Preparing for FinnFest 2013

"We are not going to put the phonograph on because se on epäkunnossa". Director Melvin Kangas is guiding actors on an old stage of Hancock Middle School, which has not been in use for a while.

A group of actors are training for their play, which is going to be performed at midsummer, as part of various program of FinnFest 2013.

Hancock old Middle School has come to action again. The play group uses the stage every Wednesday and Thursday nights before FinnFest 2013 for training the play.

"Yes, we are practicing on a play for FinnFest. It is called Ten Scenes of Niskavuori, which I have made the translation for from Finnish to English. The play is compilation of three stories; Women of Niskavuori, Bread of Niskavuori and What’s now, Niskavuori?.

Niskavuori is a legendary old Finnish drama series, written by Hella Vuolijoki. The series have had an important role to strengthen Finnish identity.

FinnFest USA is an annual event for American Finns and their descendants which give a chance for American Finns to meet each other over the USA and deepen their knowledge about being Finn. This year the FinnFest will be held in city of Hancock which has a remarkable Finnish heritage and immigration history. They are expecting thousands of visitors to arrive to Hancock and all of the accommodations of the nearby area will be fully booked.

The 16 person group of Niskavuori actors consists mainly of staff and faculty members of Finlandia University and other community members. All of them are amateurs, but the atmosphere there at the hall of Hancock Middle School feels like in any professional play practice. The actors are flinging themselves in the practice and director Melvin Kangas is pointing out some details if needed.

"We practice two times per week, couple of hours each time. We’ll have three performances: the first one is the evening before the opening the FinnFest, Melvin says.

Director Melvin Kangas has had a big amount of work by translating the Finnish play manuscripts to English.

Snow day - again!

Due to adverse weather conditions classes are canceled but offices are open today - 03/20/13.

- informed Finlandia University this morning via Facebook.

I’ve been here only 9 days and this is already the second time when bad weather conditions effect total changes to operation of Finlandia University.

To be honest, I was more than amused when I heard first time about Snow Days here. How on earth can thing like snowfall cause changes to whole academy’s action by cancelling all classes and closing offices? It was troubled to understand for a Finn, who has lived always surrounded by snow and frost.

Snow day at Lapland, Finland few weeks before I left to Michigan. 0°F and a lot of fun!

But last Monday, when I arrived here, I began understand immediately. Snow here is wet and slippery and when it is falling, it usually comes a lot of time. Now it has been falling almost three days and strong wind blows huge snow banks along the roads. Rear wheel drive cars slither on slippery streets which are hilly and also sharp here in town. Using studded snow tires is nowadays illegal here, so the driving in these conditions may be very challenging and cause dangerous situations. People who work and study here at the campus may live far away from here, so commute to here would be too risky. So that’s why the academy wants to secure everyone’s safety.

A snowy downtown of Hancock. Good shoes are needed on sidewalk!

Ok, that’s about the weather which is always a current topic, wherever you go. It’s also an easy topic to discuss about with anyone, because they all have individual experience and expertise about it!

At destination!

Finally I’m here at Michigan to continue Hei Suomi! –program that Eeva and Sanna-Mari started last year successfully.

I arrived last Monday after some flight delays and cancellations which are quite a normal this time of year because of blizzards which have surrounded Upper Peninsula and neighboring areas last weeks. As Eeva and Sanna-Mari had last year, also my travel from Rovaniemi to Hancock took almost three full days. Along with the time difference the travel took naturally its toll and few first days went in some kind of mist. However, I’m beginning to feel at home here more day after day, thanks to hospitable local people here and of course to my new friends here at the Finlandia Hall dorm!

Winter view from my room's window at the Finlandia Hall

 About plans for Hei Suomi! for ongoing spring. The main theme will be E-magazine project which will be produced in co-ordination between South Range Elementary School 3^rd graders and 6^th graders of Aleksanteri Kenan Koulu in Sodankylä, Finland. If that co-operation will come true as expected, it would be a unique and immemorial way to learn about different culture for pupils – and by interactive way even!

Early April the other Finn here this spring, a teacher student Matleena Heikkilä from University of Lapland, will arrive to Hancock. Alongside her we are going to spend the whole month at SRES to teach local 3^rd graders about our culture and language and supervise them with collaborative E-magazine project.

These three weeks before the field period at South Range will begin, I’m going to explore the old Finnish culture here at Upper Peninsula and prepare for teaching too. I’m looking forward to spring and forthcoming adventure including it too!