My Life Between Two Languages and Cultures

Growing up bilingual is a great richness, but the road to growth can sometimes be a little rocky. I moved from Nepal to Finland at the age of six and immediately started first grade here. There were many good reasons why my father decided to stay and study in Finland, such as the praised education system and the excellent level of safety. However, when I moved to Finland, my father was nervous about how I would learn Finnish and adapt to a new society. Finnish is, after all, considered one of the most difficult languages in the world. That is why learning Finnish became my primary goal both at school and at home. Fortunately, my learning at school was supported by the English language, which I had already learned at school in Nepal. In my free time, I wrote a diary, and often after school I practiced new Finnish words and pronunciation together with my mother. My father chatted with the boys next door and asked them to play with me and teach me Finnish, because I didn’t have Finn...