I’ve already lived in Finland for two months and I think it’s the time to reflect about my Erasmus and my work here. When I arrived Finland, my main objective was to meet people from different countries, to learn from them, and I think I got it! Furthermore, I can say that two months later, I continue meeting new people every day!

However, if I stop and I think about my period living here, I’m getting more things that this one. My Erasmus and the opportunity to work with Daisy Ladies is helping me to grow up. Now, I don’t cross the door of Daisy Ladies with the same thoughts I did in the beginning. Now, I cross the door confident, with knowledge to use and more excited to learn that before. I must be thankful to Daisy Ladies for all these improvements!

I think I’m reflecting about all these things because I’m aware of my period here is finishing, and I must enjoy it as much as possible! Now, my goal for these weeks, is to learn as I’m doing since I arrived, but especially, I want to teach, and leave in Daisy Ladies and in these beautiful people something of my personality and experience, to be part of this family although I have to come back to my daily life.

Before start Erasmus you always think at least once what could happen if you don’t meet people. It is imposible! Here everybody meet people! This kind of programs are for that, so everybody has a very opened mind and like making new friends everyday.

Finnish people is so kind, i met a few of them and they are very friendly. The first night I didn’t have where to sleep, and I slept in a finnish girl’s house, she was so kind! They always want to help people and if you speak with them respecting their personal space, they will be comfortable.

But here I haven’t met people only from Finland, I met people from so many contries! I’m living in Student Village, and here there are a lot of Erasmus people. I live with people from Italy, Belgium, UE, Hong Kong, France… and Spain also! It is amazing to spend time with different people everyday, and we are not too much differents! For example, I met three girls that are scouts like me! Juliette from Belgium, Caroline from France and Dana from Germany. Wherever you go, you will find people with the same values as you. It was the reason for I wanted to live that experience, it is something that everybody must experiment!

– Silvia

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Hi everyone, I’m Jiayi. This week is amazing, we had a “China Day” on Monday. I wear a Chinese shirt (made in daisy ladies) which is beautiful. And we pasted spring couplets and windowpanes together, we made the room like a Chinese house. Everything was perfect. Tea ceremony, chopsticks learning, Tai Chi, calligraphy and makeup, they made me feel like home. I enjoy introducing Chinese culture to others, and I think it’s indispensable for immigrant background ladies to know other cultures. Because nowadays, the social orientation is diverse, instead of the single interest one, which is called social pluralism. What’s more, with the development of communication technology, the diversity is a major factor for our national survival. As a part of this country, this is also a necessary factor for us. Countries consist of people from different culture, knowing each other is not just for making friends, the most important is to understand and reduce conflict. Last week, I went to Lapland, the most impressed thing is when I looked up at night, I saw stars covered with the sky. They are so beautiful, but I know why I love the sky? I love the stars, not one of them. They made everyone surprised because they shine together and illuminate the starry sky. And so do us. Where do we go? Maybe we just go together, this is enough for now.

– Jiayi

Today I want to speak about one topic that it can look like a problem for people that is doing Erasmus like me, but I can tell you in advance that it isn’t something we can face: “languages”

Is the language a barrier to learn or to work in a foreign country? Yes, it is, but it doesn’t mean that it would be a problem. Communication between people with a different language is only difficult if you don’t try to learn and to understand. Since I came here, I hear every day so many languages that I don’t understand, but it isn’t a matter!

It is truth that at the beginning, everything is a mess, because it is weird to listen a language and not understand it, and with Finnish, it happens every day! Finnish is a very difficult but very logical language; it is so different if you compare it with languages like English or French. But foreign people in Finland have an advantage so big: everybody knows English, included elderly and children! So, it is so easy speak with Finnish people.

But English is not always a solution to resolve the language barrier. In Daisy Ladies there are women from different countries, like Iran, Irak and Somalia, and a few of them don’t speak English, so it is a mess! But as I said before, if you want to communicate, it is not a problem. Body language is so similar around the world, and although they speak between them in Arabic or Finnish, someone that speak English can translate the most important things and help you in the conversation.

As a summary, I’m always in an atmosphere where I don’t understand the language that people use, but it isn’t uncomfortable or weird. We must understand that everybody is more comfortable speaking in their own language, so if we arrive to a foreign country, we have to do an effort to learn and participate actively in the conversation and communication. Now, I understand some words in Finnish and Arabic!

– Silvia

“YSTÄVÄNPÄIVÄÄ”

Last week, we celebrated in Daisy Ladies one of the most beautiful days of the year: “St Valentine’s Day”. But this day in Finland is more beautiful and special that in countries like Spain, where this day is only for couples. Here, on 14^th of February is “Ystävänpäivää”, that means “Friend’s Day”. Everybody hug each other and spend time with their friends, it is so beautiful!

And Daisy Ladies, as a family that they are, celebrates it also. We started the day having a delicious breakfast and we were spending time together, listening to music. Manthana did a big heart of paper with some red roses we did the day before, she’s and artist!

There was an amazing atmosphere, of happiness and love, but it was better when we did an amazing activity, where each one had to write beautiful and positive adjectives of the others. It was so beautiful! Daisies wrote me that I’m beautiful, kind, friendly, and they feel as I was their daughter! It was so emotive.

Daisy Ladies is always doing beautiful things. I love this place and these people! Now, I have a pink heart full of positive words that I’ll bring to my home country when I’ll come back. But it hasn’t got only a few words, it has the essence of beautiful people.

– Silvia

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Hi everyone, I am Jiayi. The most impressed thing this week I want to share with you is a movie, “Where do we go”.

The movie is about anti-war theme in this feminine perspective, with Lebanon’s Christian and Muslim clashes as the background. It uses black humor to tell the story of women living in the same small village by various means to bridge the conflict between their Muslim or Christian husbands and sons. The unique female perspective on the interpretation of religious ethnic conflicts is extraordinarily moving. There is both the joy and the pain. A group of women can pretend to be psychic for peace, or even hide her son’s body alone, and give up their beliefs. This is my first time to watch movies about religion. My family doesn’t have religion, in that case, I have never experienced the choice of religion and peace. And I am really sorry that I can just cry for the mother that her boy dead for the chaotic war, instead of truly understanding. In my mind, if there is war, then everyone must and should try their best to ensure that all gun muzzles are pointed to foreign invaders. So when I saw the mother hide her boy just for the whole village’s peace, I seem to really understand what is the conflict between religion and war. And women’s power and their wisdom are great. They are the most beautiful women. This film is referred to as the “third film”, which is different from the “first film” (Hollywood film) that swept the audience with spectacles and the “second film” (art film) which is centered on the author. They regarded the movie as a national liberation movement. “The camera is a rifle, the film is a detonator, and the projector is a gun which is capable of shooting 24 frames per second. This is right, peace shouldn’t be born with, but peace is everything, and we deserve it.

– Jiayi

I’ve been in Daisy Ladies for already 26 days, almost a month! The days pass and I really feel at home. These women are teaching me more than they think, and I’m very comfortable here. I believe it is amazing that they welcomed me and Jiayi very well since we came the first time, and now we are part of Daisy Ladies. They include us in all activities, and they always help us. Jasmine and Saediya are always translating us everything in English, so I don’t know where we could do without them! And the women that effort everyday and think activities and search resources to help these daisies, I think they are incredible. Neriman for example, she is an artist! She paints so well and her activities are so original and creative. Anays makes an atmosphere of happiness and motivation, she is always smiling! And she is able to transmit energy to people around her, something so important to enjoy everything you do. Thanks of Birgit, Finnish language is a bit easier, I’m improving it! I don’t know what we would do without her patience. This week she told us this sentence: “Omaa maa mansikka muu maa mustikka” that means “home sweet home”, it is perfect to describe that place!

One of Scouts rules is that we are in this world to help another people and to do their life easier, leaving our problems in another side, and give people around us the facilities to be comfortable and feel happy with our presence. I think that sometimes I forget it, I’m so focus in my things and I lose this essence that characterize us. But these women remind me it everyday.

I’m not going to be here for so much more time, and I really think what am I going to do without this big family. I’m trying to learn everyday as much I can because I’m sure it is an opportunity I can only live once in life.

– Silvia

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Hi, I’m Jiayi. New week is coming again.

I gained a lot this week. Daisy ladies really gave me so much surprise. There are always creative activities, everyday is different and new. Finland is really a wonderful country, but the weather here is cloudy and rainy. It’s difficult for immigrants to find their sense of belonging. So it’s really important to keep our ladies fresh and interesting at all times. Daisy ladies does a good job in this area. Here, everyone feels like home and family. This really helps us and makes me remind of my family. Thanks to my Finnish teacher, my Finnish got some progress (Finnish is really difficult), I have learned some simple greetings and numbers. And I knew a few more ladies. Almost every morning I could meet Makka in the bus. She is so nice and so beautiful, the first time I met her I couldn’t find she is pregnant, her baby must as pretty as her, wish that I could see her baby. And I have to say Mathana, I like her very much. She is good at handcraft, her elephants are the cutest in the world. What’s more, There are countless ideas in her brain, if I have them I would get A in every class. Of course, Neriman’s cakes, I would never forget their taste, nothing could replace them.

Daisy ladies gave me so much surprise, and I would prepare a surprise for everyone here. Surprise!!!!!!!

– Jiayi

HEMMOTTELUPÄIVÄ

This week I want to share with you what we did on Monday 3rd February, because i believe that it shows the essence of Daisy Ladies. This day had the goal of improve our skills and to look after our body, something very important to be proud of ourselves.  After doing a bit of exercice and dance to wake up and to be ready for the day, we did and amazing activity: henna tattoos! Some daisies knew how to do them, and I think it is amazing they want to share their artistic skills with us. People from different countries sharing their knowledge and skills in a same activity, teaching each other and having fun together. This is Daisy Ladies!

The last activity of the day was a class to learn how to look after our skin. We did it also together, and we learnt a lot from the professional who gave us the tips and from each other! Do you know how many creams you must use to have your skin in good conditions? A lot of them!

To learn and to have fun together at the same time, it is the best way to live 😊

– Silvia

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Hi, I am Jiayi. Time flies in Daisy Ladies, it’s Friday again. I have to say this week is too amazing that I don’t want to leave it.

On Monday, we went to play games together, this is one of the most wonderful things there. Everyone comes from different cultural background, everyone has their own personality, so it’s difficult to make everybody join. However, we were all happy. I thought of the Howthorne effect. We all tried our best to join in, the most important point is not how funny the game is, it’s enough attention and encourage for everyone. I am very lucky to meet Anays and learn much from her. She just won’t leave anyone alone. I am always thinking what is indispensable to people with immigration background, we should make them feel like home. Of course, they need the language, work and the necessities of life, but what about the psychological necessities? This is the primary for their psychological identity. I hope if one day I could work in immigration, I could have such passion and considerateness like her. And I got an excellent gift from Neriman, she painted a beautiful butterfly on my hand, I couldn’t believe this was her first time to do this, I wish I could have such flexible hands. On Wednesday, I made dumplings and rice balls for ladies, because it would soon be Lantern Festival, I hope to celebrate with them. Rice ball in China means reunion, we don’t cut it, this means nothing can separate us, no matter where we are, our hearts are always together, “但愿人长久，千里共婵娟”. During the production, there are some problems, thanks to Jasmine and Saediya, they were always by my side. I couldn’t make it without them. I am so sorry that I spent too much time to cook that ladies had to wait for me, I promise it won’t happen again.

For me, it’s difficult to remember everyone’s name. Because every lady is so beautiful and their names’ meanings are different from names in China. But I can recognize 7 ladies now, every week I can make some new friends. It’s really a good thing that there is something to look forward to in the life. And I give best wishes to my country, please get well soon.

– Jiayi