"Vuosi 2007 pähkinänkuoressa"

One of my tasks during this holiday, is to empty my room of all the papers and small things I never managed to sort. I found all the issues of 'Suomen Kuvalehti' (SK), my favourite magazine on political and cultural issues. I started reading headlines, and eventually articles. I found a very interesting issue, the first of 2007, that discussed what had happened in 2006. Do you remember the day when Saddam Hussein was excecuted? 2006 was the year when Tarja Halonen was re-elected President of Finland. What was 2007?

The first thing that comes on my mind about 2007, is the EU enlargement to Romania and Bulgaria. I started thinking, what 2007 really was for the world. I know more or less what it was for me. I googled "vuosi 2007 pähkinänkuoressa", "year 2007 in a nutshell". I found something rather sweet and personal: http://taivaalle.fi/vuosi-2007-pahkinankuoressa, it's about someone who is educating himself to become a pilot. And the title of his webpage can be literally translated to tothesky.fi.

When I further read the issue of SK, I saw a giant picture of of a Romanian couple, kissing each other wearing EU hats and holding the EU flag in the starry glow of New Year's Eve. I am glad those two people saw the beauty and opportunity of our Union. I am still trying to convince my Dutch friends and their families about the benefits of our unity. Maybe someday they'll join us, and Europe will live as one. Well that was one big thing for me in 2007. 27 Member States. 490 citizens. Slovenia new member of the Eurozone. That is quite something. It is funny how our pilot's webpage is called tothesky.fi, and mine ceciliaineurope.com.

The United Nations got a new Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. Sarkozy became the President of France. Wait, now I have to check google. More Palestinian-Israeli stuff. Iraq. Sigh. The Virginia Tech Massacre. The statue conflict between Estonia and Russia. Tony Blair is now Gordon Brown. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Abdullah Gül is the new President of Turkey. The Jokela high school massacre. Finland turned 90. This is what I found on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc_SmxRzAiA

Oh yes. The European Constitution, or now the Reform Treaty. Will it be a big thing after all? Are we going to start speaking with one voice? At least I hope the whole process of post-scepticism will lead to a more democratic Union. But what do years actually really mean to mankind? Today I was thinking what out period of time will be called. Now they call it post-modernism. What will it be called in 100 years. 200 years? What did year 2001 mean to me? What else happened than 9/11? What about 2003?

What was 2007 for me? It was discovering what Europe means to me. I have never travelled as much as I did this year. I started with a trip to the United States in January: Atlanta, Duluth, New York. I liked New York, because it resembled Europe in a way, but I was very claustrophobic elsewhere. I realised how much I love Europe. In February I went to visit Jonas in Warwick, Coventry and London. This was a trip of personal learning, spirituality, and deep discussions. I don't remember much of the scenes themselves. In the end of March I went to the International Session of the European Youth Parliament in Potsdam and Berlin, Germany. This was a Session of friendship. I realised I am part of this international community, and that I will belong to EYP for a long time after this session. In April I made the decision to make University College Utrecht my number one university of the ones I applied to, and I decided to go to Utrecht for the interview. I fell in love with the school.

In May I went to Germany. That was the end of my career as a teacher. I will miss my students. First to Berlin, from there I flew to Stuttgart (Bad Urach) to vice-preside the European Forum there. This was one of my best experiences ever. I had been to Bad Urach before, and that village brings me only good things. I know I will go back. Then I went to Berlin. That time I spent with Gloria, and I realised that Berlin is my favourite city in the world. At some point there the EUro-Mediterranean Youth Parliament started. This was a tough experience of personal learning and lots of confrontations. Beautiful. Then Brussels. I don't know what to say: I left my heart there. Chairs training in Berlin. Beautiful people, these people would be able to support me in Poland. Then back to Finland for a few days. Doing nothing in my pyjamas for two days, and back to Berlin for the EYP 20th anniversary. Nice party, but exhaustion. How long can I do this? Back to Finland. Countryside, practical matters for university life. Then off to Poland for Bialystok and Bialowieza. A tough session of amazing moments and everlasting bonds. After the session I went to Karolina's place for the reunion with her and Kathrin, whom I met in Bad Urach. These two girls changed my world. Poland is beautiful. It's ro raw, so genuine. We visited places I will never go back to, but I am gonna tell about them to my children. Finland, sick, sick, sick. Really sick. Holland, and the rest you know. Now I need to breath for a while. I took a rollercoaster ride for a year, without breathing at all. I think I was escaping what happened in the meanwhile in Finland.

I really wonder what 2008 brings. Will life be normal? What is the prophecy? What wars will there be? So devastating to think that war will not be over, again. I was talking about the Arab-Israeli conflict with my Algerian friend, Massi. He told me about their difficulties to found a Mediterranean Youth Parliament. The Syrians are not allowed to found NGOs. The Lebanese do not accept Israelis in their projects. If the Israelis don't participate, MYP is fine. But what's the point of it then? My Palestinian friend was not allowed to go to the founding of MYP in Beirut, because he has an Israeli stamp in his passport. Well, surprisingly, he happens to be a Palestinian under the rule of Israel. I have started to think that the decision-makers are acting like little children.

If you are interested in 2007 and what it really was, google or youtube the year. You'll find Queen Elisabeth's speech, something about Miss Universe 2007. And then think what you might say about the year. Maybe it was just another year, maybe you changed the world, or someone else changed yours. There's so much bad, but maybe, maybe next year is slightly better. Live in that hope, and it might be! Maybe Belgium will even have a government in 2008 ;).