Finnish Cuisine

Karjalanpiirakka

Karjalanpiirakka, which has a very unique shape, is a kind of tart and pastry.

So what exactly is Karjalanpiirakka?

This food was born in the Karelian region in the east of Finland, and contains rice porridge, mashed potatoes, etc. in a thin dough. a kind of tart that is put in a mixture and baked in the oven. In the original, the dough is made only of rye flour, but today it is usually prepared with a mixture of rye / bran flour or rye / white flour, but it is still possible to find the exact rye ones.

Since the production of Karelian tart is a bit troublesome, it is usually taken from the bakery department of the markets, cafes or frozen food departments. Even if you cook at home, you get a great well done especially from Finnish friends! I always say: food is the best cultural integration tool!

When we did not try Karjalanpiirakka, we found its taste great. I also like the Karelian tart plain. However, it is usually applied either a poached egg-butter mixture on the tart or cheese, tomato, cucumber etc. putting is also refreshing.

Winter Festival in Finland

Pikkulaskiainen

“Winter is a party”

In this blog post, I would like to talk about a wonderful and entertaining festival that we attend in Finland.Pikkulaskiainen-Winter Festival!!!

Pikkulaskiainen is an off the hook student event organized annually by the Association of Economics Students in Turku for over two decades already.One of our fun memories of erasmus was this event.A big concert area was established in the city center in Turku. Students from all over the city were dressed in colorful clothes.

The day starts with sledging and other fun activities at the Puolala Park, followed by an “After Ski” –pub crawl in downtown Turku.

In addition, stadiums were opened everywhere in the festival. Students visited the stadiums and were given different drinks and hot chocolates. The concert started after skiing in the city center. The concert area was quite crowded. I didn't know the artist :) But the sound of the music sounded very nice to our ears. A nice thing happened when Finnish words and their melody combined.

In this fun activity, students could get badges to stick on their clothes.

They wore the different fabrics and crests they bought from each event they attended in their special and colorful clothes. This created a colorful and pleasant appearance. Complete a festive mood!

After the parties in the city's hottest nightclubs, students finish Pikkulaskiainen or PL as they wish.

Learning Finnish

 Finnish Language

One of the courses we take at school is Finnish for Exchange Students. I loved this course because we were learning a new language. We were learning this language with other exchange students. This was a good thing. Because nobody in the class knew Finnish. And everyone was learning new words.

 And when I researched the language I will learn a little, I came across an interesting detail.

Finnish is distinguished between Scandinavian languages ​​because it comes from a different family: Ural-Altay Language Family. Turkish is also from this language family 😊 Therefore, Turkish from Altay Branch is a distant relative of Finnish from Ural Branch.

In fact, some words are really similar in Finnish and Turkish. Due to the fact that Finnish and Turkish are distant relatives, there are many similarities and the features of Finnish are:

• It is read as it is written.
• It is an additive language. Therefore, as in Turkish, you come across long words / verbs.

I learned to introduce myself as Finnish. I know the numbers a little. I think I am successful in learning a new language:)

Hello mean-Moi! Hei! Terve'

Nimeni on Beyza. Olen kaksikymmenta. Olen kotoisin Afyonkarahisarasta, Turkista. Puhun Turkkia ja Englantia. Olen kolmenen vuoden sairaanhoitajaopiskelia. Turun Ammetikorkeokoulussa.Asun Turussa. Harrastouksian ovat lukeminen, lentopallo, musikki

My name is Beyza. I'm twenty years old. I came from Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. I am speaking Turkish and English. I am a nursing student at Turku University of Applied Sciences. I am living in Turku. My hobbies are read a book ,play volleyball, listen to music.

You learn Finnish from books, but everything changes when you go out on the street. One day I studied the Finnish numbers, I said, "Now I will shop at the market and understand when the cashier says the price". The cashier said the price so quickly and differently that I perceived it as another language. I was angry at why I could not understand for a long time, but then I learned that the language spoken on the street could be very different from the language taught in the book.

Finnish Chocolate

Delicious Chocolates

According to the information I searched online, this Finnish chocolate, which is made from natural fresh milk, not milk powder, is actually well known in the northern European countries.

Karl Fazer, the father of chocolate, is a Swedish entrepreneur born in Helsinki. He had works in the field of pastry in Berlin, Paris and Saint Petersburg, opened a confectionery shop in Helsinki with his wife in 1891, and in the following years he established a chocolate factory by growing the business. Many of his products were among the classics.

The flavor is really great. There are a lot of varieties. I was very surprised when I saw the peppered chocolate. I know that Finns love candies. Therefore, as long as I am in Finland, I have tried to taste every chocolate. But my favorite was definitely Karl Farzen's chocolates. Therefore I brought a lot of chocolate on the way to Turkey. My family and friends also said that this chocolate was delicious.

Finnish Markets

Market Shopping in Finland

Of course, one of the first places we researched to meet our basic needs in Finland was markets. And we were very lucky about this. There were 4 or 5 Finnish markets just five minutes from our house.
Also, Turkish products were sold in these markets. We were very happy when we saw this. And, of course, I took a picture right away. For example, the photo below is Ankara Pasta.

One of the things that surprised me most in the Finnish markets was the presence of all kinds of fruits and vegetables. In a country where agriculture is very limited: it was very interesting that all kinds of food were brought. Sometimes we encounter was seeing the fruits and vegetables even in Turkey!

 When we saw peppers from Antalya Hall, we were very surprised with Sıla. Sıla reminded her hometown.

 In addition, every product was available almost every season. For example, while eating Italian watermelon in summer, you eat Brazilian watermelon in winter. The Brazilian watermelon, of course, is more expensive because it comes from a distance, but it comes after all.

Finns themselves also cultivate in greenhouses. A limited number of crops can be farmed, but these products are both organic and very delicious. For example, giant Finnish-produced cucumbers were delicious and juicy. Although cucumbers from the Mediterranean are cheaper, Finnish cucumbers were bought more due to both their quality and taste. Potatoes, carrots were cheaper than other vegetables.

Write in Finland, you will encounter many blackberry varieties that you may not have heard of. Most of them are tasteless and sour, but I still recommend you try. If you come across a Turkish marketer in the Finnish market like us, it can be mixed up and offered to you, little by little.

Another thing that surprised me was that greens such as lettuce, parsley and dill were sold in small pots in the markets. Such an intelligent method was used to keep these imported products on the road. So you can take the greens off the branch and eat them fresh. 😊

The greens are sold in small pots so that they keep their freshness.

Along with the increasing foreign population in Finland, you will find many markets and restaurants belonging to them. For this reason, you can find products from markets such as Asian cuisine, Middle Eastern cuisine, where food from many parts of the world is sold. There are also many Indian, Chinese, Italian, Turkish restaurants in the country, and most of them are of good quality.

 

Salo Electronics Museum

Museum Trip in Salo

We decided to go to Electronics Museum in Salo. After paying our fee for the entrance to the museum, we started sightseeing. There were many technological tools inside. From old phones to televisions ... There was a huge collection.

Salo Electronic Museum's 'Luxury Play' exhibition was about the history of radio and television production. And from the 1920s to the 1980s, there were radio receivers from crystal sets to stereo systems. I felt like I was traveling in history while I was traveling between the old radio.

The TV exhibition included televisions, from black and white sets with cathode ray tubes to flat screen TVs. I was very surprised when I saw this. I have seen and understood the working mechanism of televisions very closely.

I have learned that these radios and televisions represent the history of radio and television production in Salo, Finland as a whole and internationally. In addition to the technological innovations and designs of these objects, they emphasized their social importance.

Another thing that caught my attention in the exhibition was the display of products produced for decades. In addition to radio and television, it also included other audio products and related peripheral equipment. This cultural tour impressed me a lot. I have had the opportunity to see how technology has evolved until the past.

Our Route to Salo

       Where is the Salo?

     Our route on our cultural tour is Salo, a small town in Finland.

 We arrived from Salou to Salo by train. When we went there, our friend welcomed us.

The town between Helsinki and Turku had a small and calm atmosphere. 

Salo  is a town and municipality of Finland.

It is in the province of Western Finland and is part of the Southwest Finland region. The municipality has a population of 52,312

In Finnish salo means woodland, backwoods but also a wooded island. 

Salo is located between the capital Helsinki and the provincial capital Turku, making it a busy small city. The short distance from these bigger cities keeps the Salo region and its business life growing. Farming also plays a considerable part in the area.

Main City Library

 LIBRARY DAYS

 In this blog, I want to tell the City Library in Turku.

I went to Main City Library in the city center. Something caught my attention here. The inside of the library was quite large. And inside it was crowded. The architectural structure of the library also attracted my attention. I became a member of the library and borrowed the books there. I like spending time in the library. When I walked through the library in detail, I observed that the Finnish people really liked reading.

I want to tell the details I have observed in the library.
Libraries are very large and very spacious. It is never gloomy and boring. You can get your books with library cards that can be purchased free of charge. When you enter, you will encounter a large number of computers and you will find the location of the book you want from the computer. If you want to read the book in the library, the reading room is made of glass and built to shine. Ceilings are high and environments are wide. Reading areas are wide and spacious. The reading halls have newspapers for that day and all tables have  lights.

When I went to the library, I also saw Turkish books. And I immediately got one of them:)

The Turku Main Library makes it possible to dive into adventures, to find information, to study, to attend numerous events around all areas of knowledge and culture, to experience exhibitions, use the library independently, or just spend time and meet other people.

 I learned the library is open seven days a week and the use of the library is free of charge. The library serves around 4000 visitors a day.

Village of University Students

   Yo-kylä

Yo-kylä is the abbreviation of the word Ylioppilaskylä, and its full translation becomes “Village of university students”. Turku is a student city and has given its right in this regard. This huge area is completely reserved for students and a neighborhood has been created from the dormitories. In this way, there are thousands of apartments where students can stay and host both domestic and foreign students. Over time, the capacity of the Student Village could not meet the incoming students and dormitories were established in other parts of the city. All of these dormitories are connected to a single center.However, the capacity is not enough for all university students to stay. 

You have to apply and wait in line. If you are lucky, you will get your apartment in a few weeks, but sometimes it can take up to a year to be accepted. Since thousands of people live in the area, there are shopping facilities, sports areas and even bars in the student village. In addition, Caribia Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in Turku, is intertwined with your student village.

Another thing I have seen in the university student village is this tree. I researched what it means to tie shoes to the tree. But he doesn't write much on the internet. I wanted to share this picture that I was very interested in.

The symbol of Yo-kylä (Student Village) is Posankka. Possibly one of the strangest statues in the world, Posankka is both funny and very cute. This name is given to the statue because it has a mixture of pig (Possu) and duck (Ankka). In winter, a Santa hat is put on her head so that she does not get cold.😊

Enter Finnish second-hand stores;

Second-Hand Stores

In our country, second-hand items are generally limited to a few products. We buy second-hand phones or computers. Generally, most people do not want to use second-hand clothing or kitchenware. With the increase of second-hand websites recently, this idea has started to change gradually, but come and see that everyone is using second hand in Finland.

There are surprisingly well-used products here. So don't think it's dirty or broken because it's second hand. There are a lot of varieties in the store. It is possible to buy a fork for twenty cent. You can find a nice notebook for 1 euro. Curtains, beds, quilts, clothes, winter christmas decorations, children's toys, glasses, whatever you can think of, can be found here at a very, very affordable price. If you are in Finland, I think you should have a look at these second hand stores.

I also took these pictures at the second hand store in Salo. We also saw a sphygmomanometer here. I took a picture of him because it was related to my profession.

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Nature and Forestry in Finland

     The City Intertwined With Forests

In this blog, I want to talk about the characteristics of Turku City, its features that affect me. Before I write my own thoughts, I will share the information I searched on the internet. 

   Where is TURKU?

  It is the city that is the center of the southwestern region of Finland. The city is located on the bank of the Aura River and the Archipelago Sea in the southwest of the country. It is the oldest city in Finland and was also the capital of the country from 1809 to 1812. Its population is 3188,584. It is the fifth largest city in Finland.

 The busiest and first port of Finland, Turku Port and its first university (today's Helsinki University) are also in this city. The most spoken languages after Finnish and Swedish are Russian (1.3%) and Arabic (0.6%).

Due to its long history, Turku has been the location of many important events and has affected the history of Finland extensively.

Enjoy Nature, Camp in The Forest!

Finland is literally a natural wonder country. If you go to the city, there are beautiful green areas. The lakes are already famous. There are many islands here. I think Turku is one of these beautiful cities.

I love walking on the streets of Turku and walking through forested areas. There are trees, squirrels, birds everywhere. Briefly intertwined with nature.

They also have their own small and cute houses and quiet streets. In these streets, you can take your headphones and open your music to go for a pleasant walk. When I and my friend got bored at home, we were exploring new places and forest areas.

We also like to discover new places with our bike.

Respect For Nature

The name of the Finnish country is quite different from the original country name. While most of the world uses names such as Finland, Finlande, Finnland, Finlandia, Finsko, Finska, Finns call their country Suomi.

 What is this Suomi?

Suo means “Swamp” in Finnish. Suomi means "Land of Marsh." In the past, Finland was indeed a swamp. With the awareness that has taken place in the last two centuries, the country has been systematically afforested and the “land of marshes” has been turned into “land of woods”. The country, which lacks wood, has quickly become one of the world's leading wood sellers.

The name of Suomi has also remained traditional, as if to constantly remind them of the utopia they have realized.

Finland's land area is covered by a forest of almost 75% (this rate in Turkey 28%) and with this figure is one of the world's greenest countries. Finland is also one of the leading countries in the world that respects nature. I am sure that if the north of Finland was not in the Arctic Circle, this forest land ratio would be higher because the forest is unlikely to grow in the polar circle due to climatic conditions.

However, it has been very difficult to green Finland's land and make it more productive. In this country, where many places are rocky, turning the rocks into forests and fertile soil required long efforts. Thanks to his long efforts, the Finnish sacrifices and sacrifices, it succeeded.

Finnish Education System

   Visit to Hannunniittu Primary School

Another of the events I attended is the visit to "Hannunniittu Primary School". I was very excited about this event. In the event, it was written that the 3rd grade and the 6th grade students will speak English and spend time together. I wondered when I saw this. With this activity, I could see the Finnish education system and how primary education was.

     When we went to school, I and Eda sister (that PhD exchange student and also my neighbor) met Krista Paavola. We also communicated with other exchange students. I asked which country they were from. I was curious about their thoughts about this event.
Another thing that I learned and saw was that students took off their shoes in the classroom. When we asked why, we learned that students are more comfortable and necessary for hygiene.
We met 5th grade students. Their English level was a little better. We communicated more comfortably.

Another positive thing that this event added was that we had the opportunity to communicate with the teachers there, so we learned a lot of information about the Finnish education system.

With this activity, I analyzed their feelings and thoughts. I learned that they shot Tiktok Video. Some students showed me some dance figures. Some students loved school. Some did not like their lessons and some did not like their teachers.
I had the opportunity to compare while talking to them. What was I like when I was their age? How was the system in our country? How is our English education system? How is the English education system in Finland? I had the opportunity to answer many questions like this.

Wanhat 2020 in Finland

           Wanhat 2020 Event

Wanhat or ‘vanhojen tanssit’ means ‘the old dances’, which is literally what it is!

During my time in Finland, I had the opportunity to see different activities. One of them was when I attended the Wanhat 2020. We went to a school in Naantali Trip..

Wanhat 2020 event started. I really like this event. Because everybody wore great, colorful clothes. Girls and boys looked really stylish. At first they had prepared a show with the traditional songs of Finland. The harmony of dance figures and couples was really impressive.

I searched the past and the meaning of the Wanhat event on the internet.Wanhat or ‘vanhojen tanssit’ means ‘the old dances’, which is literally what it is! Students of the second year (of three) of high school celebrate becoming the oldest ones in school by dancing waltzes, polkas, etc. (along with one dance made by the students, on modern songs), dressed up in huge gowns that are made specially for this occasion. 

They were celebrating such a celebration because it was the last day of their 3-year high school life.This happening used to be much more traditional than it is today: with the actual traditional clothing. Now the dresses are modernized .But it’s still very different. There is a program of all the dances, which is about 45 minutes long.