In art class today we had a field trip, but it was very strange because the teacher actually treated us like adults. Weird right? The school system is set up differently here than in America. High school in Finland is optional. You only do it if you want to go to college. High school is one of two choices, the other one being an apprenticeship. The teachers treat us as if we are college students with the mindset that students go to school of their own free will and if they don't want to do well than there is nothing stopping them. From school, it was our job to get to Helsinki where the museum is so students kept joining us, whether they came by train, like me, by bus or by car. There was no attendance sheet, if you got lost then it was your own fault and if you didn't come then it was your loss. So at 2:30 I left school to get on a train to Helsinki. The museums were the Helsinki Museum of Design and the Helsinki Museum of Architecture. They were interesting, but the real fun started when the trip ended. All of us sort of just disbanded and went our separate ways. I got picked up by Mori, and we went around Helsinki to look at the taiteiden yõ exhibits. Taiteiden yõ translates roughly to Night of the Arts. So there are hundreds of artists, singers, booths and neat things to watch and do. We got balloons and free candy. We saw a magician and tons and tons of musicians. There was sumo wrestling with big mats and costumes. And lots of delicious free food. Mori and I ended up getting this amazing pasta at a place called Vapiano. It was a long wait but it was worth it. The chef made the pasta in front of us. We got some ice cream to eat while Mori took me on a tour of the town and told me about all her favorite places. We ended up getting lost a couple times and just wandering around, so we did a lot of walking. Helsinki is really beautiful with very unique architecture from lots of different backgrounds. Not to mention it is clean and very safe. Most of the people there are very nice and kind. One strange thing that I found is that people here seem cold and shy at first, but once you get to know them they open up. You do not make eye contact with people on the street and god-forbid you bump into someone. It makes for very awkward exchanges with both parties quickly saying "Anteeksi" which means "excuse me" or "I'm sorry" and brief eye contact before quickly walking in the opposite direction. It is very strange. I am learning new things everyday here!
