On that week I also joinned a volleyball team. Now we go travelling all  around north finland to play. The volleyball girls are such nice people. They are very opened are arepeople I know I really can count on. I went to a trip with the team, in Ivalo. It is almost in the border with Norway and Russia. It way too north. It was pretty cool. I got to know the girls better, we played, and we went dancing at night, after having sauna. At the end of the championship we got second place, and we got medals and stuff. The coolest thing was that when we were receiving the medals the guy who was announcing it said in finnish something like: "Oh, by the way this is an international team, they've gotten an american exchange student on it. Mariana Paes" I didn't understand it because he was talking in finnish, but I heard the word americalainen, and my name, the girls started pushing me so I would move a little to the front and they started clapping. I knew they were talking about me, I just didn't know what. After that they explained me what it was.  As another Hobbie I have over here I ride horses. I just started. I had 3 classes only and last class I jumped with the horse. My teacher said I was doing pretty well, and I could jump already with no problems. I jumped 40 centimeters. I just loved it.

I also had a week over here which was just magic. It was called Euro week at my school. 8 Students from each of the countries of the European Union came to visit Oulu, as a program they have every year. I had a great time, because I was in charge of the pictures of the Euro week, so I went to all those places with the students. We went to the zoo, and to play finnish baseball. We also had parties, and each of the groups had a presentation on their country, with dances and everything. And I was there to see all of it. I made several friends from all around Europe, it was just an amazing week, with amazing people. That week was the very best, I got the best news since I've been over here. I talked to the IB coordinator, and he gave me a chance, the best one I have had since I got here, a challenge. I will work hard, very hard at school this year, and I am going to try to get the full IB Diploma, this year, what means that no matter what, I will be graduated when I go back home, and I still have a chance to go back with an IB diploma, which is great. I left the US as a sophomore, going to be a Junior, and now I will be comming back grasuated, and I will go straight to the University. I gotta work hard, but it's worth trying. 

To make the week even better, we had rotary trip on that weekend. My district, and the one right below ours went to the north of finland to go raftling. It was the very best. On the language camp there were so many people, and we got to know each other a little, but now we were only 20, and we got to know each other much better. It was awesome. We also went to this walking on the forest, and talking aroungd a fire. We played hockey, and basketball. It was pretty fun.  

This last weekend I had a volleyball championship for girls between 16 and 19. It was the first time that our team was playing together, and we lost. It was sad, but still we went there, played, talked. It was all right.  The next week we have a week off. I think I will go visit some friends around Finland. I will start writing 2 weeks reports now, so they will be a lot shorter, and with more details, and more often. 

I Hope everyone is doing fine.  You all take care, OK. Miss you all