Thanksgiving (again)...

Despite all of the American influences in Finland (McDonalds, Subway, Snickers, Coke, etc.) Thanksgiving has not made it's way across the Atlantic Ocean (I know, I know a shocker for all of those ethnocentric Americans.) So, Thanksgiving day we both went to work and then came home to cook up a dinner with roasted veggies. After dinner we had ourselves a mini Thanksgiving celebration. Time to break open the can of Libby's pumpkin goodness for a little vegan pumpkin pie! Yes, I searched high and low for canned pumpkin and did a little dance when I found it for 4.80 euro ($6.40) in K-Market in Helsinki. Woohoo! So, I found a vegan recipe for pumpkin pie on Alicia Silverstone's blog and she was right it was delicious. As I made the pie Charlie visited with his family on Skype while they all enjoyed Thanksgiving day in Ohio. I would pop into the conversation every so often with a play-by-play of the pumpkin pie adventure. To conclude our Thanksgiving day we enjoyed hot pumpkin pie topped with a soy-based vanilla sauce. YUM!

Embracin' the Finnish Sauna Culture

Swim trunks worn to protect the innocent.

Wednesday night=sauna! In the basement of our three story apartment building, next to the laundry room, is a traditional Finnish sauna. For an additional 10 euro a month (added to our monthly rent), we have the opportunity to sign up for one hour a week to enjoy the relaxing effects of the Finnish sauna. Of course we signed up...when in Finland do like the Finns, right?! So every Wednesday night at 9 p.m. (or 21:00 as the Finns would say) we grab our sauna towels, water bottles, and slippers and head down to what looks like a renovated basement bunker-bomb shelter turned into a sauna. The first few times, in true American modest fashion, we wore our swim suits, but since then we have decided to fully embrace the Finnish sauna culture like true Finns (I am not referring to the political party here.) Naked! Now, this may seem a little crazy for the Americans reading this post, but it is totally normal in Finland. Now, if you go to a public sauna, normally there is a separate sauna for men and women and no one wears swim suits. 

Steps to a good sauna experience: 

1.) Fill up water bowl and splash water on coals (add some drops of aromatherapy oil to the water if you want a little extra relaxation and smelly deliciousness).

2.) Stay in the sauna as long as you can take it and if you really like it HOT sit on the highest bench (remember heat rises).

3.) Slowly walk out of sauna (when you feel like your inner organs may be close to melting).

4.) Turn on the shower to COLD water.

5.) Slip your body under the cold water (everything but your head) and enjoy every minute of the adrenalin surge through your HOT body.

6.) Repeat steps one through five as many times as you can take it.

7.) Squeegee the shower floor, pour water out of container, and place the container face down on the birch-wood sauna bench.

8.) CHILL out...(cause you are gonna feel like mush--in a good way)!

Our First Snow!

On the train ride from Helsinki to Jyväskylä the rain suddenly turned to snow about 30 minutes before arriving at home sweet home. There is nothing better than traveling by train when the Finnish forest is all dressed up in white. Although it was only a light dusting of snow, the beauty was still captivating. Our first snow in Finland...woohoo! I stepped off the train and all I wanted to do was twirl around like a little kid and catch snowflakes in my mouth. Instead, I walked into the train station and ordered some takeaway food from the BEST Indian restaurant in Jyväskylä, Shalimar, (yes, located in the main train station). I jumped in a taxi and headed home for a cozy dinner with Charlie. After dinner we walked down to the lake...it was so beautiful, peaceful, and quiet. That is what I love about snow--the absolute feeling of tranquility that is gives me. Rain is wet and when you walk in it your face looks all smooshy as you try to dodge the raindrops, but snow is light like a feather and it brightens up the gloomiest of nights. I am sure we have many more snowy nights in our future in Finland. Looking forward to them...

Santa Comes to Helsinki...

We just so happened to be in Helsinki the same weekend that Santa paid a visit to the big city...lucky us! It was the coldest day so far (-5C) (I was missin' my wool tights) but we managed to keep ourselves warm in the busy Senate Square area as we watched the two minute (no joke) parade with Santa and the Christmas lights be switched on. Woohoo, Christmas is in the air!

Happy (early) Thanksgiving...Helsinki, Finland Style!

In the past five years, I have spent many turkey days without my family, Norway in 2006, Atlanta in 2010, and now this year in Helsinki. Guess what happens when you gather a group of American Fulbrighters for a traditional Thanksgiving meal in Finland? You have a feast!! Since many of us were in Helsinki for the Parliament and museum visit, a Thanksgiving dinner evolved as part of the weekend of events. The potluck included, of course, one plump and golden turkey (that, by the way, was carved by the vegetarian--Charlie!) We also had beet salad, lingonberry sauce (a Finnish twist to the American cranberry sauce), homemade zucchini bread, green salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, steamed brussel sprouts, baked yams, green peas, and apple cobbler. No pumpkin pie simply because it is impossible to find canned pumpkin in this country. Although early, it was a really nice way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Creative Juices with Art

After our visit to the Parliament we hopped on a bus and headed to Espoo, a suburb north of Helsinki, for a visit to the Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA). We spent most of our time in the "World in a Box" exhibit by Juhani Harri where Mr. Harri constructed life stories and travelogues in New Realist fashion with natural materials glued, burnt, and otherwise assembled artistically in boxes. We were asked to walk around and choose our favorite piece Charlie chose the "twitter machine"--a machine looking thing in a box with stuffed bird pieces sticking out of the machine. As you can tell, Mr. Harri injected wild levity into his artwork. I chose "moonlight" made of mattress springs which resembled a dark night with a full moon overlooking the city. 

Tapio Wirkkala Ultima Thule glass.

We then had the opportunity to get in touch with our inner artist, inspired of course by Juhani Harri's work, as we created our own story in a box with various materials provided. While our creative juices were unleashed we were provided a bubbly juice in the famous Iittala Ultima Thule glassware. Tapio Wirkkala was the Finnish artist who designed these glasses that are quite special because of the dripping icicle effect on the bottom of the glasses. (Note to readers: I fell in love with these glasses, so more than likely you will also experience this glassware if you pay us a visit when we return to the states.) Our creative boxes of love were displayed proudly and it just so happened that Charlie's box color coordinated with my box although I used lace, feathers, and sheets of music while he used the King of Hearts and gold shiny paper...great minds think alike. Our evening concluded with an amazing salmon dinner, an endless glass of wine, and more fun photos. Ah, life is sweet when you are treated like Fulbright royalty.

A Visit to the Finnish Parliament

The Grand Committee Chair spoke to us at lunch.

Being a Fulbrighter has it's benefits. The Fulbright Center staff coordinated a visit to the Finnish Parliament for all of us grantees. Friday morning at 11 a.m. we all reunited outside the Parliament columns. The last time we saw each other was during orientation in August. First things first--security! As if we were getting ready to board an airplane we stripped down and went through the security checks. We then headed to the cafe for an early lunch with the Chair of the Grand Committee, Ms. Miapetra Kumpula-Natri. Now, this woman was inspirational--she is about my age and obviously very successful in politics. She spoke eloquently about the relationship between Finland and EU. After a fishy lunch, bubbly water served throughout, and fancy chocolates for dessert the Deputy Director of the International Department, Mr. Guy Lindström, hosted the rest of our visit. We visited a lively plenary session in the Parliament chambers where legislation was being debated and voted on (after the vote many of the Parliamentary members went back to their office where they watched the chamber proceedings live on TV.) We continued the tour to the perpetually moving elevator.

The moving elevator.

Unbelievable...imagine an elevator with no door that is continuously moving up and down that you jump on-off. Timing is important if you plan to use this elevator! Many of us discussed how this type of elevator would never be legal in the U.S, although it is a fun way to travel from floor to floor it has lawsuit written all over it. When I see these types of things, I think about how the U.S. has become such a risk-management-obsessed country (which sometimes takes the "fun" out of everyday life experiences). I prefer the way the Europeans roll (or ride).

Next: to the Modern Art Museum!

Research, Research, Research...

Ah, I just finished five interviews in Helsinki in four days which doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. Many of you have asked what the heck I am doing in Finland...here is an example of how I spend my time these days with the qualitative research process...

1.) I send an email, introducing myself and my research project, to the individual I want to interview. I have found that name-dropping in this small country opens doors, so now every email I send has a line, "so and so has recommended I meet with you...blah, blah."
2.) Hopefully, the interviewee responds with a time and date that works for them (sometimes as long as one month away).
3.) Then, I try to find the location of their office and accompanying public transportation (metro, tram, or bus) on-line via the Helsinki journey planner. This on-line planner ROCKS, as it includes travel times, kilometers traveled, and even Co2 emissions (see screen shot of results).
4.) The day of the interview I prepare the consent form, my notepad and background notes on the individual, and my business card. I also check the battery in the audio-recorder (dead batteries make for an angry researcher). Okay, ready to interview!

My best friend: the voice-recorder.

5.) I have found arriving 30 minutes early is the best practice, as it allows me enough time to actually find the interviewees office after taking the metro, bus, or tram. Once I have located the office I find a quiet place to sit and gather my thoughts (a little research meditation...OM!)
6.) The interview, itself, takes anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on how responsive the interviewee is to the questions. There is an art to qualitative interviews...you really must LISTEN (hard!) in order to follow-up with the right questions. I would not recommend interviewing after a night out on the town, this takes serious focus, especially when you are not following a formal list of questions (my interviews are semi-structured).

But, I have to say I LOVE this part of the research process. I have always been the curious individual with 20 questions in my pocket and the PhD student that loathes the amount of time I must spend with literature and my computer, rather than with people, so this aspect truly embodies my character. Plus, the interviews have been insightful. Even though I am super excited about the interviews, I am tired. This process can be very draining and my head is spinning with the BIG question...what do I do with all of this information?

Another Week in Helsinki

Helsinki Stockmann's department store all dressed up for the holidays.

Once again my research has brought me down South to Helsinki for one week. This will be the third research trip where I actually stay overnight in Helsinki. It is much easier (and less expensive) to schedule a block of interviews over a few days and stay overnight, then to travel back and forth from Helsinki to Jyväskylä (remember a round-trip ticket is €100). Helsinki itself does not offer many low-cost lodging options...believe me, I have looked. In fact, the most economical accommodation is either a hostel (which I  now exceed the age limit for most hostels) or Omena hotel. This hotel is the most affordable because there is no check-in desk and no personnel overhead except for the cleaning crew and customer service representatives (available only by phone or email). You book on-line (at a reasonable price of €49-€69/night...yes, that is "reasonable" in Helsinki) and receive a door code to access your room. The bad news...Omena is allegedly becoming a haven for prostitutes which is not too surprising since it is the cheapest option in Helsinki and clients can easily access the rooms without having to walk past a check-in desk, etc. When we returned from Oslo, it was late and no trains were going north, so we booked a room at Omena. The room was nice, not 5-star nice, but nice enough (big flat screen TV, comfy bed, coffee maker, free wifi, private bathroom, etc.). I gotta confess...whenever I heard a door close I ran to the little peep-hole to see if the people resembled anything like my stereotypical vision of a prostitute and her client--no luck, just normal looking travelers. So, I cannot confirm or deny these allegations.

Roasted chestnuts and Gloggi wine for sale...'tis the season!

Anyway, no Omena this time! Somehow I have a way of surrounding myself with amazing and giving individuals. A few people who I met through Fulbright (ah, the joys of the Fulbright network), out of the kindness of their heart, offered me to stay at their place while they are traveling. It has been a true life-saver, not to mention a money saver, and I have so much gratitude for these individuals. All I have to say is (GOOD) karma will come back to them in one way or another and I will pay their kindness forward to some poor student in the future (guaranteed!) 

To Helsinki for Interviews...

Senate Square in Helsinki.

The alarm at 5 a.m. came too early this morning, but it was for a good reason. In the darkness of 6:22 a.m. I boarded a train for Helsinki. I will spend the next week in Helsinki and conduct interviews. Woohoo, my research is moving along...more later.

Weekend Bicycle Adventure with Coupons!

The humble manor house.

Having a bike in a bike-friendly country--with bike trails everywhere--makes life so much fun. (Not sure I will be saying that in the dead of a snowy winter, but let's wait and see.) This weekend we took another day-long adventure with our down coats, a backpack, two bikes, and a map. Our first destination, five kilometers from our house, was the Kuokkalan Kartono a manor house built in 1904 and later transformed to a coffee house (cafe Wivissä) and event venue. The house has been renovated into

One of the window views from the manor house.

separate coffee rooms, each room sporting its own character with different color schemes, furniture pieces, and amazing paintings embodying the national spirit and culture of Finland. We toured the house and then relaxed and enjoyed coffee/tea and the delicious home-baked cakes. We would have never found this place if it was not for GROUPON! Yes, Finland has groupon coupons (which they call CityDeal) and I bought two coupons for a tour of the house and tea/coffee and a cake for 5€/each (value of 11€/each). More on the groupon coupons in a later post.

One of the many dining rooms in the Kuokkalan manor house.

Our second destination: City Market! Yes, it is a market and so much more. It is one of the superstores or hypermarts where you can find almost anything (food, clothes, housewares, etc.) We had never been to this particular City Market before and discovered it was actually closer to our house than the other one we had been frequenting. A good find! We exchanged a faulty bike light that we had bought there (which, by the way, bike lights are becoming increasingly important with the darkness settling in). I bought some wool socks for the impending cold winter days ahead of us and we picked up a few other food items (Finnish style "faux" tortilla chips). Then, we biked home around 4 p.m., as the sun was setting.

A Weekend in Oslo

Charlie and I took a long weekend trip to Oslo, Norway to attend the 10th anniversary celebration of the hedda consortium (the consortium that developed the Euro Masters program that I participated in). It was a reunion with good friends still living in Oslo, colleagues in the higher education world, and my Norwegian professor who sits on my PhD dissertation committee. We arrived Thursday to a delicious home-cooked vegan meal prepared by my dear friend Kristi (and also our host for the next three days). She still lives in Oslo and is now working as the program coordinator for the Masters program I mentioned earlier. Kristi is from the U.S., California and Arizona, and now speaks fluent Norwegian after living in Oslo for five years. We crashed on her mack-daddy blow-up mattress. There are so many things that I love about Oslo and so, it was fun to play tour guide for Charlie. We walked through the famous Vigelands Park (naked statues) that I used to walk through everyday on my way to the campus. We took the t-bane (tram) up to the highest point in Oslo, and we walked, walked, walked the city. Such a walkable city! This will be my third trip back to Oslo after living there for almost a year. Despite the 7 euro beers, I love this city and look forward to the next trip back to Oslo.

On the Road with my Recorder in Hand...

When traveling by train in Finland you often see train cars full of timber sitting on the tracks. Wood has a strong cultural base in Finland, as the saunas are made of birch wood, many buildings are made of wood, and Finland has a history of timber trade.

For my dissertation I am collecting data on the introduction of tuition fees in Finland. Which means I have to interview many people in different parts of the country, thus I must travel. "Oh, darn!" she says facetiously. So, this week I am heading to Turku and then to Helsinki, before Charlie and I fly to Oslo for the weekend. Train travel is becoming my main mode of transportation, second only to my bicycle. The only problem with train travel in Finland is that it is expensive! Since I am no longer a young whipper-snapper of 28 years old, I have to pay the FULL fare. For example, a round-trip ticket to Helsinki from Jyväskylä is 100€ ($137). OUCH! But, that is why I have two research grants...to pay for food, rent, and travel. Not a bad gig. Okay, off to go research!

I am Dating an Expert!

Yep, it's true...Charlie is an expert. After all, he has been working and continually honing his knowledge and skills for nearly 20 years, so why do we find so much humor in this title and business card? I suppose we think it is comical because 1.) you don't really know what he is an expert in  (maybe basket-weaving, hand painting, beer tasting--Charlie would love this!-- or university planning and development?) and 2.) in our culture it is rather vainglorious to call oneself an expert, but when someone else gives you the title you take it and find levity in it and 3.) what does it really mean to be an expert and when do you receive that badge of honor...it is all very vague? All joking aside, I am very proud of my (humble) expert!