Jyväskylän Crunkness

The ESN (Erasmus Student Network) does a fantastic job planning all sorts of trips, parties, and get-togethers for all us international kids...and Tuesday night was no exception. We had the back to school party at Bra...the same bar where I saw Haddaway perform in all his glory. (I realize I have forgotten to post pictures of that, so a few of those will accompany the pictures I deem appropriate to post on here from Tuesday night's shindig as well.) After Danny made a wonderful stirfry for us for dinner, a group of us pregamed together before heading downtown. A few of my French friends taught us a drinking card game that got us good and drunklez. The party at Bra was pretty cray-cray...as was my headache the next day. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves...(keep in mind that I am not a very good photographer or photographee...)

Alex, Kyla and I in the city center on the way to Haddaway!

What is love?

Baby don't hurt me...

Don't hurt me, no more..yeahhh whoaoaoaoaa

Danny's stirfry 

Danny, Pascal, Alex, Martin and myself posing next to such a wonderful little gem we found on our walk...

Yes, that is a chicken. I'm still confused...

Alex, Pascal, Cassandre, and myself living life

The awesome DJ spinning reggae...

completely sober!

Busti (I am not entirely sure how to spell it) and me!

Overall, I am having a blast in Finland. I am still struggling trying to get classes that aren't a waste of credits but it looks like I might just have to suck it up and take whatever I can get. It looks like it is already going to take me 5 years to graduate instead of 4...whats one more semester? I still do not understand, nor do I ever plan to accept, why the hell I am always being stared at. Alex and I had a creeper following us into town this morning...he was walking as close behind us as humanly possible and when we stepped aside to force him to pass us (I say force because he literally wouldn't..if we slowed down, so did he. The sidewalk was clear and he could have easily passed us blocks earlier) and it was very much unappreciated so I may or may not have lost my cool with him because once in front of us, he kept turning around to stare. Face the wrath bitchez! I just don't understand, everywhere we go people gawk!! I guess I just don't look Finnish enough, but its not like I'm from Mars. Put me in the right outfit and I look like everyone else.

I finally got a hairdryer (so I won't blow my fuse again-yay!) and a super cute bag (double yay!) but no boots or cute, fluffy jacket yet. A shopping trip to Tampere may be in order soon....(take note Mom and Dad)

Tonight is another party called a Stammtisch. They have them every other Thursday at a bar in my apartment complex which is awesome because then I don't have to walk very far. (I'm the first person to admit I'm lazy and all this trekking through snow is really kicking my ass. The cold really irritates any bone/joint injury I've had...which is a lot because I am an uber-clutz.) Each stammtisch has a theme, and tonight's is mid-summer but its kind of lame because hello! I am not prepared with any summer clothing here....newsflash: I'm in Finland. In winter. I shall post some pictures of that tomorrow!

Before the stammtisch a couple of us are going to a basketball game for a bit...the team in Jyvaskyla is apparently the best in the league. I think its a professional league? Not really sure. We met this guy named Mike the other night and he plays for them so he left us a couple of free tickets at willcall for us to pick up later! Should be funzies!

Also, yesterday I signed up for the trip to Lapland!!! It is Feb 15-20 and it will be awesome! I am super stoked...we are all riding a bus up to Inari (I think) which is wayyy far up there in the Arctic Circle. We are going to meet Santa Clause and feed some reindeer and build igloos and go ice fishing and then there were some additional optional add-on activities and I chose to go to the Arctic Ocean in Norway so I can swim in it, go on a husky safari (be jealous!), and ride ice karts which I guess is like go karts but on ice and snow so I just could not pass that up. Maybe I will kidnap an elf and bring it back as a temporary Riley replacement because I miss my sweet Riley so much!

I am off to make some "coffee" (cappuccino powder=not the same thing, but apparently coffee just isn't a big deal here so I'll make do) and eat some cookies. I've been quite the cookie monster since my arrival! I guess I'm working on my extra winter layer :-)

Bye bye butterflies!