A Trip to Tampere, a Simple Victory

Our lesson this morning was about how to tell time.

Milloin kello on? (What time is it?)

– Kello on kahdeksantoista (It’s eight o’clock)



Me overlooking one of the two lakes of Tapere



Then we started asking each other questions about time: When do you wake up? What time do you eat lunch? When do you go out?

Next in our lesson, we learned about different stores you might find in a town, because this afternoon we were to head to Tampere (pop. 200 000). Some of the stores were flower shop, bakery, bank, market, and bookstore.

After lunch we went into Tampere. We had a bus tour of some of the sites of the city: several churches, some parks, and old converted factories. There are two lakes around Tampere with an 18 meter difference in altitude, so there is a large river that flows through the middle of the town. In case you were unaware, Finland has more lakes than any other country in the world: 187 888 lakes.



My bus for the tour of Tapere in front of a large church



In the city, I went to the bookstore, kirjakauppa, to buy a Finnish-English dictionary because Chapter’s didn’t have any in stock when I left. While we were there, I found a book for someone who is learning Finnish. Of course because I am learning Finnish I was interested in this book. I whipped out my notes from my bag and asked the shopkeeper, “How

 

much is this?” in Finnish. She replied, in Finnish because she could see I was trying hard to learn, and I understood the price! It has only been half a week but I could understand!



The Church where our talent show took place.

Anyways, we returned to camp to eat dinner and then headed off to a talent show type thing. It was held in a church and only more serious acts could perform (poems were read and gentle songs were sung). Right before the show, though, a few of us explored the very rural area around the church and took some photos. There will be a ‘crazy’ talent show held on perjantai (Friday). Just before curfew, the tutors serenaded all of us, the exchange students, with some Finnish lullabies.