Isa’s month in Sweden
Isa Uski, a seventeen-year-old student here at Ivalo Upper Secondary School, spent a month as an exchange student in Kungsör, Sweden. We interviewed her about her journey to our Western neighbour.
It all started when Isa’s Swedish teacher Satu Korkalo suggested that Isa should send out an application to Pohjola-Norden, the organization behind many forms of Nordic co-operation. They chose a group of little under twenty students from Upper Secondary Schools from different parts of Finland and all these students spent a month in host families in Sweden. On the ninth of November 2005 Isa left Ivalo and travelled first through Finland by train and then to Sweden by boat. Kungsör, Isa’s destination, is situated 120 kilometres from the Capital of Sweden, Stockholm.
Isa describes her host family in Kungsör as lively and wonderful – “ They made me feel like home right away”, she states. The Dad Tommy sold kitchens and the Mom Sanna, whose parents were Finnish, taught youngsters who had problems with school. The family had two daughters, Martina and Mikaela. “Mikaela, my host student, was also seventeen and we got along really well”, Isa says.
Isa went to the same school and entered the same science program as Mikaela did. The school, Ulvesundsgymnasiet, was only slightly bigger than ours, as it had approximately 250 students. “The school had it advantages: The students were given laptops and books without cost, studying was very independent and there were no matriculation exams”, Isa reveals. “The teachers were also very friendly and helpful – it was a very pleasant environment to study in.”
The host student was fond of movies and they spent many nights watching films. In their spare time they also visited near-by towns. And what would a trip to Sweden be without shopping in IKEA! While Isa got to know the Swedish culture she also tried to inform her Swedish friends of Finnish culture. “On the sixth of December, on our Independence Day, we watched the Finnish Presidential reception on TV – Mikaela fell asleep! She couldn’t understand how we Finns like to watch ’a handshaking-marathon’ that lasts for hours!”
Isa had studied Swedish for approximately four and a half years when she went to Sweden. In her opinion she only faced minor problems with the language. “Pronunciation was my biggest weakness, but despite that I had the courage to talk to people. Every now and then I polished my pronunciation by reading aloud nursery rhymes from a children’s book the family had.” Isa tells. And the month in Sweden left her with a very positive image of the Swedes. “They are open and kind and I highly recommend visiting the country!”
M.R., T.H. and I.U. 24.1.06
Friends in Kungsör, Sweden
It all started when Isa’s Swedish teacher Satu Korkalo suggested that Isa should send out an application to Pohjola-Norden, the organization behind many forms of Nordic co-operation. They chose a group of little under twenty students from Upper Secondary Schools from different parts of Finland and all these students spent a month in host families in Sweden. On the ninth of November 2005 Isa left Ivalo and travelled first through Finland by train and then to Sweden by boat. Kungsör, Isa’s destination, is situated 120 kilometres from the Capital of Sweden, Stockholm.
Isa describes her host family in Kungsör as lively and wonderful – “ They made me feel like home right away”, she states. The Dad Tommy sold kitchens and the Mom Sanna, whose parents were Finnish, taught youngsters who had problems with school. The family had two daughters, Martina and Mikaela. “Mikaela, my host student, was also seventeen and we got along really well”, Isa says.
Isa went to the same school and entered the same science program as Mikaela did. The school, Ulvesundsgymnasiet, was only slightly bigger than ours, as it had approximately 250 students. “The school had it advantages: The students were given laptops and books without cost, studying was very independent and there were no matriculation exams”, Isa reveals. “The teachers were also very friendly and helpful – it was a very pleasant environment to study in.”
The host student was fond of movies and they spent many nights watching films. In their spare time they also visited near-by towns. And what would a trip to Sweden be without shopping in IKEA! While Isa got to know the Swedish culture she also tried to inform her Swedish friends of Finnish culture. “On the sixth of December, on our Independence Day, we watched the Finnish Presidential reception on TV – Mikaela fell asleep! She couldn’t understand how we Finns like to watch ’a handshaking-marathon’ that lasts for hours!”
Isa had studied Swedish for approximately four and a half years when she went to Sweden. In her opinion she only faced minor problems with the language. “Pronunciation was my biggest weakness, but despite that I had the courage to talk to people. Every now and then I polished my pronunciation by reading aloud nursery rhymes from a children’s book the family had.” Isa tells. And the month in Sweden left her with a very positive image of the Swedes. “They are open and kind and I highly recommend visiting the country!”
M.R., T.H. and I.U. 24.1.06
Friends in Kungsör, Sweden