Finntastic fails and a Finntastic Tuesday

Winter in Finland is magical to a winter lover like me, but there's got to be a catch right? It's just magic until the city turns into an ice rink--then it's still pretty magical but just a lot more comical.

The thing is, the southern half of Finland (or at least the part that is south of the Arctic Circle) isn't really that cold. Or at least it's not as cold as everyone thinks it is. The temperature usually hovers around zero degrees Celsius, so it'll snow, melt, and refreeze. (what's nice is that the snow sticks around for much longer than it does in Rapid City, SD). This leaves ice over everything, making my daily walks much more interesting for me and probably much more entertaining for passersby.

I first encountered ice-rink-Vaasa last weekend when I wanted to do some exploring around the city. I wasn't expecting that my exploring would include me trying not to look like a newborn giraffe when I walked, but alas, it did. Don't even get me started about encountering a slope in the sidewalk. That left me in full-panic baby giraffe mode. Keep your cool, Gina, I would think to myself as a Finn would casually pass me, walking like they were born with the sole purpose of showing off how good they are at walking on ice. The Finns are, well, really good at being Finns.

Left: a super-slick sidewalk leading to downtown Vaasa
Right: my super-slick driveway

Since the Finns are really good at strolling on the somewhat treacherous winter sidewalks, it is something I'm working on improving for two reasons--the first, to get the most out of my experience in Finland, and second, to not fall during my daily commute.  I only actually fell once during my exploring (Finntastic fail number one), and since then I have gotten much more used to the icy city.

Another thing that needs work is my bicycle riding skills. Almost everyone here has a bicycle, and it is the main mode of transportation for many people. Even on these icy sidewalks, people cruise by all the time. It's cool to see!

On Sunday, I went to Palosaari Church, and I happened to meet an American who's working on a Master's degree another university in Vaasa. Much to my surprise, he offered me his extra bicycle when he saw me walking home! I obliged, thinking it would be a great way to experience Vaasa like a Finn. Yep, get ready for Finntastic fail number two.

My bike--the black one with the seat cover

I hopped on the bike, eager to try out a faster way to get around than just my feet. It was a sunny day and some of the ice had been melting, so I decided that the grip was going to be pretty good. I rode to the city center, feeling rather exhilarated that I could get there so quickly (it's about 2.5 km from my apartment--a 25 minute walk).

And now the moment you've all been waiting for: I fell off my bike in front of a bunch of ten year-olds. After I curved a little bit to the right to get around them, by bike just kept on going to the right, skidding on the slippery spot I had just encountered. All of a sudden, I was down, still in bike-riding position but lying horizontally. Finntastic fail number two. The kids noticed and started talking to me in Finnish. I said, "I'm ok." Realizing that I don't speak Finnish, they made sure I was ok in English and then carried on with their conversation. I laughed at myself as I got up and walked my bike the remainder of the way to the city center.

It looks like I'll need some more practice before I can become a Finn. 

Thankfully I'm having some Finntastic victories to balance out my little fails (ok yes, I enjoy making puns about Funland, I mean Finland). I've discovered this pub called Oliver's Inn, which is a local favorite for college students. Everyone who's described it to me compares it to a living room because you can be whoever you want to be and wear whatever you want when you're there. It's becoming one of the favorite hang out spots for the EPS students. It's amazing to me how many people go out on Tuesday nights, or any night of the week for that matter! When in Rome, right?

One of the best parts about living someplace new is the new friends made along the way. I'd say I've been pretty lucky so far in that area. :) So, if you don't mind me using this pun one last time, I had a Finntastic Tuesday night.