Study period in Tampere...

JulieM · Post by **JulieM** » Wed Jul 06, 2005 11:00 pm

Hi Kids!

I'm getting ready to move to Tampere from Canada for a 4-month study exchange to Univeristy of Tampere beginning in September...this website is going to be very useful!

I'm really excited about coming to Finland! It will be my first time out of North America and I can't even wait!!

I'm doing pretty well at getting everything planned out, but is there anything I should know? Any pointers anyone has about Finland/Tampere/UTa/travelling, etc? Let me know!

Oh, one more thing...the Canadian mobile phone system is ancient and my cell phone here won't work in Finland. I'm looking to pick up a used phone when I am there...anyone have any tips?

Thanks!

**Sponsor:**

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:25 am

Yeah, you can get a new Motorola for 60 euros so forget the "used" stuff for starters...

JulieM · Post by **JulieM** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 4:23 am

Good to know!

E Maya · Post by **E Maya** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:18 pm

Well+come to Finland!

I'm a student at UTa, have been for

too long, since am

old, or at least feel like it.

Its actually my birthday today!

There'll be plenty of other students visiting us, so finding company should not be a problem, even if the mean Finns won't play with you. The trick in getting Finnish friends is to talk to them and not let them leave! Ask them to go for a drink or to see a movie or something. It should work if you just refuse to let them out of your sight!

They'd like to get to know you really, I promise.

Only saying this because seen so many people having problems with our lovely

citizens.

Its too ... hot in here (summer & sunshine), and my brain refuses to cooperate. Thus, no advice, but you could always ask something more specific later!

greenhorn · Post by **greenhorn** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:08 pm

Happy Birthday "E Maya", many many happy returns of the day.

So which pub should we drop in ?

BTW you got an interesting name "E Maya" , does the E has same meaning as " E-Commerce" or " E-mail"

E Maya · Post by **E Maya** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:49 pm

Thank you, thank you...

No pubs for me today. Just a movie with a friend!

Now now that would be telling, saying where the name comes from!

Googled it though, and they've poached it

! Just as well, as its not my name really, close but not quite! Its really first name E smt and middle name M smt, and that's all I'm saying!

No commerce going on by the way!

JulieM · Post by **JulieM** » Thu Jul 07, 2005 4:55 pm

E Maya wrote:Well+come to Finland!

Thanks!

E Maya wrote: Its actually my birthday today!

Happy Birthday! Mine is actually a week after I arrive in Tampere, so I am hoping to meet some people as soon as possible to celebrate

E Maya wrote: There'll be plenty of other students visiting us, so finding company should not be a problem, even if the mean Finns won't play with you. The trick in getting Finnish friends is to talk to them and not let them leave! Ask them to go for a drink or to see a movie or something. It should work if you just refuse to let them out of your sight! They'd like to get to know you really, I promise.

Only saying this because seen so many people having problems with our lovely citizens.

The only Finns I have met have always been super nice and friendly (once I got to know them that is). Last summer an intern in my office was from University of Turku and her and I became really great friends...Through her I met some other Finns here in Ottawa and we all got on pretty well...

E Maya · Post by **E Maya** » Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:48 am

Lucky you JulieM for meeting only nice Finns! Some people here (forum) would say that they are likely to be the only nice ones on the planet

! Negativety rules...not!

I'd say they've become the Finns they abhore, by adopting the negative attitude they blame us for having.

If you have problems, read smt about the actual culture shock, not just Culture Shock Finland!

We are neither wonderful beyond comprehension, nor dense as whatever!

OK, to be fair I've had my "I hate you all" moments as well, while living and working abroad in England and the U. S. of A.

I'll stop this less than positive rant now!

Maybe I should get a personality implant! ...Yesterday at that!

E Maya · Post by **E Maya** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:18 am

E Maya · Post by **E Maya** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:39 am

Now what I wanted to say,

(as I always seem to be saying the wrong thing, even in code...

)

was sorry for not sticking with the topic! A sudden case of Brain.. melt.. down I suppose!

Or the shock of someone actually coming to Tampere instead of settling with Helsinki!

A German girl actually came here, instead of Helsinki, because she thought it would be less windy, as we are not on the coast. But there are the lakes here so she ended telling everyone anyway how windy she thought the place was. In winter that is. Go figure

Wind allergy?

Anybody out there? Or did you just abandon me here aloony with me loony self?

JulieM · Post by **JulieM** » Tue Jul 12, 2005 5:16 pm

E Maya wrote: Or the shock of someone actually coming to Tampere instead of settling with Helsinki!

A German girl actually came here, instead of Helsinki, because she thought it would be less windy, as we are not on the coast. But there are the lakes here so she ended telling everyone anyway how windy she thought the place was. In winter that is. Go figure Wind allergy?

Anybody out there? Or did you just abandon me here aloony with me loony self?

I'm still here!

When I picked Tampere, I thought I would get off the beaten path a little bit! Why not see the "real Finland" rather than go where everyone else goes?

That, and my home university doesn't have an exchange agreement with schools in Helsinki, only Tampere and Vasaa, lol...

E Maya · Post by **E Maya** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:34 pm

Yeah! One of those cases!

We've got loads of used phones on sale too. I'm on my fifth cell in the seven years I've had a phone, and thats not a lot. You do not need to get a network connection when you buy one either. So you can pick and choose! I don't know about any rules for non-citizens though!

Are you flying to Tampere or should I say Pirkkala, or just to Helsinki?
The trains have a 50% discount for students, if you arrive in Helsinki.

I take it you an English speaker! I knew a French Canadian girl, while I spent the summer working in England. That was the ... second time I did the Great Britain thing.

JulieM · Post by **JulieM** » Wed Jul 13, 2005 5:33 pm

E Maya wrote: We've got loads of used phones on sale too. I'm on my fifth cell in the seven years I've had a phone, and thats not a lot. You do not need to get a network connection when you buy one either. So you can pick and choose! I don't know about any rules for non-citizens though!

Great! I wish it was only so easy here in Canada...I am currently locked into a 2 year (or maybe 3 year, I really can't remember) contract with my service provider...it's the pits...

E Maya wrote: Are you flying to Tampere or should I say Pirkkala, or just to Helsinki?
The trains have a 50% discount for students, if you arrive in Helsinki.

I'm flying into Helsinki...I would like to take the train rather than bus, but for whatever reason, the university suggested taking the bus? I arrive to Helsinki August 27 and don't need to be in Tampere until the 29th so I might jsut stay in Helsinki for a day or two...Haven't really decided yet. I'm not sure how TOAS works exactly, but I'm under the assumption that I can't move into my flat until September 1? So I'm not sure where I'm going to stay for a few days until then...

E Maya wrote: I take it you an English speaker! I knew a French Canadian girl, while I spent the summer working in England. That was the ... second time I did the Great Britain thing.

Yes, an anglophone at heart, but I do speak French...I live in Ottawa, but actually work across the river in Quebec so all my co-workers are French. I'm looking forward to learning some Finnish too hopefully! I have a Finnish-English dictionary but without knowing pronounciation, it's hopeless to try and practice until I get there...

E Maya · Post by **E Maya** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 10:18 am

Okay! That was silly of me, to talk about the train. The uni has a point there! The Helsinki airport is actually called Helsinki-Vantaa, since it is actually located in Vantaa, which of course any and all Finns know! I just wasn't thinking that far ahead!

So, in order to get to the train station in Helsinki you would have to take a buss and it takes a while to get to the centre. The bus to Tampere, however, leaves just outside the airport! You just walk out the main door and look right, and its there. Word of warning though, if you are not careful you might miss it! There is only one of them bus stops on your right on the right side of the road. They leave quite frequently, like once an hour.

Helsinki-Vantaa ain't humongous!

Are you sure about the flat! Have you asked if its possible to come earlier? I don't think there is like a kick out time on the last of Aug or anything!

I have no flat or room in Tre as of yet, have to see about it next month!

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