Finnish International Student, Alex Niva, kicked off the Feb.14, 2024, International Club meeting with a presentation about the history of Finland. Niva spoke about a company that represents Finland, for example Rovio noted for the “Angry Birds” series and the economy highlighting their efforts toward women’s representation in society, education, and culture. This will be happening more often, as every week the International Club will honor a different culture in some way. The rest of the meeting allowed a chance for club members to watch the French film, “Les Visiteurs,” with popcorn, cupcakes, chips, and soda.
On the topic of Finland, I was able to visit during a family vacation for New Year’s in 2020. Unlike my time here in the United States, I did not stay in Finland to study abroad. However, I remember I tried salmon soup, which is still my favorite soup to this day. Not to mention, the landscape of Finland in winter was surprisingly beautiful.
One of the most fascinating pieces from Alex’s presentation is that some iconic brands, like IT company Linux, and games like Angry Birds and Clash of Clans originated in Finland. It is a very nice country that is absolutely worth visiting!
Getting to watch the movie, “Les Visiteurs” was also interesting as well. This is the story of a 12th-century French knight and his squire who accidentally time-travel to the present. They encounter current societal norms of which they have no experience, for instance; taking a bath; washing their hands in the sink; having meals with the host family; and using the locomotion of the era, a car. By the end of the movie, the time-travelers find their way back to their time and their home.
In the film, we could see much of French culture and it was interesting to see how the people in the ancient era assumed the present life. They accepted everything despite their assumptions as ancient Frenchmen without any fuss. Although they got in a lot of trouble with their host family, their life in current France was going to be fun, too bad they had to get back to their time.
