Pilgrimage

My friends have introduced me to their families on many occasions, but never indirectly before. Jenska said that her family would be thrilled to meet me during my trip so I made it a point to go to her hometown, Tampere. Her cousin, Pauliina, picked me up at the train station and put me at ease in her apartment straightaway. It was the first time we met, but didn't feel that way at all. After changing and looking at photos, we headed out for dinner and drinks with her friend, Tommy. He had studied in Pennsylvania for a year and spoke English as well. Being surrounded by bilingual friends instills in me a desire to overcome my ignorance and learn another language. During my time in Finland, I threw my ten words of Finnish around liberally, but it's not the same. However, as they continually pointed out, English truly is the international language and I have little reason to acquire another one. (How cool it would be, though, to think in French and articulate something besides basic needs.)

We chose a Scandinavian restaurant called Harald and feasted on chicken, fish, vegetables and potatoes. Then they took me to Henry's Pub, which is affiliated with the Henry's Pub in San Diego. Jenska, Patrick and I had gone there, but I didn't realize there was a sister pub in Tampere. Finnish music blared on the radio and we chatted while the cover band set up their equipment. It's amusing to watch an entire bar sing the lyrics (in Finnish) to a popular song oblivious to what they're saying. The band played American covers and I talked with some weird Finnish characters. I guess there are weirdos, even in Finland. All in all, it was a great night with Pauliina and Tommy in my friend's hometown.

The next day felt like a pilgrimage. Pauliina took me to Jenska's house to meet her mother, sister, nephews and niece. I can't describe how odd and wonderful it was to be in her house and see pictures of my dear friend everywhere. Nonetheless, her absence was great and we spoke of her constantly. Upon arriving at her house, Maija (Jenska's mom) welcomed me warmly and served us delicious Finnish dishes. (I don't have a prayer of spelling the dish names. Suffice it to say, each one was polysyllabic and scrumptious.) Then, we completed the ritual that was an absolute must for my visit: time in the saunu. From what my new friends tell me, there are five million Finns and 2.5 million saunas so it's an inherent part of their culture. And there's one point I must make about saunas. Patrick, Jenska and I debated about whether there is such a thing as a 'sauna culture.' After visiting there, I strongly disagree with Patrick. Evidence that supports a 'sauna culture' abounds in the form of saunas in nearly every building, Finnish movies containing the inevitable sauna scene, Finnish songs referring to saunas in their lyrics and on and on. So Maija prepared the sauna for us and helped make the pilgrimage even more authentic. It felt like true assimilation into the Finnish culture.

Soon after, Jenska's sister Emmi arrived with her three kids, Arttu, Eetu and Minttu (I have no idea how to spell their names). Emmi spoke some English, but the kids did not so we mostly communicated through smiles and my ten words of Finnish. It was like the little French girl on the train. Usually, I know the perfect thing to say to kids, but there was nothing I could do other than have Pauliina translate a few sentences. In any case, it was lovely to meet these adorable kids after seeing pictures of them for several years.

Clearly, the most trippy part of the evening was calling Jenska in Long Beach from her bedroom in Tampere. I thought of the reverse scenario and how strange that might be as well: Jenska calling me from my bedroom in Ohio. Either way, it was cool to tell her about my sauna experience, going to Henry's Pub, spending time with Pirjo and Pauliina and how great it was to see where she came from.

That night, Pauliina and I also visited her parents, sister's family and her rugrat dog. Again, I wished I could find the Finnish frequency to have a conversation with everyone. Nonetheless, you can tell when a family is lovely just from watching them. Pauliina, her friend Marika and I went out for a Tampere pub tour as well. I enjoyed the Finnish music again and had a great time into the late hours. Tampere was a beautiful city from all angles.

The next day, Pauliina showed me another Finnish film, 'Levottomat' ('Restless'), and translated the dialogue for me. (And yes, the film contained the obligatory sauna scene.) Thanks to Pirjo, Pauliina and Jenska's family, I felt like I saw the real Finland. It wasn't the tourist center suggesting what to do or where to go. Experiencing the real thing was what made my pilgrimage meaningful. Like Helsinki, I arrived in Tampere to see Jenska's family. When I left, they felt like mine as well.