Posts Tagged ‘Finland’

Finally, I have gotten around to organizing, reminiscing, and writing about my travels throughout the infamous Mother Russia. Seeing as I was going to be spending Christmas alone, I decided to take the opportunity to visit Russia; I was closer than I had ever been to this alluring, mysterious country, and conveniently for my travel plans, most Russians are Orthodox – which means the country does not celebrate Christmas until January 7th. This meant that during my Christmas break the shops, hostels, trains and buses would be open and operating – unlike in Finland, where Christmas time is one of the most recognized and celebrated holidays.

Essentials ONLY!

I packed all of my belongings, stored my suitcases with a friend in Helsinki, moved out of my flat, and headed off to Russia – officially homeless and with nothing more than my 37 litre daypack. I got extremely lucky and had a mutual friend from Wisconsin who teaches English in Russia. His school just happened to be taking a field trip to Helsinki. Perfect. I met them at the Museum and jumped on their school bus to ride across the border! Hours and a Russian children’s film later, a dying iPod and a weary Kassidy arrived at the Finnish Russian border. The process of crossing the border is intese – security everywhere, a checkpoint at the Finish border, passport control, another checkpoint at the Russian border, and then a passport check to ensure everyone was properly stamped and accounted for. As your passport is checked you are presented a slip of paper that you must keep with you at all times, and have with you when you return across the Russian border – in addition, you must keep all of your paperwork, VISA, and passport on you at all times while in Russia. This is VERY important for obvious reasons. A bit intimidated, but too excited (and exhausted) to let it bother me, it finally hit me – I was on Russian soil.

Busing across the border...

After crossing the border we stopped at a roadside rest stop and I ate my first traditional Russian food: a type of macaroni and mayonaise salad, and a plate of unidentifiable fried meat. The children gobbled down their food and started a snowball fight outside. Luckily one of the boys ‘protected’ me as I borded the bus. The roads were especially dangerous that evening, with plenty of ice and sleeting snow, there was no shortage of vehicles in the ditches. I tried to sleep and stay calm, as I felt the bus fishtail frequently throughout the trip. Three minutes before the bus arrived at the school, I heard an unmistakeable gag and smelled vomit. The child sitting behind me had managed to projectile vomit down the isle of the bus. After the long day, (and the smell of fresh vomit), I was relieved to get off the bus and officially start my Russian adventure.

I started my journey by staying with an English teacher (the  mutual friend of my brother’s) in Pavlovsk, a small village is located to the south of St. Petersburg. Even though I had made it through all of the check points, it is a law that all foreigners must register their VISA and passport with the authorities within three days of crossing the border. My new acquaintance was a wonderful host  and helped me register my VISA, as well as informing me of some essential Russian survival ‘tips’.

First tip, no potable water in Russia. After a bit of online research I discovered that most of the water contains Giardia, and although there are water treatment plants located in some parts of Russia, “don’t drink the water”. Russia’s pipes are notoriously old and are known to disperse water of various colors, ranging from dingy yellow to rusty brown. In general if you do not like diarrhea, stick to bottled water – even for brushing teeth – it is available most everywhere and relatively cheap. Another bit of advice I received was: “boil it, cook it, peel it or forget it.” Got it.

Second tip, transportation. In order to travel by mini-bus, train or metro, I was told to get a map, learn the stops, learn some basic Russian, and watch my belongings. The mini-buses or even sometimes vans have numbers taped to their windows, there are no real schedules or clocks, they just arrive when they arrive, you flag them down, hopefully they’er not full, and you jump in and go. When you reach your desired stop there are no buttons to push to signal the driver to stop, so I  had two options: yell to the driver to stop in my best Russian accent, or pray that someone else was getting off at my stop and that they would yell at the driver. Conveniently there was a train located about 15 minutes from the flat I was staying at in Pavlovsk. The trains are more reliable and faster, but more expensive than a bus. Buying a train ticket was relatively easy, the hard part was not wrinkling or losing the train ticket. There are turns-dials located at the entrance and exit of the train stations in which the ticket must be scanned in order to get through; tickets are also regularly check on the trains as well. I learned that there were people who would some how manage to board trains without tickets and walk about the trains during the trip to avoid the ticket checkres, they would then leap off the platforms at their destinations into the snow to ‘bushwhack’ to their final destinations; the locals called these type of people ‘rabbits’. As for the Metro, St. Petersburg Metro is one of the deepest in the world, reaching depths of 105 metres (about 345 feet)! The St. Petersburg Metro is also known for its use of tokens. It is necessary to buy tokens to enter the Metro, after that I would then ride the escalator down into the depths and bowels of St. Petersburg, hopefully catch my correct line, and politely give up my seat to any Babushka or child. Navigating the Metro was confusing at first, but I got the hang of it after the second day. The most difficult part is dealing with the crowds; personal space is nonexistent in Russia, especially on the Metro.

Pavlovsk Park & Palace

Luckily my host accompanied me on my first trip to St. Petersburg from Pavlovsk, which made things much easier. We met another ‘expat’ for sushi one evening in the city, where I got more advice, practiced my pathetic Russian, and prepared for my  upcoming adventures, which would be alone!

Returning to Pavlovsk by train, I did some research about the village I was staying in. Pavlovsk is a picturesque ensemble in the valley of the Slavianka River. One of the advantages of staying in Pavlovsk was that my friend’s flat was literally 2 minutes from the famous Pavlovsk Palace. I took an afternoon to explore the park surrounding the Palace, as well as treat myself to a festive, winter wonderland, horse drawn sleigh ride! Unfortunately, many of the historical places in Russia charge extra if you are foreign, and charge even more if you want to take pictures – therefore I tried to find internet links that provide pictures! On the other hand,  these gouged ‘tourist’ prices enable the Russian people to have lower prices for their admission, to their own historical sites.

Next week join me as I show you around St. Petersburg!

Увидимся! (meaning ‘see you’ in English, pronounced ‘Uvidimsya’)

Kassidy

Studying, Exploring, Experiencing, and Blogging!

After surviving my winter break, and Russia for that matter, I have finally gotten settled in Sweden!

I will re-introduce myself, as my blog has recently changed locations from the MTU ParentNet Student Abroad, to the MTU IPS Student Abroad Blog. My name is Kassidy Yatso, and I have been the ‘student abroad’ blogger for the past 6 months while studying at the University of Helsinki, Finland, starting in late August 2010.

I received my B.Sc. in Applied Ecology and Environmental Science from Michigan Technological University’s (MTU) School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (SFRES) in December 2009, and chose to continue my education at MTU. I am currently part of an exchange program of American and European master’s students, leading to a dual (double) master’s degree, (in completion, I will obtain two MS diplomas, one from the US and one from an EU university). My Transatlantic Master’s Degree in Forest Resources requires a total of 2 years (4 semesters) across three universities in Finland, Sweden and the USA: 1 semester at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 1 semester at the University of Helsinki (UH), and 2 semesters (one study year) at MTU.

I have just completed my semester of graduate studies at the University of Helsinki, and am now attending SLU. I will be blogging about academics, culture, my travels, and much more! If you are just joining me, I am in transit between Helsinki, Finland, and Alnarp, Sweden, but my blogs from last semester are archived, so you can go back and read about Finland and last semester’s adventures

Map of SLU Alnarp Campus

After repacking all of my belongings in Helsinki for the move to Sweden, I realized I had some how accumulated more possessions that I thought. Luckily, one of my fellow classmates at UH was willing to drive me to the airport so I did not have to rangle my baggage on the Helsinki public buses. I will forever be grateful. A short hopper flight to Denmark, and I was in Copenhagen in less than two hours. Alone, attempting to navigate the airport, buy a train ticket to Malmö, and manage my baggage, I was taken back by the quiet, calmness and neatness of the Copenhagen Airport. Feeling a bit more relaxed, I caught the train to Malmö Central Station to meet up with other new SLU students and a ‘welcoming committee’. SLU had graciously offered to pick new students up at the railway station and bring us and our luggage to our new addresses, saving time, money, and inevitable frustration. I am currently living in Arlöv, Sweden, which is north of  Malmö, Sweden, and west of  Copenhagen, Denmark.

My Bike "Kermit"

I live in a student flat with two other forestry students; a Russian girl from the Moscow State University, and an Italian girl who is in the Erasmus Mundus  Programme. We all attend the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) this semester, taking part in the Euroforestry programme. I had one day to unpack, regroup, and reorganize before classes started for the Spring Semester. Luckily my roommates are in the same course programme and showed me around campus and the surrounding areas. I live about a 20 minute bike ride from the Alnarp campus, and about 5 minutes from the Burlöv Center (a large mall with a grocery store in it). I was fortunate enough to buy a bike upon my arrival to Sweden, from a fellow ATLANTIS student that was already at SLU. A bike is vital for survival here.

For the first half of the semester I will be taking a course titled “National and International Forestry Policy”. We have class Monday through Friday from nine to four, with an hour lunch break. It is much more reading intensive than my courses in Helsinki, with a more demanding schedule and course load. I think it will be easier to make friends here though, because it is the same 35 students every day, doing the same homework and field trips, with some of us living together as well. I am excited about the diversity of the class; there are students from Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Uruguay, and the United States. A very exciting mix indeed!

I have convinced my house mate to help me further my Russian linguistic skills, as I have just returned from Russia. In the upcoming weeks I will talk about my first week of class in Alnarp, and my adventures in Russia!

до свидания! (Do svidaniya pronounced duh svee-dah-nee-ye) which literally means in Russian, “Until (the next) meeting”

Kassidy

Questionable kebab...

I have always enjoyed cooking, and eating for that matter, and thought it would be interesting to write about the food in Finland this week. I was inspired by the other infamously popular question I get from my friends and family when I travel, about the food.  Starting with a brief ‘Finnish food history’, I put together a list of the the things I miss, wish I could afford, and some traditional Finnish foods I have tried. I also found some average Finnish prices (in Euros) of groceries, commonly bought items, and fast food, and converted U.S. dollars for a price comparison.

Finnish cuisine has been described as “generally simple, fresh and healthy”, thus, I wondered why I do not like most of it. I soon realized what I had been craving – spices! Spices are not common in traditional Finnish foods due to their historical unavailability. They are quite common in modern Finnish dishes though, influenced by Haute cuisine.

Things I miss the most: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, dark chocolate M&M’s, Annie’s Naturals Organic Cowgirl Ranch Dressing, traditional, fresh guacamole, hummus,  Reggae Reggae Sauce, (decent) celery, and my family’s homemade tomato juice, pesto, pickles, and salsa.

Things I wish I could afford: Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, almonds, sushi, and in general, going out to eat. Even the late-night kebab stands (that are questionable in quality) are, at a minimum, 6 Euros (over $8)!

A Karelian Pie

Traditional Finnish foods I have tried: cloudberries, Karelian pies, Lingonberries, Graavilohi, traditional Western Finnish rye bread Reikäleipä, Villi, Salmiakki, moose meat (thanks to my hunting friends), and Pulla (which is also common in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan due to it’s large Finnish population).

What is in my pantry/fridge: soy milk, musili, pasta, quinoa, pesto, salsa, rice, zucchini, salad, orange juice, dark chocolate, hot cocoa mix, cheese, tomatoes, feta, green olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, bread, tortilla chips, oatmeal, oranges, potatoes, stir-fry vegetables, copious amounts of teas and yerba mate, and wild rice.

I would have to agree with French President, Jacques Chirac, in that Finland is second only to Britain, for the country with the worst food...and the worst prices!

Average Grocery Shopping Prices in $USD:

Average Prices for Going Out to Eat in $USD:

I will definitely be ready to get back to my fully equipped kitchen, and cannot wait to eat food grown and prepared by my family!

Cheers,

Kassidy

Finnish Santa Claus and Mother Christmas

Contrary to popular belief, Santa Claus lives in Finland, not the North Pole! Santa Claus lives in Korvatunturi with his wife, Mother Christmas, and the Elves. Lucky for me, Santa decided to come down and visit Helsinki! I even found out that you can send a letter to Santa Claus using this address: Santa Claus, Santa Claus Main Post Office, FI-96930 Arctic Circle!

Being immersed in Finnish Christmas culture, I began to get curious and I started to do some research. I discovered that the Finnish Christmas has its roots in the old pagan harvest feast called kekri, named after the ancient Finnish cattle protector and fertility god. Kekri was celebrated around the end of November, or the end of the harvest season, marking the end of the year in the old agrarian calendar. After Christianity reached Finland in the 12th century, the traditions and habits of kekri began to assimilate with Christian Christmas celebration.

Winter snow out my bedroom window.

Interestingly enough, Finns celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve on the 24th of December. Shops in Helsinki close for the 25th and the 26th of December, and Christmas in Finland officially ends 13 days after Christmas Day. On Christmas Eve, Christmas dinner is typically served between 5 and 7 in the evening in Finland, which traditionally consists of oven-baked ham, rutabaga casserole, beetroot salad, and similar holiday foods. Christmas Eve in Finland is on the also consists of joyful carols and local Christmas songs. The Christmas presents are usually given out in the evening during a personal visit from the local Santa Claus. Other essentials on Christmas Eve in Finland are Christmas mass, and a visit to a Finnish sauna, of course. Unlike on normal days, when going to sauna is in the evening, on Christmas Eve it is before sunset. This tradition is based on a pre-20th century belief that the spirits of the dead return and have a sauna at the usual sauna hours.

Aleksanterinkatu Christmas lights in November

Not for the faint-hearted, another popular Finnish wintertime activity is ice swimming. Hardy Finns drill a hole in the ice that covers most Finnish lakes and the Gulf of Finland outside Helsinki in winter, and after a session in a sauna, dip into the ice-cold water for a refreshing swim. Devoted Finns swear that ice-swimming “invigorates the mind and the body, improves circulation and keeps colds and flu’s away”, and in general leads to good health and longevity. This reminds me of the ‘Polar Plunge’ we have in Houghton every spring, where college students and locals run across the frozen Portage and plunge into a hole cut in the ice! Brrrrrr!

Christmas is the biggest festival of the year in Finland, and preparations start weeks in advance. Christmas events in Helsinki include Christmas markets, concerts and special events like outdoor ice skating. The Railway Square (Rautatientori) just outside the Helsinki Railway Station transforms into an Ice Park from November to March. Helsinki’s official Christmas street is Aleksanterinkatu in the centre of the city, and traditional Christmas lights decorate the street from the last week of November. I found out that the Christmas lights on Aleksanterinkatu are a Finnish tradition that dates back to the 1930s!

Where's your car?

In my opinion there could be no better, yet no worse place to be for Christmas. Although the holiday spirit is very alive in Finland and the festivities are wonderful, the outrageous snow is starting to remind me of the horrors of Houghton, and there are constants reminders that I will be spending this Christmas alone this year. To remedy my mood, I chose to make the most of my situation and go to Russia – which is conveniently Orthodox! They will not be celebrating Christmas until January 6th and 7th, making it a perfect time to travel and see Russia in all of its snowy, splendid glory.

I am now preparing for Russia, moving out of my flat in Helsinki, packing all of my belongings for Sweden, and celebrating another successful semester of graduate school!

“Merry Christmas!” or “Hyvää Joulua!” (in Finnish)

Until next year,

Kassidy

This blog was sparked by an interesting question I received from one of my professors at the University of Helsinki. In general, he asked: “How is the college education system different in the United States?” Naturally, I responded with a sarcastic comment, something along the lines of the prices in Helsinki (figures just released by UBS revealed that Helsinki is among the top 10 most expensive cities in the world to live in!). Being the only native English speaker in a class of about 35 students, was I to be honest, polite, brutally honest? Where do I begin? What exactly did he mean? I had no idea if I was being targeted, or used as a spokeswoman for the US education system – this question began to rankle me the more and more I thought about it. Thus, this blog was born!

While studying at the University of Helsinki, I have been introduced to a very different education system; course schedules, extremely flexible learning, inconsistent class times, four period years, a numbered grading system (5 to 0 rather than A to F), and ‘ECTS’  European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System are just a few of the differences I have had to get used to. The most surprising discovery for me though, has been that education in Finland is free. You read that correctly, FREE – and not just for Finns!

'Free Education' Poster at University of Helsinki

I was amazed to find out that public Finish tuition is either free or a few hundred Euros a year! I was especially intrigued when I passed a poster at UH that stated “tuition-free, equal higher education is the cornerstone of the Finnish welfare state,” and that “free education makes societies prosper.” These posters were protesting Finland introducing tuition fees and/or increasing existing fees, which is now becoming popular all over Europe. I explored further, and found that the FINLAND Union of Students (SYL) and the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK were involved with these posters.  They state that “equal access to higher education is a human right and it should progressively be made free of charge”. (For more interesting information, visit their webpage http://www.maksutonkoulutus.fi/). They have some very engrossing information on the subject of ‘Free Education’. To my knowledge, currently, there are little or no charges for college education in Finland and most other European countries. There are some student fees that cover health insurance, school activities, social events, and give student discounts, but these fees are generally less than 100 Euros per year. Interestingly enough, the neighboring country of Sweden has started a trend this year by charging international and exchange students tuition fees. I believe that Finland is starting to feel pressure to do the same, hence the controversy, backlash, and protesting.

Scheduling courses has been interesting in Finland, as many of the course times overlap. The scheduling system seemed a bit disorganized to me at first, but the professors are wonderfully understanding and creative if you need to skip classes to attend other courses. Another tricky part for me, was determining exactly when class starts or ends; the course rubric may say one thing, but the class will usually tend to start 15 to 20 minutes later and end at different times each class period. In my experience in the United States, the class times are strictly followed to ensure a sufficient amount of time for students to travel between classes amongst other things. It is easy to see who the exchange students are though, because we always show up to class early!

At Michigan Tech, we function on a semester basis; this means that there are two semesters in an academic school year (Fall and Spring). In Finland, they function on a period system, with four periods in a year: Periods 1 and 2 in the Fall, and Periods 3 and 4 in the Spring.  Thus, the courses in Finland run for shorter periods of time, but are in larger blocks. For example, a class may only meet 8 times during a period, but the class periods are 4 to 5 hours long.

All EU course credits transferred to Michigan Tech will have a US passing grade of B or better based on the following grade equivalency between US and EU transcripts as shown above.

The grading system in Finland is number based, with 5 equaling an A,  and so on, with a zero failing the course completely. The credit system here is not like US college credits; most European countries use ECTS, or European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System. It has been determined by the ATLANTIS program that 3.3 ECTS in the EU University will be equal to 1 US credit; therefore, the typical US graduate credit load of 9 credits per semester equates to 30 ECTS. This can seem terrifying at first glance, and makes transferring fractions of courses back to MTU very interesting indeed! When I continue my education in Sweden this Spring, I will change back to a letter-based grading scale, though it is still different than what I am used to. The figure to the right does a wonderful job contrasting the grading systems of Michigan Tech, the University of Helsinki, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

The most common questions I have been asked while studying abroad  have been about US education, second only to US politics. I hope you learned something new from this more informational style blog; I was unaware of most of these systems and topics before I came to Finland. Being a student abroad is a life-changing experience, and I think it is especially important to remember that while we are students, we are also teachers.

Kassidy

This week I got to experience one of the world’s most infamous rivalries: Finland versus Russia. Finland and Russia have a tumultuous history together, and hockey is no exception.

Graph of the evolution of the top ten men's nations (2003-2010), IIHF World Ranking, Wikipedia.

I was lucky enough to attend the opening match between the Men’s National teams from Russia and Finland for the Karjala Cup. In short, this was the Finnish-hosted first round of the Euro Hockey Tour annual ice hockey championships, held since 1996. Finland’s Men’s National  ice hockey team has dominated this tournament, winning nine times since 1996 (1996, 1998-2005). The Finnish hockey team won bronze in the 2010, and silver in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Finland is considered a member of the “Big Seven” in hockey, which consists of: Canada, Russia, the USA, Slovakia, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. The Russian men’s national ice hockey team is currently rated number one in the IIHF World Ranking (see figure to the left). The team follows a long tradition of Soviet teams, which are mostly composed of Russian players.

Men's National Hockey: Russia vs. Finland

The atmosphere and attitude of European hockey is much different that American hockey, though many European players play in the NHL. The first major difference I noticed was that while fighting, checking, and violence in general is applauded in the US, it is looked down upon by most Finns. The game was quite clean with very few penalties, no fights, and barely any checking. There were a surprising amount of Russian fans attending this game, with Russian flags and the “Россия” (Russia) chant dominating the evening.The game was actually quite uneventful, with no goals scored until the end of the third period; with just two minutes left, the Russians scored an extremely lucky goal, and ended up winning the game 1 to 0. The crowd went wild! Horns were blowing, people were screaming, and someone even unveiled a giant Russian flag that covered an entire seating section of the arena!

Nine other international students went to the game as well. We had great tickets located center ice, in the first row of the upper deck. For some of the students, this was the first hockey game they had ever attended – very exciting indeed! One of the students with us was Russian; we were good friends and celebrated the Russian win, though most of us were routing for Finland.

For those not familiar with Finnish and Russian history, there have been countless territorial disputes, battles, and even wars between these to bordering countries. This rivalry has been described to me by Finns as boldly as: “David and Golliath, good and evil, democracy and totalitarianism, freedom and slavery.” I would highly suggest doing some personal research about the history of Finland and Russia, and forming your own opinions. I will say that it is very interesting from a historical perspective. Click here for video clips from the documentary aired on PBS entitled: Fire and Ice: The Winter War of Finland and Russia.

Kassidy

Pyhäinpäivä tradition, candles in a Finnish cemetery.

Saturday, November 6th, 2010.

In Finland, Pyhäinpäivä, (All Saint’s Day or Hallowmas in English), is celebrated at the turning of October to November. There may be some of you who wonder why this holiday was not celebrated on November 1, seeing as how Halloween is celebrated on the 31st of October in the United States; apparently, there is a Finnish habit of celebrating some religious festivals on “the closest Saturday”, which happens in this case to be November 6. This prominent festival, important to Finnish culture, is celebrated by commemorating the departed. According to Finnish history, All Saint’s Day traditionally has two meanings: to honor all saints and to remember those passed over. In turn, All Saint’s Day was originally brought together from two successive celebrations.

In Finland All Saint’s Day is a considered a devout and quiet celebration. All Saints’ Day is typically celebrated by bringing flowers to , and lighting candles on the graves of close relatives. To my surprise, the custom of decorating headstones with candles and flowers was not started until after the Second World War. It was recommended to pay a visit to the churchyard in the evening on All Saints’ Day, as it is supposed to be a beautiful experience.  Most Finnish families will visit the churchyard during this day. It is also a popular tradition to attend a church service. All Saints’ Day is the fifth most popular day for Finns to attend religious services.

Lucky for myself and fellow international students, I heard a rumor in class to go to the store right away and buy anything you might need for the weekend. The people that told me were other international students, and had no idea why this was happening, but were frantically passing on this advice. I casually told my friends, and one of my fellow ATLANTIS students told me it was due to All Saint’s Day. Indeed, the next day, All Saint’s Day, shops in Finland were closed. I even found out that the local and regional buses ran on “irregular” timetables.

In Finland there is not a tradition for children going door-to-door for tricks or treats on All Hallows Eve, such as Halloween in the United States. During my research, I discovered  that the closest holiday tradition in Finland, to an American Halloween, is when children dress up like witches on Palm Sunday, and go from door-to-door collecting sweets – very interesting! In asking around, I have also discovered that the businesses have started to cater to the traditional Halloween interests of the local and international students; you can go to most large department stores and find stereotypical costumes, decorations, and party favors. Halloween parties have also become popular in Finland, though I think most people will find any excuse to get dressed up and throw a good party – or eat a ton of candy!

My tiny kitchen, and bedroom entrance.

My apologies for the long break between my last blog. Getting ready to leave was very hectic with research, new roommates/subleasers moving in, packing up my life and moving out,  banking headaches, legal paperwork, and finally finding time for friends and family!

Common room with patio, shared by 8 students.

Alas, after moving, driving, good-bye-ing, hugging, flying, jet-lagging, hostel-ing, and traveling, I have a home!

I am now officially living in Helsinki, Finland! My apartment/flat is a furnished 1-bedroom, with a bathroom and kitchen that are shared with one other person. The student living with me is another American, ATLANTIS student from NCSU. The apartments are set up so that there are 8 students total living in a large complex, sharing a social living room area and a patio, but each of us really only ‘lives’ with 1 other student.

My desk, nightstand, and bed.

The other tenants in my complex (that I know of thus far)include 1 German and 2 Egyptian men. The building also has saunas, a gym, and a ‘recreation’ room with a pool table, tv, kitchenette, games and books.  We also get a cleaning lady that comes once a week, and our linens washed for free! Interestingly enough, there is no wireless internet, though the rest of Finland seems to have wireless EVERYWHERE. It has also been quite a change to get used to everything being locked – I am one of those people who never locked anything in Houghton – not even my car or apartment! Here there are locks on everything, with the doors automatically locking behind you. Hopefully I do not lock myself out: it is a 10 € to 20 € charge to get a room unlocked, and a 50 € charge if I lose my key.

I am a 5 minute walk from the bus stop that takes me right to the Helsinki University Viikki Campus. There are also wonderful nature paths that can lead to campus as well. It is about a 40 minute walk, and will be a pleasant bike ride when I get a bike. I have walked to and from campus a few times, but think I will enjoy the bus when the weather starts to get colder.

My bedroom closet and poster board wall.

The shared bathroom.

The public transportation here is the best I have ever been on. We will get student discounted bus tickets, making busing easy and affordable. There is also a nice little grocery store located right outside my apartment building – you can see it from my bedroom window (Yellow building with red writing, “Alepa”). You get charged for grocery bags in Finland; luckily I brought a bag in my luggage that works great and helps reduce waste! The local high school student hang-out is right by the grocery store as well. From what I have seen they mostly skateboard, BMX bike, play soccer/’football’, and hang out. It is like having my own living ‘Finnish Fish Tank’ to watch. There is also construction happening right now; it was a great day to move in – no hot water today due to the construction! All I wanted was a hot shower!

View from my bedroom window.

Bicycles are everywhere! I am going this week to buy a bike from the ‘Recycle’ – which is what they call the local secondhand shop. The sidewalks are very wide here, with one lane for bikes and another for walkers – a nice change from the biker unfriendly Houghton! They even have sidewalk washing machines that go through and spray the sidewalks; this is the cleanest city I have ever been in as well. There are trees everywhere, with many of the same species found in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It was fun identifying plants as I walked to campus.

This past week we have been on an Orientation Field Trip all over the Southern and Central parts of Finland. I am currently compiling the best photos for the next blog from everyone that went on the trip. The University had the 5 ATLANTIS students currently at UH, as well as the International English Masters students venture out and about with the project coordinator, a few UH professors, and some guest speakers to see Forestry in action in Finland.

Kiitos! (‘thank you’ in Finnish)

Kassidy

Your new blogging Ecologist!

My name is Kassidy Yatso, and I will be the ‘student abroad’ blogger for the next 6 months. I will be studying at the University of Helsinki, Finland, starting in late August, blogging about academics, culture, my travels, and much more!

I received my B.Sc. in Applied Ecology and Environmental Science from Michigan Technological University’s (MTU) School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science (SFRES) in December 2009, and chose to continue my education at MTU.

I am currently part of an exchange program of American and European master’s students, leading to a dual (double) master’s degree, (in completion, I will obtain two MS diplomas, one from the US and one from an EU university). My Transatlantic Master’s Degree in Forest Resources requires a total of 2 years (4 semesters) across three universities in Finland, Sweden and the USA: 1 semester at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), 1 semester at the University of Helsinki (UH), and 2 semesters (one study year) at MTU.

I successfully completed my first semester of graduate classes this Spring (2010) at MTU and am currently finishing up my second outdoor field season. My master’s research involves investigating the optimal planting depth and timing for switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as well as the effects of increasing weed competition on switchgrass biomass allocation.

I will be traveling to UH on August 23, 2010, to continue my studies for the next semester (Fall 2010).

Let the adventure begin!

Kassidy