The 24-hour camp

On Wednesday 9 October about at noon we headed by bus to Kaunisniemi camp center in Lammi and the 24-hour entrepreneurship camp.

After everyone had settled down, the campers including all the Germans and some Finns gathered to the main hall to start the camp on the lead of the leaders. Then we went out to form the groups in which the campers would work during the whole camp. As Valeri and Lauri were leaders, me and Vera were some special advisors without an official assignment. We helped the campers with the presentations and also documented the camp. Furthermore I had to collect and show the presentations in the presentation session of the morning.

When group members had become acquainted with each other, the work started. The groups were told to make up some new business ideas that could work in real life. They had just a little time to first do brainstorming about possible ideas, then to select the best and develop it, and finally do SWOT analysis about the idea.

After coffee break, it was time to start an essential part of the 24h camp, the task points. There were eight task points as well as groups and every group went through each of them. In three workshops the groups did things related to their businesses: they did their business plans, developed the products and invented a name and a logo for the companies.

The other five task points were very different. Lauri and Valeri were responsible for "Logwork Orange", a special relay were teams had to try particular uncomfortable "sports" for example running with a log between the legs and an orange under the chin. In one task point the groups had to complete as many missions as possible in a short time, in another they had to solve a fictional murder mystery, one was a cake decorating task and the last was just a casual Singstar playing point. In the middle of the task points we had dinner.

When the task points were over we ate some evening snack. The night time was for preparing Powerpoint presentations about the businesses because in the morning the groups would give presentations to a prestigious jury. In the evening we guys went to sauna and taught some Finnish sauna habits to Simon, Christopher and Mr Vogt. They stood the heat well. Other night activities were Singstar and Guitar Hero. Many students stayed up all night and therefore were seriously tired the next day. I admit that myself too.

At 6 am it was time to wake up for those who weren't awake already. After a lazy morning workout the groups had to give a fashion parade where one person from each group wore a plastic bag.

Before the groups presented their businesses to the jury we had breakfast and the teams prepared themselves. At 9 o'clock a special guest, a tourism entrepreneur from Evo national park visited the camp and started the final presentations.

After the last coffee break the jury revealed the winners who were allowed to select their prizes first from the huge award table full of gift products. The title of the best business idea of the 24-h camp 2013 went to FREDcellent healthy lifestyle mobile application. The best groups from each competitive task points, for example the cake baking, were awarded too. Every camper earned a diploma and then the hard camp had ended..

9.10.2013

On wednesday we woke up somewhere around seven and eight in the morning. Like every other morning this week we had breakfast right before we left to school. Last night we had packed up all the clothes and other things we were going to need in the 24h-camp.

That morning Vera didn't have any other lessons than the german lesson we Finns had. There the Finns learned how to point directions in german if someone asked. At the end of the lesson Mr. Vogl went hiding and left them these direction in german and they had to look for him inside the school building.

At the same time the Germans were having a finnish lesson with Mrs. Virtanen. After that we went to have lounch in our school canteen and then to the bus which was going to take us to Kaunisniemi in Lammi. We arrived at the 24h-camp approximately at 12 o'clock. There the camp leaders were waiting for us. the weather was cold and windy but still almost everyone went to sauna and swimming in the evening!

Some of us hosts had been in the camp before so Valeri and Lauri were leaders with some students from the second class in our school. This was the third time in the camp for Vera and Samuli so they were just helping everyone else with the powerpoints and gave advices on what to do with the business plan everyone had to invent in groups.

For the rest of the evening and night the groups prepared their presentations and sang Singstar and just had a good time with new friends! Unfortunately we don't have any pictures from this but we hope someone could put their pictures from the camp to this blog.

- Vera and Nathalie

 

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?fbid=389537074483110&set=a.279326558837496.49517.278557645581054&type=1&theater

8.10.2013
We woke up at 7 o`clock when Hennas alarm started to ring. With only less than 6 hours sleep we were really tired. Our breakfast was actually pretty typical in finland: porridge. 7.30 we left the house and went to school, still very tired but also excited. Before we could start we had to finish the guided tour through Hämeenlinna. We arrived Valkeakoski at 9.00. What we saw first was a big academy building with students from all over the world. There were even Germans. Who was also german was Mr. Rassl who gave us presentation about Finland and cultural differences and similarities. He also gave us guided tour in university of applied sciences. It was also very interesting that he had just got a finnish passport. After his presentation we had lunch in the cafeteria. There was a lot of food that we could choose from. After that we took a group photo, thanked Mr. Rassl and left to Tampere. There we did some sightseeing and then we had some freetime for shopping etc. After leaving Tampere we did some sightseeing (again) with the bus. We arrived Hämeenlinna about 17:30. We were really tired and wanted just to lay down so we watched Desperate housewives for the rest of the day.

Saturday :)

Moi! 

On Saturday morning we woke up at 9.30 and had some nice breakfast. Rice Krispies are actually so tasty. 

At 11 o'clock the Finns and the Germans met in front of the Hämeenlinna Lyseon lukio. We took Aulangon tekosaaret to our destination. Walking in the fresh morning air was nice and we also could hear some interesting presentations about signs in Hämeenlinna. We got to know about Hämenlinna's castle and the Vanaja lake. We passed by a military museum, urban city park and walked by Vanaja vesi.

Weather was truly amazing while our

two hour walking.

At the Aulangon tekosaaret there was a little cabin rented for us. There was a nice open fire. We had lunch packages from our host families. We grilled some sausages, corn, bread and marshmallows. After this nice barbeque some of us went to the Aulanko näkötorni but we went home. 

At home our girlfriends from this program joined us and we had a ladies night. We drank tea and had different cakes like carrot cake, pineapple pie, crumble pie etc.and just chatted and laughed together. After that we watched a movie, danced on NRJ's music and just chilled.

We met others from this program also later that night. We went to play billiard in a nice local playing house. We weren't maybe very good at it but it didn't matter and we had so much fun. 

So we really enjoyed our day together. 

Kaisla & Romy :)


PS: Our song of the day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SJvKDAF8Xk

The first night and the fireworks.

As soon as the Germans had settled in somehow, we left to the event called Black Market Night, at around 7 o'clock, that was held in the city center.

         After a while of searching a parking spot we found one next to our school so the walk wasn't too long. After finding our friends we started to wander the city and to check out what was happening there. Then was a good time for a coffee break. 

         When we had finished our drinks, we started to go towards Hämeensaari where the fireworks were sent from. We got good spots to observe from a Finnish Baseball field. After a brilliant show we then went on to grab something little to eat and then head back to our homes.

-Heleen & Valeri

Family day - sunday 6.10

We ate breakfast in about ten o'clock in the morning. We had porridge, pig meat and a dessert cream what was made out of berries (cloudberries and wild strawberries). Then we started to pack because we were going to lean-to.

We ride to lake Melkutin to Räyskälä by bikes about six kilometers. There we had problem: there wasn't any firewoods. But luckily others  were there too cut some wood and we made fire. Then Claudia went with my mom around the lake. They needed about two hours.

Claudia especially enjoined the quietness and the colorful nature. When the two came back we started eating. We ate sausages, pancakes and marshmallows. After that Claudia tried fishing. But she wasn't lucky: all what she cached were leaves and little peaces of wood. In the later afternoon we cicled back to our house. There we red and joined Facebook.

 Tarusisko Hirvenoja and Claudia Hoffman

The first day

It had been over a year since we had been in Bautzen so it was exciting to meet all the German pupils again. We were told that the Germans would arrive to our school approximately 11:30. And like as Germans usually do, they were right on time. I welcomed Simon to Hämeenlinna and then we went to eat to the school canteen.
Starting to speak was little bit hard at first, but as we started it has been easier and easier everyday. At school after the lunch we went to see a presentation about our school presented by our secondary principal Erno Tossavainen. He told us some things about school and the partnership between our school which has been there for a long time. Also Kaisla, Klaudia and Iida sang to us, and we liked it. Simon`s first impressions about the school were that it is a very old and traditional building with a long history.
After the program in school was over we went to our home where Simon would live the next 7 days. Simon said that my family welcomed him heartily and we drank a cup of coffee and tea while speaking and getting to known better. We made a little a walk in the area and left to the black market night.

Simon Böttner and Kalle Kattelus

A great weekend is soon ending. I encourage you all to contribute to the blog.
The programme at our school, Lyseon lukio, has so far included welcoming address with music, a German lesson for the Finns and a Finnish lesson for the Germans on Friday. On Saturday we enjoyed sunshine and wind on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi, a magnificent view from the Observation Tower in Aulanko, and sporty atmosphere in the ice hall. Looking forward to more!