2 weeks in Oulu

It has been 2 official weeks and somewhat it still feel a bit surreal but also like it has been so for quite a while. Lessons have started this week and while they are still mainly introductory except for Survival Finnish, I am excited by them all and remains keen to share my thoughts and experiences. Yah, experiences are truly something that can come with age though one classmate of mine refuses to believe that I am older than her, maybe because of my camwhoring antics. But others sense my subtle behavioral manners that spoke otherwise I think because I am composed most of the time and I will get things organised or facilitate interactions between people. Somehow, I still find myself very much in the teacher mode, taking care of my fellow classmates like staying behind to make sure everyone is accounted for when we move as a bunch, taking their pictures at random moments and sometimes dispense advice to them.
@ wk 2, I am happy to have known some of my classmates better and I now hang out regularly with an international bunch of Japanese, Russians, Turks, Iranians, Taiwanese, Brazilian and Indians. Perhaps there will be more to come.
But what school goes into full steam for all of us, let's hope that we still get to meet up occasionally.
School-wise, I really think it is a bigger world out here. With so many international students and with the quality of teachers here, I really feel like part of a global population and I realised that I can, too, contribute to a wider, global community. Here, our dreams get a little bigger. Still, for those who are doing your degrees overseas, while it could be the same for you too but don't forget to keep the heart and motivation true and clear. Egos and dreams do not have to correlate. But still, I do miss classroom teaching.
Perhaps some highlights:
- went to a Finnish sauna!
- Got a bicycle after a week at a steal!! :): In Oulu, cycling is a basic mode of transport and is supported by a good extensive cycling tracks! And here, the vehicles do give way to pedestrians and cyclists at junctions! This will of cos save me 6Euro for a roundtrip to downtown and time to walk to visit my friends.
- I can walk to school in 10 mins!! (isn't that all familiar :P) and I am happy to have the city library branch opposite my block! =) - and yes, they have some English books! :P
- bought a study table and chair from the recycle center yesterday. In Finland/Oulu, with things being so expensive, it is common to buy things from 2ndhand stores (definitely true for the poor students!) and recycle center. Next thing I need to get is a bigger bed, after which I can stop renting the same things and save costs. Shopping has thus become quite a pasttime for me now, in such stores and also in supermarkets.
- it is really like building an identity and creating space for yourself, getting everything from scratch. I am glad that previous occupants have left plenty of stuff for me to utilise like frying pan, pots and plates etc. At least I don't have to buy them. But just like last week, I cleaned out the kitchen and bathrooms, and bought stuff to make them more...homely? My flatmate does not care that much about the common area but I think it is important. And I managed to make him smile twice ahah. He looks a bit too serious but I supposed he found it amusing that I am buying things for the kitchen and I made him potato salad specially too when I made some for a bbq the other day. That is one point to me! :P
- Last wk was Oulu Day over the weekend. It is a day when museums are opened for free and there are performances in various venues of the city. There are banners and the market place gets more crowded. (see pics!). I went on Sat but skipped the Sunday to do work. :P
- This Friday, there was a simple reception in the city hall where the mayor of the city came to give a speech and there was food and drinks (champagne included :P) to welcome the international students. So cool! But what was nice was for a bunch of us to head down to coffee house later on for a nice chit-chat session :).
- Yesterday, my turkish fren brought us to play mini-golf!

While everything seems like fun and play but there was adjustment made and is still being made.
- I need to plan for my meals, from preparation to eating. Sure you can survive by getting take-out all the time but I also saw coming here as an opportunity to do my own cooking since I can use the kitchen. you should see my share of the cupboard. There are many stuff in there! Perhaps I should stop going to the supermarkets otherwise I will keep thinking of new dishes that I can do (and so I bought the stuff) but don't have that much time to cook really haha. But this really also means adjusting how I use time. There will not be food waiting for me anymore.
- cold weather. I was feeling cold when I first got here. The skin got dry and I felt tired. But now I have gotten used to the weather. In fact, I wore less these days, even less than my classmates and most Finns.
- The sun sets at 9pm. It is so weird that my dinner time gets screwed up.
- Like I said before, feeling a spot for myself in this apartment.
- Being by myself like this. I think I am too used to having pple around me.
I suppose all this will only get better with time. Let's see how things go.