A Spanish Girl in Finland

“Advocacy” is other important area to know for people that are interested in social services. It is defined as “advancing government reforms and changed practice through citizen empowerment and mobilisation” or according to a World Vision, “advocacy is the promotion of justice through changes in policies, systems, structures, practices and attitudes, citizen mobilization and education about human and child rights”. What does it mean? It means that according to this point of view, to help people is necessary to give them voice, to teach them their rights and to help them to organize themselves according to an objective. Citizens are active people that may act to change their situation (as community work), so if volunteers and social workers help them by teaching them their rights and giving them strategies to improve their skills, they can change the policy and their situation. Its main idea is that social workers must give voice to disadvantaged groups, and must teach them how th

As you already know because of my last entry, the “community work” is a way of working focussed in the environment and the context of the people, because its main idea is that a person have a problem because It is not adapted correctly to the context, and we can’t understand the behaviour of a person without their circumstances. So, as in other countries, in Spain, community work has the goal to work with the environment of a target group, to screen what is the problem, what things can change and how, and to let the people that live in this environment to act and to take part in this change. People can’t be passive patients; they have to work in their own change, so they have to learn the specific skills and knowledge to participate in their own change. In that way, the environment improves and the people that live in it can improve and grow up too. So, the main idea is to screen the problem in the environment, change it and teach citizens how to participate in this change. C

In the next entries, I’ll share with you some interesting things that I’ve learnt in my lessons of Social Services in TUAS. This entry is aimed to speak about Community Work, a very useful and important topic to understand if you are interested in projects and activities related with social services. Community Work is a way to practice social services whose main goal is to improve individual condition through improving community conditions. Community Work is according with the idea that the behaviour and the situation of a person depends not only of his biology, genetic and personality; it depends specially of his environment and community. So, Community Work is focussed in working with communities to improve their situation. How do they get it? The first step is to screen the main problem of the community. Then, the important thing is to think about how we can solve this problem, what does the community need; and then, give the people of the community tools to change their e

During my stay in Finland, I had the opportunity to participate in many projects thanks of Turku University of Applied Sciences. One of them was a project offered by “Multaa ja Mujuloita”, an association that organizes activities for children, to teach them sciences and social skills in a nature environment. This association is located in an area with small cottages, where children play, do activities, learn how to do gardening and take care of the nature. I had the pleasure to organize a new project to this association, and it had the main goal to connect children with elderly people. Me and other three Finnish girls made a schedule full of activities where elderly people and children can learn from each other. I think it was so beautiful! In my opinion, these type of associations are so useful in the society of nowadays. Children are always playing with computers and videogames, and they need to have strong networks and learn from the nature! I think that this experience wa

During these months in Finland, I had the opportunity to do many cool things and to live very funny and amazing experiences. One of them was to visit a Primary School in Turku, to speak with the students in English. Turku University of Applied Sciences gave me the opportunity to be “English teacher” in Hannunniitun Koulu two days, and it was amazing! It helped me to be more confident speaking in English, now I know that I can do everything I want! Me and other three students met with Krista Paavola, the English teacher of this school, and she was so kind! She told us that we were totally free to speak and teach the children, and she made me feel as one more. I spoke with eight groups of six children more or less, from 3th, 4 th , 5 th and 6 th grade, and they were so kind! At first, they were a bit shy, but we had to speak together 40 minutes, so with time, they were more confident and they spoke so much! They had a very good level of English. When the activity ended an

The High School Graduation is something very special for all students. It means the end of a step and the start of a new life, full of new and difficult decisions about your future. So, it is something that students love to celebrate, but the celebration is different in each country! In Spain we celebrate it, but it is not a big celebration as in other places. We have a big ceremony in the high school, where teachers, families and friends are invited, and then the students go to a restaurant to have dinner and have fun. It is great! One month ago, I had the opportunity to go to a student graduation in Naantali Lukio, the High School of Naantali, and it was amazing! They celebrated the Prom in the gym of their High School, and they did many beautiful dances. It was like in the movies! One of the students told us that they receive lessons of dancing for this celebration. Cool! We had the opportunity to speak with some students and they explained us that before the big day,

These days, I have been thinking about my stay here, and about how quickly the things can change. As I said the entry before, “coronavirus” has changed the life of all the world in some days, and it is useful to value the things you have. Now, if I reflect about my life in Finland, I can say that these two months I’ve been very happy. I’ve had everything I like: friends, very interesting lessons, an amazing practice placement and an amazing routine. Now, everything is different: my lessons and my practical placement have been cancelled, so now I only can learn online; and most of my friends are now in their home countries, and I didn’t have the opportunity to say them goodbye. With these anecdotes I want to say that everything can change in a couple of seconds, so let me to tell you one tip: enjoy, please. Enjoy your friends, your family and your daily experiences. Every day, when you wake up, enjoy your day as it would be the last, because we don’t know the future, so we mus

“Coronavirus” is a topic that nowadays is everywhere, in all TVs and newspapers around the world. In these last days, everything is changing so quickly. Anybody know really well what is happening, but “coronavirus” is affecting all the countries, and it is a bit scared. Last week, I was doing my normal life here, and suddenly everything changed. Most of the exchange students came back to their home countries and I had to say goodbye to good friends. It was so sad; I think that anybody could imagine to be in this type of situation. At first, I felt a bit scared because I didn’t know what to do, but finally, I decided to stay here. I’ll enjoy all my Erasmus until I can, and I’m sure that since now, I’ll learn and enjoy so much. It is sad to think that maybe, this situation is necessary to value the things you have. One week ago, I was so happy and I wasn’t aware of it. Now, everything is different, but I still have time to enjoy. I only hope that the situation in Spain and ot

In Turku, there is one of the oldest and most interesting Pharmacy Museums in Finland. It is called “The Qwensel House” and it is a bourgeois hosing from the autarchic times built in 1700 and it is located near Aura River. In the 18 th century, it was a big pharmacy and the residence of one of the most known families in the area of medicine, called “Qwensel family”. Nowadays, it is a museum. In one half of the building you can see so many materials of pharmacy and medicine that were recollected of other pharmacies around Finland; and the other part of the building is the “Qwensel House”, where you can see the rooms where Wilhelm Qwensel and his family lived more than 300 years ago. I had the opportunity to go with Daisy Ladies and it was amazing! People in the museum wore costumes as people that lived in 18 th century, and we could see all the rooms of the house. It was shocking because this house was spared in the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, so everything was so old.

On 8th of March, most of the countries in the world celebrate International Women’s Day, in Finnish it is called “Kansainvälinen Naistenpäivä”. In 1975, the International Year of Women, the United Nations reaffirmed the day’s celebration and called it “United Nations Day for Women’s Rights and International Peace”. Nowadays, it is an official holiday in many countries, and thousand of events are held worldwide to celebrate women. For example, in the socialist countries, International Women’s Day is a national holiday, and in the workplaces and squares men remembered women with roses and different activities. In other countries, this day is similar to “Mother’s Day”, and men give presents and roses to their mothers, wives and friends. In Spain, this day is used to claim women’s rights. Women and some men do strike and go to the streets for shout for equality in jobs and daily life. In Finland, there is not the tradition to do anything special this day, but I’m lucky to work wi

Freetown Christiania is an international community of about 1000 residents in the Danish capital city of Copenhagen. It is a very visited place because it is a very different city if you compare it with others. It is a former military base that sat abandoned for many years before becoming the neighbourhood it is actually. In 1971, a group of hippies broke down the barricades and began staying there. This city, nowadays, has its own rules and regulations completely independent of the Danish government. I had the opportunity to travel to this magical a different place, and it is amazing! It is different if I compare it with other cities I visited. There are pictures and paintings everywhere, everybody lives happy and there are so many people doing yoga in the streets. It was amazing and I suggest you to come if you have the opportunity!  

KGB, known as Comitte for State Security, was the main security agency for the Soviet Union from 1954 until its break-up in 1991. It was the chief government agency of union republican jurisdiction, acting as internal security, intelligence and secret police. Estonia was under the leadership of Soviet Union twice, so this agency governed by army laws was present in this country, to follow and punish the citizens against the USSR. In the heart of the Old Town of Tallinn there are still the KGB Prison Cells, a symbol of the former Soviet oppression in Estonia. This prison cells where built in 1941 by Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic Commissariat, and suspected enemies of the state were imprisoned and interrogated before they were shot or sent to labour camps in Siberia. I had the opportunity to visit this museum in one of my trips, and I think it is something everybody must visit if they come to Tallinn. It Is part of its history, and a symbol for Estonian people.  Everyt

Tallinn is the capital and the most populous city in Estonia, and is located in the northern part of the country, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, and it is the most industrial, financial, cultural and educational centre of Estonia. The history of Estonia isn’t so long, but I think it is something very interesting to know, and to compare it with the history of other countries, as Spain. In one of my trips I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful country, and the guide of a free tour told us very interesting things about Estonia, and specially about Tallinn. Estonia, due of its location, always was a country wished for other territories, and it always was under the leadership of them. During World War II, Estonia was first occupied by the Red Army and annexed into the USSR in 1940. Then, it was occupied by Nazy Germany from 1941 to 1944. After the German retreat in 1944, the city was occupied again by the Soviets, and it became the capital city of th

In my opinion, history is the most undervalued areas when you travel. People usually like to visit other countries to discover monuments, parks or food, but what about history? To have the opportunity to know the history of a place in the same place it happened is one of the most beautiful things you can do in your life! So please, if someone is reading this blog and likes travelling, try to discover some of the history of the cities you go! In one of my trips to the North of Finland, I had the opportunity to listen so many stories by the mouth of a Finnish guide that knew so much about history. One day, while we were going to Norway, he spoke us about the “Republic of Karelia”, and I want to share with you a bit of this part of the history. The Republic of Karelia is nowadays located in the northwest of Russia, and it has a population of 643,548. From 1940 to 1956, it was known as the Karelo-Finnish Soviet Socialist Republic, and after being again an autonomous republic in 1

When I was preparing my baggage two months ago, I had a weird feeling. I think I haven’t been aware of my close adventure. So, when I arrived here, I saw that I left at home so many important things. If somebody will come, please, don’t forget these things!: -Hairdryer: it is so useful here because it is so cold outside, so you will need it! -University Stuff: here everything is expensive, so it is better if you bring your notebook and pens. -Clothes: I only brought warm clothes, and it’s okay, but I forgot party clothes! Outside it is so cold, but in clubs and houses it is so warm, so you can wear clothes as you were in your home country. When you go out, you only must use a warm jacket and leave it in the club. -Snow pants: it is so important! If you come here to Erasmus you maybe have the opportunity to travel to Lapland, and you need these pants! -Thermal shirts: this winter is very weird, there is no snow! But it is cold outside, so thermal shirts are so important, e

Time flights, it is true, and I haven’t been aware of it until I saw the calendar this morning. I’ve been here for more than two months, amazing! People says that trips change people, and now I can say that it is truth. If I reflect about it, I think that now I’m a person totally different from the person who arrived the first of January, full of enthusiasm and excited to learn and meet people. I still have this energy, but my mind has changed. Now, I do the things with security, and I’m happier with my decisions.   These months I checked that I can do so many things that before come here I didn’t know I can do. I’m able to live in a foreign country alone. I’m able to speak in English in every place I want. I’m able to meet people every day without being shy. I’m able to live 24 hours with my friends and help them every day. I’m able to teach a Primary class in English. I’m able to spend my days with a group of refugee women, that teach me every day the importance of friends and

“Santa Claus Village” is located in Rovaniemi, in North Finland, and it is without any doubt one of the most magical places in the world, for kids and obviously for adults too. In one of my trips I had the opportunity to visit this magical place, and I’m sure it will be impossible to forget it. I had two hours to visit it and it wasn’t enough, but I had time to do many things. First, I went to visit “Santa Claus” and it was one of the most beautiful and magical experiences in my life. I felt as a kid! I entered in his house and there were a lot of presents and pictures. And there was a big clock that indicated how many days left for Christmas Days! It was amazing. Then, I took photos in the village. There was a big thermometer that indicated the temperature, and we were at minus eleven degrees! It was a bit cold! I visited also the reindeers and I took pictures and videos of myself crossing the Artic Circle. This village is full of surprises! Before go to the bus agai

The “Northern Lights” are the result of collisions between gaseous particles in the Earth’s atmosphere with charged particles released from the sun’s atmosphere. Variations in colour are due to the type of gas particles are colliding. The most common aural colour is green, and it is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the Earth. Northern Lights or “Auroral Borealis” are one of the most known natural shows in countries located in the North of the world, as Finland or Norway, but in countries located in the South there is the same phenomenon, in this case they are called “Aurora Australis”. When I went to Lapland in one of my trips, I had an opportunity to see them, and it was indescribable!   We went about 100 kilometres from Sääriselkä by bus and we arrived at a big frozen lake. It was a big cloudy, but we could sit down in the frozen lake and admire the show that took place in the sky. Little green and white lights appeared and disappeared between the c

The Artic Ocean is the smallest of the world’s five major oceans, and it is also known as the coldest of all the oceans. This Ocean covers countries like United States, Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. In one of my trips to Norway, I had the opportunity to swim in this ocean, and I recommend you to do it if you can! It is amazing! I have to say that at first I was scared, but my friends convinced me, and I’m glad for it. We were in Bugøynes, in the North of Norway, and we went to one of the biggest saunas in the world, it is made for be used for 60 people at the same time! A guide explained us the Finnish way to do it: -First, you must be in sauna a few minutes, and then, go straight to the Artic Ocean, but you shouldn’t put your head inside the water, only your body. -Then, you must go again into the sauna, and before sit down you must put your feet in cold water. In that way, your body can recover the corporal temperature. -A few minutes later, you must go ag

During my stay in Finland, I have had the pleasure of meeting so many Finnish people, and I could listen their stories about their culture and way of living. It is nice to have the opportunity of discover a culture straight from a person who lives it. In one of my trips across Finland, I met a guide called Centti, that told us so many interesting stories about Finland, its history and its culture. One day, while we were in a bus going to Norway, he told us why “sauna” is very important for Finnish people. He said that sauna is a place when you can be yourself, without being scared of anything, and to spend time only with your friends comfortably. A sauna is a place to speak about everything you want, to share gossips and to have honest conversations. It is a place where, while you are spending time with your family and friends, you are sweating and taking out of the body the bad things. Furthermore, for them, “sauna” is an important place in life cycle: in most families, li

Lapland, in Finnish known as “Lappi”, is the largest and northernmost region of Finland. It borders the region of North Ostrobothnia, Gulf of Bothnia, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia. Lapland is known because of its cold weather and its thousands of conifer trees as pines. It is associated with Christmas and so many foreigners visit it, especially in winter. In one of my trips, I had the opportunity to travel to Lapland, specifically to Sääriselkä, where I stayed in an old cottage with my friends during five days. I went to this place in February, and it was amazing. There was so much snow everywhere, and for me it was very curious because people could do normal life with so much snow! Before go to Lapland, I couldn’t imagine how could be the life there, but now I can tell you that it is a city as other cities around the world, but with snow! People wear warm clothes because of the cold weather, but they do normal life! However, for me, this city is more magical than citie

If you are thinking about going to Turku on February, maybe you are lucky and you have the opportinity to take part in one of the crowdest University parties in Finland! “Pikkulaskiainen” is one of the best Universities parties I've ever stayed in my all life. It is an event that takes place on February, and it gathers more than 10.000 visitors every year. The party starts with a “sled race” in the city centre, but it is a bit more original than a normal sled race you can imagine. Groups of friends from different faculties make their own sled! Some of them are so beautiful, and others are broken just start the race, it is so funny. Then, there is live music and everybody have fun together. All streets are full of people having fun, it is amazing! All students wear the overall of their Universities, and some of them wear funny customs also. When the night comes, some students do a “bar tour” to get a gold patch for their overall. It is crazy! As I said, if you come to

There are many stereotypes about Finnish People around the world that maybe are a bit truth, but not always! And you mustn’t judge someone according the idea you have in your head, it is a big mistake! You must know him before! The time I’ve spent here helped me to discover how is these people, and I want to explain you some things about them by my point of view. If you ask someone in Spain for example how Finnish People are, they say that they are cold, polite and quiet. These are three adjectives that maybe describes Finnish people for them. And it is a bit truth! And if you speak with them, they tell you they are a bit quiet and don’t like to show their feelings to the others. But it is something cultural: Finland is not an emotional society as Spain or Mediterranean countries in general. They have another way to live and they don’t give the same importance to feelings, family and friends that we do, but it doesn’t mean they are cold! They need to be comfortable, and you must