Issue#1.6 And So It Goes..

I started to lose track of time. Days turned into weeks. Monday became Thursday and then it was the weekend. Only a few events stand out. That first weekend my Family took me to a funeral. Someone (I'm still not quite sure whose) in their family died. So I dressed up in the best black clothes I had brought and went to a church a few km out of town. The ceremony was done in perfect funeral style. The organ mourned and a dirge was sung in Finnish. There is something in the Finnish language that is unmistakably melancholy, like it was meant for singing of lost love. As the Pallbearers carried the coffin into the cemetery, it began to rain. The image was complete.
Another event that marked those first few weeks was something called ‘library rock’. It was an event that was part of the week long Rovaniemi days, a week in which Rovaniemi showed itself off to tourists. There was going to be a rock show but on by the library in the student theater and endorsed by the city. My Sister took me. It turned out to be more of ‘library teenage death metal’ then rock. The bands were really god for their age! I was surprised because an event like that would never have been endorsed by the city in Denver. It was really cool. There was a kid from my school who ‘sung’ in the last band, hes somewhat of a celebrity at school.

Another event that I went to that was part of the Rovaniemi days was something called foregin student information night. I went after school with the guy from the school council who found out about it for me. the whole thing was just kinda of information about Rovaniemi past and present. There are pretty much 2 things its famous for. One in Santa Clause! Yes that's right, he lives here with all his elves and reindeer on the arctic circle. The other thing is the winners of the2007 Eurovision song contest Lordi, is from here. They dress up as there horrendous monsters with songs like Hard Rock Hallelujah, and Could you Love A Monster Man? They even have a Lordi themed 'Rockeraunt'. It's really quite ridiculous.

Things started to have a pattern. I got into a rhythm. Go to school, afterwards walk to the city. Do something for a few hours with Mari, then go home, eat, watch TV and then to bed. Sometimes Mari and I would stay at her mom's house in the city for a change. One event that was fast approaching was the weekend AFS trip toy Oulu. Viivi from my school was also going. We decided to go down together.