For our sixth meeting, we decided to meet in the sauna, an experience that is truly part of Finnish culture. During this meeting, we talked about traditions and holidays in the Netherlands and Spain. It was interesting to notice how different some things are, but also how surprisingly many similarities there can be.
I shared stories about Dutch holidays like King’s Day and Sinterklaas. Sandra found the idea of King’s Day, with all the flea markets and festivities, very special, especially since it’s such a big event where the whole country comes together. Talking about Sinterklaas was also quite funny because many people outside the Netherlands have never heard of it, and it’s actually strange that, in the story, Sinterklaas comes from Spain. She laughed at the details, like the steamboat and throwing pepernoten. On the other hand, I learned from her about the Día de los Reyes Magos in Spain, where children receive presents on January 6th, and how it’s celebrated with parades and festivities. Even though these are similar traditions, I enjoyed seeing how the atmosphere and approach are so different. Additionally, I realized how many holidays they celebrate in Spain, much more than in the Netherlands, which was fascinating to hear about.
During our conversation, we also translated the months and holidays in both languages. We discovered that some words are somewhat similar. For example, “October” resembles “octubre.” We also noticed that, just like in Dutch, the first letter of a month is not capitalized, unlike in English. “December” was another example, as it is similar to “diciembre,” but pronouncing it was tricky because of the soft c, which I still struggle with a bit.
The sauna turned out to be a great place for a meeting as it created a more relaxed environment. It led to a more informal atmosphere where I worried less about making mistakes and overthinking. This made it easier for us to go through the words and sentences more smoothly, and it didn’t feel like a language lesson but rather like a normal conversation. Yet, you still learn a lot during these moments, which is what makes these meetings so effective.
I also notice that I am making steady progress, not just with the language but also in understanding the differences in traditions and culture. It’s wonderful to see how you get to know each other better while also growing in your language skills.
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