First, let me introduce myself: My name is Chloe, I am 20 years old and I am a student in a business school in Lyon called ESDES. I wish this blog will help you understand how I spent my semester abroad and I would like to share with you the many adventures I lived there. 

 THE DEPARTURE 

I took the plane in Geneva and I landed in Kajaani on 5^th January 2016. I was flying for the first time so I was both stressed and really excited. I loved the feeling of flying above the world. 

KAJAANI UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

I arrived in Kajaani nearly a month ago. Kajaani is a small town of 38,000 inhabitants that is located in east-central Finland. It is the centre and capital of the Kainuu region. The school is called "Kajaani university of applied sciences" and there are about 2000 students. There are nearly 200 international students coming from over 30 countries.

The university has four fields of education; Health and sport, trade, tourism and Engineering. I study business and communication, I find the courses very interesting and I like their diversity.

Contrary to what I am used to in my French College, the habits here in Finland are different: the students can arrive in class whenever they like, the delays are not sanctioned. Moreover, they can take breaks and leave the room to go for coffee, for example. The teachers are more relaxed, so are the students.

The campus is very nice and we find everything we need. There are several cafeterias, a canteen, two gyms, computers and printers with paper provided.

There are also well-organized sports classes. For example, you can play volleyball or badminton. There are also events organized outside the school such as bowling or sports activities on the lake. 

 All the apartments for the international students are in the same place. They are only 50 meters away from the school, which is very convenient. I share my apartment with two girls: Edelyne who is a friend from ESDES and Sonja, from Austria. I get along very well with my room-mates and I think it is an enriching experience. The atmosphere between all ERASMUS students is brilliant! We often meet for long talks and parties.

This is our appartement  

 My bedroom

THE CITY OF KUOPIO

Kuopio is a city and a municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia, Finland. A population of 110,999 makes it the eighth biggest city in the country.

Last weekend, we went to visit some ESDES friends who are Erasmus students in Kuopio. The glorious sunshine allowed us to take wonderful walks. We could also go ice-skating on the frozen lake.

We had a fantastic weekend! 

FINNISH CUSTOMS

The Finns rarely start up a conversation with strangers, unless a particularly strong impulse prompts it. They usually remain silent in the metro, the bus or the tram. This is very different from the French habit of talking most of the time! The Finns are also more reserved than the French! They never kiss each-other when they meet and always keep a certain distance. 

Alcoholic drinks are fairly expensive in Finland and their purchase by young people has been limited according to age. You must be 20 years old to buy strong alcohol. In Finland you cannot buy alcoholic drinks in supermarkets, except for beer or cider, but you must show your identity card to the cashier. If you want to buy other alcoholic drinks, you have to go to a liquor store that is called "Alko".

Conversely, it is possible to buy cigarettes in supermarkets. You will just be asked what kind of cigarette at the cash-desk. 

The Finns enjoy gambling. There are many slot-machines at the entrance of each supermarket. There are even special arcades for gambling.

English is widely spoken in Finland and, in the business community, some companies use it as their common language. So we, foreigners, usually have no problem to make ourselves understood.  

In Finland meal times are a little different from what we are used to in France: dinner is at 6.00 pm and restaurants close early. Some restaurant close at 9.00 pm, whereas in France it is usually the time when we start eating. There also are Finnish specialties: "Karjalanpiirakka" is a sort of small pie.

The central part is usually made of rice- or potato-pudding. Traditionally, it is cooked in advance and then reheated in a pan. It is also served with cheese, ham or salmon.  We can find reindeer meat very easily. I have not tried it yet but I think I will! In summer the Finns love to eat grilled sausages called grillimakkara.                  

SAUNAS

One of the things that immediately struck me when I arrived in Finland is the sauna. The sauna is an integral part of the Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants in Finland and over three million saunas. For the Finns, the sauna is a place to relax with family and friends. Finnish people think of saunas not as a luxury but as a necessity! In winter the Finns usually have a sauna followed by a swim in a frozen lake. I had the chance to live this experience, it was an incredible feeling and I will remember it for the rest of my life!!

SPORTS

The Finns are generally very sporty and have a healthy lifestyle. There are a lot of winter sports in Finland such as ice-hockey, ice-skating or snow motocross... Ice-hockey is the most popular sport in Finland. The Finnish national team has won the World Championship twice, it was in 1995 and 2011. 

I have also noticed that whatever the weather, even if there is a metre of snow and the temperature is as low as -30°C, many students and professors come to the campus by bike!

THE CITY OF OULU 

I visited the cI have visited the city of Oulu, which is located about two hours from Kajaani, on the seaside. It is the most populous city in Northern Finland and the fifth most populous city in the country. There are 196 530 inhabitants.

We rented an apartment in the city centre (through Airbnb) so it was very easy to visit. We were able to admire the sea which was completely frozen. It was a really good week-end.