Oh my god, I know the answer. I thought. I can answer this question. I can do it. This is it. I shot my hand up. Saikkonen, my physics teacher looked at me, paused for a second, and said "Claire?" seeming to draw out the "a" in my name. I took a deep breath and said "kahdeksan piste nolla kertaa kymmenen toista." "kyllä" he said, smiling. I let a slight smile show on my lips, but on the inside my brain was having a dance party in my skull. YEAH BABY!!! You're the master! Achievement unlocked tothemax! Take that Finland! I had just answered "eight point zero times ten squared", but I might as well have cured cancer. I spent the rest of the class floating on a cloud of euphoric bliss. I didn't even bother paying attention, it was no use to try; I was way to busy giving hi-fives to each of the neurons in my brain.
In case you haven't guessed, my language skills have improved immensely. Since the beginning of the second jakso, I have actually understood what was going on in class. Admittedly, most of my courses are on things I have already studied, but it still feels awesome. This jakso I have Math, two music courses, PE, English and two Physics courses.
The subject of the math course is Probability, which is essentially just a class full of word problems. To say my homework is painful would be an understatement.
The most common response of the kids at Muhoslukio when I say I'm taking two physics classes is looking at me quizzically and asking "why?" I'm in a second year physics class that is all about acceleration and force, with classic problems and situations. I love this kind of physics, so I can't complain (side note: this is the class I was in during the above description of me kicking the Finnish language in the pants. I mean that in the most affectionate way possible).
My other physics course I have with the third years is quantum physics. I frequently grin at myself during the class and think well, Claire, you're attempting to learn Quantum Physics in Finnish. "And for my next act, I will be teaching myself the Cello as I skydive." Know that it is absolutely ridiculous when I say that I have legitimately learned stuff in that class. Honestly. I'm not even joking. My very basic background I received in High School helped me out a little at first, but the material was very quickly very beyond what I had learned. When I'm not laughing at myself, I'm staring down the teacher and absorbing every gigantic word he spits out, and sometimes I learn something new.
So yeah, this is my life right now. It's pretty awesome. Here, have a photo:
