This was a new one on me: rolling in the snow. I have joined a woman's club and attended their "Pink Night"...a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. Prior to the event I had been told about this rolling in the snow thing and promised to do it for our chairwoman who was going to be absent and couldn't do it herself. What ever possessed me at the time has escaped me now. So here is the deal: first you swim, then you sauna until you are nice and toasty, then you run outside and fall into the snow and make snow angels, and then you qickly retreat back into the sauna to recover.
Actually it was pretty amazing and I would do it again. And or those who are wondering, I only had one glass of wine prior to the experience. My friend Lisa also did it with me, along with four other members, and it was truly an experience I won't soon forget. And for those wondering, clothing is optional in the sauna, and I figured "when in Finland"...enough said. Next on my list is ice swimming; yes, I mean doing what I've been watching from my window...going swimming in the water hole in the ice. Crazy, but very Finnish, and I want to do it just once to say that I have.
I am told that the rolling in the snow/swimming in the ice thing is good for the health and is practiced religiously by some, including people in their eighties and older. For me, this experience has further strenghened my belief that the Finnish know what their doing and are fun-loving besides. I know they take it seriously, but I found it to be a fun bonding experience. The Finnish ladies were all too happy to share the experience with us and were most helpful in our getting the most out of it. My thanks to those ladies. I can't wait to see what is next!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 2012
language
So I have started my Finnish lessons. I have been graced with many opinions about Finnish as a language prior to my lessons and am finding that some of what I've heard is true. Some of it is not.
I was told by many people that it is the most difficult language to learn; I doubt that. It is indeed very difficult, but at least the characters are the same as English, unlike, say, Chinese. So I'm guessing it could be worse. I was told by a friend that Finnish had a lot of unnessary vowels in it,which makes it difficult to pronounce. I disagree. I think it has an equal number of unnecessary connsonents in it as well. Either way, it is difficult for me to pronounce, but I'm working on it.
One truth I heard is that words are pronounced phoenetically, and that every letter is pronounced. You would think that this would make it easy to figure out how to pronounce words, but not so. There are words that go on for miles. Heck, even the numbers can be long when stating them. Take "327" it is kolmesatakaksikymmentaseitseman (I think, and by the way there are umlats over two of the vowels but my keyboard doesn't have them). Anyway, I am working on being able to pronounce these words in one shot. Right now I can only say these words in pieces...I greatly admire my tutor who can rattle off the longest words smoothly and who, by the way, is very patient. So far I can count to ten... and beyond ten with a little help very slowly. It is not coming naturally.
Now a few words about vowels. They have eight of them, some with umlats, others without. The umlats are killing me! I can't seem to get my mouth to form the correct pronunciation. Sure, if my tutor says a word I can repeat it successfully, but ask me to read a word on my own, and forget it. I think I am over-thinking it...so does my tutor... she says to relax. Perhaps a glass of wine or two would help (ha ha). I joke, but as with learning any new language there are many ways to embarrass oneself.
As I said, every letter is pronounced, even when there are two of the same next to each other. God forbid you forget to pronounce every letter clearly, or in other cases, overpronounce a single letter. Why, if you did that you could find yourself happy to kill someone instead of being happy to meet them!
So that is my take on the language so far. I don't expect to become fluent, but if I can just learn to pronounce what I see, then I will be happy. I figure the vocabulary will come in time. I'm learning the basics right now (of course), and hope to "get it" some day..I'm waiting for that moment when it just "clicks" for me and I am comfortable trying to speak. At any rate, I'm trying....and that is the important thing. Until later. Hei hei!
I was told by many people that it is the most difficult language to learn; I doubt that. It is indeed very difficult, but at least the characters are the same as English, unlike, say, Chinese. So I'm guessing it could be worse. I was told by a friend that Finnish had a lot of unnessary vowels in it,which makes it difficult to pronounce. I disagree. I think it has an equal number of unnecessary connsonents in it as well. Either way, it is difficult for me to pronounce, but I'm working on it.
One truth I heard is that words are pronounced phoenetically, and that every letter is pronounced. You would think that this would make it easy to figure out how to pronounce words, but not so. There are words that go on for miles. Heck, even the numbers can be long when stating them. Take "327" it is kolmesatakaksikymmentaseitseman (I think, and by the way there are umlats over two of the vowels but my keyboard doesn't have them). Anyway, I am working on being able to pronounce these words in one shot. Right now I can only say these words in pieces...I greatly admire my tutor who can rattle off the longest words smoothly and who, by the way, is very patient. So far I can count to ten... and beyond ten with a little help very slowly. It is not coming naturally.
Now a few words about vowels. They have eight of them, some with umlats, others without. The umlats are killing me! I can't seem to get my mouth to form the correct pronunciation. Sure, if my tutor says a word I can repeat it successfully, but ask me to read a word on my own, and forget it. I think I am over-thinking it...so does my tutor... she says to relax. Perhaps a glass of wine or two would help (ha ha). I joke, but as with learning any new language there are many ways to embarrass oneself.
As I said, every letter is pronounced, even when there are two of the same next to each other. God forbid you forget to pronounce every letter clearly, or in other cases, overpronounce a single letter. Why, if you did that you could find yourself happy to kill someone instead of being happy to meet them!
So that is my take on the language so far. I don't expect to become fluent, but if I can just learn to pronounce what I see, then I will be happy. I figure the vocabulary will come in time. I'm learning the basics right now (of course), and hope to "get it" some day..I'm waiting for that moment when it just "clicks" for me and I am comfortable trying to speak. At any rate, I'm trying....and that is the important thing. Until later. Hei hei!
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