Ahvenisto Päivä -Joy of Tourism

Meeting new people on daily basis, that's joy of tourism for me..Today we were hosting the international students, studying in the same field like us. They are from Italy, France & Austria. They are visiting Finland for 3 weeks, where they will get the chance to work in Hotels & Restaurant for two weeks. In Travel & Tourism industry sky is the only limit. You get endless opportunities. !

Our hosting took place at Ahvenisto Race Circuit .The Ahvenisto Race Circuit ( Ahveniston moottorirata) is a motorsport race track located in Hämeenlinna. The 3,040 metres (1.889 mi) long circuit is run clockwise. The track has an elevation change of 32 metres (105 ft), the home straight is 280 metres (0.2 mi) and the width varies from 9 metres (30 ft) to 17 metres (56 ft)..

Below is the Program for our group as well as the list of Responsibilities. We formed the 4 groups consisting of 4 students. The groups were Sauna & Swimming, Food, Mölkky & Guiding..
APPARA 5.11.2013
11:00 Syömään
12:00 Paikalla apparalla
Vieraat lähetevät koululta klo 12:30

Perillä 12:45

12:45-13:00 Vastaanottoseremonia (Mitä?)
Apparan emännät: Lila ja Sari

13:00-14:20 Apparan maastokävely/Mölkky = 12 + 12
- Kaksi opasta kiertää kuuden asiakkaan kanssa Ahveniston järven ympäri, kesto 40min+40min
- Mölkyssä on kolme asiakasta/peli

14:30 Lähtö saunalle tai kodalle
- Saunalla makkaran paistoa kiukaalla ja uintia
- Kodalla makkaran ja vaahtokarkkien paistoa, tekemistä?

15:45 Lähtö takaisin koululle

Opaskierros
Vastuuhenkilöt: Lila, Sari, Niina ja Paula
Varahenkilö: Taru

Mölkky
 4 peliä
Vastuuhenkilöt: Zenja, Sini, Irina, Anna
Varahenkilö: Minna

Sauna ja uinti
Vastuuhenkilöt: Iiro, Suvi, Anne ja Anna

Ruokailu
 makkaran paistoa kodassa ja kuumaa mehua
Vastuuhenkilöt: Minna, Taru, Tara ja Marichen
Valokuvaus
Esko
Tarvittavat
- Nimikyltit (elintarviketeippi + tussit)
- Piparit
- Karjalanpiirakat
- Makkarat ja mehu/glögi (glögikattila)
- Sadeviitat?


Upon our arrival to Ahvenisto, we noticed that the Hut-fireplace was in use by a Kindergarden group, consisting of 15 children and their two teachers. We inform the kindergarden teacher that we have the reservations for the hut. well it turned out that we were 15 mins earlier. anyways my 15 mins were well spend with the kindergarden children who were very eager to talk with me. They asked me all sorts of funny questions.." Are there houses in Namibia?". "Is there Coca-cola in Africa?"

Weather wise, timing was not perfect at all. It was raining like cats & dogs, but it didnt stop us from having FUN in such weather. It kind of makes me wonder later, what exactly our guests think of us " Are they crazy? " They made us to walked in the rain from Tavastia to Ahvenisto & still with no mercy,They made us to play in the rain."

For crying out loud, IT'S RAINING

We started our day on a very good note. We introduced ourselves and tell our responsibilities as well right from the beginning. We were very professional. Well done Mapetua.! I was positively suprised by my classmates with their English. They all speak very good english.!

After introduction we divided the guest into two main groups, of which they still continue to form two mini groups. Sari & Lila, Paula & Ninna were the guides for the day. They did the guided walking tour with the guest around the Lake, where they tell the history of motor race circuit & Lake. It was a great way for our guests to experience the Finnish Nature life.
 Conclusion of the Guided tour : The guest really love the walk, eventhou it was raining. They were eager to learn more about Finnish nature.
Critics: Language barrier was experienced.
Acknowledgement : Lila, Sari, Paula, Niina well done girls. You did a great job. Speaking in a foreign language is not easy at all but you guys DID IT.!

Mapetua Guides Sari & Lila

Lila in Action, telling about the Lake.

                                              
Mölkky : Mölkky  [ˈmœlkːy]) is a finnish throwing game invented by Tuoterengas company in 1996.
 Zenjä, Sini & Irina was incharge of mölkky. They explained the rules of Mölkky and they played with the guest. Mölkky is one of my favorite game as well as bonfire sausages. Finnish summer without bonfire grilled sausages and mölkky; is not a good summer:-)..
Overall : The guests really had a good time. They were in good hands with Zenja, Irina & Sini.
Critics : In my personal opinion, Mölkky is a fun game that doesnt need to be played in hurry. With this I meant that next time, when planning such games we need more time. It was a new game for the guests, they really enjoyed it, but hence that we were run out of time, we had to stopped the game unfinished.
Acknowlegement: Well done Sini, Zenja & Irina. You guys ensured that the guests had fun..Keep it up.!

Mölkky Instructor Zenja

Mölkky Instructor Irina

Rules of Mölkky is below .

The players use a wooden pin (also called "mölkky") to try and knock over wooden pins (also called "skittles") of almost similar dimensions with the throwing pin, which are marked with numbers from 1 to 12. The pins are initially placed in a tight group in an upright position 3–4 metres away from the throwing place (order of pins; 1st row-1_2, 2nd row-3_10_4, 3rd row-5_11_12_6, 4th row-7_9_8). Knocking over one pin scores the amount of points marked on the pin. Knocking 2 or more pins scores the amount of pins knocked over (e.g. 3 pins score 3 points). A pin does not count if it is leaning on the mölkky or one of the numbered pins (they have to be parallel to the ground to count). After each throw, the pins are lifted up again in the exact location where they landed. The first one to reach exactly 50 points wins the game. Scoring more than 50 will be penalised by setting the player's score back to 25 points. A player will be eliminated from the game if they miss all of the target pins three times in a row.

I was in the same group with Minna, Tarleena & Taru. We were responsible for grilling the sausages on bonfire, as well as to make the juice and to serve it to the guests.
Overall : Besides few minuses, the day went well around the bonfire under the hut. We managed to pull together. The Guests didnt wanted to try the sausages in the begining until the Finns started to taste it..I must admit, it was a good tasting sausages..
 Critics: In my personal opinion, bonfire was not big enough for everyone. Considering the awful weather on that specific day, it could've been more nicer if everyone get a chance to sit around the fire. In fact it was raining, cold & the hut was small.
Food critics : Food was not well planned to cater everyone's needs. There were only sausages & juice available. Those who didnt take sausages were left without anything to eat. Since it was a raining day, it couldve been even more nicer or perharps wiser to offer warm juice, pity we didnt have warm water with us.
Acknowledgement : Thank you Tarleena, Taru & Minna for the teamwork.!! It was great working
with you guys..I was speaking Italian language with confidence to Italian guests. Well done Marichen:-)

BonFire

my alltimes best..Yum Yum

Sauna & lake swimming
What is sauna?
 The Finnish sauna (pronounced 'Sow-na') is a substantial part of Finnish culture. There are five million inhabitants and over two million saunas in Finland - an average of one per household. For Finnish people the sauna is a place to relax with friends and family, and a place for physical and mental relaxation as well. Finns think of saunas not as a luxury, but as a necessity. Before the rise of public health care and nursery facilities, almost all Finnish mothers gave birth in saunas.

Iiro, Suvi, Anne & Anna were incharged of Sauna & Lake swimming..According to my understanding all the guests went for sauna & lake swimming.
Overall: It was first time for most of the guests to try Finnish sauna, experience was overwhelming. Some of the guests didnt want to leave sauna. Well I couldnt blame them because since from the first day I tried sauna &  until now I am crazy about sauna. I LOVE SAUNA.!
Critics : We must do proper time planning for next time, especially when dealing with the first-time visiting guests.  Sauna is on TOP 10 list of the things people knows about Finland globally. It's a place where people relax & we can't hurry, hurry our guests to leave sauna and especially first-time sauna goers..
Acknowledgements: Well done Iiro, Anne, Suvi & Anna for great job.


Overall we did the great job, everyone took their responsibilities fully. We gave our guests unforgetable experience..my classmates are great, they all are eager to learn new things & they are always ready for new challenges. we learned alot on that day. We certainly will do better next time. Many THANKS to our teachers with whom we organised the event.!

We are rocking together.!!!!!