Week 5 - Cultural

This week I had my first get finternational class. It was very interesting as it meant that I got to meet a variety of people from a lot of different backgrounds. We were all talking about our different countries, and we discussed about what made cultures from around the world different. I learnt a lot about different people, and about their cultures. I found this extremely interesting, as in some cultures for example in Spain or Mexico, when someone kisses their hands and puts it in the shape of an O, this can mean very good. However, in other cultures this sign can be very offensive.  There were people in the class from Poland, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France, Vietnam, Korea and Finland. This gave me an inside view into many cultures, and not just the culture of Finland. I also learnt about how the culture of Finnish people can be in a social nature. I went to a reggae concert to see a Finnish reggae band playing.  This band was very good, and it was extraordinary to see how the Finnish people could be so different. Whenever I see Finnish people on the bus, or on the street they seem very solemn and serious. However, when I saw this band, the people were the opposite! They were very happy and joyful, and there were many people dancing. The music was very upbeat, and it was very happy music. It was extraordinary to see how people who lived in such a cold climate, could still experience and create the music than is normally seen in a Caribbean country. There were a lot of Finnish people at this concert, and all the words to the songs were in Finnish, so it was clear that this band, and the venue, were usually filled with Finnish people, and not exchange students. I felt that this was quite refreshing to see, as normally any social events I go to are mainly for the exchange students. This gave me the opportunity to gain a greater insight into the everyday life of a Finnish person, and gave me the chance to get a real taste of some Finnish music firsthand. From this event, I have met many Finnish friends, and they are teaching me more and more everyday about cultural differences in Finland, and also about different Finnish artists.