The Great Comeback

Isn't it great how I keep this blog updated?
no?

Quite a bit has happened since I last wrote here... (which is understandable because that was almost two months ago... oops) so prepare for a long blog. I've been Mushroom picking, I stayed with a few other families, hung out with Finnish friends, went to my first ice hockey game, learned a little Finnish, made a speech in front of all of the 1st and 2nd years at my school, painted a little, and baked the perfect chocolate chip cookies.
Okay, I can slow down a bit.

Before I talk about the language, let me give you a little perspective as to what I am learning. I was going to watch a movie and this was the menu that came up. Yes, the third one is Finnish. (the second one is Swedish)

I think Finnish is coming easier now. It's getting easier for me to understand things when they're directed at me and spoken slowly... sometimes I assume based on context though. I hear someone saying 'Finnish' in their question and I can assume they're asking if studying the language is going well... I usually answer with 'no'. Of course, I never really understand conversations, unless they're about colors or nationalities (and when I do understand I smile like and idiot and think 'YES I UNDERSTOOD THAT!'). Sometimes I understand what someone says after mentally translating it, but by the time I've done that the conversation has moved on and I missed what the response was.
And just in case any Finns are reading this, yes, I do know when you're talking about me. I don't know what you're saying but I know when you're talking about me.
Being an exchange student is definitely an adventure in language (and probably the only time you are encouraged to 'give in to peer pressure').

Things seem to be getting into a 'normal' routine now. I don't hang out with friends nearly as much as I did in the US, which gets me the most. I used to do something almost every day after school, and now I'm not doing much even on the weekends with friends. Most other daily things seem to have become relatively normal though. At least, until something is happening and no one is explaining it to me. Then I remember that I am the exchange student and I don't get to know what's going on.

It's picture time!

This is my house. 

This is an anthill - it's huge!

My first mushroom picking harvest!

My school

My first Reindeer sighting! (okay, we were at a farm) There have been no sightings of moose, but there will be soon.

Our second mushroom picking adventure!

... and the harvest!

Elisha and I went to Tampere to see Petteri (an exchange student from Finland to Northfield last year)
... of course we didn't think to get a picture of the three of us, so here's Petteri and I.

Cooked dinner for my family, dad's mashed potatoes and pork.

A not so pretty batch of cookies... but still quite delicious.

So, let's talk about ice hockey! Minä rakastan jääkiekko (I love ice hockey).
I went to my first game last week, TPS vs Blues, and it was wonderful. Men slamming other men against walls for a little black puck, screaming (and eventually drunk) Finns, brawls having to be broken up by referees, what a wonderful sport. I'm being completely serious too. It's possibly the most fun I've had watching a sport. It's amazing how many times they can hit each other without falling.
I've learned a total of one Hockey player's name, Mikko Koivu, who is one of the Finns who plays for the Minnesota Wild. For some reason everyone here knows him. Maybe he's the best player.
I want to learn all of the Finnish terms about hockey so I can expand my conversation topics and have 3 things I can talk about instead of two.

So, I think this blog is long enough, but to prove I made the perfect cookies I will leave you with a picture (and also because cookies are the best way to end anything)

See you soon (hopefully)
Heippa!