Today I leave Joensuu and the Hukkala family to meet my friend Wainani in Helsinki. Wai and I are going to spend the weekend in Helsinki and then take the ferry to Estonia to visit Tallinn and Laheema National Park. I don't know any Estonian, but I do know such valuable Finnish phrases as "please pass the cheese" as well as the names of several different beers. I keep forgetting the difference between the words for toilet and for water, but I'll figure it out.
I have mixed feelings about leaving. The Hukkalas have been unbelievably gracious and welcoming hosts. They are such a lovely family and I am sad to be leaving them, but Marita, Junnu's wife, suggested that Brian and I return for the Wife-Carrying Championships next July, so we should probably start training as soon as I get home. While I am sad to be leaving, I am really excited to see Wainani (she lives in London and I have not seen her in three years), and I am starting to get a bit homesick. I miss Brian and all my animals. I was just looking at the goats' baby pictures but I had to stop because it was too much. I think this means have been gone long enough to forget what pains in the ass they are.
Anyway, I have limited time, but I want to continue my discussion about what I think we can take from Finland. Again, this is just my initial thoughts, and I want to update my blog more after I get home and have time to reflect on these ideas.
So, another idea I think we should use from Finnish education is...
An emphasis on international awareness. Obviously Finland's place in the world is much different from that of the US, and as a small country in the EU, they have a strong need for cross-cultural knowledge and awareness. However, I think our students would also benefit from having a better understanding of the world outside the US. When Junnu came to speak to my class in the fall, I was really struck by how amazed my students were by hearing about a place different from the US. One student in particular just could not get over gas costing about $7/gallon, free education and healthcare or not. I think we definitely make some efforts at informing students of other countries/cultures, but I think right now it is very much an adjunct part of their education, and largely optional. I don't know how exactly this would work, but it would be nice if somehow we could make this more of a core component of students' education at PSC. I believe one of learning outcomes refers to global awareness, so maybe we can begin this discussion at Outcomes Committee.
This trip has really made me reflect a lot on how important this kind of education is. Awareness of other cultures helps us question our own sense of what is normal, and I think can really change our way of thinking. And just on a basic level, this kind of learning is exciting! I know these past couple weeks have really made me think a lot about US education and culture in general, both what I think we are doing well and should work to protect, and some areas we can improve. As a first step, I would like to suggest we have scheduled eating times 5x a day, and then we can go from there.
I likely will not be writing for about a week or so, but then I would like to update with final thoughts, proofread when I am better rested and do not have a Nordic keyboard, and add some more pictures.
Hyvää kesää! (That's have a good summer)
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