Greetings from Canada, city called Sault Ste. Marie! I am studying marketing and international business for one semester here at the Algoma University. It is already halfway of my exchange period and I cannot believe how fast time goes here. It feels like I would have been here only for few weeks even though it has been over two months now!
I find that studying here is more demanding than back in Finland. Textbooks for courses are big and thick, and classes play a smaller role here. In Finland we have more classes and less homework, here it is quite the opposite. I like the fact that courses here are structured and the classes are planned in advance. It makes it easier for students to keep up and plan studying. I wish our courses at TAMK would be as well organized as here!
As I am already in the half way of my exchange period, I already feel kind of sad to go home… I have made so good friends here from all over the world! It is just amazing how fast and easily you have become friends with so many lovely people. I hope that the contact with these friends will not end when it is time for everyone to go back home!
I have traveled with my new friends also. In the beginning of January we made a road trip to Green Bay to see American Football game Packers vs Cowboys. It was my first time in USA and I have never seen such a mania! I have never realized how important the football is for Americans! The experience at the stadium was unbelievable! The feeling among the 80 000 people at the stadium was something you have to experience yourself!
During the study week on February I went to New York for four days. I can’t find words to describe how awesome the Big Apple was! I definitely want to go there again, but maybe during the summer time. I visited many must-see attractions, as Empire State Building, Top of The Rock, Statue of Liberty, several museums and so many other places! My feet were aching from the amount of walking and straight from NY I flew to see the capital of Canada, Ottawa. So even more walking ahead! I experienced kind of culture shock there, after NY Ottawa felt like a small village to me! But Ottawa proved to be cool city, too. My Japanese friend joined me in Ottawa and we stayed in a Jail Hostel, which is really an old jail! We also took a Haunted Walk -tour in the jail, just to lose our good night sleep the next night… It was exciting to hear about the stories about the prisoners and especially the first political murder in Canada. But still, the question is, was the right man hung at the prison…? In addition to the Jail Hostel and guided tour we went to see the National Gallery of Canada and the Museum of History. The latter was especially interesting with totem poles and stories of the aboriginal people!
I have experienced so much here during these two months that I cannot even imagine how many adventures I still have ahead! The final exams are approaching and I have been studying effectively during the weekdays so that I get to see my friends during the weekends. Last weekend we were downhill skiing and I cannot wait what we figure out for the next weekends!
Here are some pictures of my adventures in the North-America:
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