The academic year of 2024-25 is starting, and students are rolling onto campuses. Among them are lots of freshmen, to whom student life is new and exciting. How should one take care of their wellbeing in the midst of academic life? Oulu Student Magazine sought tips from an unexpected source.
The Tampere-based band Huora and Oulu’s very own Blind Channel have had a busy year: both bands released new albums in March that sent them on the road for respective tours.
Huora has been touring extensively around Finland, while Blind Channel has performed not only in Europe and the United States, but also in Tokyo, Japan – without forgetting their home country, of course.
Qstock brought the bands to Oulu, and members from both bands took a moment to sit down and have a chat with the Oulu Student Magazine.
Tip: Try to prepare for stressful times
What do a touring artist and a student have in common? Stress, pressure and tightly scheduled lives, for starters. But when we ask the members of Huora and Blind Channel how they manage such things, we get a hearty burst of laughter in response.
“It’s definitely been a learning curve for me, since I only entered the music industry in my thirties,” Huora’s singer Anni Lötjönen, who just turned 41, notes.
“I’ve learned it all the hard way, by just doing things wrong first and figuring it out from there.”
Blind Channel’s Aleksi Kaunisvesi, responsible for the band’s samples and percussion, shares the same outlook.
“You just have to learn by trial and error when it comes to figuring out when it’s better to take it easy and when it’s okay to stay up late.”
One lesson learned has been that it’s easier to manage stressful times when you have a plan for them and therefore can prepare yourself.
“Knowing that stress and strain come and go in seasons has been an important lesson. The most important thing is to prioritize downtime in order to bounce back from it all,” Blind Channel’s bassist Olli Matela says.
Blind Channel’s Aleksi Kaunisvesi (left) and Olli Matela.
Tip: Know yourself and your limits
Lötjönen says that a music career has forced her to get to know herself and where her limitations lie. The process is never-ending, because your energy levels and stamina undergo changes as you age. Such a phenomenon can be evident during one’s student years as well: a freshman can withstand the whirlwind of student life better than a person who’s further into their studies.
Huora’s drummer Saku Sahlstedt emphasizes the importance of introspection in order to find personal limitations when it comes to one’s ability to withstand stress. In addition to that, he mentions the importance of speaking out – even about negative feelings.
“Being vocal about your feelings with others is a good way of handling stress and pressure. If you keep mulling in your emotions alone, it’ll eat you alive. It’s vital to let it all out,” Sahlstedt says.
Course deadlines and exams can elevate stress levels, but talking about it can be helpful. Exercise is another way to let out some steam while taking care of your wellbeing. Lötjönen mentions cross-country skiing as one of the best ways to take care of your body and mind; she used to ski a lot last winter while preparing for the upcoming tours.
Blind Channel’s duo also consider exercise to be an important part of their lives. Kaunisvesi says that he exercises quite a lot, and Matela enjoys getting his body moving as well. The bassist’s favorite places in Oulu are by the water: there are tons of hiking routes by rivers and the sea. Additionally, Oulu has plenty of ski tracks, where it’s easy to clear one’s head.
Tip: Everyone’s study journey is different
There is a diverse lot of students on campuses, and each one of them has their own, unique background. The same goes for the artists we’re interviewing. Lötjönen from Huora studied to be a practical nurse after secondary school, while Sahlstedt studied industrial engineering and production. Lötjönen assures that she has always been a good student and focused in her studies – she even received a scholarship from her practical nursing studies.
“I was the complete opposite of that. I was always partying, and while my friends went on to graduate in four years, I had to stay behind for a fifth. That’s when I decided that it was time for me to graduate,” Sahlstedt recalls.
Huora’s Saku Sahlstedt (left) and Anni Lötjönen.
Lötjönen laments how studying has been made more difficult: it’s expensive and straining. Many students know this as well, as they have to work alongside their studies to make ends meet, which can make their years of studying that much more straining. Lötjönen would study more if it was emotionally and financially less draining.
“But I do enjoy studying, it just makes sense to me,” she adds with a laugh.
Matela from Blind Channel describes himself to be a picky student, one that was interested in some topics while having no fascination with others. After graduating from the Madetoja Music Upper Secondary School, he continued his studies at the Oulu Conservatoire, which he describes as a “little stress school” that taught him a lot.
In contrast, Kaunisvesi dropped out of upper secondary school to go study music production in Amsterdam. He studied abroad with an “all-or-nothing” mentality.
“I had to give it everything I had, because I had moved abroad and turned my life upside down to get a degree. I was fully immersed in my studies around the clock,” Kaunisvesi recalls.
Tip: Having plans is a good plan
Members from both Huora and Blind Channel have many years of experience in the music industry. When they are asked to share some words of wisdom to students, the first thing they all agree on is the importance of sleep. On tour, sleep can become a secondary priority – just like students with lectures, events, possible jobs and other hobbies filling up their calendars.
“It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you,” Kaunisvesi remarks.
Lötjönen considers sleep to be the basis for everything else in life. Additionally, it’s beneficial to be around people that give you strength to go on. Matela mentions the importance of planning and setting schedules, even in the long run.
Sahlstedt agrees. He urges students to consider their priorities. Student life often revolves around various events and parties, but it’s also important to consider whether it’s beneficial to go out during the weekend if there’s going to be an exam the following Monday.
“I know it’s hard. Though I didn’t exactly follow my own advice when I was younger, I’d still advise students to consider the benefits of short term “sacrifices” in the long run,” the drummer notes.
“It’s surprisingly easy once you stop taking everything too seriously,” Kaunisvesi concludes.
Translation by Anna Tiira.
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Miia Torro
Kirjoittaja on Oulun ylioppilaslehden toimitusharjoittelija. Tiedeviestinnän opiskelija, joka erästä kotimaista artistia siteeraten on aikuinen, mutta omalla tyylillä.
Raves are in their golden age. Electronic dance music is taking center stage, and parties are being thrown in restaurants and large warehouses. But what lurks underneath the surface? Are there depraved bacchanals happening within the shadows of Oulu’s forests and run-down warehouses?
Three DJs and party organizers shed some light on Oulu’s underground (ug) scene. The light remains dim, because underground thrives in darkness. But we do catch some glimpses through the veil of secrecy.
Rene Tauriainen is a pioneer of rave culture in Oulu. Juhani Oivo has been throwing various types of parties for 20 years, and Vilma Kallunki is a prominent figure of the younger rave generation.
At raves, DJs and live performers play electronic dance music for a dancing crowd. The music is unified by a varying, aggressive bass and a quick tempo that varies in different styles.
Rave culture was born in the US in the mid-1980s and spread fast to Europe, especially England. The first rave party in Oulu was thrown at the beginning of the 1990s.
Ug, aka underground is something alternative, dubious and non-commercial – perhaps even forbidden and illegal. Some call it a subculture, but the term “ug” has cemented itself in the culture. Something is happening underground or atleast beneath the surface – something secret, perhaps even dangerous.
Underground eludes being defined, because it is constantly evolving. Commercial operators seek the underground for influences, and things are moving towards a more mainstream direction.
Rene Tauriainen ponders on the concept of underground. “Ug strays away from mainstream, but nowadays it can also be commercialized. Commercial night clubs like 45 Special play ug music.”
“Ug parties are held in places other than restaurants, bars or clubs, but the culture is also showcased in those places. The parties are organized for a small, knowledgeable crowd, and they usually require an invitation,” Vilma Kallunki says.
The allure of underground parties is based not only on secrecy and a sense of danger, but also the sense of freedom. The music can be more hardcore, experimental or deeper than in restaurants; there is no last call, and there is less harassment and bad behavior than in restaurants. The information about the parties spreads through the grapevine, these days usually in private chat groups online.
Early beats at warehouse parties
When the first rave parties in Oulu were thrown in the early 90s, Rene Tauriainen was in the middle of it. He was one of the establishers of Oulun Warehouse and H.A.N.D (Have A Nice Day) associations, which operated in secret.. Oulun Warehouse threw parties in empty warehouses and other abandoned spaces, like a closed-down bowling alley.
The only way you could get in was by knowing the right people, and the raves were announced at the last minute through a secret phone line. The Warehouse parties started after midnight and ended sometime in the morning – whenever the organizers so desired.
The inspiration for organizing the parties was “acid house” music that you couldn’t play during DJ sets at restaurants. Disco music and culture had already evolved in England and the US.
“My friends had traveled there, and we read articles in online magazines. The allure was about unconventionality and a sense of danger. Our group of congenial friends decided to start throwing parties in Oulu.”
“Warehouse parties had an estimated 100-150 participants, but the vibe felt more like 15 000. The venues were pitch dark, full of smoke and a lot of strobe lights.”
Information about the illegal parties reached the ears of law enforcement, and the police even ended shutting down one party.
Illustration: Maiju Putkonen.
“There were members of the Screaming Men’s Choir present, and the guys performed the Finnish national anthem as the police were clearing out the place,” Tauriainen reminisces amusedly.
The operations of Warehouse Ry ended in the late 90s. There was a rising moral panic spreading through Europe concerning illegal parties where criminals were rumored to be doing drugs. In many countries law enforcement cracked down heavily on the parties. Compared to that, the police in Oulu took a more lenient approach.
“We were throwing a party and happened to be standing outside with the other organizers. The chief of police arrived at the scene and told us “listen guys, I know you’re having a party downstairs and I’ll look the other way this one time, but the next time there will be consequences. Could you please make your operations more official?””
“After that we had to rethink our approach; after all, organizing those parties was really tough in hindsight,” Taurianen sums it up.
New beats emerge from silence
Rave culture has gone through a resurrection in the past few years. People are talking about a renaissance and a third wave: the second wave was EDM and eurodance, which are not often associated with credible subculture.
In the parties, new artists and experiences are thriving. During the summer, people party in the forests and on the beaches of Helsinki almost every weekend. Clubs and large venues host more commercial parties, and raves have become a largely accepted part of mainstream culture.
Vilma Kallunki is known as DJ Otilia, and she’s thrown gigs both in Finland and abroad. Kallunki is a part of the multi-artistic collective Cultish, which organizes parties and various events that combine video art, installations and electronic music.
Kallunki notes that nowadays there are a lot of people actively organizing various interesting events. After covid, many new people have entered the scene; party culture lives and is thriving.
Rene Tauriainen agrees.
“At one point it felt like there was nothing worthwhile going on, but what I’ve seen lately is looking good again.”
Rene Tauriainen (left), Vilma Kallunki, and Juhani Oivo know the party scene in Oulu. They’ve gained experience over several decades.
Juhani Oivo has worked as a DJ and an event organizer in the electronic music scene for over 20 years. Oivo has organized hundreds of events and spins records under the names of DJ Oivo, DJ J Honey and DJ Jay Day. Nowadays he organizes events like Elektorni during the summer at Tähtitorni in Oulu’s Linnansaari and during the winter at 45 Special.
From an outsider’s perspective, it seems like the electronic music scene in Oulu is personified in Oivo. However, he does not endorse this idea, even though Tauriainen believes that at one point, Oivo was the only active organizer in the area.
“I fully disagree. All of this is by no means all on my shoulders. Sure, at one point there were less events happening in Oulu, but nowadays there are lots of active organizers.”
“It was a bit quieter from 2000-2015, and many people didn’t attend the parties. But even during that time, there was fluctuation. The location of Oulu also plays a key role in all of it: the city is not a huge metropolis, and young people tend to move south.”
Oulu has style
New electronic music collectives have been established all over Finland.
Oivo notes that the rise in popularity has been evident in Oulu during the past 5-10 years as well. Vilma Kallunki agrees.
“We’ve been organizing club events with Cultish for four years now, and even during that time the scene has evolved a lot,” Kallunki amplifies. Kallunki says that there has been demand for both open and underground events organized by Cultish: the combination of music and visuals clearly appeals to their audience. Events organized by Cultish carry a recognizable visual style. The music is rooted in techno, but varies according to the venue and the theme of the party.
The scene is evolving in many ways in various different directions, and the artists draw influences from other subcultures without prejudice. The style of rave music varies from city to city: Oivo mentions that traditionally a lot of music from the UK has been played in Oulu. Many DJs have embraced the British sound, and Oivo’s club night, Children of Boom, featured UK music heavily.
“There’s a certain continuity here; it’s one of the defining characteristics of the Oulu sound. Then again, the UK sound is currently gaining a lot of traction across other parts of Europe,” he adds. “Back in the 90s, the music was predominantly European, especially British,” Tauriainen notes.
Where’s the party?
Where and what kind of underground parties are organized in Oulu? The organizers exchange long looks, and there is a long silence. Finally, Tauriainen responds: “Let’s just say that they exist.”
They wouldn’t be underground raves if they were public. The venues and locations remain secret. They do, however, share that several open-air parties are held in the forests around Oulu during the summer.
The organizers quickly and smoothly shift the topic to more public events. Kallunki tells that public parties are held at Nelivitonen (45 Special) and Kulttuurilaboratorio. He recalls a particularly memorable event: the pride-themed party thrown by Cultish a few years back.
Oivo says that it’s really nice to play at Elektorni, and it’s an open-air party since it’s not indoors but under the starry sky. Tauriainen also remembers that the first Time Tunnel at Valvesali was an extremely impressive experience.
There’s no point in asking more about the locations or nature of underground parties. They do happen, though.
Wild partying?
Illustration: Maiju Putkonen.
The party organizers feel most at home at small, underground parties, but huge festivals with tens of thousands people have their moments, as well. Tauriainen says that squat parties in abandoned houses in London are wild. “Once you leave, you can definitely say that you’ve experienced something.”
“I’ve been to some parties in London that, whew, I wouldn’t even talk about them out loud. At squat parties, homeless people sleep in the corners, junkies shoot up, and there’s insane drum’n’bass blasting. People party like crazy, sometimes until who knows when,” Tauriainen says, adding that the parties are not specifically drug-fueled parties, but it is one way to party.
Squat parties in London are a far cry from the reality of a small, northern city; but since the parties are secret, there are a lot of rumors circulating about them – some of which are not entirely true.
The organizers unanimously agree that drugs always come up in the conversations, even though in their experience people are more inebriated in bars. They all emphasize that people come to raves for the music.
And while drugs, particularly MDMA (aka ecstasy) are a part of rave culture and visible in the imagery and in dilated pupils, it’s not a topic the organizers like to discuss. Drugs make for sensational headlines and are an enticing subject, which often leads to exaggerated focus on them in the media. Similarly, the essence of Finnish rock music isn’t defined by flat beer.
“I want to keep drugs separate from the music and the events. It’s none of my business if someone uses before coming to a party. It’s a whole different matter if it turns into problematic use – that’s something that needs to be addressed,” Tauriainen emphasizes.
Vilma Kallunki emphasizes the importance of the principles of a safe space. Raves have unwritten rules and a code of conduct that people follow. Everyone is welcomed as they are. It’s forbidden – or atleast impolite – to film the party-goers, and people treat each other with respect.
Kallunki says that the freedom to express oneself in a non-judgemental environment is remarkable. For her, clothing is an important form of self-expression. Fantasy costumes and jeans with a T-shirt are both equally welcome.
It’s also an advantage that all the participants are somewhat like-minded. When everyone has a sense of what they’re getting into, the risk of conflicts is smaller compared to in bars, for example.
Kallunki says that she’s experienced significantly less bad behavior and harassment at underground parties than in restaurants or public parties.
“Fortunately, nowadays there are written rules that are shared with party-goers in advance and are displayed at the venue. People need to commit to them if they want to attend the party. This way, we can address any issues that arise,” Kallunki notes.
I want to party too!
What should you do if you want to party at an exclusive event? The organizers of underground parties say that it’s relatively easy to gain access to ug parties in Oulu. A step in the right direction is to attend the public parties, such as Elektorni, where you can meet like-minded people.
“Like the saying goes, those who ask will not get lost. References are not necessary, but there needs to be a certain level of familiarity for you to receive an invitation,” Tauriainen explains.
“It’s good to know someone from the scene or to be aware of other parties. In Oulu, the scene is quite open. If you’re interested in the music scene, you’ll definitely find your way in,” Kallunki says.
Raves will take you on a journey
What inspires people to organize raves and gather together to dance till the early hours of the morning? Do the music, the community, the exclusivity, the mystery, drugs and aesthetics explain it all?
Underground parties are organized with a DIY mindset and money doesn’t play a significant role in the events. The organizers emphasize that for them, hosting parties is, and always has been, about the fun and love of music.
Or, it can also be about the fact that at their best, raves can be a mystic experience:
The movement to the repetitive rhythm is ceaseless. The music, lights and smoke hit your body and all your senses with tremendous force. You are the person or entity you want to be at that moment. You’re free.
The experience can be primitive, almost shamanistic; the soul momentarily transcends this world. And while the experience can be enhanced, you can also enter another dimension without the aid of any shamanic substances. For a brief moment everyone is alone, yet simultaneously connected to one another and the universe.
Translation by Anna Tiira.
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Pete Huttunen
Humanistiopiskelija ja ite tehty kulttuuritoimittaja. Harrastuksena pahennuksen herättäminen kaiken maailman kulttuuririennoissa. Juttuja olen tehnyt metallifestareista oopperaan. Tarinoiden toimivuutta testaan lukemalla niitä ääneen kissalle.
Trumpets are blaring in full swing, blasting out familiar tunes on a big stage. The academic year opening festival Hurmos has officially started. The weather is gloomy with drizzles of rain at the beginning of the evening; however, Teekkaritorvet has already gotten some of the crowd swaying. The sky is clearing as more people walk in through the gates. As night falls, thousands of students are in for a wild party.
Hurmos is the joint academic year opening celebration organized by the student unions of the University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences and the Diaconia University of Applied Sciences.
By working together, they’ve managed to organize a large event featuring well-known artists. The festival is held at the Kuusisaari Recreation Park.
Mouhous, Etta and Isac Elliot drove the crowd wild on the main stage, while talented student bands Aamun Kuningatar and Postvision captivated their audience with a more rock-inspired vibe at the smaller Hurmos Stage.
The event’s hosts were the charming Drag Duo: Carrie & Aurora the Queen of Stars. The stylish duo took on the Hurmos Stage in the early evening to show how to put on a proper show. Their performance was filled with energy and excitement, featuring familiar characters such as Ellinoora and Käärijä.
The city’s official greeting was given by Oulu’s Director of Communications, Events and Marketing, Mikko Salmi. Salmi highlighted that Oulu is the 13th happiest city in the world.
Ranking cities by happiness is at the very least a bit peculiar, but at least we know how to throw good student parties!
At the stands, various student organizations shared information on their activities and engaged in friendly chats with students. A few stands offered snacks to ensure that the partygoers had enough energy to last until the end.
At the Student Union stand, Manta Mankinen, Eveliina Tiusanen and Vilma Sippola mentioned that they also serve as a small information desk for the event.
“The most important thing is that we’re here for the students. Many want to talk to us about their studies and sometimes about student advocacy.”
At the OYY stand, partygoers had the chance to try out their luck with a prize wheel. Vilma Sippola (left), Eveliina Tiusanen and Manta Mankinen were excited to meet new people and to see happy faces. Photo by Miia Torro.
In the early evening, the crowds consist mostly of small groups of first-year students. The more seasoned students are still at their pre-parties and usually arrive at the scene once the event really gets going.
There’s a shared excitement about kicking off the new academic year with a celebration. People have come to dance, to have fun and to meet old and new friends.
No one really thinks that the performers are the event’s main attraction; they’re simply a welcome addition to the party. The consensus seems to be the same as at Qstock: meeting friends is the most important thing.
Qstock sells out every year, and even though the headliners canceled their performances the past few years, no one really seemed to mind. Maybe the secret to happiness in Oulu is the sense of community.
But music does have significance; it moves people. Mouhous, Etta and Isac Elliot drew a crowd of partygoers to the front of the stage. A bit further back, people had more room to dance more freely with friends. Needless to say, there were also fans of the artists’ in attendance.
ITE students Kyösti Kiljala, Jere Metsävainio, Elias Rekilä and Valtteri Määttä have come for the friends and the company.
“The artists themselves don’t really interest me at all, I mostly listen to metal music,” Metsävainio says, and the others agree.
Kyösti Kiljala, Jere Metsävainio, Elias Rekilä ja Valtteri Määttä are metalheads. They didn’t come to Hurmos for the music. Photo by Pete Huttunen.
As night falls over the festival, the area fills with colorful overalls, loud echoes of sing-alongs led by the artists and celebratory crowds of students. Though the largest crowds can be found partying at the front of the stages, all around the area you can see the cheerful faces of people enjoying drinks, food and other activities.
OYY’s event producer Katri Jämsä says that she’s happy with the overall atmosphere of the evening and the development ideas they’ve implemented this year. According to the partygoers, a new layout of the festival area and three headliners have brought more of a festival feel to the event. “We’re developing the event every year. We’ve listened to feedback and responded to it the best we can,” Jämsä says.
Check out the Hurmos photo galleries here and here.
Translation by Anna Tiira. Photo galleries by Miia Torro and Tuuli Heikura.
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Pete Huttunen
Humanistiopiskelija ja ite tehty kulttuuritoimittaja. Harrastuksena pahennuksen herättäminen kaiken maailman kulttuuririennoissa. Juttuja olen tehnyt metallifestareista oopperaan. Tarinoiden toimivuutta testaan lukemalla niitä ääneen kissalle.
The Climate Café network is expanding to Oulu, as two residents of Oulu worried about climate change want to create a safe and open community for everyone. In the meetings, topics such as climate change as well as other environmental and preoccupying issues are discussed. The aim is to come up with local solutions to […]
The Climate Café network is expanding to Oulu, as two residents of Oulu worried about climate change want to create a safe and open community for everyone. In the meetings, topics such as climate change as well as other environmental and preoccupying issues are discussed. The aim is to come up with local solutions to challenges posed by climate change from a northern perspective.
A relaxed hustle and bustle fills the Paljetti café at the Cultural Centre Valve on a Thursday evening in October. Oulu’s first Climate Café, which is part of the Climate Café movement, has gathered at the Paljetti café to talk about climate, environment, and sustainable development. Although the meeting is the first of its kind, nearly thirty persons interested in the subject have arrived there to chat about the topics.
As a phenomenon, the roots of the Climate Cafés are in 2015 in Scotland where a public lecture on climate change provoked discussion among the locals. People wanted to talk more about the topic and the idea of a monthly discussion group started forming.
Over time, the Climate Café community grew and new sub branches of it were formed all over Scotland and the world. The same goal connects all of the Climate Cafés that are part of the movement: to create safe spaces for conversations where everyone gets to chat and act on things that are dear to them.
Petr Stepanek, one of the organizers of Oulu’s Climate Café, also thinks that the people’s desire to talk about climate-related topics is strong, but finding a suitable environment for such discussions can be challenging.
“Climate change affects us all and it raises a lot of questions and worries. Many would like to talk about these things but they might not have gotten a chance to share their thoughts”, Stepanek notes. “Many also have the urge to influence and act on things but have no knowledge of how to do so.”
“Public discourse about climate change is also often very exaggerated”, mentions Veera Juntunen, one of the organizers. “Open and shared discussion could prove that this doesn’t have to be the case.”
Stepanek and Juntunen accidentally ended up talking with each other after one public lecture at the end of summer. During the summer, Stepanek had thought of organizing Climate Café activities at Oulu but he was faced with a language issue: he would need the help of someone fluent in Finnish because a shared language would help to handle things on a large enough scale and with the proper sensitivity.
When people are discussing difficult and worry-inducing topics, many find it is easier to talk about them in their native language. The threshold for participating in the Climate Café activities would be lower for many thanks to the use of two languages. Stepanek and Juntunen got on the same page very quickly and decided to bring Climate Café to Oulu.
Stepanek and Juntunen are both researchers at the University of Oulu. Stepanek works as a post-doctoral researcher of chemical physics in the NMR research unit and he also studies environmental engineering. Juntunen is working on a doctoral thesis about the production of solar hydrogen. Outside of work they are united by the worry about climate change and its impact on our environment which is why they are organizing a Climate Café in their freetime as a shared discussion space for the residents of Oulu.
“Above all we want to create communality, not an academic bubble. We are organizing the Climate Café as private persons, not in connection with the university”, Juntunen says.
The idea of the Climate Café is simple: those interested in the issue meet once a month over a cup of tea – or a cup of coffee, as we are in Finland – to chat about matters relating to climate change and other environmental challenges.
The communality cherished by the Climate Café concept is visible in the very first meeting as everyone gets to introduce themselves in turns. The participants come from different backgrounds but they all are brought together by the same thing: worry over the climate and our environment. Discussions are held both in Finnish and English in the meetings.
There is no specific, readily planned programme for future meetings as they are built around the wishes and needs of the participants. Besides discussion groups, the meetings can also include workshops or visiting speakers.
In Scotland, the local Climate Cafés have already been noticed by the decision-makers. In the beginning of October, in their meeting, the Scottish Parliament discussed the local effectiveness of the Climate Cafés as they managed to encourage local residents to save electricity by collaborating with the Heat energy guidance project.
The end result was impressive. The project reached over 700 households which means the amount of saved electricity was outstanding. Does the Climate Café of Oulu have similar goals?
Stepanek and Juntunen also hope that the ideas that develop in the Climate Café could be implemented in practice. “The ultimate idea of the Climate Café is to share thoughts and experiences”, Stepanek says.
“Oulu is a relatively large city and lots of professionals from different fields live here. We would like to have local experts with hands-on experience and insight on the topics at hand as our speakers.”
In fact, Stepanek and Juntunen want to highlight the northern outlook in the topics of the Climate Café. The Climate Café is meant to become a discussion space for the local community where ideas are expressed from the perspective of their own area, taking their needs into account. The goal is to find local solutions that mirror the experiences and wishes of the residents of Oulu.
When examining Oulu from the perspective of the northern climate, one of the changes caused by climate change is the increase in the rainfall in the future. Is the infrastructure of the city prepared for increasing rainfall? What’s the situation like outside of the city? Additionally, the issues with fast fashion and renewable energy provoke discussion also here in Finland. The organizers of the Climate Café are hoping to get experts to speak of these topics among other things, as well as of new topics that come up in the conversations.
When it comes to societal influencing and appealing to decision-makers, Stepanek and Juntunen emphasize that the Climate Café is politically unaffiliated. They want to maintain the meetings as spaces for discussion that are open for everyone. They don’t want to politicize the conversations that are had in the Climate Café but due to the nature of them, they might sometimes turn political. That is not the intention, however.
“The people coming to these meetings come here as professionals of their field, not as political figures. Apoliticism means the discussions remain open and welcoming for all participants”, says Stepanek.
You don’t have to be a professional of the field or know exactly what it is that you want to do to participate in the Climate Café. It’s also not mandatory to partake in the conversations: it’s enough that you are interested in the topic and want to listen to others’ experiences and ideas.
Stepanek and Juntunen encourage people to attend the meetings and just be themselves. Children are also welcome in the Climate Café. If you are unsure about participating, you can drop in without commitments and just feel out the atmosphere. To those who are thinking about what to bring up in the discussions of the Climate Café and to those who are thinking if they have anything to say, Stepanek and Juntunen say encouragingly:
Rishikesh Raut went on a journey to the essence of Finnish state of mind: Riding his bike towards the Northern Finland, exposing himself to the elements of the nature as well as its tough love. This is Rishikesh’s journal of his six days on the road. Where do birds go to die? In most silent […]
Rishikesh Raut went on a journey to the essence of Finnish state of mind: Riding his bike towards the Northern Finland, exposing himself to the elements of the nature as well as its tough love. This is Rishikesh’s journal of his six days on the road.
Where do birds go to die? In most silent forests and in most secret soils, they bury themselves – far from all sight. Last autumn, I imagined – Starting from Oulu, can I ride my bike as north as possible, and touch the North Cape, Europe’s northernmost piece of land? I tried and was asked to turn back after half the distance.
In my ride through the lap of land and water, I discovered that global warming is hoax. I slept in rooms with no roof, and where trees were kings. Nature showed me views of my outdoors and indoors, views that my four-walled home in Oulu kept hidden. The following account of those six days on the road is an attempt to share what I saw and how I felt, in my journey to the North.
// Picture 1. 10 kms from the Arctic circle (Aug 24, 2021) .
Days 1 & 2: Gray Life
The weather was ominous. By the time I rode 80 kilometers to arrive to Simo, it had started to drizzle. The town shares its name with a sniper nicknamed White Death. In the whiteness of sub-zero winter, the man earned the title by erasing 505 sorry souls who had the misfortune of being born on the other side of the border in Russia. The war lasted for about hundred days.
After dinner, I washed my biking clothes in the humid reaches of Simojoki’s bank. And as I slept, Nature thought my sleeping bag, mattress and everything else needed washing too. So, she made sure it rained all night.
I woke up to see tears of rainwater trickling down into my tent, to noiselessly feed a puddle. After adding some of my own,I decided to take the day off to warm up, dry down, and start fresh. That cold, wet day was the last one when I had wet clothes, because I never washed them again. I fell asleep to chocolate and hazelnuts in my teeth and Walter White from Breaking Bad on my phone.
Day 3, Part 1: Conspiring Givers
Moving from Simo, the weather outside and inside me had transformed for the warmer, for a change. The heater in the cottage I had rented dried my gear and clothes – wet by forces of earth and stupidity. The temperature showed single digits, but the sun was hinting arrival for the first time in two days. As the big star carved its way in through reluctant clouds, parts of me too were on their way out.
When I get out, I try to leave my ‘self’ inside. Everything that I’ve allowed to merge with my identity – I try to leave it at home; for only an empty cup can drink anew.
For the first two days, the landscape coloured by the unwanted baggage I was carrying, mirrored my dullness. But now, like the sky, the grayness within was making way for something new – like a snake shedding old skin. The sun’s warm fingers caressed my back, with the tenderness of a mother waking her favourite child. As the distant star oranged the asphalt ahead, I could feel it. The immersion – I could taste it.
Today I’d resolved, was going to be a hundred-kilometre day. At fifty, I would reach Tornio, which shared its border with Sweden. There I would see Suvi, who’s been my pen friend for a year now. We would have lunch, and she’d surprise me with a diary and a peacock box-full of stuff, decorated by her.
If you ask me, it was a conspiracy to paste a smile on my face every time I look at these things… but I could be wrong. My suspicion arises on account of her being a giver. It’s an art alien to many, because the lot of us – we never really give. We calculate returns and invest. We deal. After taking from Suvi, I moved further north.
// Picture 2. Gift from Suvi.
Day 3, part 2: My Game, My Rules
I got back to pedalling. The day’s designated sleeping-spot was 50 kilometers further down the Tornejoki (Torne River). I thought, “50 is too much. 5 kilometers, ten times – doable. The last 20 kilometers, I would allow Eminem and other rappers to scream energy; so actually, only 30 kilometers to go. It’ll take me about 2 hours to make 30. 2 hours is nothing.”
After five gruelling hours of uphill-downhill riding, I set up camp by the river. On the other side, a stone’s throw away was what they call Sweden. Many years ago, one group of people stopped identifying with another group, and began strongly identifying with their own. An imaginary line was drawn, and a real river was dissected.
The dying sun watched my naked body shiver, as I neared the river it had so miserably failed to warm up. The sun might as well have been a spectacular photograph hung over the canopy of distant trees. And the waters might as well have been that way because a truck carrying golden paint crashed up-river. I dipped into the river, staying on the Finnish side – not out of reverence for borders, but only because it was too damn cold. “This is actually not that cold,” I said to myself before my feet grazed the surface. The showpiece sun watched my lying mind settle.
ggs alone were enough to earn a feature on Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, but the noodles were the stuff of his wet dreams.
// Picture 3. The showpiece sun along Tornejoki
After feeding the noodles to the fungi, bacteria, worms, squirrels, and all those who sleep in soil, I slept.
Day 3, part 3: Sleeping wild
I did not sleep before scribbling into the diary my friend gave me. It reads, “First night in wild. Chaos inside… The silence of being alone, utterly alone, is terrifying…There is also an unmistakably immense sense of calm…” I have been alone in a forest before, but never for the night. The mind, when faced with the idea of the unknown, goes berserk. Like an untied horse surrounded by ghosts, the mind gallops without direction, wanting to clutch to the safety of familiarity.
“What if something goes wrong? – Calm down, what will go wrong, there are no snakes here like in India, no leopards too. Calm down. What about bears? – There are no bears here, and we have the phone and knife, just in case.
What if everything that can, goes wrong?”
I nearly dialed a friend back home, so she’d tell me that it’s okay. But like the hero who silently transforms as he persists through perceived impossibilities, and in that persistence becomes the movie’s hero, I did not pick up my phone. Through all that drama stirred up by the frightened mind, I decided to stay with myself a little longer… and suddenly, I was at home. I slept like a baby, who’s just thrown the biggest tantrum it could manage.
Every day out, I woke up to pee, because it was always cold. Our body has evolved since millennia; when cold, it does everything to preserve its own warmth & energy. Then why did I have to wake up, wear socks & shoes, get out, and part with my warm fluids… Without investigating further, I unzipped the tent door.
As if the sky had dropped to taste the grass, clouds of mist swallowed the forest whole. Eerie, moist, haunting. The river still raged – indifferent and intrusive.
A deaf man would have assumed that he was on a mountain, and that the thick fog above the river, stomached a valley. A blind man would have tasted the air’s water and by water’s music, he’d deduce that he stood by a waterfall. A poetic man would have begun stringing words that would poorly describe what he saw. A tired man would have returned to his sleeping bag.
Julkaistu
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Rishikesh Raut
Rishikesh captured his biking journey towards Nothern Finland in Autumn 2021. Now, he shares his thoughts.
One of the most common challenges for anyone moving to a new country is adapting to the new culture, traditions, and habits while retaining their identity at the same time. Being an international student coming from an Arabic country outside of Europe, I had a lot of thoughts regarding my identity moving to Finland for […]
One of the most common challenges for anyone moving to a new country is adapting to the new culture, traditions, and habits while retaining their identity at the same time. Being an international student coming from an Arabic country outside of Europe, I had a lot of thoughts regarding my identity moving to Finland for studying for a master’s degree. Based on my personal experience, I can say it is quite challenging to retain your identity but it is doable, and at the end of the day, it is a choice!
It is hard because of many different reasons that make the two countries almost completely different. Differences starting from for instance the core beliefs to even the food, making a living in a foreign country, not an easy job. On the other hand, no one can force you to do anything that you do not believe in. You have the freedom to choose whatever you want to do without being judged, which also makes it a tough responsibility.
I could write a lot about the different traditions and habits I have experienced living a year in Finland, but I would like to focus more on the Finnish people. Unlike the stereotype, most of the Finns, from my point of view, are friendly but you just need to start the conversation. I have been involved in quite many student associations and communities and have always felt appreciated being just present. Sometimes, I am the only international person in a room of more than 20 people and all of them just switch to English to keep me engaged with them while they do not actually need or have to do that. A few are even fine with struggling to speak their non-native language for the same purpose mentioned.
In supermarkets, for instance, people welcome you with a heartwarming smile, not only when you enter the place but also when you are done and leaving. In buses, it is kind of a tradition to wave to the bus driver thanking him/her for the ride before you get off the bus, and at the same time, he/she waves back and yes, this happens with almost every single passenger!
Most of the people are willing to help whenever they are asked and sometimes they even take initiative. Through my early weeks in Finland, I was waiting for my train at the railway station at it’s expected track and it was almost 4 minutes before the scheduled leaving time and it had not arrived yet. Then, people started leaving the track slowly and I was not sure what was happening. Before heading to someone to ask, three guys standing on the opposite track noticed that I did not start moving as well and most probably I did not understand the Finnish instructions. They reached out explaining that the train changed its track due to a storm that happened and it is going to arrive at a different track and in addition, they offered to guide me to the new track due to the time limitation.
Being appreciated and welcomed, most of the time, is one of the best feelings I experienced living in Finland.
Julkaistu
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Moustafa Khairi
A Machine Learning thesis worker at Nokia and a Computer Science master's student at the University of Oulu. Also, I am the Founder and Lead of Google DSC in Oulu, Slush group lead, and next president of AIESEC in Oulu.
