Update from Piers
Posted by Pieter Stam
Hello,
I thought that I'd check in and tell you all what's been going on with
myself lately. It's almost Easter and I'm sure you all know how different
cultures really like to bring out the old traditions on holidays like this.
Well Finland is certainly no different.
To start from the beginning, last Sunday, the 9th, we had trick-or-treaters
at our door around 9:00am. Thankfully my host brother warned me about this
the night before or else I might have been quite shocked. They weren't
tricking or treating, however, instead they were giving you an Easter
blessing and a healthy year. They'd wave their wands (made from a stick and
brightly coloured feathers and cloth) and say 'Virvon varvon tuoreeks
terveeks tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle palkka mulle.', after which you give
them money or chocolate and then they're on their way again.
During the week they have the same sorts of traditions that we have in
Canada with the exception of Ash Wednesday, they neither call it by that
name, nor do they eat pancakes or any other special food. However, they
certainly do have traditional food. Aside from chocolate and a feast on
Easter Sunday, they have this dish called Mämmi which is a very deep Finnish
tradition. It is made from rye flour, water, and yeast, which they mix
together and then bake in the oven for 6 hours. It looks fairly discusting
(I won't get into details) once it is ready, however it doesn't taste too
bad with some vanilla cream. It is by far the most Finnish dish that I have
tasted yet.
I thought that I'd check in and tell you all what's been going on with
myself lately. It's almost Easter and I'm sure you all know how different
cultures really like to bring out the old traditions on holidays like this.
Well Finland is certainly no different.
To start from the beginning, last Sunday, the 9th, we had trick-or-treaters
at our door around 9:00am. Thankfully my host brother warned me about this
the night before or else I might have been quite shocked. They weren't
tricking or treating, however, instead they were giving you an Easter
blessing and a healthy year. They'd wave their wands (made from a stick and
brightly coloured feathers and cloth) and say 'Virvon varvon tuoreeks
terveeks tulevaks vuodeks, vitsa sulle palkka mulle.', after which you give
them money or chocolate and then they're on their way again.
During the week they have the same sorts of traditions that we have in
Canada with the exception of Ash Wednesday, they neither call it by that
name, nor do they eat pancakes or any other special food. However, they
certainly do have traditional food. Aside from chocolate and a feast on
Easter Sunday, they have this dish called Mämmi which is a very deep Finnish
tradition. It is made from rye flour, water, and yeast, which they mix
together and then bake in the oven for 6 hours. It looks fairly discusting
(I won't get into details) once it is ready, however it doesn't taste too
bad with some vanilla cream. It is by far the most Finnish dish that I have
tasted yet.
In news on different topics than my recent diet, I went again to my host
mother's school for Monday and Tuesday this week. It was really fun teaching
the kids about Canadian Easter traditions. I taught them about Ash
Wednesday, the Easter Bunny, Easter baskets, Easter egg hunts and some other
English words that related to Easter. It was lots of fun, my host mother and
I set up Easter egg hunts in each of the classrooms for the kids, and I got
a handfull of Easter cards that the kids made for me.
Now I've got to start getting to work on other things though, I've got
plenty of packing and planning to do for my trips, as well as a 10 minute
presentation on my year here to present to my Rotary club which I must have
done before April 26th. I'm presenting it on May 22nd, but I will not have
time to work on it at all after April 26th due to my travels. I also won't
be able to answer any emails during that time, from April 26th until May
15th I'll be out of the country pretty much the whole time. I'll be in
Russia from April 27th until April 30th, and then in England May 3rd until
May 11th, and then in Germany from May 11th until May 15th.
That's all the news that I've got to report for now, I hope you are all well
and I wish you all luck with the Fish Fry.
-Piers
mother's school for Monday and Tuesday this week. It was really fun teaching
the kids about Canadian Easter traditions. I taught them about Ash
Wednesday, the Easter Bunny, Easter baskets, Easter egg hunts and some other
English words that related to Easter. It was lots of fun, my host mother and
I set up Easter egg hunts in each of the classrooms for the kids, and I got
a handfull of Easter cards that the kids made for me.
Now I've got to start getting to work on other things though, I've got
plenty of packing and planning to do for my trips, as well as a 10 minute
presentation on my year here to present to my Rotary club which I must have
done before April 26th. I'm presenting it on May 22nd, but I will not have
time to work on it at all after April 26th due to my travels. I also won't
be able to answer any emails during that time, from April 26th until May
15th I'll be out of the country pretty much the whole time. I'll be in
Russia from April 27th until April 30th, and then in England May 3rd until
May 11th, and then in Germany from May 11th until May 15th.
That's all the news that I've got to report for now, I hope you are all well
and I wish you all luck with the Fish Fry.
-Piers