First week at work went great. Only there is sometimes languege problems because some of the workers dont speak english at all. At work we were doing kabel works at supermarket. At my freetime i went to see a beatch or walking.
Our second week in Ústí nad Labem
During our second week in Ústí nad Labem Heikki fell sick so he could not work. at KONE i was working in machinery/production department. I worked with metal bending/punching machines. During my freetime i spent some time with our friends from here. il add some pictures here
Usti seen from a nearby hill
Ustis marketplaces church.
First week in Usti nad labem
The trip to Usti went mostly well. We had some problems in the metro of prague but we solved them easily. Now we have been working at KONE factory in Usti. It has been interesting. The employees of the factory have been very kind and helpfull to us. At our freetime we have spent a lot of time at the centre of Usti. I will add some pictures here 
Our temporary “home”
Went for a job – came back with a story
I just can’t believe that my internship in Holland is over now and this will be my last post to the blog. Unbelievable. You have no idea how much I’m going to miss that all, but I’ll try my best to tell you properly about my last week experiences.
Enjoy.
When my last week started, I was very sad. I started to realize how my time was running out in there. I got my last week schedule and to be honest, I actually was disappointed. All my shifts were in Sky Lounge. The reason why I felt that way wasn’t the place, it wasn’t Sky Lounge workmates either because I really liked them, but it was just the fact that it was my last week and I didn’t had a chance to work with people I had spent the most of my time in main kitchen. But Sky Lounge was nice, I really liked it. They showed me how to make dishes, most of them were deep-fry foods but also sushi and sandwiches with different fillings. I also saw my main kitchen workmates always in the morning, because we had to brought all the groceries from downstairs to Sky Lounge. And I secretly volunteered every time when something was missing and someone had to go to get it from main kitchen 😀 Clever, huh?
My friend Roosa came to Amsterdam on Wednesday the 7th. I had a day off on that day so I went to Schiphol Airport to meet her. Then we had to hurry up and catch our train to Alkmaar. In Alkmaar I showed my accommodation to her and she left her luggage to there. And then we had to hurry up again to the train to Amsterdam. Chef was so nice and arranged tickets for us to Anne Frank House. The tour in the House was a nice experience but on the other hand (if you know the story) we were able to feel the unhappy atmosphere in there… Definitely worth visiting.
After Anne Frank House we took a lot of pictures and then I showed my favorite shopping street to her, the Kalverstraat of course. In the evening we went to my workplace’s restaurant because Chef had made a reservation for us. I ate halibut and Roosa ordered Zita pasta. We also ordered two Creme caramel vanillas for dessert. Yum!
Okay, then my last workday. It was Friday the 9th of December and I started at 10:00 in Sky Lounge. Chef Marcel came to see me in Sky Lounge, he did an evaluation and we filled couple forms. Then we discussed about my internship and how did I perform. I won’t tell details here, but he said that I did a very good job and I easily became a part of the team. He also said that I have to let him know if I’m ever planning to go back to Amsterdam because there will be a job for me. And that’s not all! He gave me a goodbye present, which was a completely new Wüsthof kitchen knife. I was so surprised because I didn’t expect anything! Apparently I did something in a right way 🙂
When the clock was something like 12:30 people told us that they needed help in main kitchen so Daria and I went there. I was super happy. Main kitchen and all my friends, yay! I don’t even remember what tasks I did there, just some ordinary things I think, but I enjoyed every minute of it. I really did. And even though my last day was the saddest one, it was also the best one. I worked with my best friends, Jerry, Ippe, Ernest and Adrian and we had so much fun, we made jokes and laughed like I would stay there forever. And I really loved that.
When the clock came 18:00 it was my time to go. I took a tour in the kitchen, hugged everyone and said the last goodbyes. We added each others on Facebook and changed phone numbers too. I didn’t even notice that it was almost 19:00 when I finally got to my locker. And I started to cry. People had come so close to me during these two months and I couldn’t believe all that was really over. Those were the tears of happiness and sadness at the same time. I’ll miss those guys so much. But I’m trying to comfort myself saying that you never know what happens. Maybe we will see some day, at least I hope we do.
So Friday was my last workday and that meant I had 4 full day offs and then our flight would leave on Wednesday morning. Roosa and I traveled to Amsterdam every day, we shopped a lot and went sightseeing. We also decided to buy another (the third) traveling bag which we shared, because our new clothes and presents didn’t fit to our own traveling bags anymore. We even named our new bag! We chose the name ”Kasa” which means a pile or a mound in English (best friend humor haha). Nothing personal, the inspiration for the name was just the appearance of the bag. It looked just like a big black mound :’D Jeroen also visited in my accommodation for the last time on Monday. He asked about my experiences and I told him how I fell in love with Holland. I also returned his knives and the bike he gave me two months ago.
Wednesday, the day of departure. Schiphol Airport was pretty easy, even though we had to ask some help from information desk. We found the right gate and the plane and so began the journey to cold Finland. When we landed to Helsinki Vantaa Airport I immediately felt the coldness. It was kind of a difference, because when we left Amsterdam it was 10 degrees and in Helsinki it was -4 degrees. I already think if I should book flights back to the Netherlands…
So that was all! I hope you enjoyed my posts and got a good impression about internship abroad because I really did. If someone asked me to describe my trip with 5 words I would simply say ”pure love for two months.”
Regards,
Sirpa
Paving in Denmark
Study trip 14.11.-25.11.2016 in Denmark, Beder
We made 2 weeks’ study trip to Denmark with 8 students and teacher Jari Järvenranta. Our destination was Jordbrugets UddannelsesCenter Århus in Beder.
Purpose of this trip was how to make paving and to use right stones to different places.
We accommodated in dormitory. There were twin rooms with showers and also comfortable shared kitchen and living room.
First week we were working with Danish students in big hall. Floor area was filled with thick sandbed (like sandbox). We were separated in groups with two Danish and two Finnish students. Danish students teached us from step to step. It was really instructive way to learn paving. They had 12 weeks’ experience about paving, but we didn´t have any experience for that and all was new for us. Mostly we used different kind of natural stones.
We made different kind of practices; example how to build the wall, arch with natural stone and also concrete paving.
We also cut stones with stone chisel and used laser for measurement
Teachers were experts and friendly, and they gave us very good advices. One of the teachers has world quiness record in paving. After we finished the first paving project we had a barbeque party
On second week we practiced how to make concrete stone paving. It was more easier that using natural stones.
One day we visited in Hoffman, Unique Garden Design and local Stark. Hoffman is a big landscape company, and they use much more equipment’s in paving work than companies in Finland. They showed us how to use paving machine .
Unique Garden Design is only company in Denmark who makes special design gardening. Quality is very high, but you have to pay for it. For example they ordered customs granite stones from China as a bespoke.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner were eaten in school canteen. The food was delicious and excellent, and special meals were noticed well. The food was just like in 5 star hotel with cheese plates, lots of different salads, fruits and fresh bread/rolls. Kitchen staff was making also morning porridge just for us. When we left the canteen, we had difficulties to put the chairs up . Also in class rooms there were same rules. In our school there is not that kind of rules. It was quite funny when the chef gave a permission to take a food, and all Danish students RUN and picked the food from the buffet table.
We had leisure time also .
Most of us visited in Aros art museum, botanical garden and Moesgård museum.
Walking on the beach was relaxing after the paving days. We also visited Århus many times with busses, because it took only 20 minutes by bus to the city. We also walked in great school area and in small Beder village. We noticed that Danish invest must more to gardening and paving that we in Finland.
I’m so happy and life is good. I don’t want to go back home yet!
Hello people!
About 2,5 weeks, 16 days and less than 384 hours left. I’m going to cry.
What have I learned?
- I’m so brave. I’m actually braver than I thought I would be. And that is because I have had to figure things out by myself. I got a very good start from my school (thank you Sari L) and from Jeroen, but sometimes there are no trains going to Amsterdam when I have to go to work or I have to go to the City Hall to get my BSN letter and stuff like this. I know that these things are normal in Finland too but it’s more difficult to be a foreigner when everything, like the announcements, are in Dutch. But that is life and I have survived pretty well. (And by the way the BSN letter was a piece of cake and now I’m getting my salary normally.)
- I’m not lonely when I’m alone. I always thought that I’d be such a social butterfly – and maybe I still am – but being alone is not a problem to me. I enjoy the silence and the feeling when I can just relax and do just what I want to do. (I already crocheted two kettle holders for example :D)
- I’m so much better in English. Yeah of course because I have to speak it all the time. I’m glad that my workplace is so international, there are people from Poland, Spain, Italy and Estonia for example so they speak English too. And sometimes I just notice that I’m also thinking and writing a grocery list in English accidentally…
What would I do differently in my workplace?
- I have to say this again – garbage sorting. Everything goes to the same garbage bin. Plastic, tin cans, organic waste… Everything, except glass. And that is still a shock to me.
- Hand towels = kettle holders. In Finland I’m used to use kettle holders when I take something out of the oven, but in here we use hand towels. That’s why I always take one or two hand towels to the kitchen with me. (I still think that kettle holders would be so much easier to use…)
What do I love?
- My workmates. They are the biggest reason why my trip has been that awesome. I’m really going to miss them and all those inside jokes when I go back to home.
- Amsterdam. Such a beautiful city.
- Weather. Sun is shining and there’s 10 degrees almost every day. Couple weeks ago it was very cold, only 2 to 0 degrees plus a cold wind but mostly the weather has been very nice.
- People. They are so kind and friendly. I sat in the train once and we heard an announcement, but of course it was only in Dutch and I didn’t understand anything. All the people left the train and I was just thinking that what was going on. But then one girl turned around and told me that I had to change the train if I wanted to go further than Alkmaar. That was so nice from her and I thanked that girl a lot. So that is what I mean when I always praise Dutch people.
- Xenos. It’s a shop with everything – candles, bowls, jars, baking stuff, Christmas decorations, tea, spices and herbs etc. If you know the shop called Tiger, Xenos is kind of the same but bigger and even more versatile.
And then some pictures that Sari T took when she was here.
I have planned to go to Haarlem and Rotterdam this week. My workmates told me that Haarlem is the most beautiful city in the Netherlands and Rotterdam is on my to-do list too. Maybe on Tuesday when I have a day off but I’m not sure yet. Will see.
And I almost forgot! I searched from the internet if there’s any Finnish cafés or restaurants and I found one called A Piece Of Finland. It’s a beautiful Finnish design shop and a coffee corner in Amsterdam and I visited there on Thursday. It was so cozy! The owner is Finnish too so I spoke a lot with her and she made me a cup of hot chocolate and I ate a freshly baked bun. And thereby I started to miss Finland a little. But just a little!
Until next time,
Sirpa
This is what it feels like after 5 amazing weeks
Hey!
Oops… It’s been a while again. I know I should have been written earlier, but I have pretty good excuses.
My teacher Sari was here last Friday with her husband. They arrived 11th of November and came to my workplace almost directly. I had a morning shift at the time, so Jennifer Seib (Human Resources Trainee) and Sari picked me up from the kitchen to the hotel tour with them. I had had the tour twice already, but it was still nice to get that tour for the third time. And especially because this time I got to speak Finnish after a long time! Sari, her husband and I arranged the meeting to Sky Lounge after my shift and then we met there.
After the tour I went back to the kitchen to finish my tasks.
In the evening we met at Sky Lounge and discussed what to do next. The decision was (of course): food. So we ended up to some restaurant and ate pizza.
On Saturday Sari came to work to the hotel’s kitchen with me. To be honest: it was really nice but at the same time very strange 😀 But that’s only because I’ve used to be the only Finnish in the hotel and speak English continuously, and suddenly I got a chance to speak my language again and someone still understood what I said. It was so funny when my workmates asked if I really speak Finnish because it reputedly sounded so weird and they also wondered how we pronounce all the words and especially the consonants. But I’ve also questioned Dutch, because there are a lot of rough ”throat sounds” that I just simply can’t pronounce. And yes, I’ve tried to do that!
On Sunday we had a day off so that meant only one thing. A tourist day! First we went to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum – and that was really worth visiting. Those wax figures took us to their world and we took so many selfies and pictures with them.
After Madame Tussauds we got several options. Maybe Canal Cruise, maybe Anne Frank’s House? First, however, we decided to go eat.
We passed Anne Frank’s House but there was 200-300 meters long queue so we decided not to go there. Instead of that we walked to Magna Plaza which is a big shopping mall. There was a complete Christmas inside the building. After Magna Plaza we went to Kalverstraat, where I had shopped before.
On Monday we went to Heerhugowaard’s Horizon College. We met Jeroen after a long time and he showed the school to us.
We had a freedom to go in the school how we liked and also participate to the classes.
We ate lunch in the school’s student restaurant, where cook students did our dishes and waiter/waitress students served them. The food was very good.
The plan was that after visiting Horizon College we would go to Alkmaar, because I live there and I’d have shown the center and all the cool places but the pouring rain surprised us, so we said our goodbyes already in the train.
So Sari and her husband left on Tuesday afternoon 15th of November. Those five days were really amazing and I’m glad that they came here. Sometimes during their visit I noticed that I spoke English to Sari and Finnish to my workmates by accident 😀
And the second excuse! I’ve got only one day off (Wednesday) after Sari left and all the other days I’ve just worked in the kitchen. So on Wednesday I went to the Alkmaar City Hall to get a BSN letter to my workplace. It’s kind of the same thing as in Finland we have an income-tax card. Otherwise if I don’t have the BSN letter, I have to pay 50% taxes from my payment. But of course no one told me that I have to make an appointment to the City Hall… So I’m going to take a new try on the next Wednesday with an appointment! Let’s see what happens.
I’ve been working couple days in Sky Lounge this week and I really liked it, because I got to assemble and also make all those new dishes. Chef taught almost everything to me and that was really great. Next week – and actually tomorrow – I have new tasks and new things to learn again.
I have now six workdays in a row (4 of them behind, 2 of them left), but that’s okay. I’m not tired at all (yet :D) because that work is just so nice and the people are really kind.
Many times I’ve been asked to speak some Finnish and I’ve also learned some Dutch words. My friend Jerry also taught me some Dutch swear words and my workmates have asked Finnish swear words from me too :’D
I’m so happy here because I can be myself and I don’t have to pretend anything. I can laugh and make jokes with others. I’m part of the team and I love that. This really is the best time of my life so far. Five weeks behind, three weeks left and the sixth week starts tomorrow!
Until next time,
Sirpa
Our trip to Czech Republic
So… We had a very nice trip to the Czech Republic to a city called ustí nad labem and we met so many awesome people there. It really was really an amazing and educational trip. the city of ústi was absolutely beautiful, it had some “not so good areas” but there were so many mountains that there was always a great view anywhere you looked
This is us at the Prague Airport. There were 7 of us altogether. 6 students and our teacher.
There was 1 third year student and 1 ICT student with us, so not everyone were from my class
On our first night we got to our dorm, we were all really exhausted and went straight to sleep. The beds were hard and squeaky, but the pillows were as huge as the door which was nice and really helped to get you to sleep. On the next day we woke up early in the morning and went to study the area that we lived in, it was ghetto as hell but still kind of nice. Our so called “guides” from the schools that were going, warned us about the gypsy families living in the area. They told us to be careful at nights because they have always been a problem there.
The same day we met our first Czech friends Lukás and honza, they were awesome. They did everything with us and we also met other great people thanks to them. We did basicly everything with our friends. We went to the mall, bowling, mcdonalds, teahouses and everywhere. The teahouses were awesome. We were so mad about not having teahouses like those in finland. They looked like someones home from the outside but inside they were really nice and big, they had huge couches everywhere and there always smelled really nice. There was always like a group of 20 people with us in there, i mean we made so many new friends there and it was just great.
We also went sightseeing many times with our friends, there were a lot of sightseeing towers in ústí. Here is a picture from one of them
Of course we also went to school there. On the first week we did some basic electical installations, the same kind we did in our first year at our school. We also did some electronics and such.. the teachers didnt speak english very well but luckily we had translators from our class Jakub and Daniel.
On our second week at school we did dome pressure air systems called pneumatics and some metalwork.
How I’ve been doing + 4 fun facts about life in the Netherlands
Hey y’all!
Almost three weeks behind. Are there something strange in all clocks or why time flies here?
Even so I’m doing very well. I’ve been shopping in Kalverstraat in Amsterdam and in Alkmaar center too. I haven’t been in museums or Anne Frank’s House yet, but I think that’s about to change next week. My teacher, Sari, will come here to my workplace to check this place out.
I’ve been doing really great at work too. I’ve become more acquainted with my workmates and I’m much braver than I was at my first weeks. I’ve also got to do different tasks, like peeling big prawns, assembling dishes and helping pastry team. Talking about the pastry team I got a chance to took couple pictures.
There’s two dishes from the menu. (I was helping to do them!)
Crème Caramel Vanilla: (as far as I remember) crème brûlée, caramel sauce, hazelnuts, chocolate mousse, chocolate chips, passion fruit sorbet, passion fruit seeds and fruit purée.
Eastwood Bucket’s topping selection has caramel sauce, brownie, crème brûlée, tapioca, chocolate pearls, fudge, meringue and cheese cake. There’s vanilla ice cream bucket in the middle of the plate. I think that the best thing so far is working with the pastry team!
First two weeks I used to work 5 days in a week, but from now I’ll work 4 days in a week. Workdays are long, night shifts especially. I easily do 8-9 hours per day. I also have those 40 minutes long train trips in the morning and in the evening too (who ever said that the train journey from Alkmaar to Amsterdam would take only 20 minutes, was so wrong). But I don’t want to complain because I really like to be and work here. And there’s only limited time to do and see all.
There were so many beautiful clothing stores and coffee houses on my shopping tour in Kalverstraat. I took a lot of pictures from there, but of course I didn’t notice to look the name of the café. However the selection was very versatile and the presentation was good-looking.
Well, I think that pictures tell more than words do. Dutch people have gone crazy about Christmas. All these in October! And my workmates told me that I should go to Haarlem. They said that Haarlem is the best (or the worst) with Christmas decorations :’D
And last but not least: those 4 fun facts that hit me very hard and I’ve been ”going through”. So there you go:
- The sorting of garbage – Seriously. People here don’t sort their litter. All organic waste, plastic… All goes to the same bin. It was quite a shock to me, because in Finland we do sorting very carefully (at least I’ve been used to do that).
- Special dietary requirements – The second ‘seriously’ from me. I have a lactose intolerance and there’s a very little amount of lactose free products in grocery stores. I’ve luckily found lactose free milk and cream. But how about the others? You’re telling me that Dutch people and other tourists don’t have allergies? I don’t think so… It’s a same thing at my workplace, I’m pretty sure that those dishes in menu aren’t lactose free or gluten free.
- Finnish debit card doesn’t work in grocery stores – Yes. I have to raise cash from the cash machine every time I need to buy food because Dutch payment terminal doesn’t understand Visa. Luckily Visa works in most clothing stores.
- Clothing stores are taking a payment from plastic bags – Another yes. 10 cents for a plastic bag when in Finland it comes along.
+5. No sauna and no rye bread – I already knew that but still. 🙁
Now I have to hurry and go to sleep. Morning shift, I’m coming for you!
Until next time,
Sirpa
Trip to Czech Republic
We visited in the Czech Republic with 5 other students and our teacher. We started our school week in one of the local schools. We did some basic electricity exercises and made few new friends. The whole school week was really fun and little bit different from our school weeks. At the weekends we hang out at mall or around the city we our local friends. Next week we went to the other school and did some hydraulic piston exercises. It was really great experience! We made lot of new friends and had lot of fun with them. Every one was bit home sick and quite tired after two weeks. It was nice to come back to home and still bit sad because we had to leave our new friends. It was worth it to go there and great practice for English language skills. It would be nice to see some of the local friends again some time!