To celebrate me remembering the PIN code for my debit card, Marja treated me and Camilla to a chocolate mousse cake and strawberry-rasberry juice at a charming little cafe.
When we sat down at our table outside, we noticed an old woman wearing an oversized gray sweatshirt and green pants sitting on the floor, stroking her fluffy white poodle quite thoughtfully. As we ate, she occasionally glanced up at us and smile, seemingly unsure of how to initiate a conversation.
Two minutes later, she suddenly started speaking to Marja in Finnish (duh), and Camilla translated their conversation for me. Apparently, this old woman said that I looked like her daughter-in-law, who's from Tokyo. While on a college study abroad trip to Japan, her son had met the old woman's current daughter-in-law, and they later started a family in Stockholm, Sweden! Her grandchildren can speak four languages: Japanese, Finnish, Swedish, and English, which is absolutely amazing. However, there was a hint of grief in her voice as she spoke about the woman "who had taken her baby away." "Now this poodle is my new baby," Camilla translated for me.
How bittersweet.
After we arrived home, Marja invited her colleagues and friends to our house so that I could meet them! To my surprise, I was able to carry on a conversation with them in Finnish! I introduced myself, where I'm from, who my parents and siblings are, my experience in Finland so far, etcetc. One of the women, Liisa commented on how beautiful my pronunciation was! Time really goes by quickly- five weeks ago, I didn't even know what the word for "apple" was.
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