What is exchange?

Tämä teksti on enemmän kuin osuva kuvaamaan vaihto-oppilaskokemusta. Halusin jakaa tämän teidän lukijoiden kanssa, en siis ole itse tätä tekstiä kirjoittanut.

This text is perfect to describe exchange experience, I wanted to share this with you guys, I don't have written this by myself.

What is exchange?
Exchange is change. Rapid, brutal, beautiful, hurtful, colorful, amazing, unexpected, overwhelming and most of all constant change. Change in lifestyle, country, language, friends, parents, houses, school, simply everything.

Exchange is realizing that everything they told you beforehand is wrong, but also right in a way.

Exchange is going from thinking you know who you are, to having no idea who you are anymore to being someone new. But not entirely new. You are still the person you were before but you jumped into that ice cold lake. You know how it feels like to be on your own. Away from home, with no one you really know. And you find out that you can actually do it.

Exchange is learning to trust. Trust people, who, at first, are only names on a piece of paper, trust that they want the best for you, that they care. Trust, that you have the strength to endure a year on your own, endure a year of being apart from everything that mattered to you before. Trust that you will have friends. Trust that everything’s going to be alright. And it is seeing this trust being justified.

Exchange is thinking. All the time. About everything. Thinking about those strange costumes, the strange food, the strange language. About why you’re here and not back home. About what it’s going to be like once you come back home. How that boy is going to react when you see him again. About who’s hanging out where this weekend. At first who’s inviting you at all. And in the end where you’re supposed to go, when you’re invited to ten different things. About how everybody at home is doing. About how stupid this whole time-zone thing is. Not only because of home, but also because the TV ads for shows keep confusing you.
Thinking about what’s right and what’s wrong. About how stupid or rude you just were to someone without meaning to be. About the point of all this. About the sense of life. About who you want to be, what you want to do. And about when that English essay is due, even though you’re marks don’t count. About whether you should go home after school, or hang out at someone’s place until midnight. Someone you didn’t even know a few months ago. And about what the hell that guy just said.

Exchange is people. Those incredibly strange people, who look at you like you’re an alien. Those people who are too afraid to talk to you. And those people who actually talk to you. Those people who know your name, even though you have never met them. Those people, who tell you who to stay away from. Those people who talk about you behind your back, those people who make fun of your country. All those people, who aren’t worth your giving a damn. Those people you ignore.
And those people who invite you to their homes. Who keep you sane. Who become your friends.

Exchange is music. New music, weird music, cool music, music you will remember all your life as the soundtrack of your exchange. Music that will make you cry because all those lyrics express exactly how you feel, so far away. Music that will make you feel like you could take on the whole world. And it is music you make. With the most amazing musicians you’ve ever met. And it is site reading a thousand pages just to be part of the school band or the vocal class.

Exchange is uncomfortable. It’s feeling out of place, like a fifth wheel. It’s talking to people you don’t like. It’s trying to be nice all the time. It’s bugs.. and bears. It’s cold, freezing cold. It’s homesickness, it’s awkward silence and its feeling guilty because you didn’t talk to someone at home. Or feeling guilty because you missed something because you were talking on Skype.

Exchange is great. It’s feeling the connection between you and your host parents grow. It’s hearing your host sister asking where her sister is. It’s knowing in which cupboard the peanut butter (Nutella) is. It’s meeting people from all over the world. It’s having a place to stay in almost every country of the world. It’s getting 4 new families. One of them being a huge group of the most awesome teenagers in the world.
It’s cooking food from your home country and not messing up. It’s seeing beautiful landscapes that you never knew existed.

Exchange is exchange students. The most amazing people in the whole wide world. Those people from everywhere who know exactly how you feel and those people who become your absolute best friends even though you only see most of them 3 or 4 times during your year. The people, who take almost an hour to say their final goodbyes to each other. Those people with the jackets full of pins. All over the world.

Exchange is falling in love. With this amazing, wild, beautiful country. And with your home country.

Exchange is frustrating. Things you can’t do, things you don’t understand. Things you say, that mean the exact opposite of what you meant to say. Or even worse…

Exchange is understanding.

Exchange is unbelievable.

Exchange is not a year in your life. It’s a life in one year.

Exchange is nothing like you expected it to be, and everything you wanted it to be.

Exchange is the best year of your life so far. Without a doubt. And it’s also the worst. Without a doubt.

Exchange is something you will never forget, something that will always be a part of you. It is something no one back at home will ever truly understand.

Exchange is growing up, realizing that everybody is the same, no matter where they’re from. That there is great people and douche bags everywhere. And that it only depends on you how good or bad your day is going to be. Or the whole year.
And it is realizing that you can be on your own, that you are an independent person. Finally. And it’s trying to explain that to your parents.

Exchange is dancing in the rain for no reason, crying without a reason, laughing at the same time. It’s a turmoil of every emotion possible.

Exchange is everything. And exchange is something you can’t understand unless you’ve been through it.

Pikapikaa

Päätin vielä ennen nukkumaan menoa väsätä säälittävän minimaalisen pikapostauksen lähi päivien tapahtumista. 

I decided to do pitifully minimal posting about the last days. 

Viime perjantaina hostvanhemmat ilmoittivat; "Saara sinä et mene sitten huomenna kouluun". Vietimme "suomalaisen" lauantain ilman koulua. Lähdimme vaihteeksi Sassarissa käymään alennusmyynneissä. Taas tarttui kaikkea pientä mukaan. Saa kyllä tuo rahankuluttaminen hetkeksi jäädä, tuntuu että shoppailtu on niin paljon lähi aikoina. Kerkesin näkemään Sassarin vaihtarityttöjäkin. Toivottavasti pääsen palaamaan pian taas takaisin!

Last friday my hostparents said, "Saara, you won't go to school tomorrow". We spent "finnish" saturday without school. We went to Sales to Sassari for a change. Again I found many nice things to buy. Now I have to stop spending money, I feel that I have spent so much recently. I had time to meet the exchange girls of Sassari. I hope that I can go back soon!

Muuten vapaa-aikaa tulee vietettyä paljon opiskelujen parissa. Ensimmäiset todistukset saamme tammikuun lopussa, sitä ennen on vielä useampi koe luvassa. Olen tosin tyytyväinen, jos onnistun kaikki aineet läpi saamaan. Ei se niin helppoa ole ekonomian käsitteitä italiaksi selvittää tai Ranskan romantiikan ajan runouden merkkiteoksien jokaisen juonenkäänteen muistaa. Sentään tänään sain vähän viihdykettä lukemisen lomaan, hostäitini huusi minut alakertaan katsomaan, kuinka lunta sataa. Ei täälläkään mitkään bikinikelit olet! Tosin parin tunnin päästä kaikki lumi oli jo sulanut. Saa nähdä uskalletaanko koulua huomenna avata laisinkaan. Lumi on niin vierasta täällä.

Otherwise I spend my free time with school books. We will get our first school certificate in the end of January. I will be so happy, if I pass all the subjects. It isn't so easy to study economia in Italian or remember every plot twist of French Romantic poetry. At least I got some change to my studying today. My hostmother called me to see, how it was snowing. Here aren't bikini weathers, even I am in Italia! However, the snow melted after couple hours. I will see do they open school tomorrow. Snow is so strange here.

Pitää tsempata koulussa lauantaihin asti, jolloin on useamman kaverini yhteissynttärit vuokratussa salissa. Loppuviikon tsempit teillekin lukijat! :)

I have to keep going this week until Saturday. Then will be birthday party of my many friends in rented hall.

I also wish you, my readers, energy to rest of this week!

Kävimme Sassarissa tyttöjen kanssa kahvilassa, oli muuten hyvä!
We went to cafe with girls in Sassari, It was so good!

Uudet ostokset päällä, Wearing new purchases

LUNTA, IT'S SNOW

Superpostaus, christmas holidays

Henkeäsalpaavia iltojan saan katsella parvekkeeltani,
breathtaking sights from my balcony

Minusta ei ole kuulunut sitten lomien alun täällä blogin puolella. Älkää huoliko, en ole sen tään syönyt itseäni hengiltä (tosin sekin oli lähellä). Ohjelmaa on riittänyt, joten en ole saanut aikaiseksi aikaisemmin postailla. Olen yrittänyt nyt kattavasti koota kaikki lähiaikoijen tapahtumat. Kertomista riittää! Maanantaihin asti saan vielä lomailla, sitten arki täällä Italiassakin taas koittaa. 

I have had a busy program during holidays. Finally I managed to tell everyhting to you guys. My normal daily life starts on monday, when I will return to school. Yeah!

 Kuten jo aikaisemmin kerroin, viimeiset päivät koulussa olivat yhtä spektaakkelia. Oppilaat esiintyivät toisilleen. Oli soittoa, laulua ja tanssia. Minä itse pääsin hoilaamaan suomeksi, englanniksi ja italiaksi. Pianonsoitonkin sain kunnialla hoidettua läpi. En varmaan ikinä ollut esiintynyt noin suurelle joukolle. Kyllä siinä vähän jännitti etukäteen, mutta kyllä yleisön hurrausten perusteella pari virhenuottia ei haitannut esitystä. :) Viimeisenä koulupäivänä (22. päivä) kaikki oppilaat olivat tuoneet valtavat määrät herkkuja kouluun, minä en taas tajunnut, että jotain olisi pitänyt tuoda. Noh se herkkujen määrä oli muutenkin niin valtava, että ei yhtä sipsipussia siellä kaivattu enempää.

So I already told. There were spectacles during final days before christmas holiday. Students performed to each other. There were playing the instruments, singing and dancing. I yelled out in Finnish, in English and in Italian. I also managed to do my piano performance. I never have performed to so big audience, I suppose. I was quite nervous before the perfom, anyway the audience was cheering, so I couldn't be too bad. :) Every student of the school had brought some treats to school at the last day before the holiday (22nd). I hadn't understood that, so I didn't bring anything. Anyway, there were so many treats that nobody missed one bag of crisps.

Koulupäivän jälkeen oli tiedossa iso juhla, jonka järjestivät kaikki Macomerin vuonna 1994 syntyneet. Tämä perinne on jatkunut täällä jo jonkin aikaa. Ensi vuonna vuorossa on 1995 ikäluokka. Juhlassa oli paljon tuttuja ja kavereitani. Paikalla oli dj ja ohjelmassa oli lähinnä tanssimista. Ennen  juhlaa olimme syömässä pizzaa ja valmistautumassa kaverini kotona. Oli kyllä kiva ilta!

After the last school day before holidays, there was a big party in  Macomer. Every 1994 born organized this party together. Next year is 1995's turn. There were many friends of mine. On the spot was dj and the program of the evening was basically dancing. Before the party, we were eating pizza and preparing ourselves at my friend's house. It was such a nice evening!

Valmistautumassa juhlimaan, preparing to party

En ikinä oikein saavuttanut oikeaa joulutunnelmaa ja -mieltä täällä. Ihmiset suhtautuivat jotenkin eritavalla jouluun. Kukaan ei "hössöttänyt" joulusta, ei stressaamista lahjoista, ruuista tai koristeluista. Ei joulusaunaa, puuroa, tonttulakkeja, kanelintuoksua tai glögiä. Jouluaattona kävimme n. 30km päässä Macomerista merenrannassa Bosassa. Oli hirmu nätti päivä, nahkatakki päällä sai hikoilla. Päivän mittaa  myös skypetin hetken Suomeen. Hostperheen kanssa söimme pidennetyn päivällisen ja annoimme lahjat. Sain lahjaksi heiltä byjaman. Joulupäivänä söimme oikein kunnon lounaan isäntäperheeni, "serkkujeni" perheen ja "isovanhempieni" kanssa. Söimme ensin antipastot, tämän jälkeen lasagne, jonka jälkeen porcetto, sitten jonkin sortin papupata, seuraavaksi seurasi hedelmäkierros ja kokonaisuuden kruunasi kunnon kakku. Ruokailusta seuraavat kaksi tuntia makasin liikkumiskyvyttömänä sohvalla. Illemmalla lähdimme vielä käymään hostisän sukulaisjuhlissa Sindiassa (1800 asukasta), joka on pikkukylä Macomerin lähellä. Lähdimme kävelykierrokselle "serkkupohjan" kanssa piskuiseen kylään. Näin kavereitani, jotka asuvat Sindiassa. Yksi kavereistani lahjoitti joulunkunniaksi koskettimistonsa  minulle. Nyt voin kotonakin pimputella pianoa. Haluan sanoa kiitokset kaikille Suomesta lahjoja ja kirjeitä lähettäneille. Ne lämmittivät mieltä oikein paljon!

I never really reached real christmas mood here. People here are taking Christmas different way than in Finland I am used to. Nobody stressed about present, foods or decorations. No Christmas sauna, Christmas porridge, Christmas hats, smell of cinnamon or mulled wine. On Christmas Eve we visited seaside about 30km from Macomer in Bosa. It was a really beautiful day, I was sweating with leather jacket. I also skyped to Finland. We ate extended dinner with my hostfamily and we gave presents each other. I got nightclothes from them. On Christmas Day we ate big luch with my hostfamily, family of my "cousins" and "grandparents". We ate first antipastos, after that lasagne, after that porcetto, after that some kind of casserole, after that fruits and in the end big cake. Following two hours I was lying on the sofa, because I couldn't move. Later in the evening we went to visit family of my hostfather in Sindia (1800 inhabitants). Sindia is little village near by Macomer. We did a little walk in Sindia with my "cousin". I met some my friends and one of my friends donated me her keyboar. Now I can play the piano also at home. I want to thank everybody in Finland who sent me gifts and letters, those made me really happy!

Hostsiskoni, My hostsister

Kengät eivät soveltuneet kunnolla kivillä kiipeilyyn,
 I had bad shoes for walking on rocks

Sardiniassa on enemmän lampaita kuin ihmisiä,
There are more lambs in Sardinia than people

Luxusversio perinteisestä italialaisesta jouluherkusta, Panettonesta
Luxury version of the traditional italian cake, Panettone

Näkymä isovanhempien takapihalta,
The view from the backyard of the grandparents

Sukulounas, family lunch

Uusi koskettimisto, The new piano

Kyllä siellä joulupukinmaassa joskus on käyty, vaikka sitä ei ehkä tänä vuonna saavutettukaan
I have been in the land of the Santa, even in this year I didn't have so big "christmas mood".

Joulun välipäivinä oli yksi syntymäpäiväjuhla lisää.
There was one more birthday party on Christmas interim dates.

Viime lauantaina suuntasin Sassariin. Reissuni kesti viime tiistaihin asti, joten vietin uuden vuoden aatonkin Sassarissa. Yövyin amerikkalaisen vaihtaritytön kotona. Vietimme kaiken ajan myös norjalaisen tytön kanssa. He kummatkin asuvat aivan Sassarin keskustassa, joten pääsimme helposti kiertelemään kauppoja. Uuden vuoden aattona söimme päivällisen norjalaisen tytön, hänen "isoveljensä" ja isoveljen kavereiden seurassa. En tuntenut heitä etukäteen, mutta he olivat oikein mukavaa sakkia. Keskiyöksi suuntasimme Sassarin suurimmalle piazzalle, jossa kaikki laskivat sekuntteja keskiyöhön. Monet ihmiset lähettivät myös lyhtyjä taivaalle. Ilotulituksia ei juuri näkynyt. Jos yrititte lähettää uudenvuodentoivotuksia, ne todennäköisesti eivät tulleet perille, koska tällä hetkellä käytän vain italialaista numeroani. Mennään takaisin asiaan! :D Eli sitten piazzan jälkeen me kaikki lähdimme yhdessä discoon tanssimaan ja juhlistamaan vuoden vaihtumista. Pidin Sassarin reissusta kovasti. On ihanaa, kun en ole suurinpiirtein kaupungin vaalein ihminen toisin kuin Macomerissa. Välillä kyllä kaipaa hieman isommassa kaupungissa asumista. Haluan kyllä palata Sassariin, kun vain on mahdollista!

Last Saturday I went to Sassari. My trip lasted until last tuesday, so I spent New Year's Eve also in Sassari. I staid at the house of the American girl, exchange student as well she. We spent a whole time also with Norwegian girl. They both live just in the center of Sassari, so we were easily able to go shopping. At New Year's Eve we ate dinner with Norwegian girl, her "bigbrother" and his friends. I didn't know them before, but they turn out as such a nice bunch of people. For midnight we went to the biggest piazza of Sassari, where everybody were counting seconds to the midnight. Many people sent lanterns to the sky. There weren't so many fireworks. After piazza we went to a disco all together to dance and party New Year. I really liked my trip to Sassari. It was wonderful, when I wasn't almost the blondest girl of the town, like in Macomer. I sometimes miss living in the bigger city. I really want to return to Sassari, as soon as possible!

Sassarin vanhaa kaupunkia ja sateenvarjot, Old town of Sassari and umbrellas

Uusi lemppari hame, jonka ostin Sassarista,
My new favourite dress, wich I bought from Sassari

Amerikan tyttö, The girl from the States

Piazza ja lyhdyt, Piazza and the lanterns

Nyt olen kattavasti yrittänyt kertoa joululomastani. Toivottavasti teillä lukijoillani oli mahtava joulu ja uusivuosi. Kaipaan Suomea, mutta aika menee vauhdilla. Huomenna tulee jo neljä kuukautta täyteen Italian auringon alla. Ei aikaakaan, kun olen takaisin Suomessa. Sovitaan vaikka uudenvuodenlupaukseksi, että yritän postailla tänne useammin!

Now I have tried to tell comprehensive about my Christmas holiday. Hopefully you, my readers had awesome Christmas and New Year's Eve. I miss much Finland, but the time goes fast. Tomorrow I have been four months under the sun of Italy. In no time I am back to Finland. My New Year's resolution is, that I will post more often to this blog!

Haluan vielä pahoitella kuvien laatua. Suurin osa kuvista blogissa on otettu neljän megapixelin pokkarilla, joten kuvien laatu ei ole päätähuimaava.

I want say sorry about qualitu of the photos in this blog. The most of the photos has taken with photo camera of four pixels. The quality isn't so wonderful.