-30 degrees are not to much :-)

Here are now some news again.
If you look out from the school window, you can see that it is snowing heavily.
Going out, however, a drop falling on your head, because it is too warm for the snow.
If you believe the Finns, the winter was pretty okay, a little bit snow (that in my opinion is almost too much) and also not so cold (-30 degrees is not too much :-D).
I'm curious to see what's happening during the holidays.
I also want to cook again, I had cooked last weekend  stuffed peppers with rice, my only problem is I do not know what should I cook.

Must think about something .
My mother had also written, which was really great.
Unfortunately, there are only 4 months here in Finland.
On one hand I am looking forward to my family and friends, delicious german food and my old bed.
But on the other hand, I will miss the free WLAN in school, the good Finnish food, the 0% milk, my host family, Mona and the Finnish school system.

But I really should not think about this.
Well, that only thing I want now only , is heat (so no more snow, even if it´s so beautiful), new shoes for my sister's graduation and holidays, so I can sleep longer.
I think that it is not too much.
During the holidays, I'll probably crochet, do sports, read and watch True Blood, because unfortunately I have no more episodes of Walking Dead.

Friday I'll write you again :-)

One week and i will have holiday´s :-)

Moi!
The snow is still here and it has also changed nothing.
But spring comes slowly to Finland.

 
This week there will probably be even 6 degrees.
I'm not so sure when I last had such temperatures here.
Maybe at the end of September, but I´m not sure.The sun shines again and I had used yesterday for running.
Mona and I are not so much depressed anymore,it is probably the weather.
There is only one week left until the holidays.
I believe they call this ski vacation, I would call it spring break, but it is likely that at Easter also added a couple of days.
I am happy just the fact that I and my sister and Mona then go for shopping to Kuopio.

 
There we want to buy some clothes, eat sushi, maybe drink a cup of coffee and visit Ikea .
If you drive here in the city, it's always a big deal, because you do not come off so many times here.
On Saturday and Sunday I will have my Mid-stay-meeting from YFU in Jyväskylä.
I've never been in Jyväskylä, I just drove through by the train.
There will then be a few familiar faces and some who I had not seen incredibly long.
 I'm looking forward to a few people.

 
Most of them then directly go to Lapland.
Unfortunately, I'm going back home and have to go to school without Mona.
But it's only a week, that will not be so bad.
You will hear from me!

Foooood part 2

 Hey!!
I wanted to carry the finnish food explanation further.
So, this time i will talk about the products, which you can find in the every day life.
You can get all this things in other country´s too, but these are finnish :-)


Milk:

This one is with 1,5% fat and without lactose.
You will see this one a lot, maybe everyday.
Valio is the most common brand of dairy products.


Cheese:

It´s not usual to eat gouda in finland, so you eat edam with 17%.
It´s not sliced and has a cute cow at the front.
I saw many products with sweet animals at the front, so that the kids like these products in fact of these animals also:-)
And it´s also without lactose, you can see it = laktoositon/ without lactose.


Bread:

You can buy a lot several breads.
Toast or normal bread, rolls or something else.
This one is my personal favorite bread.
It´s not so dry and the taste is also quite good.


Juice:

 I don´t really know, if you drink a lot juice in finland, but i know, if you are drinking juice, you will definatly drink this flavour of juice.
It´s with mandarin, orange and this typical finnish lakkaberry´s.
The taste is more sweet, maybe you will have to mix it with water.


Chocolate:

Fazer is the most common chocolate ( nah, they produce so many things, not just chocolate).
This one is the normal milkchocolate.


Margarine:

You will eat a lot of bread in finland,so you have to eat a lot of butter too.
But butter is not always the best choice, so you choose the oivariini.
It´s margarine with salt and plantoil.
And also from valio.


Cacaopowder:

Like a said many times, you will drink milk, a lot!
So, at some point, you don´t like it anymore and you will drink cacao.
This brand is great, because you can mix the powder really good with the milk.


I hope you liked it.
Sorry,if the pictures are not so good, but they are from my iPod.

Weekend

Hey!!!
On Saturday I was with my sister and with Mona in Nilsia swimming and bowling.
Where we were in a large resort with hotel and spa.
Once again it was a surprise to see so many people in one spot. The last time I had something like this in Helsinki.
When we were bowling my sister had won, even that i was the best at the start.
I was called not Franzi on the scoreboard,it was Transi.
Why they  have a problem with my name, is still a mystery to me. Either my name is Fransi or Franci, there were also times Frannsi or Framsi, now there were Transi,and next something completely new.

When we were swimming and in a health-sauna , there is not only normal steam, there is steam with oils and flavors that will keep you healthy.
Generally, it is usual in Finland, if you go to the pool to go to the sauna.
After bowling and swimming, we were at Hesburger.
Hesburger the Finnish answer to McDonalds.
It is minimally more expensive, but it tastes even better(for me).
In addition I had after 6 months for the first time eaten Mayonnaise.

I did not think you can miss so much, even though I had eaten them in Germany almost never.
On Sunday, my host father had birthday and there was once again a level cake from my sister.
It was a white chocolate cake with cream and Lakkaberry´s, which are very typical for Finland.
I will really not like these berries, but well.
They have not the disgusting taste, but they have seeds and that bothers me.
Yesterday, I am once again on a diet.
As an exchange student you automatically eat more and more, because you want to try them all, or because the new sweets that you get to know are so incredibly delicious.

 I would like to lose a few pounds,so have not roll back to Germany.
In Finland, it is also usual, to buy milk products without lactose, so I already have a lactose intolerance.
So to all who make a year abroad in Finland, you certainly trained to a lactose intolerance or just goes to lactose free products out of the way.
That was everything til now from the cold Finland!

Valentine´s Day

Moi!!!
To be honest, i hate valentine´s day.
I hate this day so much.
Maybe in fact of this talking about love or just because all couples are so in love.
In finland it´s called ystävänpäivä, which means friendsday.
I think this name is a lot better :-)

The walking dead!!!

Yeah, this is exactly my valentine´s day today.
I´m sitting in my bed with my hot chocolate and some sweets and i´m watching the walking dead.
It´s a kinda relaxing to watch, how some people try to rescue the world.
So i hope you have a great day ( i´m not saying great valentine´s day) and i will write soon :-)

The last 6 months in Finland!

Hey!!!!
I thought I'd write again (sorry, many words from now).
As I write now for some more time, I make time to look back the last 6 months here in Finland.
Some will think  that I am copying some ideas , but I really wanted to make it even longer.
I just did not have the time.

August:

The camp

This is in my school :-)

My way to school !!!

Arrival in Finland.
Saw the other students fromYFU (in my opinion we are 68).
First Finnish learning trials.
Move to the host family, with a very nerve-wracking start :-) (I was so nervous on the day)
House and surroundings inquire.
First day of school and again meet with Mona, after nearly 8 years.:-)
Schoolmates to know and first trip into the next town.

September:

The N and the Z are missing, so M and C!

In the forest

(Organized by the school) Math Camp
First time in Helsinki and Joensuu
Lake fishing (got a lot of fish)

October:

Present from one of my best fiends

Presents from my mum

Lapland

My 17th Birthday (first time without family or party with friends, still many gifts from Germany).
Autumn holidays and holidays in Lapland.
With the first snow, and a meeting with the reindeer and Christmas Country

November:

Snow!!!

More snow and the sun

I visited for the first time Mona and we had not done anything productive.
Visit the University of Joensuu, with overnight stay .
New warm boots for the cold and long Finnish winter.
I cooked for the first time.

December:

The food in Tallinn

Sushi in Helsinki

x-mas tree

Mona was with me and together we baked Christmas cookies.

From my mother, there was an advent calendar, with lots of great things.

This was my first time on a lake and  ice fishing.

I was with YFU in Tallinn and  had also visited Helsinki again.

My first sushi in Finland.

My first Christmas without my family in Germany, but there were lots of presents (how do I get it all back again?)

My first New Year's Eve without my family and celebration.

January:

Muffins with Mona

New year 2013, hopefully a great year.

Back to school after the holidays.

First time -30 degrees in my life (it was not so cold as I always thought)

First ski run and ice run in physical education.

Mona was back with me and we had to bake as well as cook.

The school lunches are too boring.

I did the first time the saunafire.

At the February, I can not write much, because this is not over yet.

At the weekend I was shopping with my mum and my sister and also swimming  in Iisalmi.

I thought by the chlorine is at least the color out of my hair, it happened unfortunately nothing.

Tomorrow the oldest from the Lukio be thrown out.

They will dress up all and we will do some fun things with them.

Soon then springholidays are also, at the beginning of March.

  I think that's now time enough :-)

With Mona

Fooooooooood!!!!!!!

Terve!
I wanted to write something about the typical finnish food.
Maybe you will know some things, maybe not.
I will try to explain them :-)

 Blueberry

Little purple or blue berry.

Sweet/sour, mostly eaten with milk or/and sugar.

Good for baking and jelly.

 

Salmiakki

Ice cream, vanilla with salmiak.

The taste is a bit salty and very new (for me).

I think you just can get this in Finland.

Runebergintorttu

You eat this little cakes just at the 5th of february.

It´s with pieces of gingerbread, almonds, also with jelly and sugar on the top.

L

 Lakumix (Panda)

A mix of different types of licorice.

Also with a little bit chocolate.

If you like licorice, this will be your favorite.

You can also buy it in many variations.

Karjalanpiirakka

A kind ofopen dumplings made of rye flour and filled with salty rice pudding.

You can eat it with butter or cheese, or finnish with eggbutter.

I hope you liked  it  and learned a little bit, or not :-)

These are just a few things, later, i will explain some more (first i have to eat them and made a picture).

Knit a scarf with your arms :-)

It's me again.
Today I was in the hospital in my village.
It can not be really called Hospital, but somehow, it´s not a practice too.
Well,  everything is fine, I'm probably just a little sick.

I had gone there because my ears are hurting.
The result is that the disease strikes the sinuses and thus, which also affects my ears.
But enough of all the medical stuff.
Since I live a bit further away from the big cities, I must find some ways, to keep happy.
So I watch a lot of tv shows lately.
The walking dead, doctor's diary, and many more.
Do not worry, everything legally :-)
By the way, I also read a few books and knit a scarf with my arms.
Sounds funny, but it is doable, yes you can google it.
To the weather conditions, I can only say: It is still snowing and it seems that it do not want  to stop in the next few weeks .
What do I add to a year abroad is that you often feel hungry on local foods from our homecountry and sometimes even a bit nostalgic.

Mona and I are sometimes hungry and want to have a chicken or maybe a currywurst.
What do I add to this is that you should either ban these things from your mind, or should try as far as possible to find these things in the exchange country or  imitate them somehow.

If you just think about it, it makes you crazy after a while.
I speak from experience :-)
Another step would be of course that your  family and friends from your home country send some things.
But it can be depending on the country and weight and get very expensive.

Questions I wanted to answer, I  get these in this new year ( one month hehe) !

-Can I go ice skating  on the lakes in Finland ?
In the theory  is this possible, but on the surface of the ice has formed in recent months, a thick layer of snow, which makes it virtually impossible to skate.
You could  push  the snow away, the lakes are a wonderful place,because the ice is pretty thick.
-Do you drink a lot of milk, eat a lot of bread and cheese in Finland?
You eat massive amounts of cheese and bread here in Finland. The cheese here is usually purchased in the whole piece and not sliced​​. For this, we need also an extra cheese cutter.
We drink Milk  in all variations. With or without fat, with or without lactose. Mostly in  a 1 liter pack.
Generally milk products are very popular here.
Yogurt can be bought here in 1 liter packs.
-Do you eat a lot of sweets in Finland?
I do not know if all eat a lot, but I do it anyway. I think, unfortunately, to much :-) Fazer and Panda, as well as marabou are very popular here.
Mostly we eat here salmiak or licorice. You can also buy a range of chocolate.
What I can say is that dark chocolate is slightly sweeter than  in Germany.

I think that's  enough, if anyone has any questions, he should send me this please.