We asked some questions from an exchange student of our class, Adet Roxane. She is an exchange student from France staying about a year in Finland. The questions for this interview were made by the students of our class.
1 Why did you choose to come to Finland?
Because I like cold weather and Finland is a very cold country. Also, because I have met Finnish people before and they were really nice.
2 How do school days differ in France from Finland?
We don’t have laptops so we only use books and paper. We have school lunch but we have to pay 3€ for it. We have very long days, from 8 am to 5 pm or 6 pm.
3 Would you have preferred to stay in a bigger city?
I wouldn’t mind going to a bigger town but I like Loviisa, it’s good in size, not too big or too small.
4 What do you do after school?
I read and send letters to my friends and family, I dance with my sister, but I don’t really do homework, because in France we don’t do that much homework.
5 Have you been to sauna?
Yes, and I liked it. I go there once a week.
6 What is the weirdest thing you have eaten here in Finland?
I don’t know, maybe salmiakki, no others.
7 Do you have any hobbies?
My hobbies are dancing with friends, circus and theatre in high school.
8 Do you have any favourite subjects?
I don’t know. Artistic subjects like arts and theater are my favourite subjects.
9 Do you have any different subjects in France?
We don’t have religion, but we have social economics, and Latin as an optional subject.
10 If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you want to live?
I don’t know. I want to move around and visit, for example, Japan, Canada, USA, China and Africa.
11 Have you tasted rye bread and do you like it?
I don’t like rye bread, but I still eat it sometimes.
12 What was your first impression of Finnish people?
We were told that people here are almost like in France and that Finnish people love salmiakki. I think Finns are a little shy.
13 Have you travelled around Finland and do you plan to travel around more?
I have not visited any other cities but Porvoo and Helsinki. In February I will travel to Lapland and stay there for a week. I’m very excited about it.
14 What do you think of your class here in Loviisa?
It’s very nice, maybe a bit small. In France we have 40 students in the same class. I like the students and I have talked to some of them.
15 What are the main cultural differences between Finland and France?
The biggest differences are in food, education and buses, but its not really that different.
16 Do you have any siblings and how big is your family?
I have one sister, one brother and one half-brother. In my host family I have one brother and one sister, who lives in Helsinki.
17 What do you like about Finland?
I like Finnish music.
18 Have you been homesick?
I have not been homesick because I have sent letters and phoned home.
19 What are your 3 life goals:
Bungee jumping, travel a lot and nothing else.
20 What kind of a music do you like?
I like old music, Eminem and French rap.
21 A Few things you take with you when you leave home?
When I leave house, I must have my phone and music with me.
22 Do you watch any TV-series and do you have any favourite films?
I watch Netflix but I have not any favourite film. As for the series, I watch ’Breaking Bad’, ’Orange Is the New Black’ and ’The Walking Dead’.
23 What things do you miss about France?
Things I miss about France are: food, bread, cat, family and friends.
The interview was made by Ville Koponen, Jere Peräkylä, Oliver Kanerva, Roxane Adet, Lasse Martin, Maija Honkanen and Petra Anttila (photographer)
