100 Days with my first Family

Today is the 100th Day mark being with my first host Family. Also, there was frost all over Southwestern Finland for the first time so far. I just came back to Lieto from Laitila to have a fun exchange student weekend. I'm trying to let you all know how it is going, but no news is good news. If you don't hear from me in a while that is because I am doing fine and adjusting well to Finnish culture. I need to be spending less time on the computer anyways. Below are some pictures from the weekend.
This picture is my 'Family Portrait'' of the Rotary Exchange Students from my school. The Oldies from South Africa and Australia are in the background and a Newbie from Colorado is next to me.

Below are some of the exchange students at dinner time

3 Month Mark; ja en voi habla any langauge!!

Well it's been an interesting few weeks. Some really good things have happened such as being able to play soccer with some people from school on Friday's after school, and some bad things such as loosing my English skills, sun rising later and setting earlier joka päivä, ja no snow yet!! I'm now at the point where I have lost my English skills, completely forgotten Spanish (and when I speak it Soy gringo) and can not speak Finnish fluently (yet, I am learning quickly!). Anyway there is nothing completly new going on, I just thought that I would post because today is an important day (exactly 3 months talla Suomessa) and because I needed a distraction from my Iceland paper I am writing in Geography class. Attached pictures are from my trip with host family to Helsinki. The last photo was my art project in Painting Class. we had to draw ourselves as a chair so I chose an American La-Z-Boy and lots of Finnish leaves that are beginning to cover the Americanness of the couch? Symbolic? Maybe a little bit...

Finnish Tongue Twisters

This past week has been cool (and also cold) for several reasons:

The first is that everyday here in Finand, we lose five minutes of daylight. Doesn't sounds like much, but every 12 days we lose and hour of daylight!! Sun currently rises at about 7:48 AM and sets at 6:28PM!

The second reason is because I have been taught a lot of Finnish Tongue twisters. I can already say Päärynäjäätelötötterrö (pair icecream cone) and can almost say "Vesi hiisi sihisi hississä" (A water monster hisses in an elevator). Here is a list of other Finnish Tongue Twisters. There are translations into English and also pronounciations on some of them. I recommend checking it out if you have some spare time

Täsmälleen 2 kuukautta/ Exactly 2 Months

October 7, 2011

Today marks the 2 month 'anniversary' of the day I was a confused exchange student walking from the Lufthansa aircraft and into Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. Wow does time fly! I remember the details, the exact feel of the airport, the way that the people were staring at us, everything so clear as if it was yesterday. Today was a great day. I came home from school after buying a Finnish jacket and got a Finnish haircut (short). I thenwalked to Vanhalinna and relished the beauty of the gold and red autumn leaves and the coming of the rain storm. It was magnificent.

Anyways, I have done a lot since my last post in September. I was also able to go and visit my brother's elementary school again. At this school, they have shoe police that make sure that each child has wiped off their feet before entering the building. Once inside, students must take off their shoes before going inside. Once inside, they must stand up when the teacher walks in and say good morning. Lunch in Finland is free (and has been ever since WW2). Lunch on that day consisted of sausage stew, bread, vegetables, and strawberry yogurt for dessert.

The exchange students here are awesome. We have done a lot together, such as Ikea Trips, Downhill go carts at Hirvensalo, trips to the Turku Cathedral, and also to Turku Castle.

One of the most notable was that I personally met Princes Daniel and Princess Victoria of Sweden. It is a VERY long story (ask my parents if you want to hear it), but in the pictures below, you can see my hand giving Victoria my Rotary Youth Exchange Card with a message on the back and me talking with the princess. Photos taken by Hannah Sartor, Exchange student from Michigan.

By the way this is my class picture. Can you find me?

9/11/11: 10 Years Later

Hello Everyone! I hope you all had a restful and sincere September 11. Today, I woke up and made adjustments to my room.

After, I went biking with my host sister. We went to Vanhalinna, which is where the old castle used to be before it was destroyed (it is only 3 minutes away from my house by bike!!)

This is a view from the top of the hill where the castle used to be.

Afterwards, we biked to a bridge, where I took these pictures

When I got back, I watched the 2 last moments of silence on my laptop, the ones for United 93 and the 2nd tower collapsing. The second meant the most to me because as a child, I remember waking up and getting ready for 1st grade. All of a sudden I heard my mom scream on the phone and turn on the TV. I can't remember how long we were there, but I remember watching the 2nd tower collapse. So at 10:28 Eastern Time (5:28 pm Finland Time) I was suddenly back in my 6 year old body watching as the skyscrapers of NYC were suddenly reduced to nothing. It was a sincere, awesome, and eerie moment. How the time has passed!

After I finished the moment of silence, I rejoined the family at my host brothers 14th birthday party. For the most part, the family only spoke Finnish so it was my time to speak Finnish with the grandparents and little cousins.

This is one of my favorite patriotic songs. Please listen to it and remember just how lucky we are to be American.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEcsEtRotHk

Lipstick Terror Day

Today was a very great day! As of today, the 3rd years (the equivelant to High School Seniors) have only 100 more days left of lukio (high school). To celebrate, they decorated the 5th floor of the school to look like Hollywood.

After the morning announcements, we were sitting in music class while the teacher played traditional Finnish Waltzes on the Accordian when we heard a knock on the door... Then the 3rd years barged in with a loud boom box and lots of lipstick. If we didn't dance, they painted our faces. After this, I was able to follow the 3rd Years around because I did not have a class at that time

Here is me with some other exchange students from South Africa and Australia

Below are some pictures of lunch time. Lunch is free here in Finland and the cafeteria is very small, which makes everyday interesting. Also attached are other pictures that were taken throughout the day

Karkku Language Camp

The language camp in Karkku was great! I met so many great people from EVERYWHERE and did lot's of fun stuff such as real Finnish Sauna, floorball (ice hockey without ice), swimming, and the talent show. It is hard to explain the week in words, so here are some pictures.

Just Like Oregon

So I have been here in Finland for about 5 days now and I can not help but thinking I am back in Oregon. Southwest Finland looks just like Oregon; lots of trees, same temperature in the Summer, and friendly people. This is not a long blog post but I like it a lot here. The only different things here are the language and the toilet handles; it's more of a pump than a handle.

3 Days (Really only 2) until I leave

I remember when I first was telling everyone that I was going to be an exchange student. That was over a few months ago and it seemed like it would never actually happen because it felt like it was too far away. Now I look at the email saying that I will be leaving at 7:45 AM this Saturday and I can not believe how quickly this day has come, it felt like it never would! Bags are almost packed, goodbyes to everyone except immediate friends and family have been said, and emails from host families and Finnish Rotarians keep coming in. I feels so real now! I know that I will never regret becoming a exchange student and the time of my life starts this weekend. 3 Days (Really only 2) until I leave.

How It All Started

A picture speaks a thousand words, but this one just won't stop talking! Every time I look at this picture, something new pops up and reminds me of what I have gone through to get here. This huge adventure (which hasn't even taken off yet) all started with a letter, lots of paperwork, time out of class, and a whole lot of determination. I really wanted to be an exchange student, so with a silent prayer I handed the paperwork to the school secretary. And that is when it all started to happen; after an in-school interview and a home interview I was told to wait by the phone in case I was the lucky person. So at 7:45 pm a few nights after that, the phone rang and I bet you can guess who it was and what it was for.

And so it started... I was an exchange student applicant! ("You are never an exchange student until the wheels take off of the ground with you inside the airplane" -Rotarians). I began attending Rotary meetings and exchange student retreats. The other 50 or so candidates I have known for less than a year and already we feel like family. There is something about camping in the woods, snowboarding in Eastern Oregon, beach sumo wrestling, cramped sleeping quarters, and bonfires; These events will turn strangers into family. If you are reading this I had a great time with you all and will never forget these countless memories.

So why Finland? People still come up to me with a trivia fact about Chile or Argentina because some still think I am going to South America. I chose Finland for a variety of reasons but mainly because of how different it is. They have different weather, foods, LANGUAGE, and schools. Of course South America has all of these differences, but Finland has a culture I have never learned about. Besides, Finland has one of the best education systems in the world, Northern lights, and my city has an old castle in it.

Here I am: 38 more days and I will be saying "Moi! Minä olen Samuel Copelan ja olen Yhdysvallatasta! Ymmarrat?" People say I am crazy and I respond with yes; You have to be a little bit crazy to fly to the other side of the world where everything is new and different and live there for a year. But that is what this world needs; It needs more people who can make a bold and daring leap of faith because these are the people who change the world for the better. I want to thank my Mom, Dad, and family for letting me be able to do this. Rotarians, I am so grateful that you put up with us kids and make this program possible. And other friends and family, thanks for supporting my decision to leave you guys for a year. And for my other family-D5100 Outbounds- are you ready for the best year of our lives?