Satu and Jarno

Yesterday, we couch surfed at Satu and Jarno's apartment in Helsinki. They were so welcoming. Satu cooked us a delicious Finnish macaroni dish and we talked about traveling and music. They are interested in Middle Eastern cultures and are planning a Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan trip next year.

Yoshi, Satu, and Jarno

I'm really amazed by CS hosts. They welcome strangers into their homes and make us feel so at home. They obviously have their own lives and usually work the next morning, but they host because they love people. It's an incredibly selfless attitude that I admire. I hope we've been able to give back just as much as they have given us.

Angelika and Saamu

Angelika's livingroom

We couch surfed again in Helsinki. Angelika and her 3-year-old son, Saamu, live in a nice cozy apartment just outside of central Helsinki. Saamu, believe it or not, is 3'8"! He's the biggest 3-year-old I've ever seen! Angelika said he was 4,600g when he was born. Now that's a big baby!
We've couch surfed twice now, but we actually haven't slept on a couch yet. Daniele had an air mattress and Angelika had a mattress, sheets, and comforters for us. I guess we've been mattress surfing.

Nina, Tammy, Sahe, Saamu, & Angelika

We spent two nights with Angelika and Saamu. Two of her friends came over the second night and we chatted over tea and chocolate. I wonder what it's like for Saamu to have strangers come stay at his house. Angelika has been hosting for quite some time now, so I guess it's just normal for him. I asked Angelika why she started to host and she said, "Well, it's just me and Saamu and so I wanted to make our home more lively." She's an unbelieveably strong woman with a beautiful little (or should I say 'big') boy!

This is Saamu trying to blow up a balloon:

Couch surfing debut!

You probably know about CouchSurfing (CS) but for those of you who don't, here's a short explanation. Couch surfing is an online network that allows travelers to stay with locals. Registration is free, and there is no monetary exchange between the surfer and the host. Hosts offer their couches for free in exchange for cultural exchange.

Daniele and Cecilie

Yoshi and I couch surfed for the first time in Copenhagen. Daniele, who's half-Danish, half-Italian, warmly welcomed us into his home. The day we arrived, he cooked us vegetable pasta, which was delicious! We had an interesting conversation about the similarities between Danish and Japanese cultures. Daniele told us that the Danes are generally reserved and softspoken. But he also said that his Italian side makes him talkative! It's always interesting to talk to mulit-cultured people.

Daniele's living room

Our second day in Copenhagen, we borrowed Daniele's bicycles and biked around the city. The city is flat and extremely bicycle friendly. There are more bicycles than pedestrians on the streets! Daniele gave us a wonderful tour around Christiania -- a commune right in the middle of the city. In the evening, we went to see his friend sing in a church concert. Brorsons Church is an alternative church, known for hiding Iraqi refugees in 2008. We spent two nights at Daniele's house and had an experience of a lifetime.

Brorsons Church

When does a stranger become an acquaintance?
When does an acquaintance become a friend?

We're all strangers at first.
We become friends before we even know it.