Heinäkuu! Wanha Woima ja minun syntymäpäiväni!

The first two weeks of July I spent volunteering on an international youth work camp here in my town. There were others from around Europe that came to Oulainen as volunteers for the annual Wanha Woima festival (old things). The first week was spent cleaning and setting up, then the festival ran from Friday-Sunday and we worked on stalls cooking and selling makkara (sausages), coffee, and snacks to the festival goers! Then we also cleaned up the festival grounds afterwards.
We worked all day and then in some evenings there was some sort of program. We just hung out some nights but also we went to the movies, we had a fishing competition, we went to smoke sauna, we participated in a karaoke evening which was held in the town, we had an Olympics night, we played soccer in a swamp out in the forest, and we spent a day at Power Park (an amusement park).
It was a great experience, a lot of work but more than that it was a great chance to meet more people and also practice a little Finnish as I worked on the stands during the festival.

Wednesday the 10th was the day at Power Park, and it also happened to be my 18th Birthday! It was a bit weird having my birthday away from home but it was no matter! I received some really nice gifts from home in the post, including a book which many of my friends and family wrote their birthday wishes to me in! It was a really thoughtful present and I want to thank everyone that wrote in it!
My host family had a birthday party planned for me on Thursday. In the evening we had all of my host families, and some of their families and also some friends come for a typical Finnish gathering with coffee and cakes! It was really nice and I received some very nice gifts from my loved ones here too! I now own many different Marimekko, Pentik, Iittala, and other typical Finnish things.

Friday was a continuation on of my birthday! I headed to Oulu with my host mum and dad and we went to Rotuaari Piknik which is a music festival that has current famous Finnish artists there. The ticket was a part of my gift from them for my birthday.
Saturday we had a wander around Oulu and saw the market place and the infamous policeman statue that is also there.

Kesä on mennyt hyvin täällä suomessa. Täällä on vielä kesä mutta silti sää tuntuu Australian talvelta nyt mutta minä pidän talvesta joten se on ok! 

Minun syntymäpäiväni oli tosi hyvä! Kiitos paljon kaikille! Minä rakastan teitä kaikkia!

(Translates basically as:
The summer has gone well here in Finland. It is summer still here but the weather feels like the Australian winter now but I like winter so it's ok!
My birthday was very good! Thank you very much everyone! I love you all!)