Fulbright Finland Spring Orientation

What can I say? I am so impressed by the Fulbright Finland organization. CEO Terhi Mölsä and her team organized two days of learning and connecting to other FulbrightDAT teachers, US Fulbright Scholars in Finland, Finnish Fulbright Alumni, government and university officials, Fulbright Finland partners, and Finnish teachers who gave us an overview of Finnish history (in forty minutes) and basic Finnish spoken language.

Learning about Fulbright Finland, I realized how strong this organization is and how many partners are supporting my being here for this cross-cultural exchange. There is no mistake that I am here in this place. Suomi (Finland) has a clear and strong culture, focused on creating solutions for the good of all and bringing out the best in individuals. This comes through in the ways in which they communicate with each other and support education at all levels.

One of the highlights of the trip from Jyvaskyla to Helsinki was taking the train through the countryside – about a 3-1/2 hour ride. Truly, I have never been on such a quiet train; even the one young boy in my car whispered to his mother. European efficiency is evident: I can hang up my coat on a hook next to my seat, adjust my headrest as needed, and put my feet on the adjustable foot rest. The scenery, though muted and white, was breathtaking. We passed snow-laden trees and even a castle.

That first evening, after skating outdoors near the Helsinki train station, we met for an event at Pulag Kulma in the evening. The staff here is friendly and knowledgeable, and I learned more about coffee than I ever thought possible. Finns traditionally drink lighter coffee, which is actually more acidic but goes well with lighter foods. We practiced the Hario V60 technique for pour over; I learn to pay attention to temperature and the amount of grounds to water, as well as to create turbulence when pouring. It is much more precise than the way I make my coffee each morning!

After many presentations on Thursday, we visited Villa Hvittorp where we took sauna together and took turns jumping in a hole in the frozen lake. The following day, Friday, we visited EMMA, an exquisite art museum, where our guide explained the Alvar Aalto architecture as well as the artwork throughout the museum. Our hosts at Sibelius Academy (upper secondary school) included students who performed for us – a chorus as well as individual musical performances. Since it was the last school day for “seniors”, who will now take a few months to study for their matriculation exams, we saw several of the graduating students wearing togas as part of their celebration of the last day of school. It was a treat for me to see high school students (upper secondary) and their well-developed musical talents.

Altogether, I loved meeting everyone and learning so much about the history of the Fulbright Finland program. This gave me the context to understand my work and appreciate everything and everyone supporting what I am doing. You can learn more about Fulbright Finland on their website.

I look forward to our next gathering as a group in Oulu in late February, when Fulbright Finland Goes Arctic! My plans include travelling up to Lapland before this event and hopefully visiting some schools in that area, in addition to seeing Santa Claus in his home. Seeing the Northern Lights is my dream.