Exchange period: April til end of June

There was certain difficulties at the beginning of exchange time.  First of all I wanted to do my exchange somewhat in creative field, but I came up to a travel office in Frankfurt. Anyway I think this is the best possilbe way to do this learning by doing time here.

I started the search of this company already at the October 2012. Or that what the time siged up to the eu portal "EU Young Entrepreneuer". There was some companies that wanted to build up a relationship, but after trying to manage some meeting time, the outcome was already different. I booked the flight to Frankfurt already in February to check out some places, but the companies active in portal were actually not active in taking some young entrepreneuer to their company.

Finally in April I got this place,  Suomi Travel: www.suomitravel.fi  in Frankfurt Sachenhausen. I have met the owner already three years ago by shopping a car here in Frankfurt, so the start was a little easier, because we have met each other already.

So the exchange place was mine. As I arrived for first week I stayed in hotel Alpha at the main Railwaystation. I book that hotel mainly, because they had in their info page that they are just 50 meter from the bus stop Frankfurt Hahn Airport. So I arrived from Tampere-Pirkkala, middle of Finnland by Ryanair direct flight, which took just  2,5 hours and then there was that bus drive for almoust two hours.

So I arrvided at night and the hotel was just 50 meters away. I was happy. In the morning I had a breakfast with two white bread some cheese and cucumber on it and then to work. Before I left from Finland I printed googlemaps version with feet from railwaystation to my work place to Mörfeldel Landstrasse 19, where the suomi shop is locating. Google maps showed me that it will take 35 minutes and that was just exactly. I was at the time on the front door Suomi Travel.

First days I was quite busy by searching a room for myself. There is just good internet portal for that e.g. studenten wg, easy wg etc. and my first house. I call it house. Actually it was a room, shower, toilet and a little kitchen, which can be used only summer and in April, May that was kind of cold and humid, so actually I had to sleep with my pullover on some nights. Location of the house was just beautiful, in the middle of green park called Viktoria Park in Kronberg. It was a long way to get work (45 min.), but at least I had a great surroundings.

My working hours are week days from 10 - 18 and could be even longer as my boss Juha Haapanen that expresses. People in Frankfurt do long working hours and here is a lot of Banks and people working in that brance. So you´ll see everyday people in black suits so well dressed, I would express.

My first appartment was till end of May and then the other one was found by the customer of Suomi shop. His name is Dan and what impressed me was the language skills that Dan has. He speaks good Finnish, English, Romainia, Frensch and he is eager to learn. He also introduced me to different people and brought me to Finnish church 1.5. party , Vappu as we call that party in Finnland. It was also a celebration of 40 years of Finnish church association in Frankfurt. I got to know lot of finnish-german people which are connected to Finnland one way or another.

I also told for the people I met there that I´m an artist and also entrepreneuer. I also came up to idea that I want to offer aquarell painting class for the people which are willing to do that kind of activity. I also wanted to represent how to do that and luckyly Suomi Travel had a party on 4.5. so I just made a flyer where I told the date 28.5. in Kronberg, aquarell painting class, how people should inform me if they are coming etc.

That was a good idea, but unfortunately I got just two people who really wanted to join my class. So I have to do another try later on July, before I´m back in Finnland. One of the people wanted to have just private classes in her garder and the time was maybe not suitable because that was a holiday here in Germany (Pfingstferien).

There between I have also done some marketing material for Suomi Travel e.g. I have planned how to decorate their show window. Another one of those is already ready with brand new banners, decoration etc. First window will represent products which are sold in a shop like food, some design products (glass, ceramic etc.) and well-being products like soap from natural lingoln berry, towel and other design products related to that. I also designed new gift cards for both Suomi Shop and Suomi Travel.

The new thing, Travel planning, round trip Finland is in a starting phase.