4 апреля я попытался сдать тест по финскому языку среднего уровеня. Тест был сложный, и я не уверен, что сдал его удачно (результат будет к началу лета). Я продолжил учить финский в школе и самостоятельно, а также послал заявления на новые учебные программы. Из прочих событий отмечу переселение в другую комнату, где меньше слышен шум от соседей. Week 14During week 14 (30 March – 5 April) I prepared for the national test of the Finnish language (YKI-test). I studied with the textbooks
Kuulosta hyvältää and
Suomea paremmin.
On 4 April I took the test. It started at 10.30 a.m. and lasted until 2.30 p.m., with a half-an-hour break. As I said before, the test was at the intermediate level (B1-B2), and for me it was difficult. Especially the first part, reading comprehension, went badly: I had time to read only one third of the texts. Also the vocabulary part was very difficult – most of the words were unfamiliar to me. The writing and speaking parts were manageable, yet I was not satisfied with my performance, mainly because the situation was stressful. The test cost 77 euro, and I am afraid that I might have wasted this money, if I do not get B1. The results are sent after two months.
Also that week I moved into another room. The new room is located at the end of the corridor, the farthest possible place from the TV room, where my neighbours like to gather. The new place is certainly quieter, and I am also spared of the view on the director’s large house with three cars. However, from time to time I still hear too much noise at night (see more below).
Week 15The following week (6 – 12 April) was short: we had classes only three days, then came Easter holidays. During the holidays almost everybody was away. I had no place to go to, so I stayed at the school and continued to study Finnish.
I also applied to several university programmes in Sweden. I need to get a new study place in September, so it is better to apply to as many places as possible. As for Sweden, there may be more luck for me there, at least no language barrier, as in Finland. Still, I am going to apply to study programmes both in Sweden and in Finland.
Week 16 The classes resumed on 14 April. There was nothing particularly new in the Finnish course, except that it became more unfocused, because the test was over.
On my own I studied the following textbooks:
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Le finnois sans peine: finished the remaining lessons (76-100) and repeated lessons 1-25.
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Linguaphone Finnish Course: studied the first 10 lessons.
I also looked for a new dwelling - without success. I asked all other boarding schools in Karis (Axxell, Västra Nylands Folkhögskola, Yrkesskola) about a room, but they did not have anything. More likely, it is their policies not to rent rooms to outsiders. I also ringed the “housing secretary” of the town, but she offered only empty flats costing over 300 euro per month. What I need is a furnished room, but in Finland it seems a much rarer thing, than in Canada. Probably it is because living in flats is more common here and also unemployed people get big housing subsidies, so anyone can afford to live separately - except some foreigners, but the system does not take them into account.
NeighboursUnfortunately, my neighbours, who are African men, are ill-mannered and disrespectful. I am not a racist – what is important for me is that my neighbours let me sleep at night and clean the kitchen after themselves, not the colour of their skin. However, both in Pargas and here, in Karis, it is with African men that I have had problems in this respect. Besides bad will, this seems to be a cultural thing: I imagine that in Africa it is normal to be noisy at night and the level of cleanliness is low. I have also noticed their narrow-mindedness coupled with arrogance - a hard cocktail... I hope some day I'll meet better people from Africa.
FilmsIn my spare time I have seen a few good films, which I borrowed from the town library:
- Ameriikan raitti (Finland, 1990). The adventures of Finnish tax evaders, who flee to Florida and try to start a new life there.
- The Glenn Miller Story (USA, 1954). A biography of the famous orchestra director. The music is great and the film does not look dated.
- David Copperfield (UK, 1999). A TV series produced by BBC. I have not read the book, but some scenes are predictable. The acting is brilliant.
- Mors Elling (Norway, 2003) and Elsk meg i morgen (2005). The last two films of the trilogy about Elling, a mentally challenged man in his 40s. These films are about Elling’s relations with his mother and attempts to find a girl-friend.
- Ulvesommer (Norway, 2003). About a teenage girl, who make friends with wolves and protects them from hunters. I liked the scenes with the wolves. The plot is quite unrealistic, but it is a film for children.
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