Yesterdays

I've just been and had a look at the display of handicraft here at the Culture Centre. It's pretty impressive. I kinda wish I'd been more aware of what was on offer, there were pieces of stained glass and other glass-work, dressmaking, feltmaking, so much art and craft that my little skirts seemed to fade into the background even though I was so proud of them! There was just so much more than I realised.

Yesterday was my last Finnish lesson. We had a little party, and ate food, and tried to converse in Finnish - some of my classmates were definitely more competent at it than me - and we were all a little sad at the end. We've exchanged email addresses, and I hope we keep in touch, at the very least for as long as we're here in Iisalmi! But the whole thing has got me thinking about going home, and my hopes and fears in that. I actually had cravings for England yesterday, which made Steve laugh. (So far, only sausage rolls...)

And I got a surprise at the youth band practice. Hanna wants me to learn and sing a song (in Finnish) that no-body else wants to master. She played it me on a CD and my first reactions were disbelief, shock, is she mad? But I think I'm conquering it. There's some difficult words, and an even trickier melody, and I've got to really sing this one in a way as to be able to completely convince people that I totally understand what it's saying. But it feels a bit weird, that no-body else can or wants to try and sing this song - so they get the foreigner to try?! Well, it's certainly made me rise to the challenge...

Oh yes, and a little footnote... we had another snowstorm today. Very very strange.