This report is written by a French exchange student who took part in the Language Campus school visit programme.
I participated in the International day on the 4th of October as a native French speaker. It was held at Lyseo lukio. I was invited there in the morning. I did not have to prepare anything; everything was already planned by the French teacher.
I wanted to participate, for I like when I am not doing the same thing everyday. This opportunity for a new experience excited me very much and I did not want to miss it. I was eager to meet some young Finnish people and wanted to feel all my memories of high school vividly back to my mind like a return to the past; also it was the first time I was in the other side, not anymore a student but someone there to animate. I have always praised the Finnish people and it was the first time I was in the presence of Finnish teenagers. I wanted to know whether they really behaved as good as I thought. Much to my surprise many had various backgrounds. I felt a little deprived of the unique and peculiar Finnish beauty of yore. I just may need to thnk Finland differently. I guess I will not taste the pleasure of the ´60s anymore.
Nevertheless the day was still enjoyable and I spend the time talking to the French teacher and the students. I wanted to practice my Finnish regardless of the fact that I was supposed to introduce the students with some French. They did not seem to be glad of being there, they seemed ennuye all the time. In my opinion it was not interesting, not because introducing diverse languages to the students is not, but rather because asking What is your name ? Where do you live ? is. Also at that age you care more about the pleasures of life than languages you are very likely to never use.
As an adorer of the Nordic culture I felt the rapture of being with Nordic people but at the same time I felt devastated to see all the changes there. Before coming to Finland I was used to old Finnish movies, pictures, songs and stories. Everything has changed in bad in my opinion, what is the point of going to Finland if it now resembles all the other countries ?