InsaneJournal

That book meme was certainly good in giving me a kick to start reading. I read the first part of Täällä pohjantähden alla, aka Under the North Star by Väinö Linna in three days. Have only been meaning to read that for the last four years, occasionally even taking it out of the library, but then never managing to start it. *sigh* Now Sister M luckily owns it, so I could get started the moment I felt like it :D And now I loved the first part and Dad is currently reading the second part, so I don't know what to do! I would feel so bad stealing his book, after all.

It's a really fascinating book. It's a historical book of Finnish history, the first part taking place before Finland becomes independent. The main characters are crofters or other commoners, and socialists like all of that class at that time, and it's funny how I find myself agreeing with their opinions, though now I so do not support the left. Though of course back then they were almost slaves, and so very much entitled to demand that the society should be fairer in terms of income distribution etc...

Another funny thing is the awkwardness there is between people and their strange relationships! Like how awkward a vicar and his crofter are in each other's company when they meet for the first time, or how the children talk so respectfully to their parents, even among the common people, or how different courting was back then :D Which reminds me, that I was a bit pissed off when I was reading it and couldn't remember who Akseli (kind of main character) marries, and then I remembered one of the most beloved wedding valses being called Akseli and Elina's wedding valse, so uh, kind of SPOILED ME. Even if I have seen a play based on the book, so I should have known it anyway. There are just so many characters that I can't remember what happens to whom >__<


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In other, totally unrelated news, I'm going to be an international tutor in my university in August, meaning tutoring foreign students, and today I found who my tutorees are going to be! Degree students from Ghana, China x 2, Hungary and someone probably from Estonia/Lithuania/Latvia. Exchange students from Europe would have been the easiest, but ah well, I hope I can manage the visits to the police station and stuff that I have to do with them *g* I'm excited! *starts writing an e-mail to them*