Since my schedule from Chicago put me into town after the three professors had arrived, I arranged for some friends to show them around town. Ville graciously showed them the market and downtown area on a walking tour. To sample the local specialty, we had the reindeer at the Suomi on a Plate restaurant.
To understand the style of Finnish higher education, Ritva arranged a tour for us at the automotive lab at Helsinki Polytechnic Stadia.
To make our Japanese visitors more at home in Finland, Taina hosted us at her home, and I prepared sashimi. They were surprised that I could prepare rice in a pot on the stove, since rice cookers are a common appliance in Japanese kitchens.
The professors had the whirlwind tour of Finland for four days. I was there for only five days. I usually prefer to spend at least two weeks on a trip where I have to jump six times zones, but the fall proved to be an exceptionally hectic time.
