Arrival Orientation Camp

AFS arrival orientation was hold in last weekend, finally! I was so excited to meet all the other exchange students of this area. Friday evening we shared a ride with Swedish and another Finnish girl to Kenbrook Camp. We were really tired so everyone just slept in the car. When we got to the camp, they gave us name tags so it would be easier to remember other students names and country where they are from. We had the first learning session in the evening and after it we were just chatting with each other until we had to go to bed.

Saturday morning we woke up really early, because breakfast was 8am. The camp area was really beautiful and weather was amazing, I got some really good pictures! There was a little lake and we were able to go canoeing! 

What would be a camp without good food? We had a snack table available 24 hours, haha! Breakfast, lunch and dinner were very american style food and unhealthy as usually :D I've never had potato chips  for lunch, it felt a little bit weird to have some. And a chocolate chip cookie where was a mint chocolate oreo inside...

 After lunch we had a team building session in forest. We all had to get on to a big balance board and try not to let it touch the ground. It was really fun and challenging! After that we to another place. There we had to get from a platform to another by traveling in the "space machine". We had troubles to get the "space machine" from the middle to the first platform but after that it was pretty easy.

After all the sessions and dinner it was time for the campfire. To be really american, we made some s'mores! We stayed up really long and had nice conversations with other exchange students and returnees.

Thank you all students from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Paraguay, Panama, Austria, Argentina, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Spain! And you all amazing returnees and volunteers. Can't wait to see you all again!

Busy days

I'm back again! It's been very busy in last few weeks and haven't had time to write here, sorry. Everything at school is going really well, everybody is so nice and I've got a couple of new friends! I had my dance audition on last Monday and we should get to know in few days, if you got in any group. Fingers crossed! 

I took a picture of my school lunch on this Monday! On my tray I got a chicken caesar salad, an apple, skinny milk and a frozen juice cup, which is like juice slush. I used to made my own lunch at home and bring it to school, but my host mom somehow got me a free lunch thing, so free food yay! Stereotypically at least we think, that school lunch in USA is full of junk food. Well, it is. Hamburgers, chicken nuggets and pizza are available almost everyday. Thank you, but no thank you. Luckily, they always have a vegetarian choice and salad boxes. 

Look what I found from the Giant! Finnish thin rye crisp bread! They actually are made in Espoo, Finland. Now I don't have to worry about finding rye bread anymore! They were a little bit more expensive than the other ones, but I don't care :)

Saturday was a shopping day, again! I went to the mall with my host sisters to find things to send to Finland. My dad had a birthday last Sunday, so I was also looking for a present for him! From Forever 21 I found the "Enjoy Love" dress and a white t-shirt with "No way" print on it. I just can't get over it how cheap clothes are here! These would have been twice expensive in Finland! Golden bracelet is also from Forever 21 and white and blue shirt is from Deb. There was huge sale on Aéropostale, so got three bracelets just for one's price!

At the mall I got a fresh pretzel for the first time! They have a lot of pretzels here so I had to have one! Super yummy :)

And of course Starbucks ;) There are three Starbucks in this area, when we have only two in whole Finland... This time I tried green tea frappuccino with skinny milk and sugar-free syrup! 

Something from Finland

I got a packet from Finland on Tuesday! It's always so exciting to open a packet, feels like christmas or birthdays!

Well, I didn't bring so many winter clothes with me, so my parents sent me some. Cheetah print scarf is from H&M Denmark, beanie from Åhlens Stockholm and cloves are homemade <3

This may sound crazy but I asked my parents to send me more toothpaste! You can't really find any xylitol products here and I want to keep my teeth healthy with xylitol toothpaste. And with four packets of xylitol gum, haha!

Oh how I have been missing everything with rye! Thin sour crisp bread, "chips" with sesame seeds and sea salt and little circle bread, all made from rye! Rye bread is so different here than what they have in Finland. All these are dried, so they will last longer. 

And of course candies! Fazer's chocolate and salty licorice, and Panda's natural blueberry licorice. I actually found Panda's natural licorice from organic shop last week but they didn't had blueberry flavor. I think I'm going to save these, if I want to give them to someone or maybe bake something!

Here's all the stuff what I got. Things what I didn't took a separate pictures are blueberry and raspberry cookies, chocolate rice cakes, lemon pastils, blueberry rye sticks, Panda's chocolate pastils and Marimekko's serviettes.

I can't wait to send my packet full of American stuff to Finland! I have to go to shopping (again)!

Friday 13th

Friday 13th was actually pretty good day for me! I had fun time at school. We had a picture day and I feel like my picture could be nice this year! 

In the evening I went to downtown with my host sister and her boyfriend. Later his brother and friend joined us. Every second friday of the month all the shops stays open almost until midnight at downtown. Every shop had their own competitions, sales and free tasting. We got free popcorn from the church and apple cider from an another shop, yummy! In the picture you really can't see a lot of people, but I can tell that there was!

Every time when I see a cool motorcycle I have to take a picture for my dad! He loves motorcycles and we are planning to ship him a new one from here. Let's see if we can! It would be really cool to have American motorcycle to drive in Finland :)

My first junk food in the USA! I have been avoiding junk food for three weeks I have been here. You see it everywhere! I really don't like to eat fried food but fried shrimps on friday just sounded so good that we had to get some!

How are you doing

Here's couple of autumn pictures, even though the summer is still going on! Temperature has been up to +30 celsius. I have been regretting why I didn't bring more summer clothes with me! I haven't used any of my six jackets/cardigans at all. 

Everything at school is getting better now. I changed my biology to art and math to culinary! Now I don't have to worry about math which is not the easiest thing to me at school. Culinary class is actually really nice because everything is so easy for me. They are learning things like how to cut and boil potatoes... haha! I've learned those things like ten years ago :D

My audition to music productions went well I think so. I had to sing the song that I had picked up and then a hanukkah song. The hanukkah song was weird plus I had never heard it before that day! Well, let's see, at least I tried! We have dance auditions on Monday!

Something that is hard to understand. In our school, you get grades when you return homework and papers with your parents signature! Easy way to get A+! That's okay with me.

 I just want to show you this beautiful cardigan! I found it from the Goodwill. It is a brand new Tommy Hilfiger, which normally costs 49.95 dollars and I got it with 6.50 dollars! I have been looking for this kind of cardigan for so long! One happy girl right here :)

School

My first day of school outfit! The bag is from Zara Belgium, flats from Greece and dress from Target. And my beautiful host sisters Ali, Mandi and Molly. I look very serious because I was so damn nervous!

The first day of school was like chaos for me. I was so nervous, because the school here is so much bigger than my school in Finland. My host sister was with me to show me the school around which made my day a little bit easier.

You have to be in your home room at 07.58 am and the first class starts at 08.12 am. The breaks between classes are only 5 minutes and it's kinda hard not to be late! My classes are always at the different side of the school so I really have to run from class to an another! And all the people on the hallways makes it more difficult.

My schedule got changed three times during this week. At first I was in easiest geometry class and I got changed to college prep algebra. But then it was too difficult and right now I'm in college prep geometry. I also changed my biology class to art. I already knew all things in biology class plus in art you won't get homework! Art teacher is super funny and he is so interested in Finland!

In music class I'm trying to get in the show choir. Let's see, I have my audition on Tuesday. English class is nice and I already had to do an essay after three days of school! College prep civics and government is about how the USA government works. History is one of my favorite subjects so I think this class will be my favorite! I decided to start a new language while I'm here, Spanish! In study hall you can do your homework. Our school has seven music practice rooms, so during study hall I can go and play piano!

I got two books only. The book for government class is so big and heavy! In English class we got vocabulary book because we will have vocabulary quizzes. My yellow dictionary is my favorite book at the moment! In school I see so many new words that it's very useful.

We also got calendars for the school year. The most important pages in the calendar are yellow hall pass pages. If you want to go somewhere for example to restroom during class, you and your teacher have to write in your hall pass when and where you are going to. When you come back, you write the "in" time.

If you for example stay to talk to your teacher after the class, you have to ask him/her to write a corridor pass to you. If you don't ask and you are late from your next class, you are in trouble. My corridor pass is for the practice room and I have to show it to my study hall teacher.

Luckily Thursday and Friday went better than the first day. I wasn't late from the classes and I already started to remember where my classes are! I really like that I can walk to school, because it's only 0.5 miles away from our home. And weather has been perfect, summer keeps continuing!

Labor day

 On Monday was the Labor Day. It's usually the end of summer and start of school. We spent family time, made some barbeque and watched movies. It was really nice to relax before school started.

On the other day (I can't remember when) we went to school to make me a schedule. The counseling man was really nice and helpful. I chose geography math, gollege prep civics and coverment, music, biology, study hall, Spanish and English. My schedule got a bit changed but I'll tell about it later in other post.

Frozen yogurt

Frozen yogurt. Do I even have to explane anymore? My definitely favorite food place in the USA is Frozone. I got my first frozen yogurt in Greece and after that it has been my favorite dessert of all.

At first you choose what frozen yogurt you want to take. And I can say it is not easy, when you have more than 20 different flavors to choose. Then you can add fresh fruits, candies, nuts and different kind of sauces to your yogurt. When you are ready, you go and weight your cup and pay. And how cheap it is! 

We definitely need more places like these in Finland!