Conference and Gala

Saturday was a full day of Rotary Conference Hoopla!

Welcome to Rotary International District 1390 Conference!

The Finnish GSE team that will be going to California next Saturday. Have fun girls, see you on the other side.

We were able to delight the audience with our powerpoint presentations of ourselves, given only in English.

So the ski jumps that are the 2nd highest in Finland are also used during the summer. Unfortunately the angle is poor, but there are three separate jumps (professional beginners have baby jumps at another area). The tallest one in summer has the base converted into a pool. The middle jump is fitted with plastic for those that need to continue practice into the summer. And regular ski jumping resumes about August.

Teresa showing her Finnish love.

This is Milla my host daughter. She was showing off the dogs to me before the evening gala. Minnie and Waiski are miniature schnauzers. Both are well trained pups and can do various different tricks. Minnie is a agility competitor and out does the younger Waiski with her smarts.

Lovely Weiping, hair courteous of her host daughter (as were her nails, but she didn't show those off until later).

Teresa and with her host mother Virpi.

The evening was 60s, 70s or black tie. It was held in a former foundry. Since the city center has now moved to where many of these factories are they have converted them into dinning halls. Apparently this is a very popular trend here in Finland, since the factories are cheaper to retrofit than to tear down. 

John, a Rotary Exchange Student from Australia who sat next to me. He was not wearing it at the time but he came decked out in an afro (as well as his spanglie leotard like outfit).

Obligatory group shot.

 

 The Swedish District Governor. Very nice lady, who was pretty funny. 

The band who gave us various renditions of 70s songs. Niko and the Swedish Governor are dancing in the fore. Niko was a dancing fiend dancing almost all night!

This award (you can't really see in this photo) was of a metal bird on a stump. No idea what it was for, but they said the statue looked like "Angry Birds".

Steve made off with a Rotary towel at the end of the evening. I guess all the room created from giving away the California Rotary flags will contribute to this getting home.