Gosh, so much has happened since I've posted last. Actually, I'm back in Alaska, but for now I'll just post on what took place during the remainder of my exchange year. Once I've thought more about how I've learned, grown, and shared during this last year, I'll make one final post. But for now:
Stage -
An absolutely mind-blowing experience. Our team of 16 student performers, 3 student media helpers/script writers, 2 local teachers, and one incredibly talented and wonderful celebrity (Eeva Vilkkumaa) had no idea how much we were to learn and grow, musically & otherwise, during the two-month Stage experience. We began with creating our musical.
The 19 students worked together to create a story that appealed to all of us. We spent about a week brainstorming. The final plot sketch: a teenage boy, Kristian, dies in a car crash. He is sent back for one more day on Earth to redeem himself and correct his past mistakes (previously he was somewhat arrogant and selfish). He must learn to respect his friends and family.
An angel and a devil, detectable only by Kristian, complete both Kristian's good side and his evil side. They also serve as narrators for the audience. Other characters include Kristian's little sister, constantly hurt by Kristian's absence and rudeness, Amanda, Kristian's ex-girlfriend and eventually the antagonist of the story, and Tony, a stereotypical cowboy and Texan exchange student and Amanda's new boyfriend. I, the American exchange student in real life, naturally got the role of Tony; it was an incredibly fun role to play.
Before the live performances on television there were two aired episodes with footage of the teams creating story ideas, inventing characters, and rehearsing for the live performances. Going into the first live Stage airing, most of our group thought we would be the first team to be dropped. (At the end of each weekly show [excluding the first show], the three judges [two permanent judges and one guest judge] would decide which team would be dropped between the two lowest-scoring teams in respect to votes. In the final, the judges obviously had no say in determining which team was to win; only the voters did.) In actuality, though, the first live show went incredibly well. And the next went better. And the next even better. In the shows we included songs by Michael Jackson, Katy Perry, and the McCoys, and from musicals such as Rent, Grease, and The Sound of Music. We also wrote one song for a very important scene with the help of a local musician, Luca Gargano. All in all, we ended up making it to the finals and getting second in the competition. The winning team, the team from the city of Tampere, took first place, and therefore got places in a summer theater as actors. They adapted their musical from the Stage program and performed it a total of 17 times that summer in Helsinki's Peacock Theater. Many people from our team were disappointed that we didn't take the first place position, having made it so far at that point, but all of us were also incredibly grateful and contented that we had even made it that far and had had the time of our lives as Finnish TV stars.
By the time Stage had concluded, school was also wrapping up. The weekend after school ended, I partied with friends to celebrate the end of school and the beginning of summer. My parents came to Finland about this time (they made it there to see me in the Stage finals in Helsinki!!), and I showed them a bit of my Finnish life for a bit. Then we popped down for a little traveling in Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. They went back to Alaska at the end of this two-week venture, and I returned to Finland for a week and a half. During that week-point-five I spent time at my second host family's summer cottage in Ylämaa, traveled Finland a bit, and saw friends for the last times before my departure on the 29th of June. Goodbyes with friends were hard. Goodbyes with my host families were harder. I never wanted to leave, though I never felt horrible about it even through the airport stage. Once I got onto the plane and was alone, though, I started thinking about how when I came to Finland I sort-of-knew one person in the whole country... and now I was leaving after creating a whole life there, with a new language, school, and families. I was thinking about how many friends I had made and all the unforgettable experiences I had. It really hit me then, and I burst out crying and I couldn't stop for an hour.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
Ski Break + Stage + Wanhojen Tanssit
In early January (now being late February, maybe I should update this blog more often!!) I changed host families. I moved maybe only 750 meters away from my last host family, and I'm still the same distance from the school. But now I'm closer to the old town, and I get to walk through it on my way to and from school. And my host family's awesome too; they're really chill and fun to be around all the time.
So last week was ski break...an official vacation in Finland. Many people stayed in their home cities and studied, relaxed, or skiied there, but not us, oh no. My new host family and I went to Ylläs in Lapland, far above the Artic Circle, where crazy men live, and where crazier men go for vacation. It was about a 11 hour drive one way from Porvoo to Äkäslompolo, the village where we stayed. We rented a cottage for the week. Ylläs is a smallish mountain (fell?) which hosts Finland's largest ski resort. (It was nothing compared to Alyeska, but don't tell a Finn that.) Anyway, the first day there was absolutely gorgeous, I downhill skied and had the time of my life. After that day, it got really cold, and on the mountain there were such strong winds it was too frigid to downhill. So I turned to cross country. I only cross countried two days, but I covered about 25 miles in those two days. Not super impressive - until you consider the fact I skied over another 2,000 ft mountain in the process, WHILE in sub-zero temperatures and WHILE above the Artic Circle. No polar bears, though.
I really liked the nature of Lapland. It was just endless miles of snow-covered spruce trees, broken only by the fells in the north. There was something about the quietness and depth of it that I'd never experienced in Alaska.
Other big news: Stage! This "Stage" thing of which some of you may have heard is in fact a musical. Six schools in Finland were chosen to take part, my school, Linnankosken Lukio, being one of them. Each school creates its own musical (using pre-existing music or writing its own), and performs it. Later in the year there will be a competition with the other schools, and the competition will be aired on Finnish TV. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose too much information about this musical (what our musical is about, what character I'm playing, or anything else exciting) until the TV programs are released...I signed a confidentiality agreement. But you can take my word that it's awesome...and when the time comes I can maybe add a link on here so that you all can watch our live performances.
Wanhojen Tanssit + Penkkarit
In Finland, the school system works such that after 2 and 3/5 years of Lukio (high school / pre-college), the Abís (seniors) graduate. That happened about two weeks ago now. First, all of the Abis dress up in costumes...way more elaborate than halloween. They then have their own show in the school auditorium (it mainly consists of them bragging that they have no more school days left). After that, they get in the beds of large trucks, drive around the city, and throw candy at people to celebrate. These celebrations are called Penkkarit.
When the Abis left school, the second graders had to show that they were at the top of the school. It is done in a much more sophisticated manner than getting in a costume and throwing candy at people. The second graders had a dance course in which they learned about a dozen dances (some are American, some French, some Spanish, but all have been in Finland a long time and "Finnishized"). The same weekend the Abis leave, the second-years (now the "Wanhat", or "oldies") have a dance presentation in which all of these dances are seen. It is a very formal occasion, with tail coats for men and ball gowns for women. I, along with the other exchange students, was fortunate enough to take part. Wicked fun, that.
So last week was ski break...an official vacation in Finland. Many people stayed in their home cities and studied, relaxed, or skiied there, but not us, oh no. My new host family and I went to Ylläs in Lapland, far above the Artic Circle, where crazy men live, and where crazier men go for vacation. It was about a 11 hour drive one way from Porvoo to Äkäslompolo, the village where we stayed. We rented a cottage for the week. Ylläs is a smallish mountain (fell?) which hosts Finland's largest ski resort. (It was nothing compared to Alyeska, but don't tell a Finn that.) Anyway, the first day there was absolutely gorgeous, I downhill skied and had the time of my life. After that day, it got really cold, and on the mountain there were such strong winds it was too frigid to downhill. So I turned to cross country. I only cross countried two days, but I covered about 25 miles in those two days. Not super impressive - until you consider the fact I skied over another 2,000 ft mountain in the process, WHILE in sub-zero temperatures and WHILE above the Artic Circle. No polar bears, though.
I really liked the nature of Lapland. It was just endless miles of snow-covered spruce trees, broken only by the fells in the north. There was something about the quietness and depth of it that I'd never experienced in Alaska.
Other big news: Stage! This "Stage" thing of which some of you may have heard is in fact a musical. Six schools in Finland were chosen to take part, my school, Linnankosken Lukio, being one of them. Each school creates its own musical (using pre-existing music or writing its own), and performs it. Later in the year there will be a competition with the other schools, and the competition will be aired on Finnish TV. Unfortunately, I cannot disclose too much information about this musical (what our musical is about, what character I'm playing, or anything else exciting) until the TV programs are released...I signed a confidentiality agreement. But you can take my word that it's awesome...and when the time comes I can maybe add a link on here so that you all can watch our live performances.
Wanhojen Tanssit + Penkkarit
In Finland, the school system works such that after 2 and 3/5 years of Lukio (high school / pre-college), the Abís (seniors) graduate. That happened about two weeks ago now. First, all of the Abis dress up in costumes...way more elaborate than halloween. They then have their own show in the school auditorium (it mainly consists of them bragging that they have no more school days left). After that, they get in the beds of large trucks, drive around the city, and throw candy at people to celebrate. These celebrations are called Penkkarit.
When the Abis left school, the second graders had to show that they were at the top of the school. It is done in a much more sophisticated manner than getting in a costume and throwing candy at people. The second graders had a dance course in which they learned about a dozen dances (some are American, some French, some Spanish, but all have been in Finland a long time and "Finnishized"). The same weekend the Abis leave, the second-years (now the "Wanhat", or "oldies") have a dance presentation in which all of these dances are seen. It is a very formal occasion, with tail coats for men and ball gowns for women. I, along with the other exchange students, was fortunate enough to take part. Wicked fun, that.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Holladay's Holidays
Christmas was really huge here. The decorations and "spirit" began even before our Thanksgiving, and lasted well into January. I think since every family in America has a different backround and history, we don't have any truly American Christmas traditions (save the tree, presents, stockings, and the general western culture influence). However, most everyone in Finland has a long history there, and traditions have been passed down for a long time. There are also several loan traditions from other cultures, such as Saint Lucy's day (celebrated on December 13, and borrowed from Swedish culture; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy%27s_Day). Being a tradition brought from Sweden, it is more observed in the Swedish speaking areas (such as my town, Porvoo). In my town (as well as in others), a Saint Lucy was elected in a sort of beauty contest. She then travels around the town, visiting hospitals, meetings, and dinner parties to sing and bring happiness. Before my Rotary club was visited by the Saint Lucy of Porvoo, we went to sing Christmas songs in Swedish.
On the 24th, Christmas Eve, the "Christmas Peace" began. During this time is considered bothersome to make too much noise outside or be away from home very much. It is a time for family, eating, and celebrating Christmas. Presents were opened on the evening of the 24th, accompanied by singing, reading poetry, and wearing elf hats. We then visited the church around midnight to sing traditional Christmas songs (many of the same melodies as when I was singing in Swedish). The 25th itself was spent relaxing, eating more, and enjoying presents and company. On the 26th, the Christmas Peace was over, and the day was spent by a visit from family friends.
There is a plethora of Finnish Christmas foods, but the most important is the ham, much like Thanksgiving turkey. There were also many casseroles, different types of fish and caviar, and, as to be expected, potatoes.
New Year's was much like in America, with fireworks and parties. I spent most of New Year's out at a friend's house and in the center of Porvoo celebrating the coming of the new year. New Year's had two traditional foods, sausage and potato salad, but the whole celebration wasn't as intense or important as Christmas. One interesting tradition I observed was the melting and cooling of tin horseshoes to predict your future year. Everyone gets these little tin horseshoes, melts them down in the coals of a fire, and when they are fully melted in a large metal ladle, they dump the hot tin into a bucket of cold water. The tin cools very rapidly and one is left with very intricate shapes. The thus-formed tin is held up against a wall, and candlelight is put behind it. The shadow on the wall can display some image or picture than will determine your future year. I got a dragon. Rawr.
On the 24th, Christmas Eve, the "Christmas Peace" began. During this time is considered bothersome to make too much noise outside or be away from home very much. It is a time for family, eating, and celebrating Christmas. Presents were opened on the evening of the 24th, accompanied by singing, reading poetry, and wearing elf hats. We then visited the church around midnight to sing traditional Christmas songs (many of the same melodies as when I was singing in Swedish). The 25th itself was spent relaxing, eating more, and enjoying presents and company. On the 26th, the Christmas Peace was over, and the day was spent by a visit from family friends.
There is a plethora of Finnish Christmas foods, but the most important is the ham, much like Thanksgiving turkey. There were also many casseroles, different types of fish and caviar, and, as to be expected, potatoes.
New Year's was much like in America, with fireworks and parties. I spent most of New Year's out at a friend's house and in the center of Porvoo celebrating the coming of the new year. New Year's had two traditional foods, sausage and potato salad, but the whole celebration wasn't as intense or important as Christmas. One interesting tradition I observed was the melting and cooling of tin horseshoes to predict your future year. Everyone gets these little tin horseshoes, melts them down in the coals of a fire, and when they are fully melted in a large metal ladle, they dump the hot tin into a bucket of cold water. The tin cools very rapidly and one is left with very intricate shapes. The thus-formed tin is held up against a wall, and candlelight is put behind it. The shadow on the wall can display some image or picture than will determine your future year. I got a dragon. Rawr.
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