It’s the 4th of July and I’m at Larkulla Conference Center and School in Karjaa Finland. Arrived at the site Wednesday Morning on the Pendolino Train from Helsinki. I am leading an English Conversation Camp which started Wednesday afternoon. Students in the camp range from 15 years to young adult and they are from Finland of course as well as France, Poland, Russia, and Japan. Most have some familial connection or are connected by way of an organization in their home city. We are a large group over 30 students and we work from Breakfast at 8:00 until curfew at 11:30. This is a very good group of students and look as though they are enjoying the experience. We also have three other teachers on staff: Maureen Cornwell, Herne who does arts and drama, Oona who is a university student in Scotland and myself. Also we have Vilmis who is a student trainee who hopes to cash this experience in for more meaningful work when she gets to the university. Maureen and I are doing Language Experience activities; Oona is leading groups in creative writing tasks, and Herne has done sculpture so far. She will also have the students start to make leather belts tomorrow. Our day includes a morning program, the class session, zumba, lunch, class sessions in the afternoon, some team time or free time before the final program of the day. We eat constantly, 3 squares plus two snacks but the food is also very good so this quantity is a problem. We spend a lot of time in large group as well as smaller teacher led groups, participating in ice breakers and challenges getting the students to feel comfortable with each other and their usage of English. So far it has been better than average. This is also a very likeable combination of students. They are very willing to help others with a smile. In addition to classroom activities, we have also been to the Fiskars village and the sea town of Hanko. It was Regatta weekend in Hanko so the town was packed and very busy.
Currently I get little sleep, always starting early and the last official to bed. Students for the most are sleeping when expected. This schedule has prevented any training on my part until today when I was able to jog about 5 k. We have until Thursday morning to pack up so I hope I will get the opportunity for a couple of more runs. This coming weekend Maureen and I will be going to a friend"s summer cottage for the weekend then eventually to the hotel departing Tuesday for Seattle.
More coming soon, I promise, so till then, a hui hou, happy fourth, and stay tuned. See you on the road.
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