Je veux pas partir!

So yes, I have about 7 weeks before I will be in Finland... And it makes me feel so sad like reallllyyyy sad and angry, unsatisfied and deep and thoughtful. Of course I want to see my finnish friends after long time but Im not ready for that.

For me the last two weeks have changed a lot. During the last two weeks I have felt so happy, even when I have felt stressed or I have had no motivation to do something. I have been happy. About one week ago one person asked me when I'll go back to Finland. I said that in about 2 months. And I realized that I time is really flying I should not wait for doing the things I want to do, I just have to do them now!

Please stop the time and let my fly! // Sion

This year has taught me a lot. Really A LOT! It's not just about the language (even if it's really hepls you a lot when you know the language) but it's about all these experiences... The good and the difficult ones. Just till christmas it was pretty different, I have to admit. It wasn't really difficult for me but often I wasn't the happiest me, I wasn't able to enjoy be the person I wanted to be, myself. I was maybe scared of something, maybe I thought that if I do the things I want I will lose something or someone.

Fribourg💚💙

About my host country, Switzerand I have to say that really it's a wonderful country, so beautiful, so rich (and I don't mean only the economy but cultural richness). And I'm 99,99999% (I can't say 100% because I haven't try the other options) happy  thay I that I'm doing my exchange year here. But still it's not maybe the easiest country if we think about doing your exchange year. What for?

1. It's pretty hard to know if people here want to be your friends or not... They are all polite and nice to you but they don't still take contact, it's you who have to go and take contact. 

   

   Library in a park // Soleure

2. In Switzerland there are a lot of people from the other countries. They are not that interested about you because you are not so different. And Im pretty sure that more than 80% of the people from my school don't know that Im an exchange student. (Maybe for in some case that's a good thing but maybe not)
3. Even if you are pretty similar to Swiss people and you are not really special, you don't still belong here. You are still not Swiss. You are still the new one. And that's sometimes pretty frustrated.

   

   This is Guy. He is funny (strange). Im gonna miss him.

4. Almost all the students here make effort for school. And that takes their time. Of course we should understand that, but for exchange students it can be a little sad and integrating can be more difficult. At least if your like me: you don't want to be annoying and ask all the time help because it's disturbs the concentration and I often feel like Swiss doesn't like if you know something better them because "you are just an exchange student" and also swiss don't have that much time to do things with you.
5. And the last thing that I don't like here at all. It's so EXPENSIVEEEE!! Like if you are coming to Switzerland and you will stay here for long time, BUY GA or AFTER 7 ticket for train. Like really it maybe costs a lot but I did that mistake that I bought only Half-price ticket, so I have to pay "only" half price if I take a public transport. But I say it to you now, more than 80% of the money that I have spent here, I have spent it for train tickets. So buy that GA travel ticket and travel whenever and wherever for free! Or the cheaper option: After 7 ticket and travel for free between 7pm and 5am.

Im a really big train fan 🙃

And now when everyone think that Switzerland is so bad country I have say that all those things that I wrote are just my thougts! It's not always like that! Anonce again: Switzerland is an amazing country and I love it! It just makes you stronger when it challenges you sometimes but I have done so many good, better, the best memories of my life. 

When you haven't slept sso you start taking selfies with horses and indians in a shopping mall😎

But like right now when Im the happiest me ever... Why I don't want to go back to Finland? So here just some reasons:

1. My best friends are here. Of course my best friends are also in Finland, but the difference is that I know when Im going to see them, I knew all the time that we will see again. But when I will leave from here, when my exchange student friends will leave from here to the other side of world, I won't have no idea if we will ever meet again. And Im crying when I even think about that.
   
   

   

   I love that Vampire Hanna❤

2. My home is here, so are my family and my school, my life is here. And it's never be the same again.
3. I have changed so much. Also physically  (+10kg👐👐 all muscles right 🤔) but mostly I mean the way I think. I appreciate so much everything. I live in the moment. I don't worry if something is not going how I would have liked. I take riskes and even if I'm scared, I trust that everything isbgoing to be better. I enjoy. Of course I still stress and feel sometimes bad but fast, it goes away.

   

   I really like buying chocolate, and eating is even nicer!
4. The exchange student spirit. Something that I'm going to miss so so so so much. The feeling when you are going somewhere with exchange students. With the people that you know maybe already well, maybe it's the first time you meet. You take the train, you eat, listen music or speak or take photos but in every case you are happy. You have that feeling. You feel how the others in the train listen you, your accent. They look at you, your smile. And you just feel so happy. The feeling of being part of a big exchange student family. One of those hundreds, even more, thousands exchange students who share the same problems, same passions, same feeling and also they are all different and you can learn so so much from them.

   

   Night selfie exchange student style

5. The feeling of being free. I can do the things. Of course with freedom comes also responsability. People trust me, I won't do the too stupid things. (Just a little stupid things😎) And no one will juge me, no one really knows me, they don't except me to be some kind of person. Or if they do, it's their problem, I don't care, I enjoy. 

   

   Free to travel ( and to spend money🙃)

6. Making new experiences. Even those, which you are afraid of. When you now you have just fixed time to do things, you really act for making yours dreams come true. You want to enjoy, so you do it. It so much about your attitude. I have done so wonderful experiences and visited new places and just want to do more.

   

   I took so long time to visit Bern the first time, now been there more than 5 times in a month...

7. Learning new. Every day. And from many new, different people. Also learning to know myself, my goals, my dreams. To learn trusting. Believing myself, that I'm strong enough.

So yep if ever someone reads this text and think (even a little) about going on exchange, I say you: Go! Do it, don't be scared, you will spent your money but it's really worth it!

I spent 70 francs for train tickets just for that night... But it was worth it, don't regret at all!! // Luzern❤

P.s last weeks I have been so busy (happy). I have spent time with exchange students, my family and talked with my class mates and other people. I have bought a gym "ticket" and so started to go to the gym. So much more motivation to do sports!! I have also bought more than 1kilo of  the best chocolate in the world at same time. (It's all about the balance😉) I have spent an amazing night without sleeping (okay I slept for 1 and half hour) and the day after was do nice too! I have met more exchange students and been happy. And ran my first 16km (actually 10miles) ever. The ambiance was so awesome that it wasn't even that bad. And the feeling after doing something I have done never before is something very nice.

Grand-Prix von Bern!!🏃🏃

I also have normal version of this picture but this picture doesn't lie... // YFU girls

So, "La vie est belle!" Or something... Everything is fine, except the fact that I have to go back to Finland... But happy to have at least my last 6 weeks here. Even the text in the end of the email "home coming letter" I got a few days ago, didn't make me feel better. But I'm going to write it here in every case, because I find it still pretty reasonnable... so here it comes...

"It's not over - it's just the beginning!"

Until now I have done 9, 13, 15, 18, 22, 27 (already before) but also 5, 7, 12 (ok it was just different not so radical so it's not very well done), 20, 23, 28 (I'm not sure if I really can say that it was a sleepover but at least spending all night with friends). So 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 23, 27 and 28 of the things to do "before I leave Switzerland"
done!

YFU SKI CAMP

Hello!

First of all I just wanted you all to know that one week ago I wrote a really long and nice post here. I wrote what I think about being an exchange student and why should you do an exchange year and how can you recognize (??? I can't write English any more...) an exchange student. I also wrote about YFU ski camp where I was after christmas holidays. ... Now you probably think why I didn't post it and I will tell you the answer. So, I wrote the text in a bus when I was going to Zurich. I had a lot af time so I thought that I could write a nice text. But at the next day at home when I thought to add some more pictures before publishing the post I couldn't find it any more. ...Because I hadn't saved it, because I didn't have the internet connection... Afterwards I was too lazy to write everything again and I'm still too lazy so I'm going to write just something about the AWESOME YFU SKI CAMP!!

SHREK 💚 + advanced ❤

Sun and mountains 👌

So, the 8th January I took the train from Fribourg to Meiringen with the other exchange students. It was kind of big catastrophe to carry the skis and all the other stuff... But yes finally we arrived to the Meiringen. We slept in a hostel or that kind of place. In my room, there were 20 girls and I could say that it was pretty much... It wasn't really big room and there were clothes and everething everywhere... But it was okey and we didn't really spend much time in our rooms.

❤

So, Sunday we had like Mid Year meeting and something and it was actually pretty nice... Like in PAO... But Monday we started to skiiiiii!!!! There were many different groups: for beginners, medium and advanced. I was all the time with Medium Pro a.k.a. SHREK❤️ it was the best group of course! The weather was perfect almost all the time and the pistes were really good too. We bought our lunches ourselves and we had 20 francs for 4 days. It doesn't seem to be enought money, but it was really!  We made lunch groups and bought bread, mayo, apples, chocolate, cheese (of course!), salami (that was really expensive, almost 5 fr. for 150g, but it was ok) and bananas that we lost twice... 😅 And of course we had water too!

After skiing, we bought food for next day and after we returned to the house. We played cards and board games and just spent time. Once we also went to the swimming pool... There were also some old ladies doing water jogging (??)  and I'm not sure if they were happy about 30-40 youngs making noise and splashing water... At least we had fun.😌  And the last night we went out to dance and sing and it was so nice also.

Finland, Estonia, Lithuania 

Only sad thing was that many students got sick and they couldn't ski with us... And it wasn't very nice  at night when everyone in your room is coughing... But they can't help it and I'm just so happy that I didn't get sick.

Blue sky and white mountains 

So, as a resume I can say that the camp was really AMAZING and we had so much fun! It was also pretty funny when you speak mixed English and French, and it was really hard to speak English... We danced, we sang, we laughed (also we ate and did the dishes) and made many new memories! And I'm already missing everyone. Without all exchange students (59 ? ) and the volunteers the camp woudn't have been the same. Hope to see you soon!! ❤️❤️ And big thank you for YFU Switzerland to organize everything!! The YFU volunteers are the best!

Ça va bien, bien, bien

Elikkäs joo, täällä taas kuulumisia... Viime lauantaina oli fête de Saint-Nicolas (virallisesti se oli vasta tiistaina, mutta lauantaina on parempi juhlistaa!). Mutta tosiaan "juhlistettiin" sitä sitten palelemalla ulkona 30 000 (!!!!!) muun kanssa. Seurana mulla oli tällä kertaa YFU:n vaihtareita, joiden kanssa kierreltiin ensiks kaupungilla sitten käytiin kattomassa kulkuetta, joka koostui Père Fouettard eista (tuo risuja jos on ollu tuhma) ja laulavista ja soittavista lapsista (ja tais siellä muutama vanhempikin olla) ja tietysti lopulta saapui myös Saint Nicolas. Sitten kuunneltiin Saint Nicolaksen puhe, ranskaks ja saksaks. Ja ymmärsin käytännössä kaiken!!! Mun osalta ilta jatkui perheen kanssa, kun käytiin yhen toisen perheen kanssa syömässä. Ja oli oikein mukavaa! Illallistaminenkin on nyt taas jo paljon kivempaa, kun ymmärtämisen lisäks pystyy ehkä avaan suunsa ja osallistuun keskusteluun, enemmän tai vähemmän tietysti.😅😅

Sunnuntaina meillä oli peli, joka päättyi, no miten sen nyt sanois... Ei niin kovin hyvin meidän kannalta. Niin, ja meillä on nyt vihdoin valmentaja. Itse asiassa kaks! Näin parin kuukauden jälkeen oli hieman outoa, etenkin kun ei kovin hyvin tunneta (ekan kerran nähtiin just sunnuntaina pelissä). Mutta nyt reeniä takana ja eilen eli lauantaina meillä oli taas peli. Tappio tuli, mutta meni taas paljon paremmin, kun aiemmin! Ja ehkä sitä on itelläkin jotain kehitystä tapahtunut, kun pääsen useimmiten pelaan aina alivoimaa ja vaikka tiivistetään kahteen ketjuun, niin minäpä pääsen kentälle!! Ja parasta on, että syöttöjä alkaa nyt saada meneen jopa perille ja, pakko mainita, taklasin eilen ekaa kertaa kunnolla!! (tietysti silleen sääntojen mukaisesti!)

Tällä viikolla koulussa on ollut aika perussettiä. Maanantaina uusittiin matikan koe (edellisellä kerralla luokan ka oli 2.46 /6 suunnilleen (ite sain 1.3...), mutta nyt kun käytiin uudestaan asiat läpi ka oli 3.6 /6 ja mä sain 4.5 (!!!!) )

Aina kaks pyykkinarua mun urheiluvaatteiden käytössä ja välillä kolmekin...

Tiistaina treenit valmetajan kanssa, ja rankkuutta/luistelua on kyllä enemmän. Tykkään!
Keskiviikkona koulun jälkeen Eyan (tunisialainen vaihtari) kanssa käytiin tekeen jouluostoksia. Tai ainakin yritettiin tehdä...
Torstaina oli vapaa!!!🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 Jeeeeee!! Sai nukkua pitkään, jopa 8.20 asti, jolloin superkirkas aurinko herätti verhojen ynnä muitten läpi. Valitettavasti aurinko kuitenkin päätti kadota sumuverhon taakse about klo 10, eikä se sieltä sitten enää tullut esille, ainostaan lyhyesti ilmottaan, että ei oo sammunut.
Perjantaina koulua, onneks taas parin tunnin hypäri, jolla sain tehtyä italian läksyt, ja selattua polttavimmat puheenaiheet internetin ihmemaasta. Koulun jälkeen päätin mennä ostaan kaiken mitä aion Suomeen lähettää jouluks... Kyllä vain, paketti tulossa... Onnistuin myös nouseen väärään bussiin, josta sitten poistuin kahden pysäkin jälkeen. Totesin, että tästähän ei oo ees pitkä matka kävellä mun kohteeseen, elikkäs siis kauppaan nro 2, mutta ilmeisesti tein jonkin sortin laskuvirheen, koska saavuin kohteeseen noin 30 minuutin kuluttua (huomioi vielä mun perus kävelyvauhti, jolla voisin päästä vaikka olympialaisiin!) Niin ja olisin siis kävellyt kaupasta nro 1, kauppaan nro 2 suoraa tietä 5-10 minuutissa. No ostokset tuli kuitenkin tehtyä...

Jouluvalot on the point!

Eilen lauantaina mulla oli siis peli, josta jo kerroinkin. Sitä ennen kuitenkin kiiruhdin esittelemään Suomea YFU:n Choose Your Country Day:hin. Eipä ollut paljoakaan työtä (lukuunottamatta keksien syöntiä, mutta oli huisia!) Pelireissulta paluu taas mukavasti puoli yhdeltä yöllä ja jatkoin suoraan tuttavaperheen luokse, missä muut oli tietysti jo illallistanut. Mulle tarjottiin sitten ruokaa, ja päätin olla kohtelias ja hyväksyin tarjouksen, kun kaikki ylisti ruokaa aika reippaasti. Liityin myös itse tähän ylistyskuoroon, kunhan sain lautasen tyhjennettyä. Aika vierikin nopeasti, ja pian kello oli jo 2:30 ja oli aika lähteä kotia kohti. Siitä sitten nukkumaan pakollisten velvollisuuksien jälkeen ja sain nukuttua mukavat reilut viisi tuntia, ennen kuin se mahtikirkas aurinko taas herätti ennen klo 9. No tässäpä hyvä syy, lopettaa turhat höpöttelyt ja mennä nyt nukkumaan!

Hedelmät on rakkaus ja niitä on aina paljon saatavilla. Maapähkinöitä joulunajan erikoisuutena myös paljon tarjolla. Nams!

Paitsi että pitää vielä mainita, että meillä oli maanantaina superkiva liikkatunti! Pelattiin käsipalloa niin, että sai ottaa ihan kunnolla kontaktia, ja välillä nähtiinkin toisten jaloissa kirjaimellisesti roikkuvia pelaajia, samoin kun toisia kantavia pelaajia. Meni kyllä urheilusta ja oli huisia!! Nyt ei sen enempää asiaa, kun Adiö!!

PAO - le camp de YFU

Salut!

 Sorry guys, I had "some" technical problems so there is no photos and there may be too many mistakes... But I try to add photos soon!

So, as you can maybe guess from the title, I spent last week at a camp for all the YFU students in Switzerland. And I have to say that the week was one of the best weeks in my life! There were 57 students from 32 different countries and we cannot forget all the volunteers that organized the camp! Monday I took a train with some other students and started my trip to Les Bois, where  (very near to border of France, in canton of Jura)

But first I'm going to tell you a little what I did before the camp. So, before the camp I sent a little packet to my family in Finland and I can tell you that it is very expensive to send packets from Switzerland... But yes, I also got a packet from my family! There were many different things in the packet, for example: finnish sweets and chewing gum and also some warm clothes. Thanks for the packet!!
I have also baked some apple crumble for my host family and some finnish oat biscuits for the camp to share with the other exchange students.

Also the camp, we did a little hike in Jura. It was very nice even if the weather wasn't the best... But it was also pretty amazing to see how the fog was going up (we really saw the fog moving!) and after a few hours there wasn't fog anymore. And also sun was shining!! (for few minutes...😒)

Fog, fog, fog 

Really couldn't see a lot...

We did the hike with an other family and you can guess how surprised I was when I heard the mom of the family speaking Finnish to me!! My hostmom hadn't tell anything about it before...😁 So the women, who spoke me Finnish, is from Finland (such a big surprise...) but she has lived also in
Sweden, Canada and Switzerland. But yes, it was like REALLY STRANGE to hear Finnish and even
more strange to talk it... (it's not the same thing as skype with your family in Finnish... (which is also  strange))

Later we could see more 

Here I am😊

So now something about the camp!
Monday (we started with the most boring thing) we were listening the YFU rules (once again) and they told us all things THREE times... First in German, then in French and also in English... And for real, it wasn't very funny. But when it was finally over, we started to do nice things, for example to eat and dance and sing (yep, also I danced there, thanks Mexico, Thailand and Equador... Food at the camp was good actually, not as good as in my (host)family, but it was good.
Monday we also had "camp olympics" in our groups (we spent like a lot of time with our groups) and my group was PUMBA! We had much fun, and Pumba was the third best team in the end, so we won Toblerone! (We also made a new record in throwing and catching eggs!!)
Tuesday we had more working in the groups and also hiking. And in the evening we had a special show: we had preparated a little sketch, music or danceshow or other, in a little groups to presentate culture of our home countries. Our group was finnish and estonians and we made a sketch "nordic nightmares and daydreams". And in the evening i really didn't felt very good because I had eaten too much chocolate and biscuits ( and Nutella in the morning)...
Wednesday we had more groupworks and eating and, in the evening, we did a little walk. It was really dark and we couldn' t really see if we just stepped to cow's poo....
Thursday -> groups -> eating. And we also preparated a little show in our "real" groups (mine was Pumba) about the week. It was really funny!! Preparating and also watching the shows!!
Friday, the last day, ->groups -> making lots of sandwishes -> cleaning the house -> goodbyes (but just for a little time!!)

So the camp was really nice, but I was also pretty happy about coming back home. Here I can have warm shower and it's much easier to eat "healthy"... And I have my own bed with a good pillow (the pillow wasn't even a pillow at the camp...)

So last Saturday I had a hockey game... After resting for a week I had so much motivation! And we played like in a fresh air! (don't really know how to say it, but the rink was outside) And we could see airplanes and helicopters while we were playing! I prefere playing in an icehall, but also it was okey in fresh air and I made my first GOAL!! And then also my second goal... The best thing about making goals was that I really felt that I can really help the team. Btw our coach has left us, so now we are our own coaches.

Sunday I also had a game. And we played very well! But lost 0-1... Then this week I was shopping with my classmate!! So I really did it, I asked someone to do something with me and also got an answer! And today we visited in a chocolate factory with my mom. It was nice and we ate free chocolate there. And after felt like 😷 "no more chocolate please..." But yes, I really want my phone back, because I want to take photos and it's much easier with my phone... And I don't have more to say, so bye bye!!

(Btw, I didn't speak Finnish at the camp with finnish people, just because it's so strange. I like more speaking French and English here...)