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 Living, Studying, Working & Traveling in Finland

Today I went to fill a temporary residence document so I could get the bus/metro card. (HKL card). I finally got it, and after that, Outi, Reino and I went to Kauppatori, near the sea, to take a coffee and some finnish meat pie. It was really good! We went to the touristic building so we could find few things to visit, on rainy days. Reino went back home, and Outi and I headed to the Suomalainenkirkko (the White cathedral) and Uspenski (the russian church). We also walked around the small kiosks in Kauppatori, where I bought smalls souvenirs for a few friends (those moomins cellphone things). We walked on Pohjois-Esplanadi and visited the design shops, such as Marimekko, iittala, aarikka, pentik, etc. They are really awesome shops, but its quite expensive! I went to the canadian ambassy to register as a canadian abroad.. but it was closed, since it was "canada day". I didn't think of it since I don't celebrate it, as a french canadian.
we went to Karl Fazer. I was so hyper when I saw it! I hate some Karl fazer dark chocolate in Montreal once, and its the best chocolate ever! You have to go there and eat chocolate, or ice cream. Henna came and joined us there!
We went to Stockman and the akateeminen kirjakauppa where I bought a moomin comic book in Finnish (best way to learn new words!).
We watched the movie Bon cop bad cop I gave to the host family, and everyone laughed a lot! I spoke with Outi until 3 am, and I am really glad we became really close friends...

Today I woke up again around 4 am because of the sun. haha! But I slept until 10. Henna came over today and we cooked some awesome chocolate muffins! It's funny to see how much she went through some rough times in school, just like I did. Well seems that bullying isn't only happening here. I guess this is probably one reason why we get along so well. We also went to the local library in Paloheinä, where I rented a comic book (viivi ja wagner) in finnish. Then Outi and I went to Helsinki to go get my bus/metro card, but they needed a proof I was living in Helsinki to give me the vard. We will go back tomorrow! Suvi, the older sister, came over for supper! she speaks well french! she studied in a french high school. weird. it's not like if french was very useful in Finland! Outi and Soile also speaks french quite well!

Hei! tänään on sunnuntai 29 kesäkuussa. Olin hotelissa aamulla, ja nyt olen isäntäperheessäni. Kaikki on aika kiva. Talo on iso ja kaunis. Huoneeni on tosi mukava. elämä on aika hiljainen täällä. Sitten kuin menimme kotiin, söimme ulkona, ja oli aurinkoista. Perheeni on aika ystävällinen. Olin vähän säsynyt ennen kun menin Helsingin keskustaan Outin kanssa. Siellä kävelimme Helsingissä, merin lähellä ja menimme Ursulan Kahvilaan. Oli hauskaa, ja otin mustaa kahvia. Sitten, menimme Esplanadi-puistoon, koska Outin ystävien menivat siellä. Henna ja Ilari ovat aikakin ystävällinen! Nyt Henna ja mua olemme jo kaverit. Sitten sen, menimme taas kahvilaan Pohjois-Esplanadinkadulla ja puhuimme 10.30 jälkeen! Sen jälkeen tulimme takaisin kotiin. Ai niin... suihka on aika omituinen! haha.
öitä!

memo: I am utterly pissed off at the goddamn laptop that I feel like throwing out by the window. It doesnt want to log to Internet, it has no viruses and well its just utterly annoyingly pissing me off.
I am curerntly in the Airport Bonus Inn Hotel. its isn't too classy, but I find it quite cozy with the lobby downstairs and the sauna on the top floor (I took a sauna earlier!).
My room has a small kitchen in it, as well as a tv, a desk, a bed, and couch and a small bathroom with a weird shower. its not that weird, but the floor is all flat and as a small "broom" to push the water in the "well" or the small hole where the water goes in the pipes (not sure how you call that in english).
some exchange students and I went to the Jumbo shopping mall, near our hotel. It's quite huge!
The only hard thing to get used to: the sun that goes down around 11pm (or a bit more). but still, it makes long sunny days. (well today was rather cloudy, but still!)

I am currently in the Finnair plane, on my way to Helsinki. I left home yesterday around 6h20pm, and arrived in Paris around 5h45 am. I had a drink with my parents before going onboard, and I ate well on the flight to Paris. Hmm, Raviolis and Quiche! it was good!
I'm not too tired, well, I am, but I am looking so much toward being in Finland that it feels like I am not tired at all.
I am lucky, I am right next to a window, on both flights. It's funny to hear the pilot speaking Finnish! it's not like I would hear it everyday back in Montreal. But I can understand most of what is said. Well good to know my hard work has succeeded. I took a Ilta-sanomat when getting on board, so I had something to read during the flight.
I am soon landing! I'm really excited. Outi, my host sister, sent me a birthday moomin card, and I just received it yesterday, only 2 hours before I left to the airport. It was written in Finnish, and it really made me happy.
I will write again before going to bed. Now I must meet up with the other AFS exchange students from USA, Italy, Venezuela and Australia, as well as the AFS Finland workers.
nähdään!