Steps.

Survived the second day at uni quite well. Swedish III and fonetiikka&fonologia. I don't like to brag but my result back from the Swedish II exam totally rocks. Only two points missing from full score *strike* "Utmärkt!" it reads. I wish I could speak, though. Well, reading out loud and repeating the stuff we already now worked quite well today. I also got to talk a little Finnish, because there was this new girl in the course that our lecturer welcomed and since she was sitting behind me I just asked whether she was new in HKI as well. Turned out she was Finnish, so we switched, which worked pretty well. I also worked with the Lithuanian girl sitting next to me ... it was funny because I read her name in the attendance list and had to ask whether she was from Lithuania beause I'm still familiar with the "-kaite"-ending in Lithuanian surnames from Lineta&Gintare back in S:linna - she was totally surprised :D And then I might have lunch-company next week, together with an italian girl who was also in our last courses. Maybe I will make friends. At least lecture and lunch-companions :)
I was very surprised that that polish guy talked to me before fonetiikka&fonologia, and that I could answer spontaneously. I never really talked much to him in the last courses we had together, mainly because my polish ...acquaintance usually talked alllll the time and her Finnish was pretty intimating/made me feel bad about mine, but it worked well. So my everyday spoken Finnish is totally fine, now this Semester I get to work on my uni-Finnish. - As if D: But I can at least try.
Fonettiikka&fonologia was absolutely great. It's my favourite field in linguistics anyway, and then the lecturer was really really good, especially because she has a great view on things. First of all she told us that she's a scientist, not a language-teacher, which means that she'll pay attention to whether we understood the materia, not to whether our Finnish is perfect. The she also wanted to know our L1 and what other languages we speak, so that she can look for some comparative material- and work with the languages we know. Pretty cool. She showed us a video of a freakish Swedish doctor/speech therapist who gave an introduction to what instruments you use when examining somebody's vocal cords - and how. One goes through the nose and is TOTALLY creepy and a little gross with, imo, bad picture restults, and the other one works through the mouth and shows everything totally clearly. After overcoming the inital urge to "EWWW" I was honestly completely facinated. I always knew how it worked, I've had enough lectures where it was mentioned, but we only ever got to see sketches in schematic view, and now that guys showed a live example -i.e. himself- and actually talked and sung and stuff. Sounds creepy. Is creepy. But I thought it was very interesting.
Didnt actually understand a word of what he said, though. Spoken Swedish is absolutely impossible. :D
As in every single lesson I've had about those mechanisms, I ended up wishing I was clever enough to become a speech therapist, but maybe that's a dream I will have to dream for the rest of my life. Too bad, actually. Somehow it feels like I'd enjoy working in that department. I don't have to be a clinical doctor, but actual speech therapy? Maybe after surgery? Something tells me that I'd love to do that. It'd be working with people also. ...And children.
Maybe one day I'll read into it.


Spent most of the evening in the kitchen together with Kristina where we discussed the German university-system and the problems and downsides and so on. Again I ended up saying that every aversion I hold against Cologne is based on the uni officials only, not on the teachers- which is true. Also -especially!- in English. We really do have a lot of good people. There. But well.
Sooo... now that the second day's over I think I made a good start and I'm not as scared anymore. My teacher in kirjoituskurssi seemed very nice, too, which makes two nice Finnish lecturers, then there's of course my Swedish teacher, and I think two more people to find out about. The course tomorrow will be a little tricky because of the teacher, but after all... I liked her, and if that's what it takes, then I'm going to show her that I am not too bad in Finnish and that I can do this. Period. - Actually I think she doesn't even judge people like that, just gives the impression. I'll make it. End of story.


I don't think much else happened apart from that.
Tomorrow is my lovely little baby boy's first birthday, I'm so excited!!! - Although I'm not even here. One year! I can't imagine that it's been a YEAR. Haha. I'm so proud. Little man. ♥

Tomorrow's going to be a long day...