Exchange students enjoy winter sports
Kuva: Sami Seppänen
For the Erasmus students, exchange in Finland means new and exciting experiences. One of the best ways to spend their free time is ice skating and ice hockey, they claim - but the mystery of sports stickers remains mysterious.
Beautiful nature, snow and different culture were the reasons why Lithuanian Giedrius Rumsys, 23, French Marie Trivino, 21, and Spanish Beatriz Olabarria, 23, decided to spend their Erasmus exchange in Vaasa, Finland. Beatriz has been here since last September but Marie and Giedrius have just had their month up. Their time here has been eventful, consisting of parties, studies, sports, sauna and ice skating.A non serious hockey league
– My friends and I practise ice hockey many times a week and at the same time we meet new people, it’s great, says Giedrius.Equipment for ice skating are really expensive so Giedrius and his friends were lucky to get the sticks free from the guy who takes care of the skating rink. The skates they bought from a secondhand shop.
– I find ice skating really exotic and something which I can rarely practice in my own country. I also love that it’s free, says Marie.
Beatriz has ice skated only a couple of times in Finland but she is learning really fast. Now, she even admits to falling more often when she walks in snowy Vaasa.
On Facebook, there is a society called Vaasa international hockey league consisting mostly of exchange students.
– It’s a serious name for a non serious group. There are mostly exchange students. Finnish players are welcome as well, but usually they are way too good players, Giedrius describes.
Sport sticker unfamiliar for Erasmus students
The exchange students have also tried other winter sports in Vaasa, in addition to ice skating.Marie enjoyed downhill skiing in Joupiska, Seinäjoki. Beatriz has been planning to go skiing. For Giedrius winter biking in cold wind is enough sport besides ice skating.
Giedrius admits not doing much of sports in his home country so that’s why the closeness of ice skating rink is very welcomed. Beatriz describes Spain as a football country, but she, like most of the girls there, enjoys only watching.
Everyone compliments their home universities from good sport possibilities, but about Vaasa University’s possibilities they know very little. None of them have ever heard about the sport sticker.
But they certainly have a lot of eagerness for exercise. Giedrius would like to play football, Marie would enjoy dancing and Beatriz might really get into ice skating if there was a tutor available for that.
Sport possibilities at Vaasa University
The Student Union has sport possibilities around the town and it also organizes theme days and other sports events.The Student Union offers its members a possibility to get a sport sticker. It costs 10€ per academic year. Stickers can be bought from the Student Union office, as well as the tickets to Wasa Move gym (4€) and Swimming Hall (3€).
With the sport sticker a student is allowed to attend all the sport activities in VYY’s sport calendar, to get tickets to Wasa Move gym and Swimming hall as well as the bowling card once a month for free.
More info from www.vyy.fi/en/pages/sports
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