Are there any groups for families in Tampere

fozzy · Post by **fozzy** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 4:43 pm

For coffee chat, moan etc....

**Sponsor:**

oompah18 · Post by **oompah18** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 9:20 pm

Not in English as far as I know! But I haven´t met any English people there, in my 8 yrs !!! The closest thing I can think of is a v laid back, FREE, Finnish Language Course especially for immigrant mums & kids, which meets in Erkkilä päiväkoti in Tammelantori. I used to go (before the bus fare prices prohibited me) & it was usually lots of music, chat, finnish culture, artwork & even baking Finnish foods occasionally. The teacher used English a lot. I met lots of foreign mums & kids, and most chatted in English, but never met any English people! I guess you could ask at Amuri school, the English Language school. Better idea: COME ROUND TO OUR HOUSE!

Allie

fozzy · Post by **fozzy** » Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:18 pm

Sounds like I will be a right loner out there!!!!
Did nt you say you was miles away.??
I am hoping to get onto the language course but one american lady who lives local said after 18 months she still hasn't heard of any places yet!!
Im gonna put an add in the paper I cant be without people and friends ill go mad!!!

Hows your brood doing - Are they all fluent in Finnish I have decided to put Evie in the local Finnish school she starts in August and she has a place in the local Paivakoti starting in April - Can you believe all those years ago we spoke and I am now finally moving

anaf505 · Post by **anaf505** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 12:51 pm

Hello!!
Nice to hear from you all.
I didin't know abut courses in Amuri Koulu, but I know in Hervanta , Tesoma there are courses for free, and can go w/ baby...
I want to start some but I really don't know where to go first...

fozzy · Post by **fozzy** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:02 pm

I would be very interested in the one in Tesoma - thats not far at all from me. Is it a mother and Baby group though as my youngest is 4!! - I don't think he would apply anymore

I just want to meet local people Finnish/English/whatever

anaf505 · Post by **anaf505** » Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:24 pm

hey, so do you live in tesoma? It's in the library building. I've never been there ...

oompah18 · Post by **oompah18** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:15 am

Hi Fozzy! My 3 boys (2nd grade, preschool and just at home with me) are all fluent in both languages. My eldest speaks Finnish 99% of the time, even to me but I ALWAYS reply in English. My 6 yr old speaks English to me but Finnish to everyone else, and my 4 yr old is doing well at both. Littlest ( 2yr old at home with me) understands English better, but prefers to sing the Finnish nursery rhymes, not the English ones (I run a muskarit class in Finnish but do lots of English music at home, as my profession is musician!). And there was me worrying that they wouldn´t become Finnish enough

I live 15 mins by car from city centre (but we don´t have one). or 30 mins bus trip, 8.50eur return (rip off)

Just found this: I think I might go!!! (www.tampereennapapiiri.fi)

International Parents
When: Thu 10 am - 1 pm
Where: Kaalamonaukio 2, Tampere
Cost: 2 e for tee/coffee and the rent of the Napapapiiri
More information: Katri Baskaya, 050 351 9208
We are a group of international and/or internationally-minded families. Usually one or both of the parents come from abroad, but this is not a requirement! We have an informal get-together (in English) once a week. You can bring your children with you and spend time, make friends, and share what you have on your mind - about babies and raising children, or life in Finland, or life in general, or whatever comes up.

anaf505 · Post by **anaf505** » Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:41 am

Hey oompah18.
Thank you for sharing, it would be interesting.. Just little bit far for me...

I have one baby,10 months...

Ah, I found some informations about places to go with children/baby I got last year (November):

TESOMA - Thursdays at 10-12 , Tesoman Nuorisokeskus, Kohmankaari 9 (Kiriaston talo)
Naistari: http://www.naistari.fi Lindforsinkatu 4, 33720

There's one place in Tesoma, Ristimäenkatu called Wirheä Puu( I think is that) there goes mom's with children,babies to play take a coffe, breakfast. But there are only finn moms, I was there couple of times...

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Mon Jan 31, 2011 7:52 am

fozzy wrote:Sounds like I will be a right loner out there!!!!
Did nt you say you was miles away.??
I am hoping to get onto the language course but one american lady who lives local said after 18 months she still hasn't heard of any places yet!!
Im gonna put an add in the paper I cant be without people and friends ill go mad!!!

You might want to just take the risk and jump into Finnish groups. Would do wonders for your own language skills in long term to try to reduce amount of immigrant groups you are in. Only way to learn Finnish is to use Finnish, and if you decide to stick here you WILL come to appriciate fluent Finnish.

(of course, this requires you to get some basic level to have something to build up)

Generally groups formed mainly for Finns are tolerant to immigrants as well. But you have to accept that others tend to speak Finnish between each other. I recall wife saying something about some mom from Japan having visited at least once one of the groups she has been in with the sprog. No idea if that mom was fluent in Finnish or not though.

anaf505 · Post by **anaf505** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 1:37 pm

Tiwaz wrote:
You might want to just take the risk and jump into Finnish groups. Would do wonders for your own language skills in long term to try to reduce amount of immigrant groups you are in. Only way to learn Finnish is to use Finnish, and if you decide to stick here you WILL come to appriciate fluent Finnish.

Yes you are right. I agree with you, but may I tell about one experience I had.
Here, near where I live there´s one social place, there goes parents with kids for spend time, drinking coffé, etc. I´ve been there about 6 times maybe (I just moved here) and it has been pretty difficult to talk with the moms there. Every one says "Moi" and "heippa" for me. Except the lady who works there no one else tried to talk ... Even I tried, i sit down near everyone, the place once was very full and sometimes not so, nothing. I feel just little bit disappointed about that...

Same time I´ve been just once in one church for visiting and I made one friend, one young woman living near here too and we meet couple of times per week and our babies plays together.. She´s finnish.
But I´m planning to go tomorrow to (http://www.tampereennapapiiri.fi).
Let´s see, I´m excited!

Tiwaz · Post by **Tiwaz** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 2:24 pm

Cultural differences. If there is no "introductionary round" in that gathering, it might take a while to break the ice.

Despite it being rather tired stereotype, Finns tend to be introverted compared to other cultures. And foreigner coming out too strongly, in Finnish terms, can cause that to get worse. You might be perceived as pushy.

anaf505 · Post by **anaf505** » Wed Feb 02, 2011 5:29 pm

Tiwaz wrote:Cultural differences. If there is no "introductionary round" in that gathering, it might take a while to break the ice.

Despite it being rather tired stereotype, Finns tend to be introverted compared to other cultures. And foreigner coming out too strongly, in Finnish terms, can cause that to get worse. You might be perceived as pushy.

I will try to be more perceived!!

oompah18 wrote: International Parents

Have you been there already? How do you think about ?

oompah18 · Post by **oompah18** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 10:50 pm

I haven´t actually got to any groups in Tampere lately, it´s not the bus fare, but the question of where to eat cheaply with the kids. I usually buy 1 adult meal & share it between all of us, like soup & salad & bread, with a jug of water, but nothing is cheap anymore! It is easy in summer of course, when you just make sandwiches & sit in the park!... But I was wondering if there was a favourite place for mums & youngsters that was cheap (ie not stockmans or sokos!)
Allie

Lulz · Post by **Lulz** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 1:02 pm

Ive been livin here for almost a year...I cant speak finnish either. But i dont even have kids :S Im bored to death! Can i go to those families groups alone? I have a finnish boyfriend and his friends are ok but i think we need to meet more people, people willin to talk all the time english like us. Any ideas?

fozzy · Post by **fozzy** » Mon Feb 14, 2011 2:55 pm

Where abouts are you based?? there seems to be a lot more multilingual groups in Helsinki but if your in Tampere not so many.
Maybe the lot of us should start our own group (with or without children) there definatley seems to be a need for a place that foreigners can meet and make friends. I am quite a confident friendly english gal and although here in england its not a problem I suspect in Finland I may come across as either nutty or too pushy!!! I have already scared one neigbour away by knocking on her door just to say hello.

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