CHRISTMAS TIME!!!

We are curious about how you celebrate Xmas. Can you tell us about the following?
What is Xmas to you? Do you like this celebration?
Do you have a traditional Christmas?
What is the weather like in your country at Christmas?
Are you a religious person? What religion do you have?
Does your religion celebrate Christmas? Do you celebrate Xmas in a special way?
Do you celebrate Xmas eve, Xmas lunch or Xmas dinner?
Do you attend any special ceremonies religious or not?
What is Christmas like in your hometown? What is Christmas like in your country?
Do you buy presents at Christmas? Who do you buy presents to?
When do you do your Xmas shopping? What kind of presents do you buy?
What kind of presents do you expect to get? When do you give the presents?
Does your town get decorated at Christmas? How is it decorated?
Do you usually decorate your home? When do you start decorating your home?
How do you decorate it (indoors and outdoors)? Do you put a tree up or a Nativity Scene? What are the predominant colours in your traditional decoration in your country? Is there any special music or songs for Christmas in you culture? What are they like?
Which instruments are typical?
What is your traditional Xmas lunch or dinner like? Do you have turkey for dinner?
When do you have dinner or lunch with your family?
Do you have any traditional meals for this celebration?
Do you have any special food and cakes? Do you drink any special drinks at Christmas?
What is your favourite food at Christmas time? Tell us a typical menu for Christmas.
Give us a special recipe for Christmas.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WE ALL WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I also went to Birmingham!!

Last October I went to Birmingham and I was in Kiri’s house. I’m going to tell you what I did while I was there.

Friday – The plain arrived, and we caught a taxi to go to the school. Selly Park Technology College for girls is a little school but I loved it. Patricia and I went to school to met Kiri and Beth (I remember that the first day we couldn’t understand anything!). After that I went to Kiri’s house and we were watching ‘Friends’ until her mom and her sister came back home. Finaly we had dinner: a typical British meal: fish and chips.

Saturday – We stayed at home all day, except for 30 minutes that we went to a park but it was so cold and we came back early. In the evening I met Kiri’s family, her uncle, her aunt and her cousins Megan and George. We went to bed not too late because next day we were going to go to Cadbury’s World.

Sunday – I went to a chocolate factory called Cadbury’s World. It was so funny and it smelled very well! Patricia and I bought a lot of chocolate for our family and friends. In the afternoon I met Kiri’s mom’s friends and we were watching a movie.

Monday – I went to Kiri’s lessons: English and Chemistry. After that all the students from the Comenius Project went to a concert. Some girls sang songs and others played some instruments like the piano and the violin. When school finished, we went shopping to the Bullring, and we bought a lot of things!

Tuesday – Patricia, Beth, Kiri and me visited Achbishop Ilsley Catholic Technology College. We were with a student from this school, Molly. She was very friendly with us and we had a good time. After school we went to Beth’s house but we couldn’t open the door because Beth forgot the key, we tried to come into the house while it was raining, Finally we went to a neighbours’s house.

Wednesday – We woke up early and Kiri’s mom led us to school with my suitcases. I said goodbye to my host family while I was on the taxi, and I cried a lot.
Now, I’m in Spain and I miss them so much. This is an experience that I’ll never forget.

María Ponce, Spain

BIRMINGHAM

I enjoyed very much in Birmingham. Everything was very different from Spain. About the weather it was very cold, in the morning I couldn’t go out, but it only rained for two days.

The food wasn’t very different from Spain; I ate sandwiches, pizza, McDonald’s, fish and chips and chicken.

The school moved me. Beth’s school was only for girls and it was very different from ours. The majority of girls were from other countries but the link with them was very good.

Selly Park was a very peaceful and beautiful area. There were a lot of very big and green parks. The neighbours were nice and they helped us in a difficult moment.

On Sunday, Maria and I went to the chocolate factory, it is impressive and it smells very good.

The people in this town are very shy and they speak very little but my host-friend, Beth, was very funny and she was “crazy”!!

Finally, I must say that I enjoyed myself very much. This experience has been unforgettable. I would recommend everyone that isn’t sure whether to travel to other country or not, to do it because it is great to meet other people and other cultures.

Patricia López, Spain

Unforgettable days in B:ham

Unforgettable days in Birmingham 15.-20. October 2010...


Friday - October 15th

Our journey started on Friday from Oulu at 15.10 o’clock. We flew to Brussels via Helsinki. In Brussels airport we met other Comenius members from Belgium. After waiting couple hours, we continued our journey to Birmingham with the Belgians. We arrived to Birmingham at 21.35 o’clock local time. Rest of the day went by exploring with our host families.



Saturday - October 16th

Niina spent her day by shopping in the huge shopping centre called Bullring in Birmingham. She also met her host Roisin’s relatives, visited the local museum and went sightseeing. The architecture was amazing and the buildings were beautiful. In the evening she went to have dinner in the Chinese restaurant with Roisin and her mum. Emmi and her host Joseph, his two cousins and his family spent their day in London. During the day they saw some sights, like Big Ben, Tower Bridge, London Eye... The highlight of the day was a rugby match on Wembley Arena. The game was immemorial.


Sunday – October 17th

On Sunday both of the girls spent their day with hosts. Niina’s day included visit to Solihull by buss. There she met her old friend Rhianne and they went to cinema and shopping together. Later Niina, Roisin and her cousin Brogan went to have dinner. In the evening they went to funfair with Roisin’s brothers. The funfair was so much fun and we all had a great time there. Emmi’s day started with watching Joe’s rugby game. After the game they went to the countryside for meeting Joe’s cousins and other relatives. On the evening they all went to the local pub for eating dinner. The countryside was beautiful.


Monday – October 18th

On Monday all Comenius members from Finland, Poland, Bulgaria, Belgium, Spain and UK went to the Selly Park Technology College for girls. There was organized different kind of team works. Groups had to build a tower of balloons, transport the ball in different forms and build a stretcher using as little as possible given materials. Group works were really funny. Pupils of the school presented wonderful musical performances. We also attended for lessons there, for example mathematics and technology. We got a free lunch in there. The lunch was totally different than ours school. The day was brilliant! Selly Park Technology Collage was quite big, compared to ours which is a small 200 students’ school. The school was very cozy and it was much colorful than our school. After SP we went to Archbishop Ilsley Catholic Technology College for waiting our hosts to get home. Meanwhile waiting, this lovely French teacher gave us a tour around the school. On the evening, Niina spent time with her hosts. Emmi had a shopping day in the centre of Birmingham and she saw some sights.

Tuesday – October 19th

We visited Archbishop Ilsley Catholic Technology College on Tuesday. We attended the lessons with our hosts and we met their school mates. We ate lunch together with our hosts, their friends and other Comenius members. The school was big compared to our school and Selly Park. It also was very pleasant and the walls were covered with posters. Later Niina went bowling with her hosts, their friends and Julia from Belgium. Emmi went shopping. People were very nice and hospitality! The day was amazing.
Wednesday – October 20th
In the morning it was time to say goodbyes to our host families. We arrived to the Birmingham airport about at 8 o’clock. We flew to Helsinki via Copenhagen and then to Oulu. We were home at ten o’clock.
We want to thank our teachers Anna and Pentti, both of the schools Selly Park and Archbishop Ilsley, our wonderful host families and everyone who has been involved to this Comenius project. You all together made our trip perfect and memorable!

THANK YOU! -by Niina Huru & Emmi Wathén

Wonderful Birmingham

Our school members of the Comenius Project went to England In the middle of October. Pupils were hosted by very kind families. We spent there almost one week. We had a beautiful weather.
The first day I spent with my host family on sightseeing Birmingham. It’s a huge city with a big population. The city has a historical value but also it is very modern. Most of the people live in terraced houses, there are also some blocks of flats. In the center I visited the Bullring, the Symphony Hall, the Museum & Art Gallery.
The next day I was in Christians’ church on a mass. It was an amazing experience. I also met Dana’s (my host)grandparents. They were very friendly. It was great to meet true English people and have an opportunity to talk to them.
On Monday we were at lessons in the Selly Park College. We had English, science and music. In the evening a had an opportunity to see the great musical called Blood Brothers. It was in the Hippodrome Theatre. Very big and modern one.
On Tuesday I was at Dana’s lessons all day. I had a revision at maths, chemistry, English and History. On a technical lesson pupils were backing muffins. Then everyone tasted them and they were talking about their work. It was very interesting.
We had a great time in Birmingham and I’ll never forget it.

My Holiday

I had a very good time. It has been one of the best holidays of all my life. In July I stayed for two weeks in Canterbury. It was an excellent experience.
I was on a residence with people from around the world. I met Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese, French and Italian people. I learnt a lot of words in other languages, but now I can't remember them.
We went to London two days, one for cultural visits to the museums and the other for shopping in Oxford street. I love London; it is so cool and amazing. I spent all the day taking photos of the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, streets, underground, buses...of everything! It was so beautiful. The weather was a little cold but it was okay. About the food...it's horrible, definitely the worst thing on this travel.
I have three great memories. One is when I sang a song of my favourite band in the karaoke and everybody was listening to me. The other memory is when I met a boy, we fell in love and I won't forget him. The last memory is when all the people on the last day were painting t-shirts and flags with our names and dedications. I love them so much and I hope see them again.

Laura Nicolas, Spain

Polish Coast Holiday

I was in Pobierowo, at the Baltic Sea in Poland ,with my family. I spend two weeks there and it was a very great holiday. I think Pobierowo is the most interesting city on Polish seaside. In the first week, sunny weather and high temperatures made this trip even better! The second week was a little rainy. Most of the time we rode bikes and traveled around. I was in the cinema and skatepark a few times. I also watched two football matches on a new pitch. Of course, sometimes I was at the beach.



patryk

Wonderful time

My holiday was quite diverse.
At the beginning I went with friends to Ukraine. After my return to Poland, after three days I went to Slovenia with his family for the next experience.
Then we went to Croatia for nearly two weeks.

The rest of the holiday I spent at home. This holiday was wonderful.

Janek

My Holiday in Madeira

I spent my last holiday in Madeira Island. I went there with my Parents. We got to Funchal by plane. We lived at an apartment near the city of Funchal, and spent nearly all of our time wandering and driving around the island, getting up early in the morning and going to for
a trip right after breakfast. We usually came back late, and then had dinner. On the first day we were very tired after the flight from Leipzig that we did not get to go for the trip, but just went to a small town (Paul do Mare). On the next day we drove to Funchal, which is the capital of Madeira. Madeira is part of Portugal where people speak Portuguese. On the following days we were driven around the island, which is very beautiful. I admired the beautiful landscape of the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The view was magnificent and that is why I took quite a few pictures. The weather was good and sunny. Our holiday was very successful.

Rafał Mrowiński

My Holiday

I spent my holiday at work. In Niechorze this is small city near the sea, This is a typical resort village. I was working in a shop with souvenirs. There was everything that was related to the sea, seaside and much more. This shop was the largest in whole Niechorze. I worked 12 hour per day with a 3 hour break for lunch, sunbath, swim and explored the city and meet people. In the first week I became friends with the owner of a nearby bar, his name is Kuba. We spent a lot of time together talking about work, people and what happened in the city. We organized some karaoke nights for people working around my shop and his bar. To our surprise, it came a lot of people there. We talked about everything and drank beer, drinks and ate meat - grilled. In short time I got to know a lot of new people in Niechorze.
When I had a break I took care of my younger niece, she`s 9 y.o.. I taught her how to swim and dive. She swam very well for her young age. She is a very smart child. After work I helped Kuba in his small business I fried meat. Many times
I went to the disco “Baltyk” or “Dzazga” with my friends. Dzazga it’s a small club near the sea. In this club are two parquets on separate floors. It was a crazy time for me.
I was talking with people about nothing all night until cows come home. It was a very happy time for me. I have been in touch with the people encountered in Niechorze until now.

cegielek

HOLIDAY MEMORIES

Share your holiday memories with your project partners. Upload some photos or write an entry.




How did you spend your holiday ?
Where did you go ?
What did you do ?
What are your best memories ?







It can be really interesting whether young people from different parts of Europe like doing the same things when they are on holiday ? Let`s find out!

The Topic of the Month: FIFA 2010 World Cup

So football is not everyone’s favourite thing, but everyone (nearly) is talking about the FIFA 2010 World Cup in South Africa. After what seems like an eternity, the World Cup is finally here. In South Africa, the party is already under way.

The competition will be the 19th FIFA World Cup and takes place between 11 June and 11 July 2010. There are 32 teams who have qualified for the tournament – so who is going to win?

Of the countries involved in the Comenius partnership, there is only Spain and England who have qualified. So it is probably fair to say that our Spanish students (and teachers) want Spain to win, and that students (and yes staff) in England want them to win. But what about the rest of you guys?

Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland and Poland– who do you want to win? Who do you think will win? And, why?

Spain, (lets say you cannot choose your own country) who do you want to win and who do you think will win? Why?

England, (again, you cannot choose your own country) if England don’t win, then who would you prefer to see win the World Cup? Why?

Both La Liga in Spain, and the Premiership in England are hugely popular with TV audiences across Europe, so finding out which teams the Comenius countries will be supporting should be an interesting exercise.

What do I think? Well, although it pains me to say it, I think Spain are one of the favourites. They are the reigning European champions, have some of the most gifted footballers in the world, play the game in a very attractive way and have got rid of the label “under achievers”.

I would love England to win, but with our record when it comes to penalties you just can’t trust the situation.

You cannot write-off the usual suspects either. There are some fantastic teams from South America, and Italy, Holland and Germany are always dangerous in tournaments. Whatever the outcome, it is sure to be an exciting few weeks, particularly if you are a football fan.

There are so many questions that need to be debated within our partnership – so get stuck into this blog and leave your opinions below. When contributing, please leave your opinion and state which country you are posting from.

James

My adventure in Varna

My adventure in Varna

From the 23th to the 29th of April my friends Patricia and Krzysztof, and I took part in the a trip to Varna. From the large number of people from our school, who wanted to take part in “Comenius” project it were three of us who were selected for that amazing trip.

Our adventure has already started at the Tegel airport in Berlin because it was my first time when I flew a plane. I was very excited and happy. When we landed we all wondered where the sea was? Because from the sky we only saw of fields and mountains and the sea was nowhere to find… We were very surprised that we could not find it anywhere.

At the airport we met Bulgarian families whose houses we were supposed to stay in. The girl with whom I lived with was called Ralica. At the beginning we were very shy and we didn’t know what to talk about. But when I found myself in her apartment and I saw her CDs and books I knew how to start because we had common interests. The girl’s family was very nice and loving and soon I felt like at home.

After unpacking and some refreshments Ralica and I met with Patricia and Anna. The girls showed us the beautiful city and we ate late dinner in a restaurant. We were constantly talking about everything: school, our city, hopes for the future, our friends, about our interests in English and we couldn’t stop. And so passed the first day.

Next day we met with Patricia, Krzysztof and their hosts and we met a girl from Finland and a boy from Spain. We visited Cape Kaliakra, where we spent nice time. This place was amazing and there were beautiful views. Obviously, we had to take a lot of commemorative photos. Next we drove to have dinner. Bulgarian food is composed of fresh fruit, seafood, cheese and everyday necessarily a special yogurt to drink. Talking with new friends was very interesting. I learnt a lot of interesting things about culture and their interests. We still talked with no problem. Once more we ate, started to fool around and laugh, tell jokes and spent a great time in our group. At the end of the day we drove over the long awaited sea.

The third day all day we were on a trip with our group, where we met the other members from on the project from Belgium and Great Britain, and we also met our teachers. Although the weather was changeable we all had fun and we didn’t lose our sense of humor.

On Monday morning Ralica and I were at her school and in Ralica’s class. I met her friends. It was an Art lesson and the teacher greeted me very warmly. The lesson lasted 45 minutes and was very interesting. The atmosphere was very nice there, and the children were happy and very noisy. Then we took part in a show concerning the presentation of the partner ship cities, where I learnt a lot of new information about these cities. This was also Patricia’s birthday so we spent time with girls. Of course it was women’s day so we went shopping, to the cinema and to the entertainment center. There had to be wishes, cake and gifts for Patricia. That day was one of the coolest.

On Tuesday I was also at school but this time at the lesson of the Bulgarian language, where everybody was silent. Then Krzysztof and I had PE lessons and played basketball with the boys, and after the game I got a commemorative T-shirt.

I was in the most beautiful place in Varna in The Sea Park. This place was amazing and I admired nature. And we were in Dolphinarium, where I saw dolphins for the first time. I spent the evening with Ralica and her family and friends in a restaurant, where I tried Bulgarian food and wine. Time passed quickly as we were having a pleasant conversation and nice moments.

The last day was sad because we had to leave but it was also fun- filled. And I returned to Poland. Oh and I forgot about one thing - I got fantastic souvenirs from my friend and I hope that we can meet on holidays because I invited Ralica to my place.

Generally, this was an unforgettable experience for me, because I could practise my English, meet new people and meet new culture and see new amazing places and admire great views. I hope that one day I will return there. And each of us should take part in such projects because if they weren’t organized, I wouldn’t have opportunity to experience this incredible adventure.

Memories from Varna

My memories from Varna


23rd of April was a trip to Bulgaria. Together with Lilianna and Patrycja I was among those selected from students actively participating in the Comenius project. I would say at the begining that Bulgaria was amazing.

A plane flight… not everyone had the opportunity to travel in this way. In total, we flew four times (Berlin - Vienna, Vienna - Varna and back).

First, what we thought while coming close to Varna is: "Where is the sea?" After landing and saying goodbye to each other, each of us went to the families who we were supposed to live with.

My first talks? - "I hope that you will understand me, and I will understand you." And then we exchanged general information about ourselves. After unpacking at a separate room in the house, we went to visit the Sea Garden in Varna.

The whole day passed well. Talking to foreigners intrigued me very much, finally I realized how useful English is.

The next day, together with the families where lived Liliana and Patrycja we visited the Cape Kaliakra. Beautiful views made an impression on us, and that sometimes can be seen here in a sea of dolphins. We took a joint photograph.

Then we got acquainted with our peers from other countries. At the beginning of the conversation could be heard only our peers from the school in Bulgaria, who were talking to each other. Then we all talked together.

The next day, along with our peers from other countries we visited Veliko Tarnovo - the former capital of Bulgaria. We observed even more beautiful views there - a wonderful mountainous terrain, the walls of the castle and the castle on the summit. From this place we have the most wonderful pictures.

The next day we visited the lessons of our peers from the Bulgarian school. Their excellent level of mathematics surprised us. Then presentations of partner cities was held. Then we went to the mall and visited the dolphinarium. It was great to see dolphins. On the last day we went to school, then we heard presentations by peers such as dance schools in Bulgaria. Then we walked around the city.

At the end I met Patrycja, Liliana, all of us and our host families joined Mrs. Ania Ostrowska and Mrs. Elżbieta Łuczak at the airport.

I would be so happy if I could go to another country or to Bulgaria again. An unforgettable experience. What is the most important: raised the bottomline is that it`s worth learning English.

Krzysztof, Szczecin(Poland)

TOPIC OF THE MONTH: FOOD

Hello everyone!

The topic of the month is food, and I'd like your participation to see what we discover about our customs in this regard.

We will start with breakfast:
It should be the most important meal of the day not by the amount, but because of the time when we eat it and its utility. If you have a proper breakfast, you will begin your day less tired and will be able to pay more attention in class.

The Spanish breakfast has some variants:

1) The well-made breakfast consists of juice, preferably freshly squeezed orange, toast with olive oil and tomato with or without ham and a glass of milk with cocoa or coffee for adults.
2) Another common breakfast is usually cereal with milk with or without fruit or chocolate chips.
3) Milk and biscuits (How many? 3.5, 6, ... ...?) Or pastries (how many?)
4) Some people do not have anything for breakfast because they get up late, with just the time to go to school.

Is it similar or very different in other countries?

Join us and tell us what your breakfast is like. Ask your CAYAC partners what they usually have for breakfast and tell us what you usually do. The following questionnaire can be useful to you:

BREAKFAST Everyday - 3 times per week -1 time per week - never
HOUR AND TIME
Milk
Fresh Juice
Cereal
Biscuits
Pastries
Toast
Butter
Oil
Others

Don't forget to leave your comments! Thank you!!
Querubina Albaladejo

My Trip to Varna, Bulgaria

I went to Varna from 23rd to 28th April...
My host family was special but funny...
It was very cool, great and nice...
I made some friends and I’m missing them terribly...
Bulgaria is a beautiful country!!!
I look forward to going to Bulgaria with my family...
My dream: living near the sea!!!
We were happy!!!
See the picture? He is King Thomas, the first... and the last
Big kisses from Belgium!!!

Soon!!!

Alexandra

Comenius Education Partnership - Meeting in Kiiminki, Finland 1

Comenius Education Partnership - Meeting in Kiiminki, Finland The sound of the wheels, as they touched the ground below us, could be heard from our seats, as we landed in the small airport of Kiminki, Finland. After collecting our luggage, I was met by my host family, who were to look after me for 6 days whilst we were to visit a school in Finland, in the Comenius School Links project. My friend Rhianne, who came with me, stayed with a different host family, which meant we would do different things. My host, Sofia, lived with her mum in a small yet cosy house in a big neighbourhood, which was completely surrounded by hundreds of tall, white fir trees. This change in landscape took a while to get used to, as my astonishment did not wear off for several days. Everywhere you went, including on either side of nearly every road you took, there were thousands of fir trees everywhere, towering over you. However, the landscape did not shock me as much as the weather. Everything was covered in deep, pure white snow. Temperatures the week before had been -25 to -30 degrees Celsius!! However, the weather pitied us and we never had to endure such temperatures, luckily. I had a fabulous time in Finland and the different activities which we did, have given me an insight into what the Finnish culture is like. At the weekend, I visited Oulu, the nearest town to Kiminki, and explored shops and a traditional indoor market selling lots of fish. I also went on a day trip to Lapland with the rest of the other schools who were also involved in the Comenius project. We had a photo with Father Christmas, met some reindeer and visited a beautiful and stunning snow castle. This was one of the most memorable parts of the trip, as everything was completely made from snow or ice! I ate a Finnish bun in a snow restaurant, Mr. Porter and Miss. Newton had a drink out of an ice glass and we all got to look inside the snow hotel rooms, which were expensive to stay in! I went to school with Sofia and enjoyed some interesting lessons, which I could not understand as they were spoken in Finnish. Then on the last day, I was taken to see Sofia’s Aunt and Uncle and her cousins. I had a wonderful time playing in the snow and they also took me on a magical sleigh ride through the beautiful snowy forest. It was truly amazing!
This experience has given me a wonderful understanding of the Finnish way of life and has enabled me to meet new and friendly people.
Thank you to Mr. Brooke, Miss. Newton
and Mr. Porter, who, without them, I
would not be able to have gone on, what
was, a terrific and memorable visit to
Finland!

Comenius Education Partnership - Meeting in Kiiminki, Finland

Finland in winter is essentially a giant snow Wonderland. It never failed to amaze me at seeing snow everyday as I woke up and the sky the same colour as the ground, pure white. On our visit to Finland we stayed with host families. The girl I stayed with was called Niina Huru and she lived with her mom, her dad, her 3 brothers and their dog. They also ran their own business a small shop and fast food counter. Via the family I learnt about traditional foods such as moose, reindeer and many different types of bread as well as learning parts of their language and the way they go about daily life. The snow, however, was by far the most interesting since in England we can’t seem to survive two days of Snow never mind several months.

During our weekend in Finland we did many interesting things such as check out the local shopping mall but Sunday was by far the most exciting day. We saw live reindeer in Lapland amongst other exciting sites but the best was yet to come. ‘The experience of a lifetime.’ Finland’s very own snow castle visit was a hit. An entire castle made out of snow. Inside were hotel rooms, restaurants and even a cathedral room. As the skies grew dim we played on the ice slides and wandered around the ice hotel rooms taking pictures of everything we saw.
During this day we also met other students visiting from countries such as Belgium, Bulgaria, Poland and Spain. We swapped information on our different countries and had a lot of laughs mostly from playing in the snow.

Finally on Monday and Tuesday off to school we went. While we were there we tried Finnish school lunches, saw an assembly based on Finnish culture such as Finnish dancing and drinking. We also tried Finnish sweets and sat in lessons, generally the English ones were best because they asked us questions about English culture so it was easier for us to understand.
All in all it was a very enriching experience and it definitely made the six grueling flights worth while. I hope to keep in contact with the new friends I met there and I also hope to return to Finland one day and try out many other new and exciting things such as skiing, snowboarding maybe even trying out a snow mobile.

My trip to Finland

Well, the first thing that I want to say is that Finland is a magic country, and all their people are fantastic. Now I can start.

My trip started at three o’clock in the morning, the sun wasn’t out even. I prepared my bag with some sandwiches for the travel, and some important things like the personal identification card and my passport. My teachers were waiting for us (Lucia and me) with a taxi. We had a travel by taxi to the airport in Alicante, which lasted one hour.

When we arrived at the airport we checked in our luggage, and we waited for our plane. The travel wasn’t very long, only an hour, and we were quickly in Madrid. There we waited for a while until to fly. This trip would be much longer…

As we were coming, we could see the snow and the pine trees. I remember that I thought that the plane was going to skate with all that snow. But I was wrong. Fortunately, the plane landed like any other.

I don’t remember how long we waited for the next plane to Oulu, maybe one hour, maybe two, I don’t know. We met there with more teachers and students from the different countries. Our flight had to take off in about an hour, but it was delayed.

When we arrived in Oulu, (I don’t know what the rest of students thought) I was very nervous. While I was picking my suitcase, I saw the Finnish hosts, and I was asking myself who’ll be my host. When I saw Aino and her mum I was nervous too, but I thought: “They are good people and very kind, and I’ll feel really comfortable with them”. And I was right, I was treated as another family member, and I’ll be always grateful.

That night, we had dinner, and we went to bed immediately, because we were very tired. The next morning, I got up at about seven o’clock, because the light from the sky didn’t let me sleep. I went to my room’s window and I drew back the curtains. In this moment my mouth looked like an “O”. I’ve never seen something like this: it was snowing, and the snowflakes were falling down like cotton, opposite my windows there were a lot of trees covered of snow, there were also swings, but I could hardly see them, because they were totally covered of snow, too. I grabbed my camera and I took a photo.

On Saturday, my really first day, we went to Oulu to go shopping. Aino showed me a lot of fantastic places in Oulu. In the afternoon, we had lunch in a Mexican restaurant. And then we went home, because that night we were going to have dinner with her family. We had a very good meal: salmon and mashed potato, different kinds of cheese and some Spanish food that I gave them. After dinner we went to the sauna, and we jumped into the snow :D It was really amazing! I skied too, but it’s better if I don’t tell anybody about all my falls…

The next day we went to an excursion with the school and the different people from the project countries. We went to visit Santa Claus and we visited also the Snow Castle. I slipped with some kind of sled, and a reindeer almost hit me, but the excursion was fantastic :)

On Monday, we went to school like normal students. I didn’t understand anything about the class, because the teachers spoke in Finnish, but I was fascinated because of the seriousness with which students took notes and paid attention. Teachers were very kind with us and spoke in English in the first part of the class.

On Tuesday, we also went to school. The teachers and students from there showed us a very beautiful dance typical of there, and they sang many songs in Finnish, too. After the event, we ate a typical bun, and juice.

In the afternoon, we went shopping with Niina and her guest. Then we went home to change our clothes, because then we were going to do a picnic with some students and hosts from the Comenius project. We had sausages for dinner and then we made a snow war =). We were next to a frozen river, in a campfire. It was a fantastic experience to say bye to Finland. I’ll never forget it…

Wednesday arrived with tears and hugs. I didn’t want to get up because I knew that everything was finished. I said goodbye to Aino’s dad and I picked up my things. Aino and her mum drove me to the airport by car. There I said bye to them…

We took three planes to Murcia, and I arrived home at half past twelve in the night.

But nothing finished, and now I speak with my Finnish host some days, and we keep in touch. I think that if I can go there again I’m going to go, because Finnish manners are fantastic. And I’m very surprised at all that I’ve learned in this trip. And now I can say: “I’ve been to Finland and I love it”.

Marisa López , Murcia, Spain

DIARY TO OULU

• Travel:

Journey to Oulu: My travel was good.

Journey from Oulu: My travel was good too.

First impressions: That Finland is very cold.

Landscape and climate: All landscape is white, and the climate is very cold.

Houses(similarities/diferences)? The houses are similar in the sofa, TV, etc, but they are different in the floor, the temperature, the sauna.

Best part of your weekend: The best part for me, was to go to see the ice castle, ski, and be with the family.

Worst part of your weenkend: The change of temperature, out very cold, and inside very hot.

Food and drink: I like moose, but I don't like the sweet.

• Daily routine:

School day (similarities/differencies)? The school is different in size, schedules, windows, etc.

Best part of your trip: The best part was the family that welcomed me, the people, the climate, all.

Worst part of your trip: The worst part for me was that the trip was very short.

Your final impressions: Than the people of Finland are very friendly.

Lucía Hernández Jiménez, Murcia, Spain

The friends we meet on the path of life make the trip worthwhile.

A walk through the sleeping city of Oulu in the middle of the night wasn’t probably the best idea but we were on a mission. We, me and my friend Nina, were on our way to meet our Polish visitors that had just arrived in Finland. The air was crispy due the after-hour freeze and it had started snowing gently a couple minutes ago. Our destination was the local Holiday Inn- hotel where the meeting was supposed to take place. We had never met the people who were going to live with us for the following four days but I guess that’s part of the magic and excitement that lingered in the air on that walk. Our steps were light yet quick on the heavy snow and we felt warm under our quilted jackets as we hurried towards the hotel. After a while that felt like an instant we were standing in front of the meeting place. We shared a quick glance of assurance and then walked in. Inside there were two young girls with huge pieces of luggage. And my only thought was: “We’re going to need a cab.”

The conversation started slowly in Nina’s city apartment later and both of the girls, named Iga and Martyna, revealed to be lively and chipper girls. We talked and chatted and talked until the clock started to show its nasty side and we decided to get some sleep for tomorrow’s big event: shopping (and sightseeing)! Unfortunately the price range in Finland is very high so our friends found everything a bit pricy. That wasn’t a barrier to have some fun though. We tried some Finnish sweets, Greek food, shoes, clothes etc. Later my mom’s boyfriend Tapio came to pick us up and we headed to Kiiminki to show our homes and families. Martyna went with Nina and Iga with me. When my family finally met Iga my mom took an instant liking to her and talked to her as much as possible. Iga introduced me some of her hometown on the internet and I learned quite a lot. (Did you know that Szczecin isn’t actually located ashore the Baltic Sea?) We listened to some music, played games, sang Sing Star, talked, baked and of course took some saunas, just had a great time.

We also visited Rovaniemi and Kemi, both cities with very Finnish tourist attractions: the city of Santa Claus and Kemi’s snow castle. That certainly was something different although I’d have never guessed how corrupted the idea of Father Christmas has become. The snow castle was magnificent though and everyone seemed amazed about the wonders they can do with ice. Our school seemed to be quite a surprise for them too. In Finland there isn’t a lot of noise during the classes and teachers try to make the lessons as interesting as possible. And the free school meal also was something to enjoy about. Unfortunately I got sick and had to rest for one day but luckily Nina looked after Iga for me.

But everything good comes to an end at some point. The time of goodbyes came way too quick and way too early in the morning. We drove our friends to the airport and waited with them until their teachers got there. There were no tears because of the knowledge that we’ll meet again, hopefully soon. Iga had brought me many souvenirs’ from Poland so my family gave her a Moomin mug, some chocolate and Finnish bread called rieska to remind her of Finland. But some things we both got were an adventure and a bunch of friendship.

Minna-Mari Lesonen, FINLAND

Viva Finland

Lightly snow-covered, pavement in front of the 'Interglobus'company office
- there began our adventure with Finland. I didn't expect that I would be one of those people, who they chose, and who would be able to feel on the skin that Finnish cold. Life can bring a surprise.

My first feeling, and the first thing that surprised me was the question : where is the snow? There was so little of it, that for a moment I thought that we had made a mistake and chose the wrong plane. Fortunately, we arrived in Finland. Nina and Minna robbed us from the hotel. We went with them to Nina's apartment in Oulu. At the beginning it was a bit awkward, but after the first ice-breaking we spent 3 hours on a conversation about everything. Then each went to her room and fell asleep.

The next day we toured a charming town Oulu. It dazzled us with its simplicity, serenity and also plenty of designer shops, which were very expensive. Not only the clothes were expensive. One meal in a fairly popular restaurant cost more than 70 złotych. But they had a never-ending chocolate-flavored lollipops! Yummy!

In the evening, Minna's mother's boyfriend came and took us back to their family homes in Kiminki. Iga went to Minna’s, I was to live with Nina. Into my eyes appeared a huge, lovely house on the lake surrounded by snow and the remnants of Christmas decorations. Nina's Mom hugged me in greeting and invited to the house proposing a pizza at once . In Finland I had a strange feeling of perpetual hunger, which I was being satisfied all the time, because there was a feeling, that I was eating something all the time. And I was drinking some milk. Milk was served to everything - even the flakes with milk. It was probably a product which would never run out in a Finnish home. Basic equipment and a room, which was necessary for life was a sauna. Finns spend several hours a day there. They were shocked when they realized that in Poland we don’t have a sauna in our homes, only in the SPA.

Our knowledge of English assisted by the Polish-English dictionary was helpful in
a 7- hour-long night conversation. No matter that we had to get up at 5:30, when in Poland
it was 4:30. We were given some quality advice to get up from a soft, warm bed to go to the conquest of Lapland, or the home of Santa Claus. More of it was waiting for meeting him than the pleasure of a conversation with Santa - unfortunately we had no occasion, as one of the coordinators of the project wasn`t aware that we are the participants in it and didn’t allow us to enter. A Santa's Village is one, big commerce – it tries to make profit from everything, even the toilet paper with the image of Santa Claus. But…it`s fun for kids, I guess. The coolest thing there were reindeer! Fluffy but dangerous - only Mr. Ułasiuk (our teacher) thought in this way, because in fact they were friendly, like household pets. Then we went to the Snow Castle, in which Michal Wisniewski and Mandaryna (Polish pop stars) had got married. I can't imagine spending the night in the refrigerator! Brr.

Nina's mother spoke English perfectly , so we could talk, talk and talk. She liked talking, but that was nothing in comparison to Nina's stepfather, who talked all the time, although he didn't speak English, but he used words that resembled some English words, some German, mostly Finnish, but I understood everything. There were people open to new acquaintanceship, talked with me about everything, it was a huge surprise, because our teachers told us that Finns are a very closed social group, which isn't true.

Wherever we looked everywhere there were blond and blonde. Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish them from each other. The lessons were there in complete silence, they listen to the teacher, the teacher listens to students. Something extraordinary. Classes are for students, who want to get in on lessons, and if they don’t want - just leave without giving
a reason, go to sleep on a school sofa or listen to music without disturbing others. One lesson lasts 75 minutes and it was hard not to fall asleep, after we had slept for less than 2 hours. At some point, a teacher of biology and geography saw us that we slept in the sitting position and suggested us to go to take a nap on the couch. It was funny.
Those people I met in Finland were amazing. Sometimes there are no proper words to describe this incredible atmosphere that prevailed there. I regret that the trip lasted so short. I'm going to go back there, soon.


Martyna (Szczecin, Poland)

Comenius Project : Visit to Finland

At the beginning I would like to point out the fact that the trip to Finland was a fantastic adventure.
After a long and tiring journey, we arrived at Oulu in the middle of the night. The temperature totally surprised me: I was prepared for
-30 degrees, but there was only -15.
The girls we lived with were surprised too. I thought that they would be introverts, without sense of humor and very little talkative. However, I saw them smiling, and at first a little
self-conscious, the girls turned out to be the ones who weren’t shy. Talking with Minna about everything wasn’t a problem. They were happy to show us the city and enthusiastically went shopping and sightseeing with us.
The sizes and appearance of their homes were also surprising; maybe not houses, but villas. These huge residences were nothing out of ordinary for them.
In the evenings we surfed on the Internet, showed our houses and our friends, watched movies, played monopoly and sing star, simply had a great time.
I thought it would be hard at school and that there could be a lot of activities. Fact. There was to be hard work on the 75-minute-long lessons, and actually we did withstand them, but before the activities Finnish teachers approached us and apologized that the lessons would be conducted in their native language.
So we didn’t understand anything and we were a little bored.
Students weren’t talkative and during the entire stay there no one approached us. One lesson on which someone was interested in our presence was an English lesson. The questions that were asked were really very interesting. The Finnish school is not about strict discipline, but about the freedom and responsibility for ourselves.
I was disappointed only about Santa Claus and his village in Rovanniemi. Santa Claus was fake and commercial.
What, however, completely made up for it was the ice castle where Wisniewski(a pop star) got married to Mandaryna. That was the greatest attraction for us.
The trip was an unforgettable experience for me, because I had never expected that I would go to the Arctic Circle.
I hope to visit Kiiminki again, because I am invited again.
But now I am waiting for Minna, because she is coming to Poland this holiday.

Ixon(Szczecin, Poland)