Saturday, May 30

At 9:15 we were at Eliaskoulu for Naa’s end-of-year school show. This included the official graduation ceremony in which Naa’s class got their hats.

Naa had been chosen to write and present the graduation speech for this year, which was a large and unexpected honour. She had been very nervous but she had spent a long time writing and rehearsing the speech, and she acquitted herself perfectly. She spoke fluently, gestured confidently, and got laughter in all the right places.

At 14:00 Naa’s graduation party started and the weather could not have been better. It was bright sunshine with no wind at all. Altogether about fifty people came.

A graduation party in Finland is second in importance to a wedding ceremony, and has its own etiquette. I gave a speech, Irma said some words, Tarkku read two poems, and Naa got a lot of gifts. Everyone was social, some people met for the first time, Olivia took photos all afternoon, and Naa enjoyed thoroughly herself.

Now Naa and her best friend Roosa are waiting for a taxi to take them to Kappeli, where Naa has booked a table for the traditional graduation meal. 

Usually the whole class celebrates together but, in a final and spiteful example of passive-aggressive bullying, the class haven’t told Naa and Roosa where the table has been booked. So Naa has taken matters into her own hands.

The party will continue for a while without them, and then Irma and I will tidy up before settling down with some of the remaining cake and wine.