Bunker saunas, outhouses, and lumberjacks

Hello everyone!!
My apologies for not updating sooner but I just returned from “camping” last night. I joined ALMA on their second camping trip of the year. ALMA is the only dual-diagnosis treatment agency in Tampere and one of the few throughout Finland. Clients typically have some sort of mental illness, most commonly depression or schizophrenia, and an addiction, usually to alcohol or drugs. There are about 25 clients and about 5 staff. The clients were quite interesting and everyone was very welcoming and friendly. I will be going to their office tomorrow and they apparently have planned a surprise for me.
We went camping in Kuru, approximately 45 minutes from Tampere. I’m not sure in what direction Kuru is because the Finns do not use north, south, east, and west. The campsite was an old lumberjack camp on a very pleasant lake. There was a bunker sauna outside that apparently has been there since the war. You could walk past the sauna without knowing it because it is mostly underground and covered with moss. It was a wood-burning sauna and it smelled lovely. I went in for about 15 minutes and it was very relaxing. The only slightly unsettling part was changing outside and walking in to find my supervisor naked sitting next to a naked client!! The Finns are not shy!! Thankfully it was only women in there. I am now considering building a small sauna outside in my backyard...Geoff, wouldn’t this be fun!!??
There was a large Kota at the site. This is a large, tipi-like building that houses a bonfire. It was super nice to be in there late at night with a fire going and the Finns singing campfire songs. I know one song was about an elf and a fairy...beyond that I don’t have a clue!! They also roasted makkaraa after the sauna in this building. Yes, sausages are what you must have after the sauna!! Everyone joked that the makkaraa is the Finns’ favorite vegetable!!
We went to Seitseminen National Park. Due to time restrictions I didn’t get to hike but we visited the museum and saw a short film on Finnish heritage scenery. The idea was that they are trying to restore and maintain areas that were used for farming and grazing. It was interesting because most parks aim to restore the area to a natural state before man destroyed it, however, this park aims to do both.
What else?? The staff were all very interesting. There were two women and two men. One of the male supervisors is former military and he certainly made camping lively. He showed up in full camouflage and he had a very sturdy voice. His English isn’t very good so unfortunately we only had superficial conversation, however, I found out that after 4 years with the UN he opted to become a psychiatric nurse. Why?? Not sure. The other staff spoke English fairly well and Hanna, one of the female supervisors, played translator and I was very grateful!!
Well, I am almost at week 4. Thank goodness because this has been tough. I miss home desperately and most mornings I wake up thinking that I will catch a cab to the airport and go home. However, I know this is not possible. I am enjoying my practicum and Tampere is quite beautiful but I have come to realize that there really is no place like home. I will continue to make the most of my time here but I also cannot wait to be home.
The pictures I have included are of the camping trip and Stephanie’s birthday two weekends ago. For Steph’s birthday she decided on “Little black dress night” and this involved dressing up and going for burgers and then dancing. I paid 10,95EURO for one burger and fries. Crazy!! Thank goodness it was tasty or else I think I would have cried. The two guys in the pictures are Pato and Olly. They are the only two Finnish people we know and can hang-out with...it’s not easy to meet Finns because we all live in student housing and most students are exchange students. A little disappointing but I am meeting people from all over the world...not bad at all!!
Okay, I hope this post finds everyone doing well. My thoughts are always with you. Please keep in touch...either e-mail me, comment on my blog, post on Facebook, or give me a call (011 358 468 483 373). I would love to hear how things are going back home.
Much love!!
M