The theme of this month is hobbies and interests. Just a few hours until the deadline and all I can think of is the fact that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. I was supposed to be on holiday and here I am, trying to figure out something to write about at midnight.

The fact is, I barely have any hobbies and I certainly won’t be writing an essay about doing bicep curls in the gym. Even though that would obviously be as awesome as a wet sock filled with porridge, it would hardly stretch any further than two sentences. However, one could argue that my cheerful, joyful, positive attitude in life is in a way a hobby, or at least an interest. Everybody is probably familiar with the old optimistic saying about every cloud having a silver lining and so on, but I’m a proud member of the opposite school of thought. The way I see it, every cloud, silverlining or not, is prohibiting me from getting a tan and may even bring rain, thunder and misery in general. With every step I take there’s a possibility that I get hit by a car or walk on a pile of crap.

Pessimism is an interesting way of life, often sadly misunderstood and thus mistakenly treated like a tumor that needs to be removed as fast as possible. The thing is, if you always anticipate everything going down the drain, when bad things finally do happen you are prepared and won’t be as disappointed as the average, optimistic Joe living in his bubblegum castle. The other side of the coin is that when life actually goes as planned and everything seems to work out, the surprise will be even sweeter because you never thought such marvellous a thing could happen to you.

Pessimism is something I would definitely call bi-winning.

The National Meeting of English Students, this year going by the acronialism (portmanteau of acronym and initialism by yours truly) iNMatES in a shameless effort to come up with something even more outlandish than last year’s gNoMES, is an annual event arranged by the different student organizations of English philology around Finland. Taking place in Turku this year, NMES is a chance for English majors from around Finland to catch up with each other, mingle, socialize and do what English majors do best: make obscure pop-culture references.

Did you really think I was going to write "drink?"

We here at BTSB, in an effort to make your NMES much more enjoyable have collected a short list of tips FIY so that your experience in Turku this year won’t go FUBAR (now that’s how you use initialisms and acronyms!). The tips are, as always, to be used at your own discretion, but they may go a long way towards making your experience a more enjoyable one. Also of note is the fact that this list will mostly be of use to those going to NMES for the first time in their lives.

1. At last  year’s NMES something terrible was unleashed upon the English students from Helsinki, namely a song so terrible that to describe it would be akin to invoking the names of a host of ancient and furious deities hellbent on destroying the world. The song goes by the name “Trololololololololololo.” Just Google it to prepare yourself for the horror that the gang who attended NMES last year will incur upon you.
2. NMES is a happy occasion but sadly all good things come to an end. When NMES finally ends on Sunday you may suddenly realize that three days of reciting pop culture references may have taken its toll on your body, mind and soul. To get a proper idea of this feeling of ennui, see the following sketch from cult classic Finnish comedy Studio Julmahuvi.
3. One of the important things about NMES is that all the cities involved will prepare a performance for the other cities’ enjoyment. In order to prepare yourself for the sort of awesomeness that might be in store for this year, see last year’s winning performance. Note: you will need to be Facebook friends with last year’s tutor liaison Mart Suikanen to access the video.
4. Did I mention pop culture references?

   “A towel, it says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.”
   — Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
   So, don’t forget to bring a towel.

5. Related to the aforementioned point about the ennui caused by Sunday, do remember to wake up early enough on Sunday in order to pack your things. Word has it that some of the things left at NMES last year still haunt the halls of Jyväskylä, forgotten and lonely.
6. This year’s iNMatES has something on the menu that is quite alien to the members of SUB: a sillis. A sillis is effectively a breakfast consisting of something salty (mostly fish) following a night of partying as a means towards gathering energy for another day of academic fun times.
7. Plan ahead! The aforementioned show was not conceived on the bus ride to NMES, it was a labour of love and many sleepless nights. Start planning the show for NMES well in advance in order to grab the prize from under those non-Helsinkians’ noses again! Note: You should’ve done this already.
8. I already mentioned the sillis practice which is already alien to members of SUB, but there may also be other practices that may seem strange to your Helsinki sensibilities. So, prepare yourself for a culture shock but more importantly try to avoid cultural chauvinism. If the phrase most heard from you is “They do it differently in Helsinki” you won’t make any friends.
9. Remember that this year there are well over a hundred students attending the annual NMES table party. Keep this in mind at all times. A table party is hard enough to control as it is, but one with well over a hundred attendants may easily slip into chaos if you do not mind the rules and behave yourself. At every table party there is always that guy who disturbs the peace and detracts from the fun of everyone else. Don’t be that guy.
10. Most importantly, remember to have a good time!

The author, Patrik Renholm, is very sorry not to be able to attend iNMatES, but it may all be for the best since he might’ve been that guy last year.

What’s a party without a dance floor and what’s a dance floor without dancers?  Sad is what it is.  Considering dancing has been a part of the rituals of many cultures for thousands of years, you should never underestimate its importance to creating atmosphere.  And let’s face it, good music with just the right kind of beat makes your feet restless.  Naturally, music that isn’t to your liking will make you want to dance as much as you want to set your hair on fire.  Then again, you can always pull a few ironic dance moves to show how unimpressed you are with the music.  Luckily, SUB has the best DJs.

I have no specific dance dos and don’ts to share as this article isn’t about etiquette or ballroom dancing.  Any recommendations I may have about the dance floor can be summarized like this: don’t give a crap what you look like.  Yours truly would never claim to be a good dancer.  My formal training is limited to some ballet as a child but that has never stopped me from shaking what my mama gave me.  If you are on the shy side, a little Dutch courage is no crime.  No one should worry about not having the right kind of moves.  Letting loose is not about competition.

Like many other things, dancing is the most fun when you’re sharing it with another person or a group of others.  You can even start synching your movements with others which naturally means everyone else will have to give you more room, but it’s also a lovely way of bonding.  The party scene of SUB is lively and vibrant and the same can be said of its most enthusiastic dancers.  It’s only fitting our President is the grooviest dancer I’ve seen.

There are plenty of examples where dancing has been used to tell a story, especially a coming-of-age kind of story.  The uptight small town in Footloose is boring and lame because dancing is banned, but then Ren comes from Chicago and changes everything.  In Flashdance, Alex chases her dream of becoming a professional dancer.  Baby finds love in Dirty Dancing.  The list goes on and on.

Personally, I believe that at its core, dancing is one of the simplest ways of expressing joy (or any other feeling for that matter).  But especially at parties, it’s about having a good time and making sure your entire body will hurt the next day.  There’s room on the floor for everybody.

The academic parties, or sitsit, are wonderful events to get together with your student friends and to meet new people from your faculty. It’s also a great chance to sing your lungs out and, of course, look fabulous! But there’s the annoying issue of spare cash in these dark times of financial crisis: Who can afford to spend almost 100 euros for a new gown everytime there’s sitsit? It’s not affordable, or ecological for that matter…
 
One solution is to try to aim for a wardrobe that has a few stylish core elements, which don’t need to be changed annually.
I’ve tried to list some basic things that could help you put together several sitsi outfits (but which you can use in all sorts of partays)!
 
That Little Black Dress
 
I know, the LBD is a cliché but it’s also a timeless classic! A neat black dress should be in the basic wardrobe of every classy lassy. The material of the dress should be of good quality, and I recommend that you check the washing details and consider your own needs: it might be easier if you can wash the dress yourself, and don’t need to get it dry-cleaned! Little details are also important: remember to check the sewing carefully, the stitches should be tiny and dense. Demand quality for your money, the more cash you invest, the more years your dress will last!

The style of the dress is naturally up to you, but I would recommend a model that’s classic and easily altered with different kinds of accessories. Of course if you’re sure that you want to wear puff sleeves next year too, go for it! The color is only a recommendation, but black suits everyone and it goes well with your changing hairstyles and other knicknacks. Plus the usual Finnish paleness looks very classy with black, just remember that the final touch is all about…
 
Accessories, accessories, accessories!

Purses:
I would say that you need two kinds of party purses: one of classic style and color, which you can use on formal occasions (other than sitsit too) or even with jeans and a sequined top. The other kind can be much more fun – go crazy with it and bring in some color and personality to your outfit! Find your favorite color, a purse covered with feathers or pearls or even with cute pictures! My favorite of tiny purses is adorably in the shape of Hello Kitty’s head. You can find cute purses for example from flea markets, Accessorize, the Urban Outfitters website, Monki and of course from your mother’s, grandmother’s and sister’s (if you’re living on the edge…) stashes! If you want to invest more money on purses, try shops like Helsinki10, Minna Parikka and so on.

Scarves and jewelry:
There are no guidelines to where you should go and find scarves and jewelry, just follow your instinct and try to find personal things you like. Try something different and go check Secco and Lux-shop for marvelous pendants and charms! Or remember when you were a kid and you could borrow some neat thingies from your friends, like plastic kitsch rings and necklaces, Barbies or pencils? Why not try something similar now? If one of your friends has an accessory you would love to wear, ask nicely to borrow it! Just remember to be careful with things you borrow. If you’re talented with arts and crafts (which I myself am not…) try to make your own jewelry! Go hipster and put an old music-cassette to a silver chain or go cutie-anime and hang some Hello Kittys (*gasp*) FROM (*whew*) your neck.
Shoes:
What else could be more important and interesting than shoes?! Well, because apparently not everybody shares the same feeling, I’ll just sum it up: Find comfortable shoes that have heels you can walk with (or at least look cute when sitting down…) and that feel instantly yours. A beautiful pair of shoes can give your outfit the finishing touch of glamour and change your style completely. So instead of buying shoes, which are in fashion or look great on your best friend, be sure to select fun, cute, original and bold shoes that match you.

And a little hairy tip…
Trying to put together a hairdo can be a painful process, especially for those of us who are about as skilled with hairstyles as lumberjacks are with trimming gardens. Luckily help is close at hand! YouTube is filled with great step-by-step hair and make-up tutorials that should get you going.

Prepare your bobby pins ladies and type “how to do a classy up-do/party curls/wave etc.”!

I hope this article has been helpful, please feel free to tell me if you think that I’m completely out of my mind or if Hello Kittys never were in fashion (prepare to die). However if you’re one of those gals who think that neon-colored elastaine tank-tops are still cool, I’m warning thee, thou shalt be severely mocked.

Kaisa Leino and all Better Than Sliced Bread wishing you great parties and awesome fun times.

The first question a physics major asks when faced with a challenge is “How does this work?”
The first question an engineering major asks when faced with a challenge is “How can I make this work better?”
The first question an English major asks when faced with a challenge is “Would you like fries with that?”

You’ve undoubtedly heard that joke uttered in some form or another at some point in your life. Many variations of it exist, sometimes with the English major being substituted for a generic liberal arts major, but the gist is always the same: studying liberal arts (or arts and humanities, whichever you prefer) is a step towards a great career in fast food or customer service in general.

I have always been a humanist at heart and as such even before I set out on the path towards getting a degree in English philology, I was already there working behind the counter at a hamburger joint that shall go unnamed. Call it preparing myself for life after graduation where, if sophomoric humour is to be trusted, there aren’t that many jobs available for someone interested in the minutae of English literature and the manifold variations of the language. However, working this job for almost five years now I can definitely say that I have learned many important lessons. Those of you not working in fast food can make what you will of these lessons, but I’m sure there are many practical applications for almost any line of work to be found.

1. People Skills
I have known many people working low-end customer service jobs throughout their lives and all of them have a few things in common. One of them is a deep-seated hatred and bitterness towards the common man which we will ignore for a moment, but the other is the fact that these people are some of the nicest people towards strangers that I know of.

It’s not much of a leap of logic: working behind the counter at a fast food joint doing a job that many people consider the lowest possible form of employment just above being a human guinea pig for a cosmetics company and below landscaping and gardening means that you will often come into contact with people who are predisposed towards treating you like dirt. In the most common case this is simply a lack of courtesy, but there is a certain type of customer who seems to be impossible to please from the get-go and who will heap their lack of respect for the establishment they are patronizing upon the person serving them. Years of being treated to cold responses from customers and the occasional verbal assault based on a matter I have absolutely no control over (such as the customer who took it upon himself to complain to me about the fact that our organic cane sugar is not made in Finland) has not only increased my tolerance for abuse, it has increased my respect for good manners and treating people working in customer service jobs.

The applications of social skills outside of customer service can’t be stressed enough, especially taking into account the fact that I aspire to become an English teacher. Having already grown a thicker skin towards abuse from people from all walks of life, I am not only confident in being able to deal with a class of seventh-grade kids but also their parents with their unrealistic demands.

2. Perspective
I mentioned the perception of my job as not being the most flattering one. Admittedly, the perception is a bit skewed, mostly by the fact that most people have never worked behind a counter and only have first impressions to go by. The job is not as bad as it is perceived by some people, but I must admit that occasionally while doing a night shift and wallowing in the smell of high-temperature grill cleaner while trying to scrub all traces of burnt fat from the grills so that they may be used again the following day, a thought has come to mind: there must be something better than this.

I know it doesn’t sound all that fun, but I have to say that without working one of the dirtiest jobs outside of reality TV shows revolving around them I would’ve never gained such a great respect for the very idea of a job which does not require you to smell of frier fat and cheese after a regular shift.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the thought of teaching that aforementioned class of unruly seventh-graders English doesn’t actually sound that bad after the hundreth night I’ve spent deep-cleaning the friers.

3. Stress-Management Skills
You know how in movies Vietnam veterans always seem to dream of nothing but ‘Nam and how their sleep is filled with images of the Vietnamese jungle burning around them while enemies close in on them from all sides and all of their comrades in arms are dead. People who work fast food have similar dreams, only the Vietnamese jungle is replaced with a nightmareish rendition of their place of wok, the enemies are the hordes of customers closing in on the register and while the rest of the staff are not dead they are probably out having a smoke or something.

I wish I was kidding about this, but some of my most vivid nightmares from the past four years have had to do with my job. They have always come during times of great stress at work (i.e. there’s a big sale at one of the local chains of shopping centers and thus our daily routine consists mostly of fighting a losing battle against a line of customers that almost unceasingly reaches all the way to the doors) and they are absolutely terrible and impossible to shake. The first thought I had upon waking up from one of those dreams was “Shit, I forgot that guy’s drink!”

Now, my work isn’t always stressful, but when shit does hit the fan it hits it good: one little thing going wrong may lead to a chain reaction that suddenly causes orders to get mixed up, people not knowing what burgers are still needed and a general feeling of disarray and mayhem. These spikes of high-stess activity no longer even stress me out. While during my first days of work they caused me to panic, causing a chain of events that almost lead to me having a seizure, they no longer faze me.

The ability to cope with the stress of the lunch rush starting with naught but a cheeseburger ready in the bin is one that translates well into any job. As you can see, the lowliest job can teach you skills that are applicable elsewhere in life, no matter what your pursuits may be.

The worst-case scenario is, of course, me having a six year advantage on all the other arts and humanities students as far as employment in our preferred field goes upon graduation.

The theme of this issue being Helsinki it was only appropriate that someone take on the job of tackling the subject of the best things in Helsinki. Thus, in a hellbent fashion, three of BTSB’s staff members decided to find the places in Helsinki that matter to them the most.

The Best Place to Buy Shoes: Kenkäfriikki, Kluuvikatu 3.

Next to Fazer Cafe in Kluuvikatu is, in my opinion, the best shoe shop in Helsinki. The shop assistants are always nice and they know their products. Kenkäfriikki has a wide selection of different brands, including, for example, Pura Lopez, UGG and Janet & Janet. The shop is clean and quiet and the mirrors are in good spots. As the shoes are more expensive than, say, in Dinsko, you have to focus more on buying them. For me that means choosing classic models which don’t fit close but perfect and of which I’m sure that I’ll use them for several years.

The Best Cafe Near Metsätalo: Espresso Edge, Liisankatu 29.

Espresso Edge might be more expensive than Robert’s Coffee or Wayne’s, but it has character and very good products that are made on the spot. The coffees are usually well made and the sandwiches are really tasty (try the Skinny California!). The soup lunch has been spicy and delicious every time I’ve tried it. Espresso Edge also hosts changing art exhibitions.

The Best Place to Buy Records: Keltainen Jäänsärkijä, Urho Kekkosenkatu 4-6

While Keltainen Jäänsärkijä lacks the hipster-cred of Stupido and the large selection of Levykauppa Äx, not to mention the ambience of any record store within a larger shopping center, this little record store right next to Kamppi deserves a lot of praise not only for having a great selection of classics that anyone would do well to have in their record libraries but also for being a great place to find that one obscure album you’ve been searching for ages. To add to the store’s appeal their prices are extremely affordable in comparison to many of their competitors.

The Best Place for Planning a Better Tomorrow: Pub Magneetti, Mäkelänkatu 20.

With an almost invisible entrance, Pub Magneetti is one of the coziest places to enjoy a drink or two in the vicinity of the Helsinki center. The place is small and often packed by regulars, but still the atmosphere is welcoming and friendly. The drinks are served at student-friendly prices and the tables are often lit by candles. The decor is imaginative – metal paraphernalia is attached to the walls and ceiling, the place really living up to its name. Music is played at a volume that leaves room for conversation and the tunes are not your everyday MTV hits. Magneetti is a perfect place to lose yourself sitting with your friends for hours on end and it is one of the few bars in Helsinki that really starts to feel like an extension to your living room.

The Best Faculty of Arts Spex: Aallonharjalla, Malmitalo, 9.2.-12.2.

Aallonharjalla is the first ever spex, or academic theater spectacle, of the Faculty of Arts. Employing people from a gazillion departments, it tells the tale of three freshmen, Rauni, Masa and Hamlet, who get caught in the middle of an aggressive reform of their home faculty. Drawing influences from here, there and wherever, it addresses themes of existential student-life crisis, the changing role of humanities in post-modern society and the oh-so-quintessential ‟will professor Leif Salovaara get to go Dancing with the Starts?”. Tickets are 10€ for students and other wealth-impaired, 15€ for boring adult-like people and available from www.tiketti.fi.

Insider info: Even the newly elected President of SUB makes an appearance in Aallonharjalla! Will it be a cameo or the best thing since Heath Ledger in Dark Knight? There’s only one way to find out.

Compiled by Kaisa Leino, Patrik Renholm and Esko Suoranta

Meet Freya, Freikku, Reijo, or more officially Fennican Kanteletar. She will be four in April and she is a Swedish Vallhund. She is my life and the one I have to thank for keeping me sane. She is also the main reason for my constant monetary problems and the reason I spend most of my time home or roaming the woods or doing agility.

The life of a student/dog-owner is not all easy and simple. First, there’s the responsibility. Having a dog is nothing like having a hamster or a guinea pig running around in circles in a cage. A dog is almost like a little furry person. Having a dog means compromising. You have to wake up early, sometimes in the middle of the night and even multiple times, to take the dog out. You have to make all your plans taking the dog into account: who’s going to feed her, take her out, keep her busy, and spend time with her. I’m lucky to have my parents living close by so that I can almost always take Freya there if I have somewhere I have to be. If I didn’t, you wouldn’t probably see me much outside the lectures.

Then, there’s the money business and the living conditions. We live in Puotila; mostly due to the surrounding wilderness (excellent hunting ground for hares and pheasants, according to Freya) and my parents living close by. My flat is 29.5 square metres with a balcony and a view to a pretty little wilderness between us and Prisma. After the monthly student allowance from Kela, I’ve still got a bit under 100€ left to cover of my rent. Then there’s the internet, electricity, water, etc. Having a job is vital for my existence, because the living is so expensive and I have to eat something as well. One of the reasons I don’t live in a HOAS flat, is Freya. The only dog-friendly small flats they have for a single person are in Korso and no way in hell am I ever going to move there. Dogs are, I believe, allowed in family and friend flats, though. The Helsinki City Real Estate Department flats also allow dogs, but those are usually really hard for students to get.

Because dogs need to be taken out multiple times every day, having one helps to keep up a decent physical condition. In order to keep Freya from turning into a rampaging beast and destroying furniture, we do agility twice a week. It is an excellent way of spending quality time with the dog, giving her something to put her energy in and for me to get some exercise as well. Agility is also quite expensive, but so is every other hobby I can think of involving some sort of regular guidance or training. But it’s not just the physical condition dogs help to keep up. According to several academic researches, having a pet (a dog, a cat or even a parrot) can help to improve depression, relieve stress and cope with other mental problems. They give their owners something to do and someone else to worry about. I know I wouldn’t be this sane if I didn’t have Freya.

I’m not sure I ever could live without a dog in my life now that I’ve finally (as a result of more than ten years of whining) had one for four years. The problem with having one dog is that before you know it, you’ve started daydreaming of getting another one. Then, once you’ve started the vicious circle, you can’t get off. Or so I’m told. The woman who keeps the Fennican kennel, from where Freya is, had at one time seven or eight Swedish Vallhunds. I’ve actually already for a couple of years now been thinking of getting another one to keep Freya company and to make my flat, if possible, even more messy and my life even more difficult and to have another go in bringing up a dog.

Having a dog and being a student at the same time sure as hell isn’t easy, but it’s totally worth it. If you’re willing to take the responsibility and care for another living being, and maybe miss out on a couple of get-togethers every once in a while, I really truly recommend getting a dog. It’s good for your health, both physical as well as mental. Besides, dogs are cute and amazing and *insert a hundred more adjectives*.

Yours truly,
I-just-spent-another-hundred-euros-on-agility-and-sausages-and-such-nonsense

People move to Helsinki every year to study, work and live. They come from just outside the city limits, from the East, from the West Coast, from Central Finland, from the North and all the way from Lapland. Others make the journey from different countries. What follows are the thoughts and experiences (edited by yours truly from written accounts) of three students, including me, and one professor.

With every new city, you have start with people and places. For someone who comes from a small town, it’s the scale of the Helsinki that can throw a person off a little. When I moved here two years ago, I expected a city much larger than Kajaani and, boy, did I get it. I absolutely dreaded public transport. A student from Imatra, who now lives in the greater Helsinki area, says he found it really confusing at first. The number of lines and the different modes of transport from the metro to trams to buses to trains are enough to make the inexperienced frown and worry. My first bus ride in the city consisted of me sitting at the back, hoping I wouldn’t make a complete fool of myself and thinking please, someone push that red button, I’m too scared to do it.

© Mikko Nieminen

I was also too shy to talk to anyone at first. The student from Imatra recalls that his first impression of people in Helsinki was that they had ‘a sort of reserved quality to them.’ I also found their behavior completely different from what I’d been used to. I called this kind of aura ‘city cool’ as I watched people stand within inches of passing traffic, impatiently waiting for the light to change, not even blinking as ambulances and police cars went past, sirens blaring. Then again, I’m from a town where five cars at a junction counts as congestion. Later I’ve found out that in most cases, the seemingly guarded exterior is only skin deep as the people I’ve talked to have been friendly or at least polite. The indifferent or vaguely bored attitude to traffic comes with getting used to it as I’ve learned.

It’s impossible to talk about moving from one place to another without bringing language or speech into it, especially, when we are talking about individuals who study or have studied language. There is definitely a Helsinkian way of speaking. ‘I hate to say it but they speak a bit weird. It’s a sort of intonation thing, I guess, and a sort of nasality,’ the student from Imatra suggests. ‘And at times the weirdest dialect words that you could think of.’ Personally, I’ve had to ask more times than I care to admit from a born and raised Helsinkian friend what this or that word means (the first was ‘flaidis’), but I’ve also had the pleasure of confusing them by using words they don’t even recognize (like ‘pahki’ which really is a very useful word). The way I talk now changes depending on who I’m talking to, but I don’t think that since moving to Helsinki and adopting the speech style, I’ve ever gone back to my old dialect. Initially, I was reluctant to say anything in a Helsinkian manner for fear of sounding insincere or fake, like I didn’t belong, but as I’ve opened up to the city, so has the city opened up to me.
The student from Imatra says he sometimes misses the way people talk in his hometown although he admits to noticing that when he visits home, the people sound ‘more hick’ than he remembered. It is something I can agree with and I’ve often asked myself if I actually used to talk like someone from Kajaani. The answer is yes, of course.

© Mikko Nieminen

He goes on to sum up the appeal of Helsinki: ‘I think the impression that’s proven most true is that there’s pretty much everything here. Well, perhaps not if compared to major cities abroad, but still in comparison against small town Finland, there’s a lot of stuff to do, see and try.’ As I’ve expanded my knowledge and map of Helsinki, I’ve become more interested in what lies beyond the very heart of the city. I’m eager to find more places that don’t get a mention in city tour books. I read from somewhere that only when you’ve found a favorite place in a city and it’s not in any guide book can you say you have found a home.

So the cliché that you can only know a city once you have lived there for a while seems to ring true. Helsinki is one of those places that may not charm you immediately, but once it shows its beauty, you are hooked. A student from the close-by Espoo admits to having had short-sighted view of the city, thinking of it as an urban center to his hometown. ‘Only after moving to Helsinki did I suddenly realize the scale of the city,’ he says. ‘It was quite a shock to actually come to terms with the fact that Helsinki does go on beyond Kallio.’ He adds the past few years that he has spent in Helsinki have been a learning experience.

One of the contributors of this article offers an interesting story about a changed Helsinki. She moved into the city in the mid-1980s from the United States. At the time, Helsinki was still a relatively isolated European capital with a largely homogenous (or white) population. So when she was walking down the street with a Namibian friend and they passed a mother with a small girl, the child asked in Finnish, very innocently, of her mother ‘what was that?’, meaning the dark-complexioned friend. Today such a question is probably not a common occurrence, but children always ask about things. The child she saw in the 80s has grown up and may have a child who asks his or her own questions. The city has changed and it is changing right now, quickly and slowly at the same time. The Helsinki we know now is not the same city it was a hundred years ago or fifty years ago or even twenty years ago. It’s continuously expanding and becoming more and more heterogeneous, enriched by immigrants and their cultures.

I eagerly wait to see what the coming years have in store for Helsinki and my experience of living here.

I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to offer their input. You rock.

Editor’s Note: Both images used with permission from the copyright owner, “’cause he’s awesome like that.”