Day 24 - Wednesday

Slow day today. Made the kids' favourite chicken - honey marinated chicken cooked with powdered garlic and cream. Simple dish. I've been wondering what this dish was since they told me about it. It's actually a very nice dish. I would have 3 or 4 servings myself.

Yesterday was also another slowish day. Lunch was dinner leftovers and then I decided to make some cookies. Bran and raisins. But found out later that Eliel and Eemil hates raisins. *face palm*

Bran and raisins cookies

Anu came back in the evening and announced, 'Let's go to grandpa's birthday party.' Ah, ok. How spontaneous. Anyway, grandpa's house isn't far and we've just seen each other 2days ago. 'Party' was just dinner at the garden, which is very relaxing. Weather was good, food was good, company was good, although everyone spoke Finnish most of the time. Oh yes! I held my drink when served. And then grandma lifted her glass and said 'Tervetuloa' and something more and others replied something I couldn't understand and drank. So I just followed =D

Awesome food

I'm guessing the Finns are more of fish and vegetable lovers. Whenever I take food, I realised by the time I'm done, my plate is always piled up with food, as compared to the others. And then I take a second serving after that. I hope I'm not an embarrassment yet. I took one bratwurst and half a cheese sausage, and when grandpa asked me what do I want for the second serving, I said 'one of each'. Everyone else took one. But really, I love my meat =( It can be a good change though, the amount of meat versus the amount of vegetables. At least I can pile up on my fibre intake.

The kids' table across the garden

Met Jaakko's brother, together with his wife and kids. The family lives opposite the grandparents' house. After the main course, the kids brought their dog over, named Onni, which means luck in Finnish, much to Tessu's disapproval.

Meet Onni

Poor Tessu was tied up during dinner

Meet Tessu

It's really nice that at meals like that, there's always dessert. It came after an interval of a visit to grandma's greenhouse.

Look! Grandma has a greenhouse!

Dessert was blueberry pie and a certain raparperi pie. Raparperi, according to Wiki, because no one at the party could translate it for me, is a type of rhubarb. I still have no idea what it is exactly as I've never seen it before, but it was yummylicious =D And you'd have to eat it with something that has calcium, I dunno why. So it was served with vanilla ice-cream.

The table

Pies and ice-cream

It's really refreshing and interesting to attend meals at someone's home. It's where you'd pick up the culture and the way things work. I hope in my time being here, I'd be able to sit down and dine with other families just to have more exposure.

My host family's neighbour, Aanti, was so nice to ask me if I wanted to know a friend here, since I'm new and all. He told me about his niece, who is about my age, and thought we could get to know each other. She can improve her English, while I can learn Finnish. I thought it was such a great idea! So he gave me her number. And then I asked, 'Is she working now?' And then he looked at me, a little bewildered, and said, 'Yeah she's working now, for the summer. She's about 18.'

OMG DID HE JUST THOUGHT I WAS 18 AS WELL?

Lol.

But I texted her today. And she replied. Very happy to meet me next week. I'm happy people are so nice here =)