Week 20 15/05/11 – 22/05/11

Week Twenty! Seems like only yesterday I was battling the snow and the cold after arriving at Helsinki airport, crazy times.  This term has gone so fast it’s scary to think that I am now heading into my last year at Stranmillis in September.  As it is my last full week in Turku and Finland in general it was great to see the European capital of culture host a number of events throughout the week and on the weekend.  This included some members of the world championship winning ice hockey parading the trophy.  This was a very enjoyable event as the atmosphere was brilliant and the team’s captain was from Turku so the city was out in patriotic force to celebrate with their team’s captain.  This was also a great event that preceded a Euroculture event.  As I have mentioned before Turku is the European city of culture along with Tallinn Estonia for 2011.  However any form of celebration, with the exception of the opening has been a rare thing, so it was exciting to see the city put on a cultural show this weekend.  However this event was like VAPPU as the build up was more exciting than the actual event.  The event was good but it seemed to promise more than it delivered.  For sure the BMX bikers’ trick show and skateboard events were entertaining but short and it only took about twenty minutes to walk around the graffiti exhibitions.  There were a number of bands fro various countries, France and Austria for example.  It was a great event to enjoy the company of other exchange students and here about their travels in recent weeks.  As we will all be parting ways very soon this was highly significant to me as the people I have met on this exchange have made the last twenty weeks some of the best ever.  They are a significant part of my memories from Erasmus and have significantly impacted my life.  Not only do I feel my English has changed to be more understandable but they have helped me become more open to cultural differences.