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Lewis Model

Intercultural misunderstandings and irritations often arise in the non-visible areas of culture. These include values (basic assumptions, world views), communication (styles of speech, listening habits) as well as the notions of time (time sequences, planning, keeping appointments) and space (body language, public/private relations). For successful intercultural cooperation, it is important to be aware of the differences in these areas. It is just not enough to pay attention only to visible characteristics such as rules of politeness, dress codes and eating habits. This is where the Lewis model comes into play and describes three types of culture: linear-active (fact- and task-oriented, structured way of working, direct expression), multi-active (relationship-oriented, flexible) and reactive (respectful and listening, avoiding open confrontation). Lewis now assigns many countries to these cultural types in a pyramid according to their characteristics. The arrangement makes sense to
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Hofstede Model and my experience with it

The cultural dimensions according to Hofstede go back to the Dutch expert in cultural studies Gerard Hendrik Hofstede, known as Geert Hofstede. Hofstede's research and results, which can be traced back to a survey of IBM employees in over 60 countries, are among the most elaborate and recognised of the cultural comparative research. In the following, five dimensions derived from Hofstede are presented and explained. These are the following dimensions: - Power Distance - Individuality - Masculinity - Uncertainty avoidance - Long-term orientation During my stay I was able to see different differences between different cultures. Individualism: Compared to my friends from Indonesia, I often noticed that I have a much more sophisticated individualistic way of thinking. My friends, on the other hand, thought more about approaches and solutions for the general public and made almost all trips only as a group. I was impressed by how good the group cohesion was with them and how e
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Summary - Final Post

This last Blog entry should be used to sum up the whole time here in Finland a bit and to give this whole Blog a suitable ending. Therefore, I have to say that before I came to Finland, I was pretty skeptical about what I should expect from that year abroad. The year developed totally different from what I expected to happen. Everything went pretty well for me and I am very thankful for all the nice people I met, all the nice activities I was able to attend and every minute I could spend in this fantastic country. Finland just overwhelmed me with pretty much everything it offered to me. So I think it is time for me to give something back and this is a big THANK YOU. A thank you that goes out to all the people that made my stay so special, for example, my teachers, my classmates, my roommates, my international and Finnish friends and especially my tutor. This time here will be forever in my head and in my heart. It was for me so far the best time in my life and has influen
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Sauna with friends

When I am thinking back to my time before Finland, I could never imagine going to Sauna with my friends just for fun. It was for me something that just older people do and nothing really interesting for me and I think also not interesting for any of my friends. But Finland changed us. Now that I am used to Sauna, I am always planning my Sauna times like I am planning my meals or my laundry times. It is a fixed part of my week and day plans. Here in Finland I learned how relaxing a Sauna with friends can be after a long school day especially during the wintertime. The heat warms up the whole body and the time with friends and sometimes a cool drink in the Sauna helps to relax and calm down. For me Sauna is a routine that I don’t want to miss anymore and what I really want to establish as well in my day planning at home. It helps me to have some minutes just for me, calm down and after that focus on the main things again.
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Student Partys in Turku

In Turku there are some good opportunities to party during the week and on the weekends to meet other people and especially other students. Although the main party day is Thursday, it is also possible to go out on Tuesdays or Wednesdays and have a good time. Marilyn and Vegas: In the centre of Turku you will find the clubs Marilyn and Vegas right next to each other. Here parties with different mottos take place almost daily during the week. But you can also go partying here on weekends, but then in normal clothes and not in student overalls. The prices are good, especially during the happy hour for students, so most parties are well attended. Heidi’s Bier Bar: Heidi's beer bar is located directly at the central marketplace. Here you can also go out and party during the week and on weekends. With an appropriate student card, you can get shots for only one Euro. There are different areas. In one area you can sit together and have a drink, then there is a beer garden and
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Tornio

Tornio is a city in the north of Finland with 21,875 inhabitants. It is part of the Lapland region and is located right on the border with Sweden at the mouth of the Tornionjoki River in the Gulf of Bothnia. Tornio forms a twin city with Haparanda on the Swedish side. In my opinion, one should always combine a stay in Tornio with a trip across the border to Sweden. The border is close and entry is easy. In Sweden, the prices are cheaper than in Finland. Tornio was for me and my friends the ideal place to stay overnight and served and afterwards as the starting point of our Lapland road trip.
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Tallinn

Tallinn, the capital of Estonia is situated on the Baltic Sea and is the cultural centre of the country. The most famous sights are the cobblestone old town surrounded by a city wall with numerous cafés and shops and the 15th century defence tower Kiek in de Kök. Tallinn's historic town hall square is dominated by the Gothic town hall with a 64-meter-high tower, which was built in the 13th century. The Nikolaikirche, a 13th-century landmark, displays ecclesiastical art. Tallinn is best reached by ferry from Helsinki. The journey to the port of Helsinki is easy by train or bus. There you change to the ferries of Eckeröline, Viking Line or Tallink Silja. In a little more than 2 hours you can reach Tallinn and can walk directly from the port in a few minutes to the old town and spend a great day. In the evening you can take the ferry to Helsinki or stay overnight in Tallinn. Tallinn is known and loved by students especially because of its easy accessibility, the beautiful
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