We had an international dinner, where everyone cooked something traditional from their home country. Good people, good food, good vibes.
Ready, Set, Go.
Getting ready for Helsinki was almost as exiting as being there. I would like to thank the University’s Postgraduate and International Office for all their support. For me it was very important to have my Visa application fully prepared at least a few days before the due date. The last thing you would want to be doing is scrambling around the day before to get bank statements or travel insurance. The University provides a clearly defined checklist of all the documents you need and it takes some time to get hold of all the documents you need. Simply keep a file in which you gradually added all the documents you need. Remember that the earlier you buy you plane tickets the cheaper they are, so have those ready as soon as possible. A had a situation where my parents were provided their bank statements as proof that I have the required amount of money to travel to Finland. At the embassy that asked me for the bank statement of my credit card which I would be using in Finland. I did not have it there, because it was not stated anywhere. Nevertheless I emailed it to them the next day and received my Visa a few weeks later. At this point you might think: “OK sweet, ek’s in, nou moet ek net op daardie aeroplane klim”. Not quite yet buddy.
In this modern age electronics are a necessity, and you are going to need the right plug for your three-point standard input. In Finland all the electricity points are two-points, you are going to need an adapter-plug for your three-point inputs. In Stellenbosch you can order them from Fidders in Andringa Street, across the road from Manouche. The travel agencies in Stellenbosch might also have these adaptor plugs. I found mine in Somerset Mall the day before I had to leave, because there were none left in Stellenbosch anywhere. So be prepared!
Finally pack lightly. You don’t need all your pants or shirts or shoes or jerseys. You do need enough underwear and socks though, well I packed in extra. It is late summer in Helsinki in August and the nights can get chilly so pack in a warm jacket at least. Most of the days were sunny, but be prepared for the rainy days as well for it will rain. Pack in a light water-resistant jacket to wear over your other clothes, as it does not rain extremely hard but you can get drenched if you have to walk a block or two.
OK really finally, do not be afraid to ask questions, the staff members at the host University are also very helpful and insightful – make use of the support systems offered for you, you might just make a new friend like I did.
Best Summer That I Ever Had:
If you’re not keen on reading this entire section, just have a listen to Future Fambo’s ‘Best Summer’. This song will always be my Helsinki song and I listen to it often to remember the great times I had with my Finnish friends. Yes besides having to go to school while everyone else is on holiday you do have the opportunity to embrace Helsinki culturally and socially. Naturally being from a foreign country makes it easier to make friends, and the friends you make during the course will stick with you for life. I will be visiting one my friends from Taiwan during our December holidays this year. The Summer School also offers an extensive social program which should not be missed out on. If you plan properly your weekends can be packed with activities, from going on nature walks to the numerous amounts of music and arts festivals. I can guarantee you that whatever you are interested in you will find it happening in Helsinki, there even was a restaurant day where anyone can cook food and sell it, as well as a comic book symposium. I saved my money by making food at the Eurohostel, a €10 deposit gets you a key for a locker in the communal fridge, and cooking with your international friends is something that will also stay with you. Also be prepared to go to a sauna, the best ones are the ones you make with wood. I was privileged to go to one of my Finnish friend’s summer house to experience a wood sauna. Now back in Stellenbosch I cannot go a day without hitting the sauna at Virgin Active, it does wonders for your health. I guess what I am trying to say is no matter what you will have a good time and you will meet incredible people, give yourself the opportunity to explore and share your perspective it will change your life guaranteed.
On the other side of the coin we have the academic program; I attended the Intercultural Communication and Education: Moving On course. At first I was intimidated; we were discussing research and theory that I have barely laid eyes on. Yet the class is filled with open-mindedness, and the manner in which we were taught was a very open dialogue. I considerably valued the fact that you are allowed to challenge the concepts and ideas that the lecturers were discussing. Especially the head lecturer, Fred Dervin, who would respond with respect and understanding even if the discussions became very heated and believe me they did. Imagine a classroom of over 20 people, between the ages of 21 and 40-something, from over 11 countries discussing the issues surrounding culture and communication. I know for a fact that I will not have such an intimate academic experience again very soon. The course covered an immensely broad spectrum of intercultural research. One of the most enlightening classes for me was when C.K Raju (Google it!) discussed the notion of decolonizing math and science, the manner in which he conveyed information about topics I had no clue about (math and science) was so clear that I had no difficulty to understand the theory and research.
It is hard to define the experience in relation to experiences at Stellenbosch University, as I have never been part of such a diverse group of individuals. The one thing that the two institutes have in common is the level of academic competence, and I realized that I do not have to be intimidated by new work for my alma mater has molded me properly to
There’s no place like home:
I can honestly day that I did not want to come back to South Africa and not because of the obvious reasons, but because I fell in love with Helsinki and its people. I have been back for over a month now and oddly enough the only thing I miss considerably is the public transport system and my friends. In all other respects the city is much like Cape Town for me. The trip definitely opened up my eyes the vast amount of study opportunities that exist all over the world. It has changed my perspective completely about travelling and I am currently making plans to go study either in Finland or America in 2015. The experience has also made realize how young South Africa still is and how much we still need to grow, but the beautiful things about this is that we can learn from other countries and adapt their ways in order to produce our own very unique sense of living. I have come to realize as well that no matter where you go the sky is blue and people are people it is a matter of what you make of your trip. You can either play it safe or you can make yourself vulnerable and explore your limits, perhaps even breaking them. I have returned home with new hope about the state of our country and wish to share what I have learned with my country men and women.
