays. Heh. So I may be "fat", but at least I have long, not-gray hair DAD:P

Hahahahahahhahaha...