Day 9: Last Night in Joensuu and Group Dinner

And so, our last full day in Joensuu comes.

It was an especially quiet and sunny Sunday. As we have come to learn, in Joensuu many businesses do not open on Sundays or have very limited hours. Though yesterday was a little more, as it was Whitsun (Pentecost), a Public Holiday in Finland. 

Being our last full day in the city the group dispersed itself to find their own ways to enjoy their morning. Some of us went out to try and do some shopping (while there was not much success in finding open stores, it was an adventure nonetheless). Some went on to play beach volleyball along the river shore (and found lots of locals at the beach). Me, being the vampire I truly am, hid from the sun and mostly stayed indoors so as to avoid headaches from the sunlight. 

Though I did decide to venture off one more time to the nearby market. I took more time to go through the sections that as a tourist I would not at first. It was nice to see in different sections of the store the effort to support sustainable practices. From clothes made completely out of recycled material, and source of products, to biodegradable bags at the check out. Many stores in Finland also have a bottle drop off location where you can get your bottle deposits back (like a refund for recycling!).

In the end of the morning, it was interesting to see what each person did with their free morning and how it relates to their personalities. As well to see how the city behaves during a holiday.


 

Vanne and Matt try to play footvolley

As our last evening was approaching, our professors arranged a special Team Dinner for us. They found a nice restaurant by the water with a lovely menu (and that was open during the holiday). With great options for entrees, mains, desserts, and drinks. We were set to have a very enjoyable meal. With how our personal preferences and schedules were, we had not all had a meal with the full team since Day One when we got together to celebrate Maddy’s birthday. 

My chosen entree, main and dessert



The whole team together for a meal

After our meal some of us took the scenic route back to the hotel, while others stayed behind to take in more of the beauty of the lake and the setting sun. By the water we sat and reflected about our journey here and how thankful we are for the opportunity to learn more not only academically but also culturally. We were also thankful for the experience that brought new friends together, and the unexpected connections with our professors. We will leave Joensuu different people than when we arrived.

 

  The sun sets by the river behind the restaurant

Me, Evan, Olga and Burhan enjoy our last sunset in Joensuu

Seeing first hand the social, economical and ecological aspects of sustainability not only during a holiday but also in the day to day of Joensuu was truly fascinating. Living in a city similar in size, I found myself drawing even more comparisons to Canada and Finland. On the environmental side our love of being outdoors seems to be the same, but I found that our Finnish friends seem to be further ahead in certain aspects like sorting garbage and recycling it (while we do it in Canada, it isn't to the same extent as done in Finland, where they even turn garbage into electricity). While some provinces like Quebec and Alberta do have a bottle deposit system this is not yet as widespread in Canada, for example in Ontario you can only get a deposit back for alcohol containers.

During our time in Joensuu, we got to learn more from our Finnish hosts and even just people that would stop and talk with us, the lost Canadians. Based on conversations we had and the easily found environmentally friendly options we learned that the Finnish people from the Karelia region seem to enjoy and respect their place in nature and being outside enjoying the sun.

I look forward to one day retuning to Joensuu and exploring more of the nature and surroundings. I will surely miss our new Finnish friends and the unexpected warmth from strangers who helped us lost Canadians.

The Joensuu train station and pretty views in the city

Moi moi Joensuu.

- Larissa

#iLEAD_Expeditions2024 #GlobalSkillsCA #CompétencesMondialesCA #NipissingUniversity_SchoolofBusiness #NipissingUniversity








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