A funny thing happened to me at work the other day. I walked over to a coworker’s desk and straight into a 4-person conversation that was going on in Finnish. I watched the conversation switch from Finnish to English to accommodate my arrival, and guess what I did next?
Awhile back, I was talking with one of my students from the Finnish Language Group Program about how English in Finland gets to be so comfortable, that it’s easy to get stuck just speaking English.
I don’t remember when kaunis became beautiful; all I know is that it didn’t start out that way.
“How do you say beautiful in Finnish?”
“Kaunis”
“Cow-ou-nis? Seriously? It sounds like cow.”
And there it was. My first reaction to the word beautiful in Finnish: it sounds like cow.
A doctor, a grandfather and language coach walk into an acupuncture clinic…
Just kidding – well kind of. This is the beginning of the awe-inspiring story I am super excited to share with you today.
5 years ago, I got on a plane a moved to Finland. I no longer wanted to live in Canada.
I went to my first 8am class at the gym yesterday morning. Our awesome instructor (who I am totally dazzled by) was pretty tough on us that morning. Tough but fair – if we she knew we could do better she said so. I wanted to accomplish what she seemed so sure I could accomplish.
2014 was the year of new beginnings. In some ways, 2014 was a hard year, and in other ways, it was a much easier year than those which came before it.
People would often ask me: “How did you learn Finnish?” and I wouldn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how I did it, it seemed like a random smørrebrød of ways.
Then a couple months ago, Cory, a high school friend of mine, came to visit me in Helsinki. He’s always been excited about languages and he was looking forward to picking up a bit of Finnish during his time here. It didn’t take me long to figure out that our ways of learning were quite similar…
Just wanted to pop in and let you guys know that I’ve officially joined Instagram! I’m looking forward to sharing my world through pictures of interesting stuff I come across mostly in Finland, but also abroad.
It’s a sentimental Sunday. Meaning that I spent the day doing whatever I desired on the moment, including heading out for an autumn walk just to watch the seasons change with child-like wonder, reflect on the big shift that awaits us on the other side of October and thinking back on how another year has gone by. Has this passing year shaped me? Am I different?
I’m a multibelonger to Finland, Canada and Romania, without ONE language or culture to call my own – I have several. My intention is to be present where I am and find inner peace and harmony where ever life takes me. I’m embracing the gems of the ongoing cultural and linguistic transition which is my life and hope to inspire others interested in doing the same. Click here to find out more!