It was a sunny Monday. I was supposed to study but looking outside that weather made me feel I cannot miss this chance to go out and enjoy the sun.
This was my plan: Moomin shop! I’d been thinking to go there quite a long time, and now I finally decided to see is it really as good as it should be from Finnish point of view.
I took a bus 29 to take me to Covent Garden where the Moomin shop was.
Christmas Day. The official day of Christmas. Yet, we Finns start the Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve.
I have been trying to explain this to others since I’m used to wish ‘Merry Christmas’ on the Christmas Eve, and they say Christmas is tomorrow. I know that…
I know that in America and in Britain kids wakes up in the morning to see presents under a Christmas tree. During the night before Santa Claus has been placed those presents under the tree. In Finland we actually get to see Santa, in person. Yes, you heard me, Santa visits every Finnish home during Christmas Eve. It was such a nightmare that day to wait till evening for Santa’s arrival…but when me and my brother heard the doorbell ringing, we run to the door to open it, and we saw Santa. He came in and talked to us.
“Have you been good children?”
He would open his sack full of present and gave them to us. Then he leaves even though we would want him to stay for more longer, but Santa has to go to bring presents to other children.
Our grandma and uncle used to visit us that day, and uncle always had to go to the store just before Santa would arrive. He always missed Santa’s visit. Wonder why? 😉 Now we usually visit our grandma where our uncle is as well on Christmas Day to enjoy Christmas sauna. I didn’t realize how much I had missed sauna till I came back to Finland… This time we need to skip our traditional Christmas dinner at grandpa’s house. He’s getting older and older, after all.
Speaking of Santa, if you didn’t already know, Santa lives in Finland in the north, Lapland (NOT IN THE NORTH POLE!). This place is called Korvatunturi (it means: ear=korva, fell=tunturi, I know it sounds funny). Truthfully, of course, the REAL ‘Santa’ was Saint Nicholas who lived hundreds of years ago in a place which is these days is known as Turkey. Somehow after him this idea of the existence of Santa Claus or Father Christmas came to alive, and kids have believed him bringing presents. We even have a movie called Joulutarina (Christmas story) where is told how Santa Claus was born.
I like our tradition where Santa visits us and brings presents rather than just wake up on the Christmas Day morning to see the presents and never see Santa Claus himself. Of course, me and my brother are too old now to believe in Santa anymore, but these days we give the presents together to each other. Some of my friends are already that old they have their own children to enjoy Santa’s visits. I’m not having that any time soon.
I wonder how difficult is has been to every parent to hide the presents from their children. I do remember one time we found a sack full of presents, and my dad got really angry to us about it. He yelled to get away from it. I guess they had to find a new hiding place because the sack wasn’t there anymore…
I like Christmas because you can be with your family and enjoy Christmas food. When you grow older the presents are not that important, but it’s always nice to surprise others and buy or even make something nice as a gift.
Like I did in the last minute before I arrived here… My assignments and university studies have kept me busy but I rushed early to be able to go for Christmas shopping. Our neighbor’s grandchildren wanted snow globes, especially Ben wanted inside to be Big Ben, so I had go look for the snow globes in London. Also I wanted to find something for my parents (I had already found a present to my brother online to be delivered straight to Finland: Chelsea-hoodie). I found a hoodie in which was written London for my dad, and my mum I found (after struggling what to get to her…) this wine red knitted sweater because she always likes to wear those on special occasions.
And of course what Christmas would be without…Home Alone (Yksin kotona), Die Hard (It’s a Christmas movie!), and other traditional Christmas movies.
There’s been in Finland usually before Christmas shown Tonttu Toljanteri (Elf Toljander), and more for adults: The Joulukalenteri, where there are funny elves who speak both Finnish and English, in the same sentence, and scary creature Näsä trying to steal the elves’ important book.
I remember watching this when I was 12. This episode is the last one. Since it’s mostly Finnish you can’t understand it if you don’t speak the language.
On Christmas Eve there’s shown in the morning Joulupukin kuumalinja (Santa Claus’ hotline) in which you can call to Santa on the show and send Christmas wishes via email or online that are shown on TV. There’s also shown many other traditional Finnish Christmas TV shows, such as Samu Sirkan joulutervehdys (From All of Us to All of You) and my favorite from childhood: Joulupukki ja noitarumpu (Santa Claus and the Magic Drum).
There’s a witch in the North of Finland trying ruin Santa’s plans to get ready for Christmas after Santa receives an odd letter, a drawing which no one seems to know what it means and what this ‘child’ wants as a gift.
SPOILER!: This letter is from the witch who send it 50 years ago, but it got lost in the mail arriving so late that the witch thought Santa ignored him and decided to do all those pranks. The drawing showed him as being Santa’s little helper, an elf, which he became in the end and helped Santa to deliver presents.
Ever heard of dyslexia? Do you know what it is? Some of you might think it got something to do with reading difficulties, writing and pronouncing words. I’ll give you a ‘brief’ explanation how my life is like dealing with dyslexia. How it has affected my life and how much work I had to do to make this far? Here’s the answer:
Ever since I was a little kid I had difficulties with reading and writing. Words kept popping out of their places and I couldn’t see where the next line was. It hasn’t disappeared anywhere. I started reading – a lot – trying to improve my reading and to help myself to pronounce the words correctly (you have no idea how I used to struggled with spelling the words…when you had to read out loud in front of a whole class). I love to read, and that has improved my reading skills even though the symptoms still exist – I just need to deal with it.
Even my writing I had to practice but it’s still slower compared to the average of my age group. I remember when I kept writing calligraphy for hours until I would do it correctly, I cried many times because I required perfection from myself in everything. I used to be obsessed about everything being in order. For some reason I decided that I’d tried to reduce this obsession, and now even though I like everything being in order it doesn’t bother me if something is misplaced/not the way I want it to be.
Since my mum has dyslexia I had been made a test to determine whether I’d have a dyslexia or not. Because I had these symptoms I went to all kinds therapies in my childhood and teachers gave me tutoring to make sure I would keep up with other students. Even though I was allowed to be with a normal class (sometimes children with learning difficulties are placed into a small group to help them learn better), my learning was followed from time to time. I wasn’t even aware why I had to see all those people asking me question and making me fill all those papers – even though I knew I had dyslexia. When I was on fourth class I didn’t need anymore therapies or tutoring because I was very social kid (yes, I used to be quite social, and talked a lot) and started to be good enough student (my parents really pushed me to study hard). I was actually kind of sad because I enjoyed those therapies – I really liked those games what I did during my therapies.
Now I had to be diagnosed again to be able to get some help during my studies in university. The certificate I had from Finland wasn’t approved because it needs to be done by a psychologist who is a HCPC registrant, and it needs to made when you’re 16 or older.
I wasn’t first allowed a funding for my diagnostic test (the test is EXPENSIVE) because I’m a European, but luckily there had been found a way to get me the funding. I just needed to fill the same form again for applying the funding and sent it to the Dyslexia Services in my university (London Metropolitan University). I still had to pay £50 but it’s a small amount of the whole payment.
I had been given a list of approved psychologists to make my dyslexia diagnosis. I contacted one in South Woodford and made an appointment.
On my way to the test, I saw this at South Woodford
My reading skills was assessed by using these tests:
Single Word Reading (and Single Word Spelling) (WRAT4)
This is the SDMT what was used in my diagnostic test
The reason why I’m telling all these tests used in my diagnostic test because there are people interested in Finland what there is tested in UK and how it’s done.
I can tell you that the results show I have dyslexia since I scored way lower than peers in my age group. Exception was my visual skills in which I scored on top of my age group. It doesn’t surprise me because my visual skills have helped me a lot to learn and improve my knowledge – meaning it helps me to visualize things to understand the information.
If you didn’t already realized dyslexia doesn’t only affect reading and writing, it affects the skills you need to use in everyday life. If you wonder why I’m not as social as you are, it’s because I’m struggling to express myself (even when I’m speaking with native language: Finnish) and because of my lack of memorizing things I may not always catch up what people are talking around me since it takes me time to process the information in my head. Sometimes I just forget what I was about say and stay silent.
It gives me a real headache when there is too much information to process. Even in my diagnosis was stated that I can’t do ‘multitasking’ because it requires amount of effort from me to focus on ONE thing. Even a little noise can distract me from what I’m doing like trying to listen to a lecture.
When I moved to London there has been appeared a new problem in my life. It has always been existed but now it has been highlighted: outlining. More specifically it’s difficult for me see the difference between left and right (reading a map and following the path isn’t piece a cake…). I’m used to routes where cars ride on the right side, NOT left. Now everything is upside down! Why British have to ride the ‘wrong’ side?
Even though I face many troubles in my life because of dyslexia that doesn’t stop me living. I need to work harder than others and I need some help in certain situation. I have learned to accept the fact that this is part of me and I’m ready to do what is needed to be done to keep up with others. I have never really seen my condition as a burden – it thrives me to challenge myself.
P.S. I found this article where is explained what it’s can be like with dyslexic people.
P.S.S. I just realized it took me more than 5 hours to write this…
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