May 21

 

I arrived at the practice field (see pics) it was amazing! Huge and turf grass I loved it!  Met Mika (GM) and Coach Allen (the head coach from California) and all the backs, recievers, and quarterbacks.  They all told me their names but I couldn't remember any of them.  I watched the first half of practice, then got my equipment on and joined in the second half.  The WR's are all very young, inexperienced, but good athletes.  The main QB (Lari) is a very big, typical looking QB.  He is about 6'2", 220lbs and has his blond fauxhawk going!  Great guy and a pretty good arm.  I met Petri (the chef from Kotka) whom I had spoken with many times prior to coming to Finland.  Funny to find out that he doesnt understand me very well when I talk to him, but he sure did when I wrote to him on MSN messenger. 

 

After practice I went to my flat (apartment - see pics).  The first person I met was my roomate Augusto who is from Nicaruagua.  He is 26 and has been living in Kouvola for a year or so.  Then Juha handed me a key to my room, then specifically told me "dont lose this or lock it in your room".  While I was unpacking I got thirsty and decided I would check out the Kioski (convenience store) across the street.  I shut my door and left.  I came back to realize the key I grabbed was the key to my suitcase and not to my room! So I had locked myself out of the room 20 minutes after Juha told me not to! 

 

Augusto did not have access to my room either so we met Annika! She is a girl that lives in our complex from Finland.  She speaks very good Finnish so she called the locksmith and it cost me 35 euros to get the freakin door unlocked!

 

 

At the first practice I met several more guys and again couldnt remember their names.  We just mostly ran offense vs defense the entire time.  Towards the end of practice the offense began to run scout team (we ran the other teams plays to give our defense a look at what they might run).  The players started yelling out something in Finnish and Lari looked at me and said "full contact".  Might i add that i am in Shorts with no pads, i have no mouthpiece, and no chinstrap because i assumed this would be a laid back practice.  So i catch a hitch and start up field i cut back towards towards the inside just in time to see our MLB runnin absolutely full steam ahead right at me.  At the last second i spin and he goes flying throught the air and lands out of bounds.  I then began to run like for my life!  Luckily i didnt get hit but was in shock the rest of the practice! Everyone was laughin either at him for missing or at me for being so shocked and we finished practice.