ಸಾಂಕ್ರಾಮಿಕ!!

Slowly but surely everyday life is returning to us. For the first time in our time here, we have something like a more concrete schedule. But it still isn't easy. The constantly changing timetable and the associated free time are forcefully working against our attempts to be productive.
Don't get me wrong, we are happy not to be constantly overwhelmed with work. Especially since we have some group assignments and essays on the agenda in the near future. On Monday, we also had our first personal meeting with the officials of the start-up company that we will be supporting in our business project. There is a lot of work awaiting us here. The next group meeting took place in the university's employee sauna. Direct access to the lake and a pleasant 65 degrees allowed for mental flights of fancy.
The Finnish way of doing things!

Now let's get back to the important stuff.
The 'International Fiesta Latina' party night organized by Luis was a complete success. The salsa dance course started promptly at 8 p.m. with all the basic steps. Of course, couple dancing was also tried out afterwards. I had a little more luck with the choice of dance partner, but it can be said that French women don't necessarily have rhythm in their blood. Flo's partner was dressed as if she wanted to go climbing straight afterwards. The clunky shoes caused Flo's injured toe (prank accident) more than a few problems. But it should be noted that the world now has two new stars in the salsa sky. One could think that we invented the dance... well, let's say the basic steps... without the spins... and other frills.
Then at 10 p.m., the real party started. Over 100 people, a stage that was too small for all the dance enthusiasts, cheap beer, many lyrical hiccups while singing Spanish songs, and lots of tequila.

Unfortunately, the mood in our shared flat was a bit dampened. The man flu was going around and you know how devastating it can be. Luis was the first to be affected, followed immediately by Konstantin. Zombies from George A. Romero movies looked healthier and more recovered than the two. It's almost a miracle that Flo and I have remained relatively unscathed so far. However, we feel quite beaten up. But we're fighting against it with all available means.
This is one of the reasons why our weekend was rather quiet. Nights spent watching 'Band of Brothers' or 'Narcos', tea instead of beer in the sauna, vegetable stew to replenish vitamins, and about 3 liters of tea per person per day. Of course, we never lost sight of sports. (Go Tampa Bay Buccaneers!) But even here in Finland, Marco's attempts to get rich from betting are not successful.

An important note:
Flo, the youngest in our shared flat, has finally managed to create an Instagram account. So if you want to follow him, you can find him under the name 'florianschlagmueller'.
It's incomprehensible how a twenty-one-year-old can be so averse to newer and, in my opinion, better social media.

Another important note:
The new album by the band 'Being As An Ocean', called 'Waiting for morning to come', has become a masterpiece. It follows us everywhere here. Whether while cooking, in the sauna, or simply sitting together in the evening. If you have Spotify, you should consider immersing yourself in a very special atmosphere.

What we have noticed and experienced in the last few days:

- We eat chicken with rice almost every day (best canteen dish)
- It has gotten quite cold by now, transitional jackets often aren't enough
- We got the highest grade for our first assignment (presentation about Ryanair's supply chain)
- We are probably the only students on campus without a library card
- The kebab tastes quite good at night (otherwise you should avoid eating kebab here)
- We now have a cleaning schedule
- A midnight session introduced us to a Russian card game called 'dummer Junge' (dumb boy) in German. We will try to establish this in Germany as well.
- Still no northern lights in sight
- Marco urgently needs a passport. Otherwise, his plan to go to St. Petersburg will be very distant
- Note: You don't need to wake up at 8 a.m. on Sundays to do laundry, as it can be dry again after about 4 hours (dumbest idea ever)
- We encountered a fox on the street late at night. What was an extraordinary encounter for us seems to be routine here, as many foxes roam the city.