Week 40 at Folkis
На этой неделе снова ходили на байдарках с нашим "классным руководителем", а потом персонально обсудили с ним свою учебу. Были также полезные уроки о системе образовании в Финляндии, правильном питании (в рамках нового курса о здоровом туризме) и по немецкому языку.
On Monday we had a Finnish class. It was too easy for me, which put me in a bad mood for a couple of days...
On Tuesday our group went kayaking again. This time we went to the opposite, north-east direction. The landscape was not so beautiful, as it was dominated by the cement factory. One has to put up with it though, because the cement factory is the principle employer in this town. Each of us had a one-place kayak, and mine was rather heavy, so I constantly lagged behind the group.
Irina
Godfrey
Hans, a student of Finnish from Austria, who joined us.
Our teacher James.
Passing a bridge
Taking a pause.
On Wednesday we had a personal discussion of our study plans with James. I asked for a more advanced Finnish course, and James said that our group was going to be divided in half, so that there would be equal teaching for each level. I also suggested that we should get more reading stuff about tourism, for example articles from the Finnish press. James welcomed this idea.
On Thursday we had quite informative classes. The first one was given by Magnus, who talked about the Swedish areas in Finland and the Finnish educational system.
Then we had a class with Sussi, a teacher of wellness tourism. The first class was about nutrition, Sussi's favourite topic. She told us many things about organic foods and proper diets, which are quite difficult to follow, primarily because of the high cost of organic foods.
The lesson was concluded with a relaxing massage, which Sussi administered to our heads and necks.
* * * * *
Educational system in Finland
Åbolands folkhögskola was created in 1892, and in 1968 it became vocational.
The preschool education in Finland consists of the nursery (daghem or barnträdgård) and a preparatory school the 6-year olds (förskola, Finnish: ensikoulu).
Then there is the 9-year secondary school (groundskola, sammanhållen skola), which was previously divided into lågstadium (alaaste) and högstadium (yläaste).
After school children have the choice of going either to gymnasium, which theoretical (and also old-fashioned) or a professional college (yrkesutbildning). In Sweden these two forms have been combined (gymnasialstadiet). In Finland there is also a tendency to combine them, and nowadays students can get a kombiexam by studying yrkesutbildning and in addition getting several courses from a gymnasium. For the final exam (studentexam) students must take four subjects, of which the mother language is obligatory.
The Education system in general consists of five levels:
1. Grundutbildning (9 years)
2. Andra stadiet: Gymnasium or Yrkestutbildning (for young people)
3. Vocational studies for adults
4. Polytechnics (e.g. for tourism: Novia, Helia, Arcadia, Högskola på Åland)
5. Universities
We are on the third level. People who have work experience in the field can only take the exam to obtain the qualification. The degree in tourism is called restonomi.
Nutrition
- Plants grown with fertilizers do not get all the necessary minerals.
- In Finland organic foods are marked “Luomi”. It is important to avoid non-organic potato, apples and strawberries, which are heavily sprayed with pesticides.
- Eggs: Buy eggs from free hens (I do) and Omega 3 eggs. Eggs should be stored in room temperature.
- Milk: Pasteurized and homogenized milk should be avoided. There is no other milk, unless it is directly from a cow, so it is better to buy kefir (called surmjölk or pimää in Finland).
- It is important to get enough sunshine. Sunshine produces vitamin D in the body, which in turn helps to absorb calcium.
- Sugar causes an increased level of insulin, which stops the absorption of vitamin D, magnesium and potassium, therefore sugar should be avoided. Diabetic diet is very good for other people as well.
- Do not eat margarine (I don't): it is heated to high temperatures and bleached. Butter is better.
- Fat is important for the body. Good fats: olive oil (for dressings, not frying), natural coconut oil (if not rancid). For frying butter will do. Do not use sunflower and other vegetable oils. In winter (but not in summer) it is good to consume cod-liver oil.
- Sources of minerals: quinoa seeds, seaweeds (spirulina, wakame, chlorella).
- In Finland people do not have enough magnesium and zinc in the body.
* * * * *
Also on Thursday I went to a German class, which was useful.
On Friday we made presentations about the Seven Wonders of the World and searched for tourist companies in the region for a study visit, which we are going to make next week.
On Monday we had a Finnish class. It was too easy for me, which put me in a bad mood for a couple of days...
On Tuesday our group went kayaking again. This time we went to the opposite, north-east direction. The landscape was not so beautiful, as it was dominated by the cement factory. One has to put up with it though, because the cement factory is the principle employer in this town. Each of us had a one-place kayak, and mine was rather heavy, so I constantly lagged behind the group.
Irina
Godfrey
Hans, a student of Finnish from Austria, who joined us.
Our teacher James.
Passing a bridge
Taking a pause.
On Wednesday we had a personal discussion of our study plans with James. I asked for a more advanced Finnish course, and James said that our group was going to be divided in half, so that there would be equal teaching for each level. I also suggested that we should get more reading stuff about tourism, for example articles from the Finnish press. James welcomed this idea.
On Thursday we had quite informative classes. The first one was given by Magnus, who talked about the Swedish areas in Finland and the Finnish educational system.
Then we had a class with Sussi, a teacher of wellness tourism. The first class was about nutrition, Sussi's favourite topic. She told us many things about organic foods and proper diets, which are quite difficult to follow, primarily because of the high cost of organic foods.
The lesson was concluded with a relaxing massage, which Sussi administered to our heads and necks.
* * * * *
Educational system in Finland
Åbolands folkhögskola was created in 1892, and in 1968 it became vocational.
The preschool education in Finland consists of the nursery (daghem or barnträdgård) and a preparatory school the 6-year olds (förskola, Finnish: ensikoulu).
Then there is the 9-year secondary school (groundskola, sammanhållen skola), which was previously divided into lågstadium (alaaste) and högstadium (yläaste).
After school children have the choice of going either to gymnasium, which theoretical (and also old-fashioned) or a professional college (yrkesutbildning). In Sweden these two forms have been combined (gymnasialstadiet). In Finland there is also a tendency to combine them, and nowadays students can get a kombiexam by studying yrkesutbildning and in addition getting several courses from a gymnasium. For the final exam (studentexam) students must take four subjects, of which the mother language is obligatory.
The Education system in general consists of five levels:
1. Grundutbildning (9 years)
2. Andra stadiet: Gymnasium or Yrkestutbildning (for young people)
3. Vocational studies for adults
4. Polytechnics (e.g. for tourism: Novia, Helia, Arcadia, Högskola på Åland)
5. Universities
We are on the third level. People who have work experience in the field can only take the exam to obtain the qualification. The degree in tourism is called restonomi.
Nutrition
- Plants grown with fertilizers do not get all the necessary minerals.
- In Finland organic foods are marked “Luomi”. It is important to avoid non-organic potato, apples and strawberries, which are heavily sprayed with pesticides.
- Eggs: Buy eggs from free hens (I do) and Omega 3 eggs. Eggs should be stored in room temperature.
- Milk: Pasteurized and homogenized milk should be avoided. There is no other milk, unless it is directly from a cow, so it is better to buy kefir (called surmjölk or pimää in Finland).
- It is important to get enough sunshine. Sunshine produces vitamin D in the body, which in turn helps to absorb calcium.
- Sugar causes an increased level of insulin, which stops the absorption of vitamin D, magnesium and potassium, therefore sugar should be avoided. Diabetic diet is very good for other people as well.
- Do not eat margarine (I don't): it is heated to high temperatures and bleached. Butter is better.
- Fat is important for the body. Good fats: olive oil (for dressings, not frying), natural coconut oil (if not rancid). For frying butter will do. Do not use sunflower and other vegetable oils. In winter (but not in summer) it is good to consume cod-liver oil.
- Sources of minerals: quinoa seeds, seaweeds (spirulina, wakame, chlorella).
- In Finland people do not have enough magnesium and zinc in the body.
* * * * *
Also on Thursday I went to a German class, which was useful.
On Friday we made presentations about the Seven Wonders of the World and searched for tourist companies in the region for a study visit, which we are going to make next week.