Local bartender gives advice to his fellow immigrants. ”I’d like to imagine that both of these great-grandfathers would be shocked to find out that I’ve moved back to Finland. I don’t think they would’ve ever dreamed that”, says Willie Männikkölahti sipping his coffee in the bar Vakiopaine. Willie just received Finnish nationality a few weeks ago. Two of his great-grandfathers immigrated to ...

According to various sources, the world will end in 2012. For those worried about signs of the apocalypse, the current weather trend certainly isn’t allaying any fears. This has been dubbed ‘the worst winter in years’ by meteorological institutes, with the heaviest snowfall in decades to hit the northern hemisphere. Just ask any of the thousands stranded in airports and train ...

Heading home does not have to mean losing touch with your new international friends. In recent years, social networking sites have taken the internet by storm providing people with the means to carve out their own corner of cyberspace. The global ramifications of social networking is well documented considering the possibility for global governance, reform and even revolution. How does one go ...

If you’re sick of rice and tuna, you might want to try pea soup. Did you spend all your lunch money on Christmas gifts or traveling home to spend time with the family? Are you sick of eating tuna and rice or macaroni and cheese? You are in luck! Although the Italians might not agree, the traditional Finnish cuisine is both ...

From the earliest mythologies to the modern movie, the hero archetype has dominated. The good guy battles an overwhelming force of evil, dragons, demons, aliens or an enemy army, and always stands victorious. One of the biggest entertainment industries is based entirely on heroes. The DC and Marvel comic universe is littered with them – an alien fallen to earth complete ...

Next spring exchange students coming to Finland will receive free pre-paid mobile phone subscriptions. Erasmus Student Network Finland and the telecommunications company DNA have agreed on a deal to provide a total of 2 500 incoming exchange students with a pre-paid subscription worth 7,90 euros each. DNA buys the students the first round of calls and text messages after which the ...

The LGBT community is thriving in Jyväskylä with SETA hosting numerous social events for people of all persuasions. Jyväskylä might not be able to boast the largest gay club in Scandinavia – that honour goes to Don’t Tell  Mama club in Helsinki. In fact, there are no gay clubs in Jyväskylä at all, but that doesn’t mean that the LGBT community ...

It’s Thursday and time for Stammtisch. Dressed to impress, startle or amuse, students crowd the undermanned bar. All attempts at conversation, be it in German, French, Spanish, Japanese, English or Finnish, are nullified by the pounding music; the DJ cranks up the volume as odourous smoke is disgorged upon the dance floor. I almost choke on my karpalo lonkero when I ...

Student exchange can change the way people eat their french fries. That along with their self image, values and long-term plans. Every year a great number of students at the University of Jyväskylä pack their bags and travel to a strange country for one or two semesters. Some go to get to know new cultures, some to get away from their ...

From next autumn on, foreign students will be able to get their own, special student overalls. They aren’t that flattering, but even the university’s rector Aino Sallinen has a pair. No wonder that exchange students have felt left out when it comes to student overalls – a set of ”academic” party-clothing. Now the Erasmus Student Network in Jyväskylä is hoping to order ESN-overalls. The first order will be ...