We were able to keep the ship sailing in calm seas without our captain. Mike reports a good first day of work with a lot of work ahead of him. Every day, Mike crosses the border into Russia for work. It is less than a 10 mile drive but he must pass through customs both ways.
Today I stayed at school and volunteered my time in a 5th grade classroom. Interesting to observe a Finnish classroom. I am very intrigued by their system as they rank near number one in the world while the US hangs down in the 30s. I can't wait to find out their secrets.
In other news, I now have wheels and have driven in a foreign country so I can cross that off my list. I am still a little nervous about driving as there is a lot of cycle and pedestrian traffic to watch for and learning to monitor speed in kph as well. By the way, gas is roughly $12 /gallon here. Many Finns do not have cars and walk or ride their bike even in the ice and snow. Just a little to think about the next time you complain about the price of gas.
I continue to be amazed by how environmentally conservative the Finns are. Finns may wear the same outfit for 2 or more days in a row. Most Finns do not have dryers. A Finn considers one load of laundry a 24 hour process as they air dry clothes on racks or over doors. No wonder they wear the same outfit again and again.
My kids continue to amaze me with their adaptability. Some of their books and classes are mostly in Finnish and they just try to participate as well as they can without complaint. At lunch it is strongly encouraged that you try everything that is offered and wasting food is frowned upon. Lane ate spinach soup today and said it wasn't bad. Again, for my strict non vegetable eater, this is HUGE!
Lesson for the day: Be environmentally conscious; wear your clothes more than once, maybe even 2-3 times, as long as they don't stink.
No comments:
Post a Comment