hannah_finland

Okej! I am now actually updating. Yes that's right ladies and gentlemen, you heard me right, haha. Sorry guys, i've been quite lazy lately! Well not really...in fact I've been extremely busy haha! But either way, I'm sorry i haven't posted in like FOREVER! I promise to make more time to talk to you guys as soon as I finish getting myself settled! It is taking forever to get myself back into my old habits, and get used to living back at home. It's so strange to have to actually learn to live at home again...it's so weird.

It's like...I dont' know. It is kinda a scary feeling to feel out of place when you are suppose to feel at home...IN Your home. Hmm I'm bad at explaining this haha. Okej, it's like I have this role that I'm expected to follow, but now that I've changed quite a lot as you guys know, I don't really fit back into that spot. So I'm kinda drifting and not really knowing where I belong now that I'm home. It' s a big mess of mixed feelings I guess. I love it at home, cause well...haha it's been my home for almost my whole life...but there will always be a part of me left in Finland (as completely lame as that sounds) so basically I'm doomed to homesickness no matter where I am, cause I belong to two different places. But yes, other than this constant feeling of uncertainty, I'm feeling pretty good :)

God I miss finland though. I miss you guys! Now for personal notes, haha to some very special people!!

Hannele, there is no one like you in Canada, haha. You are one of a kind girl, and I miss you so freaken much it's ridiculous! And the roof!! OMG there is no roof in Canada like the Islandia one!! That will forever be my special thinking spot, and I’m really happy that you got me to go up there ☺ We definitely have to get on this whole 'mailing letter' thing the snail mail way going! That would be fun! Don't forget the winnie the pooh stickers XD

Rei!! I'm glad your trip was a good experience and everything, even if things weren't perfect in the end, I'm glad you had a super awesome time :D I miss you and our talks! We definitely should do something to keep in touch better. I have 3 email addresses, and just about every blog thing possible, haha or we could like mail like hannele and I will :) you choose :D Either way, I really want to keep in touch, so let's find some way to talk more often sinec msn just doesnt' work as well with the time diff :D Just let me know!

Sara!!! Sorry I haven't emailed you like you asked! I honestly just haven't had the time to sit and collect my thoughts enough to give an update! Until now!!! So how have you been? Still working out lots? Are you working at all? I forget :P I guess school has started now, so you are probably busy doing that. Email me back, and I promise I"ll do better at writing you!! Miss you so much! Oh and btw, hehe i had a family dinner the other day, and the whole sex/nude/openness about all that stuff came up XD You know that list we planned on making? Well basically I talked about it ALL and it was so unbelievably hilarious. I'll definitely tell you more about that later, haha you would have been proud :P

EMILIA! I know you and I have kept in touch with facebook, but I just had to leave a note for you in here too :P MISS YOU GIRL! And our amazing adventures, haha which never ceased to amaze me!! I loved my present by the way, but I think I already told you that :) I wear them every day! Haha, they are so nice :)

As for everyone else who may read this, haha I'm not sure who is anymore, but yes, I miss you all. Honestly going to Finland was the highlight of my life so far, and I wouldn't have traded it for the world!

Okej, now for what I've been up to...

Umm I got my job back as a donut baker, which completely rocks, haha. I fit in there just like before, haha and I"ve made lots of new friends with the new workers. I have a blast, really I do, and I'm making money, haha which is always good!

I’m going to see my friend Kyle (Cdn exchange student who went to Japan for the year). He and I kept in touch all year, and now after 15 months of only msn, we are meeting in Brandon (about 2 hours from me)!! I’m so freaken excited! That’s on this coming Monday ☺ Should be amazingly fun! It’ll be so great seeing him again after so many months!

My 18th birthday just passed, haha and it was actually the best time ever. I went out to the bar and Boston Pizza and they bought me random shots of like a billion things, hehe even tequila which nearly killed me!! Haha it was great. I got completely wasted, and ended up puking for hours on end afterward, but it was totally worth it. I don’t’ even rememvber that last part much, so most of my memories are of the times NOT spent in the bathroom, haha, which is always good!! I have a cell phone now :D:D My parents bought it for me as my birthday gift, and I was completely surprised and totally happy. Amazingly enough, cell phones have become much more popular in Canada during my year away, so most of my friends have one. It’s red, and I like it, hehe! I also got lots of jewelry, bath stuff, piano music…etc. Love it all ☺

My homcoming was amazing. I was so lucky on the way home, cause I met so many great people! From Aland to Helsinki, I cried the whole time, and totally freaked out the hot flight attendant cause he thought I was afraid of the plane :P He kept rubbing my back and bringing me cookies and tissues, haha he was so cute! Then I met up with Paulo to say goodbye in Helsinki, which was nice. He kept me company for 5 hours while waiting till 3am for my next flight. Then off to Amsterdam I went, where I spent a good few hours chatting to an elderly couple who wanted to know ALL about Aland! I gave them a detailed version of how wonderful it is! In Amsterdam, I had less than 20 minutes to get to my next flight, and ended up having to cut 300 dutch people in line in order to make my flight, hehe. I was sworn at by hundreds, and found it highly amusing!! On that 9 hour flight, I sat beside my 50 year old buddy, who was pretty much the most interesting person EVER! He worked in like, western Africa, and was just going to the USA to visit his kids. He was so nice, and we totally watched horror movies while eating M&Ms :P It was a good time.

THEN as if things couldn’t get any better, I went to a Starbucks in the USA for my first time in a year, and ordered a Venti Caramal Frappacino Blended Coffee, haha ONLY to realize I didn’t have dollars…I had euros. DAMMIT! But this really hot nice Spanish dude came over and said ‘I’ll pay’ and gave the cashier money, and then introduced himself ☺ I have his number now, hehe. I couldn’t believe my luck with nice people that day!!!

So that pretty much made my whole day, haha. My last flight was nice too. I sat beside a young friendly girl around my age who was visiting her boyfriend. She talked MORE than I did, which was amazing, haha. We covered every possible topic from boys, to travel, to religion, to like EVERYTHING. I had fun! We have each other’s emails now!

As I walked through Winnipeg doors, I saw my family, Robyn and her mom, Megan and her dad, as well as Jessie and Brittany. My mom practically bulldozed me over in excitement, and we were both immediately in tears, haha. It was so nice. I hugged everyone and then just stood there bright red, eyes swollen from lack of sleep and crying so freaken much, and said ‘So,….what now?? Haha’ It was great. We went and had a BBQ, but I was really tired (it felt like 4am at this point) so I pretty much just wanted to sleep! Overall it was a great homecoming!

Seeing everyone else came the next day. My best guy friend Aaron called me and we met up at this coffee place and talked for like 5 hours. It was awesome. Parties came soon after, and I got really drunk :P It was fun, but honestly, parties on Aland are SO much more hilarious and adventurous! But still, it was great to be with my old friends again ☺

It’s been crunch time with seeing my friends, cause many are off to university elsewhere, which is so crazy and sad!! I just said goodbye to my good friend Suhjin from Korea today. She’s moving to Kingston, a province over from me. SO SAD! I cried :P

My room is now totally full of pictures, it’s actually ridiculous. Here, I’ll show you some pictures haha you’ll laugh!





Here are some other pics from my homecoming ☺

Here is my awesome friend Robyn, whom I loooove! We went straight to the mall and bought icecream, as well as window shopping! We even raided a Dollar Store, and took like a billion pictures, haha check out my site if you want to see more :www.flickr.com/photos/hannah_strachan/

Here is my brother Alex and I at the airport when I came home! He's grown at least a foot and his voice went down and octave, haha. It was great to see him again :)

Here is dear ol'Andrew and I, haha. I made him buy a chocolate donut, and we ate it all, and then went back for more :P He has food on his face in this one, haha what a slob! XD

Here's my brother and I digging into an A&W Burger, which I was deprived from for the whole year in Finland :P It was so goooood!

Raiding the dollar store with Robyn holding an 'IT'S A BOY' sign for no reason :P


This is a pic of my friends Andrew and Alex and I at the first party we had here! It was a bush party, and I was totally full of dirt after falling down so much, haha :P

Here is me in my drunken happiness, haha :P


Anyways, that’s about as good an update as I can do at this time, so I hope you all enjoyed it! Now that I’m finally unpacked (I finished yesterday, haha I still had a suitcase in there before that!) I promise to do better with this journal, and with emailing you guys! Keep the comments coming so I have motivation, haha and Hannele, I promise to comment on yours more often like you asked on myspace ☺ CYBER PINKY PROMISE!

I hope things are awesome with you guys, and I hope to hear an update from all you soon ☺ LOVE YOU GUYS! I miss you more than you know!

Your friend,
Hannah ☺

TODAY IS MY DAD*S BIRTHDAY!

Just thought I'd inform you all of that, haha.


Happy Birthday Dad!! Grattis Pappa! Here is your hello from me, and I hope you have an amazing birthday! Hopefully we will talk again later! I love you :D:D

http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o10/hlstrachan/?action=view¤t=35f53f75.flv

Love you Daddio :)

Hey everyone! Long time no write! I am definitely working on a big huge LONG descriptive adventure story about my  super amazing tour of europe, but incase you all are a little impatient and would like to take a sneak peak at some pictures first (some being 1660 pictures of course, taking into accout that I'm a chronic picture taker!!^^), I can now proudly inform you that my pictures are uploaded. Every last one of them. That's right. I know. Impressive. Took well over 6 hours. Be proud, haha: I have captions on some, working on the rest as we speak! Hope you enjoy them, and feel free to comment on certain pictures if you'd like since I may not be able to post here for a couple of days! 

Oh, and just know that I had the time of my life on the tour .I met SO MANY lifelong friends, and just had the most wonderful experience possible. From one sided sunburns, to losing our identies in the czech republic, we definitely had the greatest adventure ever!

I love you all so much and I can't wait until I can see you guys again! Only 25 days to go! =) Bye!

OH and here is the site. The icons are on the right, and just be sure to NOT click on the one that is labeled Euro Tour Look Down! It'll be too slow cause it has all 1660 pictures on it. I've broken the trip down into sections, so hope you enjoy! Bye for now =)

www.flickr.com/photos/hannah_strachan/

Hey you guys!!! This will just be a quickie, cause I don't have much time!! Buuuut I just needed to say goodbye before leaving on the Euro tour, cause I am not sure how often I will I have access to a computer until the 21st of June!! So yes! I shall give you a quick update, and then I have to go and pack again! Cause all of my stuff is ALL over Cata's room, haha!

So yes! The past month has been CRAZY! I mean, end of school, end of band, choir, EVERYTHING! I mean, I'm in the last 50 days of my stay here in Finland, and I CAN*T BELIEVE IT! I mean, in my head it's still saying 'OMG I'M IN FINLAND!!!!' and even though I've been here for like 10 months or something, I still have it in my head that I will be here longer! I had to make my goodbye speech for my class, and that was sad!!! I mean, it's hard when you actually HAVE to like say goodbye. REALLY hard! But they were very nice and everyone gave me their email addresses and hugs, and we took pictures, and it was just a really nice send off. Emilia and I had trouble saying goodbye, even though it's just for 20 days :P We were all like 'OH MY GOD I*M GOING TO MISS YOU...BAAAAAH' and it was sorta pathetically funny how hard it was to even say bye for that long. My choir sang at this old folks home as our final 'event', and that went really well! I had to memorize a TON of Swedish songs, including the Åland Song (sorta like their anthem in a way) and it was just great. The power of FIVE freaken people! We are sorta like a little family, and after our performance, we went to a cafe with our teacher, and at icecream for an hour or so. Once again, saying goodbye was just really hard! I got to see the Vickströms again (my third family) and Jessica, Gun and I went on a picnic, and that was just really great. I love them so much, and we are definitely planning at least a few more get-togethers before I take off to Canada! I went to a Rotary meeting too, and this old man said he wanted to take me out to see the islands FROM THE AIR!!! ON his tiny little plane! I was excited, haha and we are going to do that as soon as I come home! It should be wicked awesome!

So yes, now I am here at Cata's place in Åbo, and just really enjoying spending time with her and her family. She has 3 siblings, (2 girls, 17 and 13, and one boy who's 11) and we get along really well. Yesterday we had a HUUUUGE water fight, and I completely lost and got soaked beyond reason, haha! It was just really fun! Her parents speak mostly Swedish to me, and it's really encouraging when I hear that I'm actually starting to sound good! I mean they were really impressed that I could talk to them, and said I sounded Swedish (although I HIGHLY doubt my accent doesn't show, hehe) but it's still nice to hear. Cata and I went to this grad party for her 2nd host sister, who was really nice! It was just such a dainty little party, and we had to get dressed up (I wore Cata's mom's skirt, hehe) and we felt really old haha! And we experience SUCH hilarious awkward finnish conversations, where we just stood there in awkward silence as Cata's mom forced people to talk to us. It was funny! But we enjoyed the food, and managed to stay there for like 2 hours so it was great! OH and Cata and I colored our hair randomly for no reason, haha! Her's is tinted red, and mine is dark browny red sorta, haha and DON*T WORRY it looks good!!! I told my mom the other day, and she was like 'Ohhhhh my god' hehe! Sorry I didn't ask first mom ^^you would have said no, muahahah! So yes, it looks great, people really like it, and apparently it makes me look older, so I guess that's a good thing (??!!!) :D I like it anyway, and that's what matters! And I pierced my ear again, so I have 3 on one side, and 2 on the other! Sooo nice :)

So that's pretty much my quick update! Sorry I couldn't write more, but I promise to try popping into an internet cafe along the way to put up a quick post about how the tour is, okej???? I miss you guys, and your comments!!! Only like...47 days or something (I've lost count!) till I'm home! Should be amazing!

Bye :)

Okej, I started writing something...and then it deleted so now I have to go to bed XD Sorry mom! I shall post it again tomorrow. Just letting you all know I'm safe and sound and having fun at Cata's place in Åbo, and I will still have access to a computer until Sunday! Bye!°

Hello :) I'm not feeling too well today, so I'll just post pictures...and this video of my speech, haha. Enjoy.

http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o10/hlstrachan/?action=view¤t=Video4.flv

These are all from the weekend and the last couple of days...and maybe some from before. I don't know really, haha I've lost track! Talk to you guys later.

Hanne and I during our picnic in the most random of places on the most random of days...while eating grapes.


Sara and I having our first ice cream of the season :)


My favorite Robert's person XD


My favorite thinking spot


Me in my favorite thinking spot :P


Emilia and I sitting on the rocks


I went for a quick dip!


Breakfast for me now...hmm


I'm out on the rocks...I almost fell like 50 times


It was SUCH a nice day!!!

Okej so I'm just really happy and excited so I thought I'd post just to let it out a little, haha. So basically my weekend was really great. I had a double sleepover with Emilia, which was fun as always, and we watched the Eurovision song contest which was on Saturday!! Serbia won, although I personally would have chosen Georgia, the Ukraine or hmmm maybe Hungary. Here are some links so you can see :)

Georgia:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fZB5U0GZgVQ

The Ukraine, hehe they were so funny ^^
http://youtube.com/watch?v=jnV7Nydf9L4

The Winner!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jx4BnKm0L6g

Hungary
http://youtube.com/watch?v=F2geuKHTW5E

So yes, overall it was a really good overall show, but the winner wasn't what I would have expected! But it was still fun! Emilia and I ended up going over to our friend Philip's house (he's a really great singer I know from the music institute) and we ate a wackload of chocolate cake, candy, chips and Coca Cola while watching 3 hours of the Eurovision song contest! It was faaantastic!

It was also nice to spend so much time with Emilia. When I moved to Jomala, it just didn't seem like I saw enough of her, and now we are in the same art class almost every day and we live like 5 minutes from each other again, and I just love it. We had a really nice time :)

It was also mother's day if I recall, so I apologize for my lateness but HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! Hehe I love you mom, you are amazing :) You know what's funny too is that I didn't know it was even Mother's Day on Åland, and then when I was watching the hockey game and I saw some guy holding a sign saying Happy mother's day and i was like OMG I FORGOT. I'm such a wonderful daughter. Really, I am, haha. Which brings me to yet another point. HOCKEY!

FINLAND VS. CANADA! WAR OF MY WORLDS! Oh man it was intense! I was watching it at Emilia's place, and her dad was so cute. He was all gruff and frustrated with his arms crossed and everything as Canada completely KICKED BUTT winning against Finland 4-2. For those of you who didn't see it, Canada was leading 3 nill for most of the game, until like 5 minutes from the end, when Finland somehow got two goals. Then right at the last minute, Canada scored yet again, concluding the game! Whooohooo Go Canada! I can't even tell you how many times I've been hit on the head here because of that game, haha. It's funny. My Samhälla teacher even brought it up. Slightly ironic that it's Canada vs. Finland eh? Yeah, haha that's what I thought. But Finland is still happy cause we beat Sweden. As long as FInland beats Sweden...they're happy! And even in the Eurovision Song Contest, we beat them by like...I think 1 or 2 points or something! Woot GO FINLAND! It was a very exciting weekend. Once again, I have pics, but have not been able to upload them yet. They are coming!

And now comes the most exciting part! I'M DONE MY SAMHÄLLA ESSAY! Thanks to SARA!!! She's a life saver, really. After school today I was panicing a little, and she was like 'come over and I'll help you!' and SHE DID! I was so happy. She sat down with me for like an hour or something just translating and helping me finish writing this page of stuff about this Karl Emanuel dude! It was so boring, but now it's done and I'm happy! THANKS SARA! You are super! And just for the fun of it, I shall post it! Even though most of you can't read it! It's short, but I also have some pictures of his paintings and what not that I can show and explain!^^ Should be amazingly boring!

Karl Emanuel Jansson var en berömd konstnär från Åland. Hans namn kanske inte låter så bekant, men många har ändå hört talas om hans berömda tavlor. T.ex.: ’Åländsk bondbrud som befinner sig i Ålands Museum.

Karl Emanuel Jansson föddes 1846 och han var den första ålänningen som fick möjligheten att utbilda sig till konstnär. Han var det näst äldsta barnet i ett bondehem i Pålsböle, Finström. Hans äldsta bror tog över gården, och hans yngre bröder blev sjömän.

Jansson blev inspirerad av sin granne, Gustav Kellgren som var sockenmålare, och Gustavs verk gjorde starkt intryck på Karl Emanuel.

Redan som pojke, fick han möjlighet att studera för kunniga lärare först i Åbo, och senare i Stockholm. Efter att ha studerat i åtta år så for han till Düsseldorf i Tyskland, år 1868. Han var där i två år. Då ville han skildra den egna hembygdens folkliv och sedvänjor. Han målar då verk som t.ex.: ’Åländsk Bondbrud’, ’Flicka drömmande vid spinnrocken’ och ’Gubbe som binder nät’.

När han åter vänder till Åland 1870, målar han under vintern: ’Klöveräss’ också kallad för ’Kortspel i en Åländsk Kajuta’. Som säljs för det ovanligt höga priset, 800 mark.

Samma år, började lungsot spridas på Åland. Han var på väg tillbaka till Düsseldorf men han hann bara till Stockholm, där han blev tvungen att uppsöka läkare, som sade att han borde resa söderut. Han beger sig till Düsseldorf, men hans kropp orkar inte mycket längre, och han led av blodhosta och söms svårigheter. Han fullbordar nu sina två viktiga verk ’Talmannen’ och en ’Slant i håven’. Han försöker hitta bot mot lungsoten men lyckas inte.

Sommaren 1873 far han tillbaka till Åland igen. När han ligger på sjukbädden i Jomala tecknar han sin egen begravning.

Karl Emanuel Jansson dog 1874, när han var 28 år gammal.

-------------------------

Hehe so yes. It's not perfect I'd bet, but it's my best shot at doing this! I've had many different people edit it, and now I'm just rehearsing it with my sister and stuff, haha. I'm a little nervous. I should be presenting it tomorrow, so wish me luck! It should be fun, haha. My Swedish has definitely improved since my last speech, so it will be fine :) Nerves are good, but I'll be glad to get it over with!

But yes, I'm kinda excited, cause it's my first Swedish essay. I'm proud. And I'm thankful I have friends to help me. It makes things so much easier and more fun when I feel like I'm capable of doing something. I mean, I'm getting so much better at hearing Swedish, and then writing it down. I can understand and separate words, and figure out how to spell them, even with all the funky sounds and pronouciations that sound NOTHING like the way the word looks! It's fun :) Makes me happy!

So yes umm I know there is more fun stuff to say... but I can't think of any at the moment. It's late! I just promised my mother I would post today, so I did :)

Miss you guys. 64 days to go! I will make a more detailed post tomorrow :)

Okej so now for the update!! Woot!

So first off I'll just say that I'm feeling really comfortable in my new family. I even surprised myself with how fast I just adapted and completely made myself at home. I think I surprised them too, haha which is kinda funny. I mean, I came here on like...Friday night I believe...and then just came over, had coffee, said goodbye and then boom. I was here. As I said, my room is fairly big...not huge...but big. It consists of my amazingly comfortable couch bed thingy, a bedside table which I've personalized, a book shelf full of things that I will never even look at twice and a mirror I use all the time, the computer desk which I'm practically always using, a TV, a dresser that I use half a drawer of, and a chair that I pile the rest of my crap on. It's pretty super. I didn't think I was going to like it, but I do in fact, because my family is so used to having people living in this room, that they still respect my space, and they aren't always on the computer or doing things in here. So I still feel like I have my space, and that is a very important thing to me. I mean, when you are away from home, you just need your spot. In my first house, that spot was the piano. Second house was the TV room, my last house it was a combination of my room with Jessica, or the trampoline with Jessica, haha. And here I also have my spot. I like it.

My family, as I said, is used to having people. They've had their own daughter (who is moved out now) go to Brazil for the year, as well as 2 exchanges students of their own. Carin was from Australia, and Bruno was from Brazil. Apparently Bruno was fairly 'out of it' and Carin was not social at all...so yes. I think I'm a little overwhelming, hehe! I just had so much fun talking and playing piano and running around and just doing what I've always done. As I said before, on the first evening I was already comfortable looking in the fridge, and I mean...I just treat them like family and the house like my house. It's really not that hard to do, I don't see the big deal in it, haha. Now when I go to people's house as an ACTUAL guest, I may seem rude, but honestly, making myself at home isn't hard at all.

So the first night my sister (16 yrs) Erika and her friend Andrea and I just biked down to town, and rented a movie. It was just a nice relaxing evening, and I really like her friends so that's always nice. We go back and forth between English and Swedish, just because some stories are just better told in the other language!!! My host mom is fairly quiet, and is from Åbo in Finland, so she's definitely Finnish in that 'shy' sort of way. I like her. We really connected I think when I just started practicing this thingy for choir on the piano, and it was this Åland summer song in Swedish so she recognized it. We were both singing it and Erika just rolled her eyes in embarrassment of her mother singing, haha. It was really funny. My host dad is really nice too. Very honest and likes to tell me stuff. I think he's going to make me attend practically every Rotary meeting from now till the end of the year, haha just cause he can! Should be fun....slight sarcasm there. But yes, I like them a lot. Erika and I enjoyed laughing at the fact that they apparently told her that it was so funny how much more I talked than the last exchange student!! I think they like it, haha although it was just rather surprising since they can't believe I feel so at home and comfortable after such a short time. I think I adjusted faster than them, which is quite hilarious! I like them though cause like, they know how to treat me. I'm not 'special' to them, I'm just a part of the family. That's all us exchange students ever ask for!!! They have 3 girls (2 have moved out) and have had 2 exchange students, so they are just used to it. I love that. I have no curfew, as long as they know where I am. That also rocks!! They actually trust me!!!!!

So in the morning I was planning on meeting a friend of mine from Sweden. But when I woke up...nobody was home. Like, the house was completely deserted!!! They are a busy family (my sister plays soccer more than I did at home, haha and just everyone is always out and running) so I guess they all left before 9am???!!! So yes. I was confused. I didn't really know what to do exactly. I mean, I had mentioned I was thinking of meeting a friend today... but I hadn't told them anything really and I had no key, or like...PHONE! I didn't have their numbers or MY NUMBER even!! I was completely unprepared. So I just walked around the house...attempted at finding some food (and failed miserably!!! Honestly they have no food in this house! I'm gonna lose so much freaken weight just from NOT snacking!) So I managed to sorta find a lonely piece of icky brown bread, and put butter on it. Then I had to search for the shower. When I found it, I was SO ANNOYED!! There was like, NO HANDLE! Only the head of the shower thing attached to the tube, and it was just lying there in the tub...just there. So of course I had to stand/sit awkwardly and like hose myself down; turn it off; shampoo; turn it on...and so it goes. I've gotten better at it now, but SERIOUSLY! It was annoying.

After that, I realized I had not yet found a towel. I have impeccable timing to think of these things eh? Just as I'm soaking wet, dripping in a tub, I realize I have no towel. So I had to like walk around FREEZING COLD naked trying to find a towel somewhere in the house. Found one eventually. It was small.

So yes, then I went to catch the bus, only to realize they didn't run on Saturdays at this time, so I had to walk. 30-40 minutes later I came to the ferry port. But you see, I didn't even know for sure if my friend was coming, so it could have been a complete waste of time; luckily it wasn't! He came and it was fun! His name is Johan, and he was just coming for a quick day trip to see Sara and I, so that was cooooool. We just walked around all day, eating Paninis and cake, and it was great. So after a long day of walking across Mariehamn MULTIPLE times, we said goodbye to Sara and had to run back to the ferry!!! Because we had VERY little time! So we get there, and apparently we missed it by honestly 2 minutes. Maybe less. BAAAH! I had no idea what to do. My first reaction was like OMG I have no idea what we are going to dooo!!! Where will he sleep!!??? But then after we walked outside, we just started laughing. And we couldn't stop, haha. It was so funny and ridiculous, especially with my luck. Things like these never cease to happen to me, haha seriously. It was funny.

So we are standing there in the cold for a long time...trying to decide what to do. I mean, I had just moved families the night before, so I couldn't ask them to have him sleep over, because that would seem very strange. They were also out for the evening, and were not expected home until later. Emilia was in Germany, and Sara, Hannele and like EVERY other one of my friends were all out at this party thing for this girl that I don't know very well. So basically...I had no where to go but home alone with this guy I just met!! BAH! But then I remembered that Frida lived near the ferry, so we went to her house just to use their phone since Johan's had stopped working. That was awkward beyond belief!! BAAAH of course Frida wasn't home, and her DAD of all people just had to answer the door. So here is poor ol me standing on their doorstop talking to my friend's dad whom I don't know very well at all, and he's like 'Oh yeaaah, no problem. I can even give you a ride home if you want!' Then he screamed upstairs and told Frida's sister to drive us. I wanted to die from embarrassment really, haha cause I can't imagine her being all too happy to drive us, although she is a very sweet girl and I like her! But yes. I felt very funny!

So we got driven to my house, where we went inside. I had no idea what to do. I hadn't even ventured past the bathroom in my house yet, because I hadn't had time! There was NO food, and I didn't know what I was supposed to do with Johan! I mean, he had no way to get hoooome! Then the phone rang and I answered and THANK GOD it was Sara. Her dad apparently works for the ferry line and said that he could take the long bus ride to this place and then take the 1am ferry from there! The bus came to the center of town at 12:10, so basically I just had to find something to do for 5 hours. So that was the plan. So let me just set this picture for you....

I just met this guy from Sweden today. I am in my new house, home alone, with this guy, in my room, on my couch/bed, watching TV....for 5 hours! I don't know, but it was strangely awkward and funny too. But yes. We just watched TV and played on the guitar and piano for a while and that was fun. He's really good at guitar, so we just printed some chords from the internet of random songs and played them while attempting and failing to sing the lyrics. It was fun.

Five hours later we did the walk from my house to the ferry for like the fourth time that day (sad when you can say you practically walked across the city 4 times in one day eh!!??) and met Sara and Hannele in town. It was just a fun day. And Johan got to experience what I like to call, a very 'Hannah-like' day, with all of my bad luck and Murphy's Law cursing me every step of the way. Super duper.

So that was my first day in my host family. Very dramatic. It was funny though, because I mean, my dad knew I would be home late that night cause I had phoned him at Frida's, but he had not known that Johan was in the house cause I had lost his number. But since they had not come home, it just didn't matter. But when I was in my room later, my sister Erika came in with this HUUUUGE curious smile on her face and sat on my bed and was like 'SO HANNAH! WHOOOOO was that boy your were with today???' and I was completely taken by surprise! I mean...HOW DID SHE KNOW I was with Johan, lol and it wasn't anything at all, just friends hanging out. But yes. Apparently some girl told one of Erika's friends that she had seen me in town with some Swedish guy, and then that friend told Erika and yah! You KNOW you are on Åland WHEN THAT happens!!! Haha. So yes, that was funny! So I explained, and she just giggled and laughed at me for my Hannah-ish ways. It was pretty funny.

So my second day was a little more relaxed. In fact, I pretty much slept half the day, then ate breakfast/lunch with my dad, and then unpacked, read, played piano and went on the computer. It was a very relaxing day. My sister was in Sweden for a soccer game, so I was pretty much alone in the house for a long time. That's one thing I really like about here. I get alone time. In my last house Gun was always home, and Jessica was always in my room. Although I miss that pesky little annoying little sister of mine, haha. No matter how much they drive you crazy, you miss them like crazy once they are gone. We talk every day on msn now, so at least that's something! Jessica asked if I could go with her to try out to get into the music institute to play the piano, so I think I'll be doing that next week or something.

So yes other than that, I've just been getting to know my sister more. Erika is so nice and we get along really well. I also just got back from the Hospital where my Brass Group was playing, adn that was fun. I love performing. It doesn't even make me nervous anymore, which is super.

Oh and my challenge of the week being that lame 10 minute Swedish presentation about that painter dude on Åland is taking forever! All the internet sites are like Swedish, and baaaaah it's annoying. It's so hard to gather information, translate it so I will understand everything (there are lots of words I don't know) and then I have to write a 10 minute speech about it in Swedish yet again. And present it!! Baaah it's going to be hard, but I'm taking it as a challenge! I don't get this sort of opportunity to really work super hard at Swedish and school, so this is my chance to actually prove I can do something!! So I shall get to work on that now, and wish me luck!

I'll post again as soon as possible with pictures okej? Byyye!

Okej so I totally broke my promise about getting back on track with these journals! Life has been insane! I dont' have time to talk about now because I have this 10 minute Swedish presentation on some dude named...Karl-Emanuel Jansson or something like that in a week in Samhälla class, and I'm totally not prepared, haha! Gotta work work work!

But yes, I will say this though. My new family is really great. I like them a lot. The transfer was hard, and sad. Jessica and I spent WELL over the already ridiculous amount of time together, and honestly just had a blast on my last couple of days. They made me my favorite dinner... BIG SLABS OF MEAT WITH FRIES; GOOD SALAD AND Mmmm it was good. Wine too! That wasn't as tasty, but it went well with the meat! I liked it.

My new family is nice. I live in the computer room on the couch. Although really it isn't bad at all! I have a tv, and computer in my room, AND my couch bed is actually really comfortable! So yes, I sleep like a baby. I have a 16 year old sister as you know, and she's great! I have a piano too! Yay! But yes, more on that later!

My friend from Sweden came. That was quite a funny time! I'll tell you about it later!

Anyways, I have to sleep! But just know that I'm gooood and will recover from this pathetic excuse of a post! Bye!

Okej, so now for the update on my week since I fell asleep yesterday before I could tell you ALL about it!! Hehe oh well, that last post was long enough as it was!!! So yes...my week.

Well I guess first off I'll mention the part of the reason why I haven't really been posting as much lately. It's been a really off week really. Not bad, but just not terrific either. There have been a lot of ups and downs, and although I'm still happy and doing okej, my sleep has been affected a little. I'm not sure if you guys over there heard about the car accident on the highway where Katlyn Rex passed away when she stopped at a stop sign but I guess didn't look both ways well enough and a semi hit her on the driver's side. I recieved an email about it from a friend at home telling me it had happened. Katlyn had been a friend of mine that I met during this amazing volunteer weekend a couple of years back, and we had been roomates and have been keeping in touch for the past 2 years. So for the past few days, I've been up rather late talking with the friends that she and I had shared, and just trying to even accept the fact that it happened. I guess I'm a little numb from it, and I don't think it's really going to feel real until I get home, or maybe not for a long while. I don't know. It's bothering me a lot lately though, just because it really does make you think about how fragile your life is. I mean, she was the happiest person ever, really smart, just graduated last year, about to get started on her adult life, and then something as sudden as this happens and that all disappears. I don't know. It's really hard to deal with it from over here though. I mean, I feel very removed and out of the loop, and at this particular moment, I just wish I could be home to grieve with everyone and even gone to her funeral which was a few days ago. It's so hard hearing about these things, and reading it on an email was a really horrible way to find out about it. Bah. But yes. That's why I've been a little removed and acting a tad off this week. Hopefully I will be back on track in a few days, starting today with this entry. So yes, I'd prefer to not talk about it really though, it's just really hard to believe that it actually happened. So just keep Katlyn in your thoughts and pray for her family, and guys...be careful driving. I don't want this happening to anyone else, especially when I am not over there. Just be careful okej.

So yes, moving on to happier topics, because of course I do have a positive side to this week as always. I've been rather lonely I guess, because Emilia (along with Robert, my oldest brother and some other students from our school)has gone to Germany for this United Nations thingy, where people from around Europe meet and immitate a real United Nations get-together...thingy, haha yeah. So our school is apparently representing Isreal, and she's had to do so much work to prepare for it. Hopefully she is having a blast!!! MISS YOU EMILIA! KRAM! :) It was actually ridiculous how hard it was to say goodbye to her for ONE FREAKEN WEEK! I mean, I think we hugged each other like five times, ahha it was quite funny. I miss her already too, so I dont' even want to think about what it's going to be like when I go home! That's going to be the cry fest of the century!

So yes, basically I've been hanging with Hannele for most of the time! This past weekend we had a ton of fun with some friends of hers at this party, and then I made her scrambled eggs! She had never eating eggs SCRAMBLED before, which I thought was insane. It's like the best thing ever! Especially with LOTS of salt, and maybe ketchup :)

So this week actually marks the final week in my 3rd host family!!! AAAAHHH! I love them so much, and I CAN'T BELIEVE I already have to leave again! I mean OMG I just love it here too much. I mean my host mom and I have become really close, and I've just made so much progress with my Swedish in the past two months living here, and I mean...JESSICA and I are just so freaken close!!! It's going to break my heart to leave here, really it is. She keeps on grabbing my arm and putting on her toughest face saying in Swedish 'You AREN'T going to leave here', and 'I'M GOING TO MISS YOU!', and bah it just makes me sad! She's already planning a sleepover party for me and her friends in the near future, haha so yes. I'll be partying with a bunch of 8-year-olds! Haha I'm definitely cool! I've been spending a lot of time with her during the past few days, just jumping on the trampoline with her, reading, being read to (she's practicing reading English, hehe and it's adorable), and PLAYING THE PIANO LIKE CRAZY!!! Like honestly, with Robert gone, we can play as often as we want because we no longer need to respect the '100% peace and quiet' like he demands when he's home! WOOT! It's cute actually, because Jessica is starting to take lessons on piano next week, and my mom Gun told me that before I got here, she refused to take lessons!! So apparently I've become her inspiration, which just makes me so happy!! She practices everything so much, and I think I will show you some of them! It's just so great! She's so freaken fast at learning everything, it's actually surprising! Here is a video of this one song that I taught her not 10 minutes before this was filmed!!

http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o10/hlstrachan/?action=view¤t=piano005.flv

Great eh? I love her so much, bah I don't want to leave, haha. Oh and here is a really cute, and VERY 8-year-old dance that we made up together!!! We do it every time we see each other...which is like 10 billion times a day, haha! There is a trampoline version too, but I won't post that! Here it is!!!

http://s116.photobucket.com/albums/o10/hlstrachan/?action=view¤t=cata032.flv

Haha we have so much fun. I make a kick ass Swedish 8-year-old, haha if I do say so myself! So actually I move tomorrow....which is SO CRAZY BAAAAAAAH! I'm excited, nervous, sad and happy. Haha talk about mixed emotions! But I think it will be good. And my Swedish will either improve there even more, or stay the same. Either way I've come such a long way, so I'm going to be happy no matter what!!

BAAAH BUT YOU KNOW WHAT MOVING MEANS???!!!

PACKING!

Stupid packing, packing is stupid, I HATE PACKING! It's honestly like THE WORST thing about the exchange, haha is the fact that no matter what you are on the move and you have to pack up your life OVER and OVER again. I mean, I'm not an organized person as most of you know, therefore when I get settled, I'm REALLY settled, and since I was expecting to stay the whole rest of this year in this particular family, I REALLY made myself at home! And now I have to pack. Bah. I hate it, haha I think I've said that about 10 times now, but honestly, that is how much I hate it! Wish me luck! And hopefully I'll have hair when I come home.

Speaking of hair, after this LONG year of not cutting it, my mom has booked me a hair appointment literally the day after I arrive home!! How convenient!! Haha! I'm keeping it long though, I like it better. But honestly the split end count I have is shooting through the roof! It's definitely time for a trim!

Hmm so what else is new...I shot a gun the other day...AND HIT THE FREAKEN TARGET!
You see, on Monday it was this...thingy. Umm how to explain it. It's this old tradition where people have tons of bonfires (I mean TONS!) to like...scare away the bad spirits before letting their cattle out (this is how my dad explained it to me, haha). So basically my family, and other people on our street just ate a ridiculous amount of burnt hotdogs and drank beer while socializing, and it was fun. Cold. But fun. Anyways...what was the point of telling you this again...umm...OH RIGHT! Shooting. It's a tradition as well for my dad anyway, to go out and shoot birds. But apparently these dudes made a law saying they couldn't do it anymore, which pissed off a lot of people, so now they shoot flying disks out in the country. So that's what we did! The gun was HUGE and HEAVY! I felt like such a wuss when I was struggling to hold it steady! Then I just closed my eyes and pulled the trigger expecting pain to come...

AND IT DIDN'T! I did a perfect shot! And NO PAIN!! That has got to be the first for me! I actually did something AMAZING on the first try! I was proud, and very popular among the old men for the rest of the day, haha! I BLEW the disk into microsopic pieces! WOOT! It rocked. I saw sheep too. Lots of them. Like HUNDREDS of them and they were all trying to eat my pants. Yummy. Cute though, I have some pics that, once again, I will post later!

I think I've gone to every possible musical concert there has been on Aland since I got here. Honestly and truly. There was this concert where my friends Frida and Philip were like leads in, and they were SO GOOD! You remember that musical I was in a while ago that I had to stop cause I was already in like 5 bands? Where we played the Les Miserables songs and whatnot? Yeah, this was it, only better and more songs from like, The Sound of Music and Misss Saigon. It was great. "A Little Fall of Rain" honestly is the best thing ever. Look it up on Youtube. FANtastic!

A friend of mine might be coming to visit from Stockholm in Sweden on Saturday!! It's not for sure yet, but it's definitely a plan in progress. I've never actually met him, but he's a friend of Sara's and so we are both going to hang with him. His name is Johan, and he's just coming for the day on the ferries. Should be fun :) I'm excited!

OH and one more thing. I had pizza the other day as a sort of tradition my family does with their exchange students. It was super duper. God I'm going to miss them.

HMMMMmmm well I think that is basically the main stuff I've done this week...nothing else worth mentioning really I dont' think! If I remember something later I'll post it tomorrow! I have no idea how the whole computer situation will be at my next family...so be prepared to not see me online for a while. And no cam until I can figure that out too. Skype as well, haha we'll just have too see how it works out! We'll hope for the best anyway! I've been spoiled in this family with my very own computer in my room, haha. Maybe moving will give me more sleep, and less hours chatting into the night (hehe whoops!! My mom in canada has only caught me a few times!!) SO yes!!! I really need to stop talking, haha I type way too much in these things! Talk to you guys later! Pictures are on the way! Byyyye :)