Finns, keep reading! If something is written or informed in English it does not mean that just non-Finnish are meant to read it. I wanted to write this in English so that more students (and maybe even staff) could read it.

For those who read this for the first time, “Haiku from the basement” is a blog written by board members and staff of Student Union OSAKO. With this blog we aim to show that Student Union is not a cabal. 🙂  Usually blog is written in Finnish but hopefully every now and then topics of current interest are available also in English. At least I promise to keep you posted.

It is already week 10. Everyone knows what it means: a well-waited break between Christmas and summertime. Or so it should be. Beforehand you plan to take the week off to rest and to do things that you hadn’t have time during busy weekdays. But what happens when the time comes? You find yourself battling with arrearages of work. Hesitating to take the day off. But you need to take it. Whether it is for one day or five days.

New challenges are always easier to handle with invigorated mind. And knowing from experience, you’ll never know what lies ahead when working in a student union.

Being an employee at OSAKO has its ups and downs. Feedback is ambiguous. Trying to balance what to do when hearing that we don’t inform enough AND we spam too much. Upcoming spring consists of meetings and work groups, traditional events like May Day (“Wappu”) and several fundamental but routine tasks, just to name a few. That’s according to calendar. Everything should start to calm down in May. This hardly ever turns into reality. Hastiness and turnovers are the name of the game. There is always a phone call or en email that creates turmoil. Once a loose calendar morphs into a collection of overlaps and race against clock. But hey, at least life doesn’t get boring!

Furthermore, you get to meet interesting people, do things and visit places you otherwise would not. Be able to help others. Hear different perspectives and learn new things about something that you thought you already knew.

That last aspect has been – and still is – a great part of my job. As a “palijaskalakane oululainen”, born and raised in Oulu, I have learned lots of new things about my home town and its surroundings. Just by trying to find answers to questions asked by students, especially those coming from other countries. For instance, did you know that the fastest ever half-marathon run barefoot on snow has been run in Oulu area. Or would you have guessed that April is the driest and August the wettest month.

Nosey researcher in me hopes that you’ll keep asking. But now I’ll take two days off. To be prepared for that phone call or email…

-Erja, Secretary of Cultural Affairs

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Dog paw prints in snow
Melting away and offer
peek at early spring