28th April 2025
Two students from our school will be studying in Finnish Nousiainen for six full weeks from April to May. Karin Pichertová and Vojtěch Trejtnar from 7. A8 have been chosen for yet another long-term mobility in Nousiaisten lukio within the Erasmus+ programme. Here is what they say about their stay in this country.
Karin:
Week 1: Arrival in Finland
Firstly we arrived at Helsinki airport after the flight had gone all smoothly. We waited for a bit and at the entrance I got to know Elsa’s mother right away- a very kind lady with whom we also drove together towards their home - Masku. The drive took approximately 2 hours. Once we got there, I got the chance to meet Elsa’s cat, Kerttu, a beautiful ragdoll. However, I was exhausted from the flight so I took a long nap. After that, we had dinner, and that was the end of my first day.
On the second day I already tried the traditional Finnish sauna along with ice swimming and surprisingly, I really liked it, even though the water was only 4 degrees. Many Finnish people also wore hats and gloves inside the sauna which seemed quite strange to me at first but quickly after I learned it myself that head and fingers are parts of the body which are the fastest to get cold while going to the freezing water. Overall, the feeling afterwards was one of the most relaxing I have ever experienced.
Finally, after the first weekend, the school week began. Finnish people really do live up to the stereotype of their shyness - at least that’s what I noticed during the first lessons. Another thing that was quite surprising to me during English courses was that most of the teachers spoke mostly Finnish instead of English. On one hand, I think you learn the language best by using it (speaking helps the most) but on the other hand I can see that they can understand every word a have a grip on the grammar. Nevertheless, I had to get used to a lot of things at school but the first week went by so quickly therefore nothing was really an obstacle.
Week 2: Finnish Easter and Trip to Stockholm
After getting used to everything during the first week - except the food (not a big fan), the second one was a piece of cake. The school went smoothly and then Easter weekend came. The Finnish Easter is really different from ours. They have a tradition called Virvonta where younger kids dress up as witches and they usually decorate sticks collected from the pussy willow with colourful feathers. After that they go from house to house, exchanging their “magical sticks” for candy. It was really cute to see some kids dressed up like that.
However, the Finnish Easter wasn’t even the highlight of the Easter holiday. The best part was that we actually went to Sweden with a cruise ship! First, we took a train from Turku to Helsinki where we spent some time exploring the city. Even though Sweden is Finland’s neighboring country, the cruise took the whole night before we finally reached Swedish borders. On Saturday morning, we arrived at the port of Stockholm and spent the entire afternoon looking around the city and sightseeing, mainly in the Old Town. Even though it rained all day, the trip was amazing - I especially loved the architecture.
At the end of the day we returned to the ship and spent some time in the shops on board. The next day, we arrived back in Helsinki, and that same day I finally got to see the Helsinki Cathedral - which, to be honest, is the only thing that ever came to mind when I thought about this particular city. It was huge and really beautiful (though I still prefer St. Vitus Cathedral).
After the trip we were all exhausted so we spent most of the afternoon napping. For dinner I even tried a traditional Finnish Easter dessert called Mämmi. It didn’t look very tasty, but it actually tasted surprisingly good. And that was the end of my second week.
Vojta:
Week 1
The beginning of our 6-week mobility program in Finland went smoothly. The flight from Prague to Helsinki was quick, and people from our host families were already waiting at the airport.
After a 2-hour drive, we arrived in Nousiainen—a small and unique town near Turku. As I got to know the house, the members of the family started coming home from their hobbies. We spent the first evening playing games and, of course, going to the sauna—which, even though I hadn’t enjoyed much before, I have to say I really liked this time.
My second day was spent at a big family gathering for my host grandfather's birthday. It began with his concert in a church and ended with a traditional birthday feast.
It took some time to get used to the different school system, especially the school canteen, but waking up at 8 is a really nice perk I’ll definitely miss.
We wrapped up the first week with a fun scout camp in the middle of nowhere—sleeping in hammocks, going to the sauna, playing games, and just having a great time.
Week 2
My second week started with my first trip to school by bike. Who would have guessed that the day we finally cycled, the weather would turn cold and the previously nice conditions would be replaced by light rain?
School went by quickly, and I especially enjoyed the PE lessons. There are four lessons per day, each lasting 75 minutes. When it’s a boring subject, that can feel a bit long, but it makes PE much more fun because you actually have time to play after learning the sport—always something completely new and fun.
We spent the Easter holiday at the grandparents’ cottage by the sea, going to the sauna, fishing, and searching for chocolate eggs in the garden. I wanted to show them our Easter tradition of pomlázka, but I couldn’t find any good willow trees.
Overall, the week flew by in an instant—filled with meeting new people, trying new activities, and having fun with my host family over the holiday.
„Financováno Evropskou unií. Vyjádřené názory a stanoviska představují názory a stanoviska autorů a nemusí nutně odrážet názory a stanoviska Evropské unie nebo Domu zahraniční spolupráce. Evropská unie ani poskytovatel grantu za ně nenesou odpovědnost.”
