Terve! Miita kuuluu?  Kiitos hyvaa!

In my language (Finnish) that means "Hello! How are you?  I am well!"

My name is Ingrid Annike Farkinnen.  I am 10 years old and live in Oulu, Finland, with my family.  I have a mother and father (I call them Mama and Papa), two older sisters Helga and Isa (they're 13 and 15), and two little brothers Karl and Gunnar (they're 7 and 2).  Our grandmother (our Papa's mother) lives with us as well; she moved in after her husband (our grandfather) died two years ago.  As you can see, I have a rather large family.

I am in the fifth year at Jouni Primary School.  My teacher is Mrs. Paalinken.  My best friend is Eva-Mae Warninen.  She and I have been the best of friends since we were in pre-school.  She and I can talk about anything.

Where I live it is cold a good part of the year (or cool in summer); there are few trees: we live north of the Arctic Circle.  The summer months are long, with nearly 24 hours of sunlight; in contrast to that, winters are dark with very little chance of seeing the sun for three months (we're at that point now, with only the northern lights or the street lamps lighting our way).  It is hard for people who don't live here to get used to, but it doesn't bother me; it's all I have ever known.  Even though it is nearly 10 in the morning here, it is quite dark, and auroras continue to swirl in the skies outside as I gaze out.

The auroras are quite beautiful: they remind me of magical, dancing faeries.  To describe them to a person who has never seen them would be very difficult, but that is how I see them: dancing, magical faeries.  You would have to watch videos or movies about auroras to come even close to seeing what they are truly like, or better yet, come to Finland (or anyplace in the Arctic Circle or northern latitude countries).

I have long blond hair (often worn in two pigtails and parted in the middle), sky-blue eyes, and fair skin.  I am not too thin or too fat; I am just the correct size.  I love to do many things: dance, sing, laugh, play with my friends (especially with Eva-Mae!), go snow skiing, sledding, aurora-watching, or tubing in the winter, go swimming, pick wild blueberries, go on long walks, or have picnics in the summer, and draw, as well as read and write poetry or stories. I have a very busy, but happy life.

Well, I hate to go, but it is time for me to put away my English composition book and move on to my next class, which is music.  That is another thing I love to do: sing.  (When I grow up, I want to become a singer.)  I hope you liked reading or learning more about me.  I will write in here again soon; until later, this is your new friend, Ingrid Annike, saying Nakemiin (that means goodbye)!

~Love from Finland, Ingrid.  :)