Kuahajoki- Tuesday May 5th

Today we visited Logistia first thing in the morning for a few presentations on the company and other businesses. Logistia helps businesses that create automated systems with their organization and management issues. After that we went to Suupohja Vocational school. Students there are aged 15-18 and go there instead of high school to take things like welding, mechanics, media and broadcasting and many other things. They have so much great technology available to the students, and once they complete school after 3 years they can work in their profession, or go on to university or a technical school. At my host family, one of the daughters is studying nursing- she started at 15 and will be finished next year when she is 18. When she's done, she´ll have a diploma in nursing that would be similar to an LPN. (To be a registered nurse would be a couple more years at a university). It sounds like a pretty good system to me though.
We ate lunch at the high school and then we went on to Done Logistics. They create automated systems that are normally used within larger automated systems. Application are anywhere from LED signs to Optometry to Pulp and Paper Mills to Beer factories.
Later in the afternoon we visited the Finnish Parliament in Kauhajoki where the parliament was held in the late 30's and early 40's when Helsinki was unsafe because Finland was under attack by Russia. We learned a little more about Finnish history and it is finally starting to sink in!
In the evening we went to a Rotary Club meeting and gave our presentation about Canada. We actually had quite a few questions this time- it was nice! A quick message to all the Finns who may read this- congratulations on beating Canada in hockey yesterday- you can stop rubbing it in now!