After one week…

A little more than one week ago I arrived in Lappeenranta, Finland. So far I had a really good start here. The people here, both exchange and local students, are very nice and open-minded. It’s really easy to get in contact with new people and you just feel ‘welcome’ to almost all places you go.

After one week I also would like to clean up with one really popular prejudice about the Finnish people. Finns are not shy – at least not more than people elsewhere in the world. Actually most of the Finnish people I’ve met so far are pretty talkative people, although there are of course always exceptions like everywhere. And after one week I guess I can also say: It’s hard NOT to get in contact with a drunken Finn. Referring to drinking the Finnish people are really thirsty, which doesn’t mean that Finns are more often drunk than others. I guess it’s just that they are more used to it and therefore can stand more – I know that sounds somehow weird, but I have no other explanation.

The last weekend was far too short, but at least I had time to sleep in the mornings. On Saturday there was nothing to do and so we went to Lappeenranta ‘downtown’ walking – yes WALKING!! It were about 7-8 kilometers, which took us a little more than one hour. We wanted to look for some cheap bicycles to buy, but in the afternoon when we arrived ‘downtown’ most stores had already closed. On the evening we went to our tutor’s place to play some Poker and drink something. We were about 10 people, who were almost too many to play, but it was still cool! Afterwards a fistful of us decided to go ‘downtown’ in some pub, which was pretty difficult that evening, because in Finland they have always strict controls at the entrance of all nightclubs and most pubs, where you have to show your ID (passport or driving license) and not all of us had an ID to show that evening… and at 2:15 already we took the last bus from ‘downtown’ back home.

On Sunday I slept until 12:30, what I really enjoyed =) In the afternoon we went to some Kebap place to get something to eat. The Kebap here in Finland is quite different than the one back home in Austria, but not bad at all. Afterwards we went to the supermarket (which had open on Sunday!!) to get some beers and then we went to the place of Jukko (a Finnish student) to watch 2 movies there. Again we were about 10 people and after some drinks and the movies we ended up playing and singing some songs. Actually Jouni (my tutor) was singing and Jukko and me were playing guitar (he had 2 guitars in his appartment!!). Later we went to some pub, playing a Russian card game, and went home at about midnight.

On Monday I had my first courses, which were basically just introduction. Nevertheless I somehow had the impression that both courses are going to be pretty easy. On Tuesday I had to get up early to be at the university at 8:00. The exercise was just a joke and since I heard it’s not mandatory I guess I won’t go there for the next few weeks anymore. Afterwards I went to some buddy where we started with the first beer along with lunch at already 12:30. Then we went ‘downtown’ to get us some cheap, used mobile phones, because we need a number here in Finland to ensure good communication between each other =) Today I also had to be at the university at 9:00 and again I should have better slept more because the course was not too interesting.

So far I’ve been out each evening since I am here, except the arrival day. Although I know I can’t go on like this the whole semester I guess it will be still fun and enough time on most days to do something with people. Later today I meet with other students and next weekend I’ll maybe go to Tallinn, Estonia, with some other exchange students… nothing sure yet, but we arrange everything on very short term always anyway =)

Finally to sum it up a few long promised impressions…

~ by Markus Dietrich on September 1, 2008.