Second Blog

Here it goes for the second blog.

Finishing off the first week and as well as having a great time getting to know everyone from the different countries we're getting to grips with the level of work that needs to be completed.

At the beginning (after a lengthy delay in Helsinki) we were introduced to everyone, the programme, our hosts and the beautiful SAMK university (serves great meatloaf). We were shown the campus and the facilities that are available to us including the gym and pool as well as the classrooms and library.

The University jaunt then led into our tour of Satakunta Hospital which gave me my first glimpse into how the Finnish system varies from the British. Patient comfort appears to be of paramount importance to the Finns and whereas on all of the wards I have worked on do have a day room they generally only consist of some hard chairs a television or serve as storage for the physiotherapists. In Satakunta however they contain homely furnishings, books, comfortable chairs and even musical instruments. This is obviously a financial issue for the NHS but it did lead me to wonder if time spent as an inpatient can be reduced if people are able to feel more at home and normal.

The next day we were further exposed to the Countries and the people with whom we will be working in the guise of video stories and the food market. The stories gave great insight not only into the nation itself and where students study but also into the pride of the people filming regarding their homeland. Danmark making several references to their beloved H.C. Anderson and their royal family's long lineage, Italia's images of renaissance Finreze and Malta's exquisitely beautiful San Anton gardens. The food market was a great opportunity to indulge ourselves in the fine cuisine of each nation. various types of cheese, bread and meat were the staple at all tables with one or two less palatable items making an appearance at the British stall. I fear we won't be exporting pork pies, pickle and marmite (which is illegal in Denmark) on a huge scale to our european neighbours.

It may have been the strong Czech liquor but the market created a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere where upon reflection (the word had to be mentioned of course) I realised for the first time how easy it was for the British to communicate with everyone else and the effort that the Europeans had to put in when talking to each other. I had never appreciated how hard thinking in one's own language and then translating it into an English that could be understood by another non native speaker could be, with the exception of Glen who has a wider vocabulary than I have hence why I am using words like 'exquisite' and 'hence' in my blog.