Issuu

BACCANALIA 2011 A man of many words â€•

Damon Tringham

get the

hipster the Anglican

look

scene today

The Song of a Lumberjack a n d t he r e s t o f A n g l i c a ' s f i n e s t a n d t he r e s t o f A n g l i c a ' s f i n e s t

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

CONTENTS

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

EDITORIAL

Nguyen Hoang Long Hai

HILE I'M WRITING THIS, I am sitting in Proffa's kellari and it's empty except for some people playing pool in the corner. There's football in the corner and I've yet to finish my first year in Anglica and the University of Turku. So by the time you have the Baccanalia of 2011 in your left hand and a gin and tonic in the other (or reverse if prefer the right hand to hold the magazine) you'll probably be bathed in the rays coming from our beloved and much anticipated, yellow Sun. I, in contrast, will probably spend some more time in dark places, ogling at my laptop screen and occasionally having fits of rage, with fifteen minutes of cursing software problems preceding them. Due to my condition, having fits of rage and hysterical panic attacks and all, writing this editorial has been a challenge. Many a night I have rolled in my bed, stumbling into walls and occasionally, the floor. Sleep and some betablockers might do me some good, so after the May Day festivities, you might find me hibernating on the street in front of El Gringo. ABOUT THE BACCANALIA this year. I had great ambitions for it, we aimed high and tried to get

EDITORIAL

everybody involved. I tried to get the work for the thing started as early as possible, but as you all know me, my favorite 'intellectual' word is procrastination. Hell, I even used the word in my French essays (but it's the thought that counts!) By all of this, I mean I sent like a million emails in late February. How's that for effort, previous editors of Baccanalia? Actually, I sent one email. To the Anglica emailing list. And no one heeded my call. So instead, I decided to go old school and so, I ended up contacting most of the people via Facebook. Some I recruited to write stuff at parties, so vague invitations didn't even amount to anything until I started harassing people via emails, text messages and Facebook private messages. In the end, we had too much stuff so I was told to edit, cut and paste, with my chief-ineditor powers. So I must apologize if the texts seem unreadable, and then I thank the writers for enduring such a crap editor. SO, AFTER ALL THE HASSLE and hoff, you are holding a copy of this year's Baccanalia. Read through it, laminate it afterwards because this is Anglica in the academic year 2010-2011.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

WORDS FROM THE CHAIR Antti "Puntti" Lipsanen

S MEMBERS of the academic community (some more than others), you should be well aware of the fact that inanimate objects do not in general carry the ability to talk. Therefore, this page should be left blank, as having any words here would violate the logic of the heading. Since the chair happens to be a bit of an anarchist and often illogical, here are some words nevertheless, spiced up with a few irrelevant quotes for you to enjoy. ”Once upon a midnight dreary, I pondered weak and weary...” – the Raven, Edgar Allan Poe ANOTHER ACADEMIC YEAR has almost come to its end, sadly. Most of your fellow students will be leaving the campus’ concrete surroundings for greener pastures for the summer, or alternatively will be suffering the know a few things more than that, but it’s a summer heat at a place not so green or good starting point. Note also, this applies to pasture-like. Most deadlines for assignments, almost any problem in life (wisdom shared, main objective of this text has been most exams and most courses have accomplished). Some of the people already ended by the time you read "SINCE THE CHAIR reading this might be prone to this, and it is my pleasure to congratulate you: you have laboured HAPPENS TO BE A BIT stressing out this time of the year, through the challenges of the year OF AN ANARCHIST but now is not the time to worry AND OFTEN about not seeing your friends for a and hopefully you have been ILLOGICAL..." few months, they will be back. successful in completing your Neither is it time to ponder weak academic goals. And hopefully most weary about your academic of the time you have not had the same and situation as the speaker in Edgar Allan Poe’s accomplishments, there’s always a retake. The Raven, although it would seem to be a Now is the time to seize that fleeting moment rather common phenomenon in a student’s of freedom with your friends, and to show the life, an all-nighter with some academic stuff world what it means to be a student, and an and caffeine (and occasionally seeing some Anglican, by enjoying the numerous May Day ominous stuff while napping on top of your festivities as much as you can. Without further ado (I kept you long enough already!), Happy laptop). May Day to each and all! “Every mystery ever solved has turned out to “Laugh, and the world laughs with you. be not magic” – Tim Minchin Breakdance unexpectedly, and the world looks NOW THERE'S A TIP for clearing those final on in f*ckin' awe.” –Anonymous tweet few exams. Needless to say, you might have to

WORDS FROM THE CHAIR

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

BOARD OF '11 The ones you chose to look after your interests since 2011 WE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF ANGLICA, in the Board, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of Anglica, solemnly publish and declare, That this Organisation is, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent; that it is Absolved from all Allegiance to the bad University staff, and it has full Power to have groovy Parties, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Organisations may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

chair Please state your full name and age, please. Lipsanen Antti Kalevi, age 21 (when this gets published) Place of origin Originally from Juva. Reasons for being on board? Accidents happen. Weapon of choice against a raging horde of zombies? Sniper rifle Experience in the University of Turku? A raging horde of zombies. If you have a nickname, do tell what it is and where/why you got it? Now most people call me Puntti, 'cause calling someone Antti when there's a mass of people around you would probably cause the universe to collapse. Pirate or ninja? Ninja pirates man, ninja pirates.

vice chair

BOARD OF '11

Please state your full name and age, please. Lotta Karoliina Mäkinen, young and restless. Place of origin 60°26′37″N, 22°16′11″E (Heideken, Turku) Please complete the following sentences: I would never… I would never... get too drunk, and behave badly (e.g. insist on popping into a strip joint after a sitz party...) I have always... said 'yes' to free drinks and morally questionable men. I am very good at… behaving like a proper lady. In an ideal world… they would let you buy just that one more drink after the last call. Top 5 all-time favourite bands Wow, this is a tricky one! Just five? Not in any particular order, but probably The Cure, The Sounds, Band Of Horses, The Clash and Oasis.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 Please state your full name and age, please. Riikka Katriina Salmela, 21 years Experience in the University of Turku? 17 months, too few studypoints and numerous breakdowns because of approaching deadlines (writing these answers included) Please complete the following sentences: I am very good at… chatting endlessly about stuff that a) I know nothing about b) no one else cares about and/or c) doesn't make any sense. In an ideal world… eating sweets wouldn't make one gain weight and everyone would understand how my opinions and ideas always make sense. Top 5 all-time favorite bands I'll just pick one because below this there are too many bands that are even. My one is Tehosekoitin 'cause I couldn't have survived my teenage angst without their music and I'm still convinced that when Otto stops playing an unclean hippie I'll marry him.

info

secretary

Please state your full name and age, please. Salla Rokka, 24 Place of origin Helsinki, baby! Weapon of choice against a raging horde of zombies? Horde? I'm an Alliance girl myself. If you have a nickname, do tell what it is and where/why you got it? During my time in London people just couldn't wrap their minds around something as ridiculous as 'Salla' and when they saw me drinking Stella Artois they just assumed that's what I'm called. It kinda stuck, and now because of all the Sallas in my year, it's easier to just go by Stella. What fantasy character would you be, if you had to choose one? Goat-chicken.

Please state your full name and age, please. Outi Elina Järvi, age 24 years and 8 months Reasons for being on board? I missed the first half of the meeting where the new board is elected and when I came for the second half I heard I had been choisen to be the treasurer again. I had no saying in this. Experience in the University of Turku? Best place on earth Please complete the following sentences: I have always… disliked all animals. On Friday mornings I like to… be unconscious I am very good at… losing phones and breaking laptops. In an ideal world… I would never get hangovers.

treasurer

BOARD OF '11

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 Please state your full name and age, please. Katariina Anna Maria ”my parents are really inventive” Kairavuo, 22 Reasons for being on board? Power corrupts. Please complete the following sentences: I would never… eat your pet koala. On Friday mornings... I like to pat myself on the back for not choosing courses that are on Friday mornings. I am very good at… verbalizing the awkwardness felt not only by me but those around me as well. Mainly by saying “Well, this is awkward.” If you don't have a nickname, what would you like to be called? Slut Bunwallah, just because of the randomness factor.

party&culture

Please state your full name and age, please. Satu Pauliina Salo, 25 Favorite food and why? Chicken breast filled with cream cheese, wrapped in bacon and baked in oven. Do I really need to explain this?! Weapon of choice against a raging horde of zombies? ...I just keep thinking about that comic strip that's spread on the Internet... fleshlight! :D Top 5 all-time favorite bands Ehh. Ask me to name my top 5 composers, and we have a deal. Pirate or ninja? Pirates are cool but ninjas have stealth. Also, James Clavell's Shōgun. So, a ninja.

Please state your full name and age, please. Markus Matti Kalervo Vatka, 21 Favorite food and why? Pizza rules. Tomato sauce, wheat flour, cheese, some sort of meat.. Gotta love it. Please complete the following sentences: I would never... want to meet a person from Jersey Shore On Friday mornings I like to... make some coffee, put Ready For The Weekend by Calvin Harris on repeat and try to relax. If you have a nickname, do tell what it is and where/why you got it? Mr. Marcus. That's the one that people use at Uni and I guess it was Ilja Hirvonen that came up with it, at least I'm pretty sure that he was present at the moment. I'm not really sure where it came from or if it is supposed to refer to a certain event, but if you Google it..

BOARD OF '11

kopo

party&culture

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 project

Please state your full name and age, please. Saara Auroora Yli-Kauhaluoma, 23 Reasons for being on board? (Since this is my second year on board, I'd say) I obviously don't know how to stay ashore Favorite food and why? Indian cuisine and my grandma's cookings (no explanations needed) If you have a nickname, do tell what it is and where/why you got it? Shanti - given to me by my friends when I came back from India in 2009...hopefully I'll be Shanti (meaning peace, rest, calmness, tranquility, or bliss..gotta love Wikipedia) again when I come back from India next July! What fantasy character would you be, if you had to choose one? A phoenix.

Please state your full name and age, please. Tomi Juhani Rautaoja, age 22 Place of origin Anjalankoski, which is nowadays a part of Kouvola Reasons for being on board Fortune and fame. Nah, seriously, I wanted to contribute to the awesome work Anglica has done during my time as a student. In my opinion we are lucky to have a such well-functioning student organization and I wanted to help keep it that way. Top 5 all-time favorite bands Well, this list is coming from somebody whose taste in music shifts and changes very often: Judas Priest, Megadeth, Rush, Bloc Party and Sigur Rós. What fantasy character would you be, if you had to choose one? A wookie

vice member

Please state your full name and age, please. Julia Milkamaria Hamara, 20 Place of origin Jyvä(ä)skylä Weapon of choice against a raging horde of zombies? I wish we could solve our disagreements peacefully without any weaponry... Please complete the following sentences: I would never… ever kiss a frog, even if I knew for sure it would turn into a prince. On Friday mornings I like to… enjoy a charming hangover with the help of the pizza-making men from Araz. In an ideal world… everybody would get a popsicle. What fantasy character would you be, if you had to choose one? What a stupid question... I guess I'd be an oliphant. BOARD OF '11

AN ANGLICAN YEAR

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

25.8. The Anglo-Saxon invasion begins and hordes of new students fill out the austere lecture room of Juslenia. Coffee, tea and edibles are served to placate newcomers and initiate them to the ways of the university. THE ARRIVAL OF THE FRESHMEN is the traditional starting point of yet another year of studying and begins with the board and tutors telling the New Kids on the Block who they are and why they should care about who they are. In the evening S-Osis is often the place where the freshmen meet some of the older students for the first time, preferably amicably.

august

In order september 1.9. some sense

to maintain of moral justification for their mayhaps unsatisfactory studies so far, the oldies challenge the newbies to a fight for the death the right to call one selves the winners of the most epic of battles, THE OLDIES VS. NEWBIES FOOTBALL MATCH. Not surprisingly, the oldies win, not necessarily because of their unmatched talent but mainly due to their overbearing number. 17.-18.9. Like all good Finns, Anglica, too, decides it would be appropriate to spend some well earned quality time in nature’s loving embrace. A merry band of students sings and dances their little hearts out until the wee hours of the morning in Ruissalo as ANGLICA GOES VILLA.

14.10. Being the tight fisted numpties we are, Anglica once again decides not to splurge out on pub crawls in remote cities, but to rent a bus and go see other waste their money in remote cities. Bars that have the word ale in any of its meanings were favoured. ALTERNATIVE APPRO takes a busload of Anglicans to Tampere, a foreign land to those originating from Turku. While others roaming the streets of the city have a point and a purpose for being there, we think of the event as a spectator sport, preferring to sit back and watch others run from bar to bar in the freezing rain/wind/normal weather.

9.9. To celebrate the impeding oneness of the student body, the ancient ones have some punch with the staff while the freshmen wait for their date with destiny, also known as TURKU SURVIVAL. All survive and manage to perform the tasks they were ordained with gloriously, as is traditional. In the olden days actual water has been an element in the initiation to the university life, but in recent years the water has either consciously been left out to avoid half of the freshmen catching their death or just plain forgotten in all the hassle.

19.9. A linguist’s heart jumps with delight at the opportunity to TALK LIKE A PIRATE for a reason. For the umpteenth year in a row we meet the scallywags of Asteriski and Digit in a dingy house surrounded by rum. The evening is filled with eye patches and plastic swords and Sotku often lives up to its name and cheap (terrible) rum flows until it ends or there is no one willing to pay for it anymore.

october

AN ANGLICAN YEAR

27.8. The contact-making between the new and the older students officially begins with the traditional braking of the bread or sausage at a BARBEQUE held in the heart of the student village. Despite the dreary surroundings, the atmosphere is usually cheery and the night continues in some type of alehouse, or maybe in a Castle.

24.9. The more festive of student parties, a sitz, has its own rules and intricacies, so to make the surroundings cozier, Anglica throws its own PILTTISITZ, one of the last student organizations allowed to do it in Gillesgården in autumn ’10 (students vomiting on the owner’s cars, that’s what renting bans are made of). The sitz in its more formal form has been absent in recent years with themed parties gaining more prominence, so Pilttisitz makes up for that in addition to teaching the ins and outs of sitz culture to newer students.

21.10. If there is an excuse to dress like a lion/mental patient/witch/nazi/pop culture reference, one should grab it. The HALLOWEEN celebrations with Homoglobiini and Mañana may turn out to be a bit rowdy, but the end result is people covered in each other’s costumes (a lot of make up all around) and wild dancing, so that should make up for all the ruckus. Halloween is celebrated usually in the form of a sitz with basically anyone who will celebrate it with us. After several “this is how we do things” events november 4.11. organized by the ancient, it is time for the Revenge of the Next Generation. The elderly prepare for the occasion with bribes and secret war plans. Some win, some lose, all have a good time. KOSTAJAISET usually features slightly more disturbing tasks than Turku Survival, mainly because it does not do to scare off new students in the first week and also because at some point older students lose the art of self-preservation and will swallow raw eggs for some imaginary points.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

Katariina Kairavuo 12.-13.11. Visiting the less fortunate is important, so Anglica heads out to the current capital to meet some fellow sufferers in the form of MiniMES

18.-19.11. Changing schedules force the first year students to stay on land while the older brave the sea and the teacher students. NOT-GOOM for the skint and reclusive Anglicans is a way of acting like proper students (i.e. drinking in a metal box floating in the sea, paying ridiculous prices for drinks in bars and/or downing stuff from tax free in the sweet caress of one’s own cabin) without paying Goom prices or dressing up according to a theme. Notice a trend here?

december 2.12. things

All good come to an end and that includes the autumn studies. LIL’ X-MAS entails the freshmen entertain with a play or any other masterpiece they can come up with and mulled wine and gingerbread are abundant. Tinsel, fairy lights and good will towards (wo)men surround the English corridor.

january 26.1.

Because once a year it is good to notice that people are not designed to spend their lives balancing on two thin pieces of metal on slippery surfaces: ANGLICA ON ICE

8.3. After freezing in the same place we freeze on May Day (Vartiovuorenmäki) and watching Kemistklubben win the sledging competition every year since the dawn of time, weary Anglicans tread back to the food and hot beverages. Captain Britain and his yellow taxicab of doom or a bunch of loonies in a phone booth will still take the hill and semla and hot chocolate for all are served at the TYY sauna to celebrate…PANCAKE DAY (or Shrove Tuesday). Traditions be making sense.

march

25.11. To embrace the American in us all, tacky prom photos and balloon arches for all! THANKSGIVING and Prom night all rolled into one with the aid of exchange students. Usually Thanksgiving is celebrated separately in the form of something American but then again, what’s more American than proms and ridiculously big prom dresses!

3.2. Spice Girls, Take That and Sting, all the guilty pleasures and evergreens make a comeback at some point during BRITPOP, usually after midnight when the harassed DJ’s give up and stop trying to educate their audiences with music that didn’t exist when they were 10. Even some of the fossils who began their studies eons ago will drag their bones to Dynamo to carefully groove to the beat of “London Calling”.

february

16.3. Anglica turns years on ST. PATRICK’S DAY, which calls for food and celebration. Also, FYI, St. Patrick liked shamrocks, which is as good an excuse as any to go to a bar to see, whether the beer has turned green.

23.3. BANDNIGHT collects together all the Anglicans actually able to play an instrument, sometimes also their friend’s/relative’s/neighbour’s little brother’s bands are featured. Designed to offer some cheering up into a dreary spring, the band night also supports people having other hobbies than Anglica. Which is good.

24.3. Nothing says “75 % of us will become teachers” like EPÄKORREKTIT SITSIT in a bar dressed as Wizards, members of the clergy or people generally deemed to be politically incorrect. Genocide is funny when you really think about it and so is eating a three course meal in a night club.

15.-17.4. NMES or National Meeting of the English Students is a weekend of bonding over dental fricatives and the differences of post-modern American and British literature. Consisting of a large scale pub crawl, some lectures from local teaching staff and a full on academic sitz party, it brings together English students from all over Finland for one weekend and one weekend only. More about NMES on page 20.

27.4. FOOTBALL against other language students, most often against English translators. Unfortunately for us, the others seem to win nearly always, probably to compensate for our domination in floor ball. Sometimes the weather is tolerable, most of the time the matches are played in either a drizzle or on a court filled with potholes and puddles. That’s what you get, when you organize sports matches in the spring.

may

april

30.4.-1.5.The official ending for the spring term: MAY DAY. Anglica’s contribution to a student’s favourite national holiday is vats of punch, some doughnuts and salad for the hungry and tired. Some poor soul is designated as the official flag carrier and takes part in the succession of flags from the University Hill to the place where all the people who sat through sixth form just to get a weird white cap can put it on their heads once a year. The next day or actual May Day most Anglicans crawl to Vartiovuorenmäki for a picnic and hope for better weather than on Shrove Tuesday.

AN ANGLICAN YEAR

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

You'reWARinCORRESPONDENT the army, mah boy!!! LASSI PUOLAKKA

O IT WAS TO BE. I had to bid farewell to my messy hair and lazy lifestyle and go into the Suomen Puolustusvoimat, the Finnish army. Now I have spent about two months here and I can tell you that my time here hasn't been all beer and skittles neither -- it has been utter torment. IT TOOK A LITTLE WHILE to get used to all the customs and regulations here: We have to make our beds super smooth and lightning fast, we have to clean our room about three times a day, we're almost always in a hurry, but we can't do things beforehand. You get the idea. There are a myriad of rules which make absolutely no sense at all but must be obeyed, otherwise you will be punished. Everyone who has been in the army knows how this works, but it's kind of hard to explain what life in the army is really like, to someone who hasn't been here. Everything is so strict and everything needs to be in order, but as they say here: you can get used to almost anything in two weeks. It turns out that it is frighteningly true! ONE THING that I have found really positive during my ordeals, is that you get to appreciate the little things in a completely new way: Frozen raisins taste heavenly when you are hungry, tired, cold and in the middle of nowhere, when it's almost twenty degrees below zero outside. You start to appreciate the possibility to take a shower or to wash your hands after a few days of crawling in the woods. And of course, you

start to appreciate your life outside the army a lot. I'm longing for my "former" life as a student and the freedom which was a part of it. My sorry soul is also screaming out for hung over -lectures and punishing deadlines. Oh yeah, and it kinda sucks to miss all the parties too. (Toim. huom. Hung over -lectures are also known in the Anglican Academia as Friday mornings) ONE CURIOUS THING that has occurred to me, is that whilst here, you cannot get enough of candy or other munchies. I really mean it. If you accidentally open up a bag of sweets, you're going to accidentally eat the whole bag in a flash too. And in a moment you'll find yourself stuffing your pretty face with chips and downing them with soda. Afterwards you will end up finding yourself standing in line to buy some more sweets and a few doughnuts to go with them. Some people might say that you will lose weight here. I say: unlikely with my appetite for sugar. APART FROM THESE strange phenomena that have occurred to me, my life is nothing spectacular. I'm living in a room with twelve other guys, with no privacy at all, 24/7. I'm surrounded with guns and heavy-asswar-machinery and I still sleep my nights safe and sound. So to all those who are even a little worried how my frail little mind and body can endure the ever-sogrand transformation process from a boy to a man, I can only say "I guess I'm doing fine".

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 "I HAD DREADED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO EAT MY COOKING EVERYDAY – A HORRIFIC IMAGE"

THOUGHTS AFTER THE FIRST ACADEMIC YEAR I i d a l i i s a P a r t a n e n

N 2010 the department of English faced some big changes: translation and philology were cramped together, bridging the awkward distance between the translators and the philologists. This did cause a lot of fuss, and we, the students of 2010, are the ones who have taken the toll the heaviest. The first few days at the university were quite confusing; it seemed that no one really knew how anything was going to work but many smiles and comforting words like ‘it will surely be sorted out soon’ made me believe that everything was going to be alright. AND IT HAS BEEN ALRIGHT. True, some of the courses that have been taught for the first time need some adjusting and information has not always been flowing in the directions it perhaps should have, but all in all, things have been nice for us first-years. The teachers have been nice and welcoming, and they never fail to smile when telling us that they are teaching the course for the first time, and thus they have pretty much no clue on how it will work in practice. But there have not been too many disasters, and I have been surprised by the fact how non-dry most of our lecturers are! I INTERVIEWED some of my friends to get their opinion on how they have liked their year here so far and what might have been different from their expectations. Tiina Alm said that this year has been going by really fast. What she found surprising was how time-consuming her studies have been. Even though she has not had long days at the university, there has been a lot of work to be done at home. She also pointed out that she had made new friends, and the extra-curricular activities have been very nice – not only the parties, but the other stuff as well. She spent two years working before her studies here, so she said that this has been a very nice change from the quieter life she led then.

ELINA LEHTILÄ, another first-year is along the same lines. She has enjoyed her studying to some extent but has been more fond of the partying – and who can blame her? We have had some amazing parties this year, and with the NMES coming up, this will surely be a year to remember, at least party-wise. She is also thankful to the new friends she has found, and the things she has learned. She is not too happy about studying at the department of English, and has some strong opinions about how some courses have been run and so on, but overall her experiences here at Turku university lean more to the positive side than to the negative. I HAVE BEEN mostly happy, too. I did not know what expect since before starting my studies I knew no one who studied at the university, or at any university, for that matter. One thing I had no idea about is the eating. I did not know anything about student restaurants or how good the food is there or the most astonishing thing of it all, the low price. The range of food available everyday is amazing – so many choices! Before learning about this opportunity I had dreaded that I would have to eat my cooking everyday – a horrific image, and one that I am very happy I do not have to actually live through. SOMETIMES I miss the practical side of things with all this theoretical stuff going around all the time, but then again, how can you really practically study discourse or phonetics? The information load has been very heavy and I have felt a little crushed at times, and I have wondered whether this is or is not the right place for me. But I guess it tells something that on our first tutor meeting I told everyone I would be gone by the end of the semester, but here I am, still.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

A CHAT WITH DAMON TRINGHAM Paula Viitanen

N A PLEASANTLY WARM Thursday afternoon I sat down with Damon Tringham for this year's Baccanalia's interview with a staff member. The first year students might recognize him from Cross-Cultural Communication but mainly this chipper Brit spends his time teaching various courses both on the translation track and at Kielistudio. How did you end up in Finland then - why did you choose Finland out of all countries? I had always been interested in things related to the Nordic countries; you know, Vikings, bears, wolves! That sort of things. Besides, I had a halfSwedish friend who got me even more interested in the matter. Then I got to know some Finns from Turku and was really excited about the possibility of living in a bilingual city and decided to apply via CIMO, the organisation for international mobility and cooperation, to work in Finland. I specifically asked to be placed in Turku and although that did not happen, I was extremely happy when I ended up in Raisio. For me it was close enough to Turku. All this happened in 1997 and since then I've been living here.

So let's start with the basics. Where are you originally from and what university did you attend? I grew in South-Eastern England, in Surrey which is in a sense the joke county of Britain; an English equivalent of Kauniainen. The nearest town was eight to nine kilometres away so I'm a real country boy. Later I moved to Wales and attended the University of Wales, or to be specific, one of its colleges. The school always prided on being the third oldest college in England and Wales. Anyway, I ended up mixing two BA's: Ancient History and History. I didn't have the funding to do a PhD so I did a MPhil; what would correspond with "lisensiaatti" in Finland instead. Since I'm a historian by background, it felt natural to do my MPhil about the Roman Military in the 4th century.

A CHAT WITH DAMON TRINGHAM

"HOW WOULD YOU EVEN TRANSLATE THAT? 'MYĂ–HĂ„ISALKUILTA' - IMPOSSIBLE!"

I understand you didn't start working for our university straight away - is that true? Yes. I initially started by teaching the staff of the commercial school in Raisio. My CIMO contract was originally for three months but the staff wanted me to stay for the spring period as well and so I did. Since then I've done altogether 13 years of various teaching jobs, e.g. in language schools, Turku University of Applied Sciences and also private teaching. Through this one Summer University course I ended up working for the Open University and later for Kielikeskus. I've been working on the translation track of the English department since 2001.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

I hear not that many older English students, others than translators I mean, would recognize if you walked down Juslenia's hallway. What courses exactly do you teach then? Both me and Keith Battarbee have been teaching Cross-Cultural Communication for the new English students since autumn 2010. Before that CCC only existed as more of a translation course run by Keith. Next autumn I will be taking over Keith's class Making of the Anglophone World. Currently I'm also teaching one course of political history. Besides these and the translation track, you can find me on some courses at Kielikeskus.

as if Turku is incapable of building nice looking new houses! The new buildings are always hideous. For me, the riverfront is the prettiest area in Turku; it gives a really nice image of the city. How was it at first to live in Finland as a foreigner? It suprised me how nearly every Finn seemed to have the idea that all foreigners must be from big cities or metropolitan areas. For someone who used to live in a teeny tiny village in England, the logic seems weird! Turku is the biggest city I've ever lived in. Finns tend to be too modest and should be proud of the small towns.

Is there some course you're particularly fond of? I really like teaching at Kielikeskus! You get students from very varied language backgrounds; you know, some are very skilled and fluent in English, whereas others are not. I really enjoy teaching especially EU-English. I can see from the NMES schedule that you are planned to give a lecture together with Janne Skaffari. Care to tell us something about it? It's a lighthearted look at politeness as how it is seen in the UK and USA. And yes, we are aware of the preceeding night's pub crawl and the Saturday's sitz party. Keeping that in mind, we are still giving a proper lecture. Let's talk more about your first experiences of Finland. Was there something you that suprised you? I had already visited the country prior to my move from Britain. It was raining then and it feels as if anytime I have friends or family visiting me it's raining. Even though it's not a particularly rainy country - it's bizarre! I really loved the little dirtroads even the city centre of Turku had back then; now most of them are tarmac. Turun tauti is something that really upsets me, I guess any sensible person would be saddened by it. It seems

Do you speak any other languages besides Finnish and English? I used to teach at Åbo Akademi for two autumns so I know some Swedish, although it's not as strong as my Finnish. Back in school I did five or six years of French, but it always felt more like "pakkopulla". Speaking of the Finnish language, I like how specific some of the greetings are; things like "hyvää alkukevättä". How would you even translate that? "Myöhäisalkuilta" - impossible! They are so hilarious. Any final thoughts on Finland? I feel more at home in here than I do in England. And if Britain should separate itself from the EU, I will go and get myself a Finnish nationality! Ha ha! That'll show them! On behalf of me, our editor and the readers of Baccanalia, I appreciate your time and thank you for the interview!

A CHAT WITH DAMON TRINGHAM

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

Eetu Laine

HE NATIONAL MEETING OF ENGLISH STUDENTS, NeMEsiS, eNeMiES, gNoMES, iNMatES. A dear event has many names. Dear events such as NMES also have many attributive adjectives like epic, mind-bending, glorious and the less eloquent most-fun-I’ve-ever-had. NMES tours around Finland yearly, visiting towns with universities which educate English students. The rough plan of the event is always the same: on a weekend, three days, pub crawl on Friday, NMES lecture and sitz dinner on Saturday followed by hug-filled goodbyes on Sunday. These weekends are always tailored to include some elements inherent to the organizing town and this year, we decided to call the event iNMatES. IN ONE OF THE EARLIEST NMES committee meetings this year the event was named iNMatES. Partly because it was one of the most sensible words we could find with the four required letters in the correct order and partly because the prison of Kakola is a famous part of Turku. iNMatES prevailed over other suggestions such as NuMb3rS or buNkMatES. This theme along with a general Turku-theme was incorporated into things like the tasks during Friday’s pub crawl and the lovely clothing of the staff at Saturday’s sitz.

iNMatES 2011

INMATES KICKED OFF on the 15th of April, a Friday like any other, with guests arriving from Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Joensuu, Vaasa and Tampere. We even got a small team of guests from Åbo Akademi’s Britannica! Some arrived by bus, some by cars and some by train, but the atmosphere for all of them was alike: finally the wait was over and it was time for another NMES! Incredibly, the whopping total of 135 guests arrived as scheduled to the accommodation at Cygnaeus skolan and we could kickstart the weekend with the pub crawl right on time. The legion of students was gathered to Puutori, where they had to find their teammates for the crawl by singing a famous song by an artist from Turku. The tunes by Matti & Teppo especially warmed the hearts of the checkpoint staff. The teams were then named after famous criminals (such as Silvio Berlusconi and Billy the Kid) and were sent on their merry way. The weather, as so often in Turku, treated us brilliantly during the crawl and during the ending ceremonies at the afterparty in Onnela, team Beagle Boys was declared the victor (conveniently too, since the Beagle Boys starred in the overall patch specifically designed for the weekend). ON SATURDAY, the tired iNMatES listened to the brilliant lectures of Dr. Janne Skaffari on the history on

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 organizations present to compete for the coveted NMES trophy. Behind the leader table, the all-toofamiliar faces of Eetu & JAntti could be seen as they prepared to lead yet another sitz at Anglica’s service. During the dinner, we heard Janne recite Hamlet, Damon sing ‘Vöyrin marssi’ in Finnish and the performances by the student organizations. The newlyformed Anglica theater group performed for the audience a Harry Potter musical (look it up on youtube!) followed by thunderous applause but the NMES trophy went to Joensuu’s Echo ry for the relatable tale of Seppo-forever-student and the evil forces of the university which tried to make him graduate against his will. The evening ended with an array of afterparties and on Sunday, sad goodbyes were exchanged all around.

Seppo of Joensuu enjoying his breakfast the history of ‘naughty’ English vocabulary and of Mr. Damon Tringham on differences in British, American and Finnish politeness, with hilarious remarks on the differences in queueing at bus stops (if you’ve seen the picture). After the lovely lecturers got flowered (coined just now, problém?), the crowd went to see the comedy group Full Metal Monty’s hilarious performance at S-osis. After that, it was time to slap on some cologne and fancy dinner wear and take the bus to the humongous iNMatES sitz dinner at T-talo.

AS I WRITE THIS, iNMatES is over. It is a brilliant event, but having now cleaned up the school, returned the rental van, returned the serving plates from Upseerikerho, returned the sound system from the sitz, FOUND the cash register from Saturday, returned TYY’s projector, got rid of the million cans and bottles from the sitz and finally taken care of some personal hygiene issues I believe I can honestly say, and I believe I speak for the whole of the NMES committee, that although NMES is great, it’s at its best when you are a guest. See you in Helsinki in 2012!

T-TALO was filled to the brim with English students, almost 200 people in total. Everyone was eagerly expecting the traditional NMES performances prepared by all the student

iNMatES 2011

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

THE ANGLICAN SITZ SCENE TODAY Teijo Lehtinen

Y SITZ EXPERIENCES started in a sauna in August 2008. I was fresh out of high school, in the midst of my introductory tutoring, and sitting in TYY’s sauna with one other freshman and a bunch of older students. The venerable elders started singing random verses of Yogi Bear and I started asking where I could learn the songs they seemed so happy singing. They looked at me for a while and said “We have this thing called sitsit. There, you shall learn”. I decided to follow their advice. I STILL REMEMBER VIVIDLY that first sitz I went to. It was the Pilttisitsit of 2008 and it was with Digit and Forum Romanum. Of course way back then I was too innocent to realize what a sitz was truly like. After Helan Går and a couple of other songs, we pretty much entered into a chaotic ocean of noise that lasted through the night. I remember older students walking up to me with concerned faces, telling me this isn’t what a sitz normally is like, telling me not to get too scared to turn up at another sitz, trying to calm me down etc. Personally, I think they were more nervous than I was, because I couldn’t possibly know what a sitz was like. I just assumed a bit of chaos was part of the deal that night. I'd a great party, and thought along the lines of “I’m wearing a suit, I’m drunk and I’m singing hilarious songs. This is pretty awesome.” AFTER THAT FIRST SITZ I made it my business to learn as many sitz songs as possible, started collecting song books from different organizations, and soon found myself going to sitz parties every other week. Somehow the whole idea of a rule-set governing drinking and singing (with the latter two usually escalating near the end) just appealed to me, and I instantly felt at home in the world of sitz. SO THAT FIRST SITZ never scared me. I went on to attend sitz parties all over the place, often choosing a sitz over a regular party, just because it meant that semi-formal setting with singing involved. Then, on a sunny day in 2010, the venerable elders approached me once more with their words of wisdom. “You have learned well”,

THE ANGLICAN SITZ SCENE TODAY

they said “and the days of graduation draw near us. We have need of new singers to lead the Anglicans in their merry drunken choirs”. I thought to myself, this sounds pretty good, I’ll do it. ONCE AGAIN, following the advice of the older students paid off. Sure, I was a little nervous first, but I enjoyed the experience of leading songs in the end. The actual party went well, though somehow the aura of drunkenness usually detectable around a sitz was even stronger than usual. I believe this may be accredited to rumored pixies who bore with them the gift of a bottle of something green. These kinds of bottles of green liquid, I’ve learned, can excite people into doing interesting things. Unfortunately for the pixies, when they lose their bottles, they apparently go into a period of mourning, for their sorrowful howling was reported several times to have been echoing through the night.

The infamous 1.5 liters of vodkachaser

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 thought doom was imminent, all was lost, and the world was coming to an end. But then, out of the throng there materialized two tall giants, bearing the nectar of the gods, and suddenly everything was better again. Our drunkenness finally reached the heights necessary to ignore the surrounding terror, till we soon departed to the far quieter night clubs in the center of our fair city.

Michael Jackson, a Muslim and a True Finn walk into a bar AFTER A SOMEWHAT CHAOTIC AFTERPARTY, the Anglicans settled down to wait for the next sitz. The next one turned out to be quite interesting: Chilean miners appeared, to reminisce days of old and, it turned out, make noise. It seemed neither the military discipline of the MCs, nor the free love -supporting idealism of Hippie-Jesus (aka Ghost of Sits' past) could control the chaos created by the Lady Gagas, zombies and ghouls of this sitz. Suddenly, in the emptiness echoed the voice of Michael Jackson, demanding respect and proper etiquette. This worked - for about two seconds. I thought that, if any sitz can get me down, it’s this one. But it didn’t. The venerable elders approached me once again, this time convincing me to believe the Halloween sitz always descends into utter chaos. Once again, I believed. COME SPRING, it was time for another Anglican sitz. This time the Anglicans shared their singing halls with exchange students from all corners of the earth. It was a sitz unlike any other I'd seen in my entire life. We were back in the ocean of chaos, and the storm winds were strong. Though the Anglican master of ceremonies was experienced, even he could not control the horde of drunken revelers. Many of us Finns

A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER I found myself sitting with some other Anglicans at a far smaller sitz. This time we enjoyed the company of Homoglobiini and Humanistiska Föreningen. Alongside them, there was SKO, most of whose attendees were also Anglicans. This sitz was by far the most controlled I’d seen with Anglicans the whole year. Everyone was as composed and collected as was expected of them - up until when it was no longer expected, and was almost discouraged. About half-way through my fond memories of Yogi Bear came to life on stage, after what seemed like hours of planning was suddenly realized as a beautiful live performance of the song. Even Michael Jackson was there, doing a joyous moonwalk across the stage. After this performance of near-Shakespearean brilliance, the sitz went on in (and with) good spirits and everyone was happy and speaking Swedish by the end of the night. The afterparty that followed was amazing, and I went home with a new songbook, so for me, all was well and good. THE LAST SITZ OF THE SEASON so far was the Epäkorrektit sitz we had with Opex. I joined Michael Jackson, his girlfriend and one of many pregnant women to lead this one. Ironically, the politically incorrect sitz turned out to be the most ordered of them all. There were no green bottles, no ear-splitting noise, no need to scream my lungs out to make my voice be heard. This would've felt like the perfect way to wrap up the sitz collection of the year, and wait for Pilttisitsit 2011, but alas, ever since I heard drinking songs in a sauna in 2008, I've burned with a passion for more. I've at least two more sitz to go to this year. If you ended up not going, ask me how they went on Mayday. And if my rant lasts too long, follow sitz rules and end it with a well-timed “skål!”.

THE ANGLICAN SITZ SCENE TODAY

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

get the hipster look Lotta Mäkinen M

ANY OF THE NEW STUDENTS at the English Department or furthermore in the Faculty of Humanities may struggle with finding the appropriate look to blend in with their peeps. We humanists are not particurlarly picky, and everything from running shoes to Doc Martens and from pilot jackets to trench coats can be seen around and HIPSTER \hip-stur\ n. inside Juslenia. No one will be judged or frowned upon if One who possesses tastes, social they fail to follow the colour trends of the season or wear attitudes, and opinions deemed cool by shoes that can’t be found on the pages of Vogue. But what the cool. (Note: it is no longer is the right dress code for attending lectures and recommended that one use the term procrastinating during lunch breaks this spring and "cool"; a Hipster would instead say autumn 2011? How can you find something that doesn't "deck.") The Hipster walks among the masses in daily life but is not a part of clash with your mates' clothing? It would be disastrous to them and shuns or reduces to kitsch sit in a lecture hall, next to a person wearing exactly the anything held dear by the mainstream. same outfit! The hipster look is definitely in and doesn’t A Hipster ideally possesses no more seem to pass even if we all wish it did. When the days than 2% body fat. become sunnier and warmer and all the snow is gone, it’s (urbandictionary.com) time to update your wardrobe. Let’s have a look at the absolute hipster must haves for the students of English.

boys 1 With WHITE CONVERSE ALL STARS, you can’t go wrong. Choose either the high or the low OXmodel and preferrably make them look like you’ve

GET THE HIPSTER LOOK

had them since 2007 by handling the right bits with a cheese grater or dragging them after you on dusty roads.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 The more worn out they look, the better. If you prefer a more dressed up look, pointy vintage leather shoes are the right choice for you. 2 Each self respecting hipster owns a few of LOW VNECK T-SHIRTS in different colours. Remember to avoid tacky prints, only cool band prints (e.g. random electro bands like Crystal Castles or Miami Horror) are acceptable. An old school sailor tat on your chest is an absolute pro, but you always have to make sure everyone knows you had yours done long before they became mainstream. 3 Basic blue SKINNY JEANS are cool enough, but if you want to go as hipster as possible, you may want to try different colours like pale yellow or light purple. It’s not that much about the colour as it is about the tightness: your skinny jeans must be so tight that they are not going to fit your girlfriend. If you want to go all out and impress the most hipster of hipster, switch the jeans into meggins (short for men's leggins). A LEATHER JACKET the uglier the better. Preferrably brown or any other colour besides black. It also has to be vintage, 80's and 90's models are all that. Avoid biker style jackets

though, you don't want to be punk instead of hip. 4 RAYBAN WAYFARERS OR CLUBMASTERS in black or avana (If you happen to be one of those not in the know peoples, for your information, avana is a colour term…). And for cloudy days black nerd classes, with no lenses or ones made of cheap plastic. You know, the ones all the cool retro dudes like Malcom X or Woody Allen wore. 5 A BIG LEATHER MANBAG to be worn accross the body or casually on the shoulder. 6 A calculator or otherwise 80’S STYLE DIGITAL WATCH by a Japanese brand. 7 SOMETHING RETRO AROUND YOUR NECK. An old VHS-cassette or an 80's Game Boy as a necklace might be a bit clumsy but what evs, it gives you just the right touch. Top it all up with a ridiculously HOT haircut: shorty short from the sides, but long and wavy on the top. If you're fortunate enough to have your facial hair growing like chest hair in the 1960's German porn movies, a cool moustache is total amazeballs for hipster dudes. Continued on the next page...

girls

GET THE HIPSTER LOOK

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 1 DOC MARTENS As an idea it doesn't seem that girly, but when combined with the things following up, a pair of Martens are essential to your look. 2 VINTAGE DRESSES Any size, shape or print goes, as long as it is vintage, not bought from charity shops but from vintage boutigues. The Dress can be switched into a loose men's flannel shirt used as a dress or with skinny skinny jeans. If you're not into dresses at all, high waisted skinnies can be matched with a ripped t-shirt with a brilliant animal print on it. 3 CARDIGAN Also from your grandma's closet or from vintage boutiques. Have them in solid colours like navy blue, vomit green, shit brown etc. For more dressy situations switch it into a boyfriend-style loose jacket with rolled up sleeves. STOCKINGS with no cuts or bruises look so mainstream, and that is what you least want to be. So have them BROKEN DOWN. Wear two layers of them. Thigh high socks, in the same solid colours as the cardigans or in black, are also encouraged.

BE PREPARED, the look alone isn't going to be enough for you to call yourself a hipster. You have to pretend you're into things arty and visual and that you could talk about them forever. This naturally requires going to see new "interesting" art shows, and subscribing to arty mags. Also if possible, leave Uni and apply to study any of the art subjects here in Turku. Who cares about the economy and wherther you end up jobless after grad, the most important thing is to stay hip in the ster. AVOID AMERICAN MOVIES. European made art movies are all you're allowed to like. Watch loads and act like you're absolutely passionate about them. If you smoke, never buy a pack of smokes again. It's not that you're not allowed to smoke anymore but from now on you'll have to roll your own fags. You'll look even more like a twat but atleast you'll save money while doing so.

GET THE HIPSTER LOOK

4 RAYBAN WAYFARERS or CLUBMASTERS and nerd classes are also initial for girls, but this spring, also round John Lennon styled sunglasses have been seen on hipsternesses. 5 HATS, either in the style of Charles Chaplin or Johnny Depp. All kinds and shapes as long as they make you look like an artistic individual. Small VINTAGE LEATHER BAG. Just big enough to hold your iPhone, credit cards and keys. For uni, use an additional cotton tote to carry your books in. The tote can be plain solid coloured or with spectacular prints like Fairtrade or New Judas Records on it. The point with the tote is to message everyone about your ethical moral and fantastic taste in marginal music. DARK RED LIPSTICK is essential! Wear it at every occasion, even in your sleep, so you'll get practice in how not to get it smudged. 7 A SINGLE-LENS REFLEX CAMERA, or a Holga, or a Polaroid around your neck. When Hipstamatic on your iPhone isn't enough, you'll have to have a "good" camera ready.

BUY ORGANIC FOOD. Not because you can afford it (because probably you can't) or because of your ethical reasons but because you have to. If you're spotted by a fellow scene kid, bending down to grab that can of Euroshopper peasoup or a bottle of Rainbow ketchup from the bottom shelf at your local shop, that'll be the end of your hipstership. Don't come telling me I didn't warn you... NATURALLY you'll have to change your scene of friends also. If you're having trouble finding hipster friends to share your coolness and individualiness with, I suggest you try Bar Kuka and Club Dynamo. During the summer there are massive get togethers for people as individual as you, like Turku Modern and Flow festivals. So don't be alone and drown in the mainstream! When attending these big festivals, your look has to be hipsperfect: The goal is to get yourself featured on hel-looks.com with other "superbly fashionable" people.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

ANGLICA BEER CLUB Otto Lehikoinen

EER AND FOOTBALL go together like a horse and carriage. Realising the that there was no specific club intended for the beer enthusiasts of Anglica led to establishing Anglica Beer Club (ABC). The initial idea came from Juuso Heikkilä and the Facebook group was created by yours truly. This is a short introduction to the club.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, find us on Facebook or ask one of us. We're probably meeting sometime during the end of July when there's going to be an event featuring Finnish microbreweries. Check out Suuret Oluet – Pienet Panimot online for more information. Support your local microbreweries and pubs!

ANGLICA BEER CLUB is intended for members of Anglica who wish to share and increase their knowledge of good beer. The idea is to have an informal meeting of friends with one or two members bringing a sample of a beer of their choice and then discussing it. We have some members from the SKO Men's Beer Club for assistance in this as they will have the knowledge and skill to get our club started. Expenses will be quite minimal and they will be divided equally. No special requirements are set for the club members except that they have some interest in beer and make some insightful comments on the characteristics of the beer.

IN CONCLUSION, here's a task for you to consider: if you drink beer, what is your favourite of them? Do you possibly have favourites in several subcategories? Why not come and share your knowledge to the club. It's always fun to talk about things you love and if you can learn something in the process, it's twice as fun.

OUR MEETINGS will be held bi-monthly on the second and fourth week of the month, tentatively on Thursday or Friday. One of the meetings will focus on the selections of Alko and so on, whereas the other will be held in some pub where the members wish to meet. It's likely that once your palate becomes more refined, your taste in beer will change towards the more expensive and obscure ones. This does not mean that you won't be able to drink the cheap lagers (e.g. Pirkka Lager – the nectar of gods) which you'll just use to get pleasantly drunk. Joining us will simply increase your knowledge in various other types of beer which previously may have been unfamiliar to you. Even though we are a group of English students, it's not so that we'll drink only beer from the UK or the US but more likely we'll start from these and then move onto other European breweries. You'll be surprised by the wide selection available in Alko and Puhakka.

SUMMARY OF DIFFERENT BEER STYLES There are two main beer styles according to the yeast they use: top-fermenting or bottomfermenting yeast. The bottom-fermenting yeast is used for the lager beer which most of the Finns like to drink. Lagers don't contain as much hops as some of the India Pale Ale (IPA) versions which are brewed using the top-fermenting yeasts. Key ingredients in any good beer include malt, yeast and hops of which there are many varieties of each. The mash (i.e. malted grain) is usually made of barley but there are beers made with wheat (e.g. wheat beer, witbeer, weissbier), rye (sahti), oatmeal (oatmeal stout) and so on. The top-fermenting beer styles include ales with the colour ranging from lighter pale ales to darker brown ales (Newcastle Brown Ale) and almost pitch-black stouts. Looking through a pint of porter or stout (e.g. Guinness or Murphy's) is sometimes impossible. Ales tend to have more hops which lead to more flavours and sometimes bitter tasting beer. Belhaven's Twisted Thistle and Fuller's E.S.B. (i.e. extra strong bitter) are worth trying. Look for EBU or IBU for European/International Bitterness Units in the description of the beer. The normal lager might have 5 IBU whereas some IPA varieties may have 100+ IBU which will test your palate's stamina.

ANGLICA BEER CLUB

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES: THE FILM VERSION OF ANGLICA Otto Lehikoinen

NGLICA HAS HAD AN EVENT called Anglica Movie Night and last time we saw Scott Pilgrim versus The World which led me to think what the film version Anglica would be like. Who should play the main characters in the film and what would the plot would be? Depending on what genre you like and the director you choose, the outcome will be different. Consider the movie if it was directed by Michael Bay and now try David Lynch. What about Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie or Darren Aronofsky as the director? HERE'S ONE OPTION based on my knowledge of you lot and the films I've seen so far: Our heroes begin their journey by stacking the cupboards full of supplies: all sorts of booze, snacks, ingredients for Jell-o shots, golf shoes, mescalin, acid and adrenochrome. It's time for the pre-party to begin. You've invited friends to come over before the epic party. Knowing that the party's one of those bringyour-own-bottle(s) type of things, you've stocked up on your poison of choice and you've promised yourself to stay clear of that absinthe bottle you bought a while ago. Deep down you know that by the end of the night you'll have drunk all your booze and shared that absinthe with someone else. You'll wake up with a hangover of a lifetime wearing nothing but those golf shoes you bought as props for the party. There are faint memories, like snapshots ― wait, who the bloody hell was taking all those photos last night!? Was it a good idea to email to your secret crush? Dear God, how do I erase all those Facebook comments!? Oh yeah, back to the story.

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES

SO FAR, you've got the embarrassing photos or video clips you need to get back before someone sees them (cf. Road Trip) and the epic party which leaves you with serious gaps in your memory (e.g. Dude Where's My Car?) plus all those supplies you bought before heading out with your trusted friend (e.g. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas). That bottle of absinthe is comparable to the ether scene which describes you or someone you know trying to enter that afterparty nightclub (e.g. Marilyn?) at the end of the epic night out. Just replace ether with absinthe or your drug/booze of choice and Las Vegas with Turku. You've now made Fear and Loathing a story about finding your inner Raoul Duke, the genius gonzo journalist, in the night life of Turku. IF YOU DON'T COUNT the Prom Night event, there haven't been any real American parties. I mean something similar to Animal House and so on. This is probably due to the fact we don't have fraternities or sororities as such if you don't count the student nations (i.e. SHO, SKO and TPO). No real keggers, no real ”jocks versus geeks” division but there are cliques similar to the beginning of Mean Girls: School of Economics students, the weird hippies of Folkloristics, the cool kids of Juslenia and so on. Members of Anglica can be further divided into smaller groups with the grammar buffs, phonetics wizards, literary geniuses and linguistics lovers. Thank God, we don't have the Plastics or Lindsay Lohan.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

ALL IN ALL, I think that the film version of Anglica would have the drama of soap operas (especially the intermarrying part and the closed gene pool), the hedonic behavior of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas plus the honest romances of any not too syrupy romantic movies (be they closer to comedies or tragedies) such as Reality Bites, Garden State, Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and to some extent the naivety of Disney movies. Especially, in the warm hazy moments the characters will burst into song and dance routines similar to Bollywood films will emerge. The epic battle between good and evil is fought inside the brains of Anglicans at least if they happen to have moral scruples against doing their sexy dance after the nth drink. It might be

even that you end up doing your Coyote Ugly routine, hopefully not on the table or bar though. I'M JUST HOPING the score of your film version won't have too many nu-metal songs because those tend to ruin any soundtrack regardless of the movie. Unless you're using them ironically, then it's OK. It goes without saying that the R-rated version of the film would have copious amounts of sexy times, bodily fluids and gratuitous violence. Alcohol and/or drug use is included. Viewer discretion is advised. Children under 13 years of age will have nightmares for weeks if they see Anglica â€“ the movie and that's not because of the faces of certain people appearing in the film.

THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES

baccanalia recommends Christopher Stratton Smith

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

N THIS EDITION of Baccanalia Recommends, we'll be looking at my record shelf. I'm a second year English philology major and an aspiring musician who has collected all kinds of music along the way to becoming the person I am now. I feel that there are some albums out there that should be heard by everyone and that's why I'm going to present to you ten amazing albums that have had a major impact on me. Naturally, there's no way I could fit all of my favourite albums in this review so I'll concentrate on a few records you might not have heard but should. I'D LIKE TO START WITH Room Noises by Eisley. Back in 2006 I stumbled across this song called Marvelous Things and I knew that I was on to something. The flegmatic birthday party themed music video of Marvelous Things has been my favourite music video to this day. The album is mainly easygoing and optimistic yet somehow brooding and mysterious pop. The soundscape can be described as dreamy, wonderous, whimsical and dare I say it pretty with a few country influences thrown in just to sweeten the pot. NEXT UP IS Details by Frou Frou. This band has only produced one album and the group is composed of singer Imogen Heap and producer Guy Sigsworth. What makes this album stand out is that it is made up of electronica love songs with a warm human touch to them. Heap's vocals are amazing as always but still this album is in my mind far superior to her solo material. Many people know the brilliant song Let Go from the film Garden State (a decent film by the way). Apart from the aforementioned musical cameo, Frou Frou hasn't really enjoyed much hype but you should definitely give it a listen. NEXT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU A Partial Print by Swedish band Tiger Lou. It is is a very dark and brooding album that lets up at a few points but remains constantly haunting. After hearing the happy-go-lucky Oh Horatio, I was very pleasantly surprised to find out that the band had explored darker musical waters and come out better than ever with this album. A Partial Print has an almost Toolesque vibe to it but also reminds me of And the Glass-Handed Kites by Mew (if it were on depressants). Even though the album is rather dark, its musical roller coaster does have some high points as well. Haunting and fragile vocals wrap up the sonic texture of single-coil guitars, screeching synths and distorted drum programming.

NEXT I'D LIKE TO SAY a few words about John Hartford's Looks at Life. It was very interesting to stumble across this folk country meets bluegrass genius in 8Raita Record Store (Turku). If superficially glanced at, Looks at life may seem like a typical country/folk record but the album has far more than merely catchy country songs with talented vocals attached. The lyrics of John Hartford are satirical and witty, criticising everything from commercialism in the music industry to bigwig executives toying

with the proverbial little guy and instigating wars. If you have to drive through Finland a lot, I suggest you pop in Hartford's combo-CD with Looks at Life and Earthwords and Music for the duration of the excursion. It will make all the difference. NOW I'D LIKE TO MIX IT UP a little by introducing a progressive trance album from Above & Beyond entitled Tri-State. Although I'm an avid fan of all kinds of electronic music, I've never really dabbled with trance until a friend introduced me to the track Can't Sleep by Above & Beyond. Filled with lush melancholic atmosphere, beautiful vocals and hypnotic beats, TriState is an excellent debut effort from the British/Finnish trio. CONTINUING with electronic music, the next album you should hear is Black Celebration by Depeche Mode. Being often cited as the album that defined Depeche Mode's darker sound from 1986 onwards to the present, Black Celebration explores nihilism, physical closeness, making it through a “black day” and loss with a minute dab of politics. It is a very consistent album, yet every song is completely unique and single-worthy. Maybe the best thing about Black Celebration is just that, a consistent atmosphere without sacrificing quality at any point. After watching the 'making of' dvd that accompanied the deluxe version of the album one can see that the guys of Depeche Mode started to seriously sculpt their sound and experiment in an age where you couldn't just download interesting sounds to your laptop and fill your synths up with magic the easy way. With the dawning of new digital music technology, such as MIDI, many unheard-of sonic possibilities were explored on this album. A definite must-have! SPEAKING OF sonic experimentation, I'd like to take a look at Sonic Youth's oddly titled Goo. Sonic Youth has been the archetype New York noise band since The Velvet Underground and it inspired me to seek out bands like A Place to Bury Strangers, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Big Black among others. While many critics hail Daydream Nation as Sonic Youth's flagship album, I prefer the seminal album Goo to it any day. With Sonic Youth's signature searing guitar feedback and atonal chaos, the album sounds beautiful by being ugly in a conventional sense. Songs like Dirty Boots, Kool Thing (featuring Public Enemy's Chuck D), My Friend Goo and Scooter + Jinx became seared into my mind after just a few listens. What makes this album great is that even though Sonic Youth may have more 'important' albums in its dicography, Goo is a fairly approachable and an excellent first Sonic Youth Album for a curious listener.

CONTINUING with noise influenced music, next up is A Place to Bury Strangers' sophomore album Exploding Head. It was quite hard to pick between the band's self-titled debut and this one but in the end, Exploding Head is a better whole where not one song feels like a filler. I always listen to the album straight through without skipping a single track. Having said that, I strongly recommend the first album due to its dirty, aggressive, noisy and almost industrially synthetic feel in addition to it having the arse-kicking song To Fix the Gash in Your Head which has a ridiculously catchy electronic drum beat. Exploding Head, however, takes a more melodic and developed route with examples such as In Your Heart and Keep Slipping Away. Signature ethereal and heavily reverb-drenched vocals envelope this adrenaline-rush of an album. WITH ONLY TWO albums left, I move on to my favourite singer-songwriter of all time, Tori Amos and her 1996 album Boys for Pele. The album is a divergence from her earlier and also her latter works in the sense that it is a very stripped album with vocals and piano taking the center stage. Harpsichord, clavichord, harmonium, gospel choirs, brass bands and full orchestras in addition to programmed drums are thrown into the mix but essentially, it's an intimate and 'naked' album. Being recorded in an Irish church, the album breathes with natural reverb and the songs, although understated at times, sound big and engaging. Boys for Pele may take a while to sink in but it is worth it in the long run. LAST BUT NOT LEAST is my favourite album of them all, Oh, Inverted World by The Shins. It is the debut of the Portland, Oregon based quintet and it still blows me away to this day every time I listen to it. Succeeding albums Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing the Night Away are also excellent albums, especially the former. However, Oh, Inverted world takes the cake with its dreamy indie pop sound, witty and occasionally cryptic lyrics and airy atmosphere. The lofi sound of the album makes it sound unique so that it doesn't have to rely solely on amazing songwriting, although that in itself could carry the album through. At times Oh, Inverted World resembles bands like The Beach Boys with its jangly guitars and optimistic melodies but the underlying tone of the album is filled with melancholy and intellectual insecurity in the sense that it seems to be written by someone who is smart but not too good with feelings, as is noted in the song Caring Is Creepy. This album was also referred to in the film Garden State with the words “It will change your life”. It is often cited as one of the defining indie pop albums of the 2000s and I couldn't agree more. If you have a listen to any album off this list, make sure it's this one.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE PEOPLES OF BRITAIN (For Anyone Who Cares To Join Them)

REAT BRITAIN HAS PRODUCED many decent and even useful things in its time, but its people and their culture are not these things. If you are forced to make a trip to this rainy as heck, conservative as milk, isolated as the moon, set of islands at the far-edge of Europe, you need to be prepared to encounter and perhaps assimilate into, one or more of the groups that make-up the British people (as well as prepare to politely refuse to eat their worthless cuisine). Whether you are a 800-century Viking farmer looking for (literally) greener pastures, a Pakistani refugee who dreams of opening a convenience store that can sell pork and condoms, or a German dictator looking to expand his Empire, this article tells you just about all you need to know about the people who at one time controlled half the world, and then lost it all in less than a half a century (even if Winston Churchill was pretty awesome). GENTS AND LADIES “Codwallop”, “Blimey” and “Spiffing” are not just good names for your dog, they are great examples of the supreme inventiveness and creativity of the British upper class, whose tireless money grabbing somehow keeps the country together, for now. Privately educated at Hogwarts, disgustingly rich and ever quoting Shakespeare, these yuppies are often forgiven for their casual sexist and racist remarks by the lesser classes, who work in their umbrella, walking-cane or bowler-hat factories. As this class constitutes approximately 0.1 % of the British people while owning 99 % of the country's wealth, joining them can be challenging. We suggest you become a football star and join them through acquired wealth. Knowledge of ancient string quartets or the line of succession in the monarchy is not optional. You do support the monarchy, don't you? Voted for Thatcher? Well, you'll need to start practicing those things right away. This is also by far the best class to join for the closeted gays and otherwise sexually frustrated. FOOTBALL HOOLIGANS His name is Stephen. He works at an IT firm. He enjoys Elizabethan plays, contemporary jazz and spending time with his children. Except on Fridays, that is, when he runs around pubs half-naked, beating the crap out of anyone not wearing the colours of his favourite football team. Not paying for his drinks, he and his mob of friends set fire to several convenience stores and are finally taken down by a dozen police men in riot gear, armed to the teeth. By Sunday

however, he is back with his kids driving them to football practice, ready to pass his love of outdoor sports to his spawn. This concentration on only one, relatively useless activity is why there will never be a revolution of the proletariat in Britain. Tranquilized by sub-standard alcohol and cheap Chinese food, hypnotised by televised royal weddings and Doctor Who -reruns, Stephen and his family are doomed to forever wander the brickred landscape of suburban Britain, their silent cries for freedom further muffled by the sentimental music of Elton John playing in every coffee shop and supermarket. CHAVS The scourge of the urban landscape, these warriors of the working classes remind others why it is necessary to get a proper education and use birth-control. Often spotted outside MacDonalds, wearing tracksuits with oversized golden crosses and drinking beer while driving their used scooters, these men and women cannot read, and often hail from some small village north of the Hebrides, called something like “Butcombe”. The married couples of this type are especially easy to recognise, as they are often dressed in potato bags and white tennis shoes, with a crowd of dirty children dragging behind them. While letting go of your basic human decency can be challenging to some people attempting to join this group, the coal mining and Susan Boyle -albums can often be a charmingly simple change of pace to the ones fascinated by Rousseau's “Noble Savage” - theory.

A SHORT INTRO TO THE PEOPLES OF BRITAIN

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 ANGRY SCOTSMEN WHO JUST CAN'T SHUT UP If you can, in time, learn to make-up what these skirt-wearing, red-headed barbarians are saying, you'll find it was most likely a casual threat on your life, or a half-hearted insult about your mother. The rare James Bond -types aside, the average Scotsman is about as charming and consistent as the common flu, and twice as hard to get rid of. Ask the Romans. Impossible to understand or silence, smelling like old fish and outdoor toilets, prouder then Mr Rochester and cheaper then the Jews, these guys are actually... not that bad once you get to know them, or after a few of their whiskeys. Even if their land is 60 years behind the rest of Europe in

every possible way, they actually mean well and you get used to all the log-throwing surprisingly fast. Don't be fooled by the similar sounding Irishimmigrants who make-up three quarters of the population of Liverpool: These gold-hoarding midgets might sound unbearably comical and therefore harmless, but their distrust of monarchies and attempts to get kissed by wearing charmingly sloganed t-shirts are well-known, the Scots are the only real thing in native ethnic minorities. All in all, probably the most entertaining (if dangerous) social group in Britain to emulate.

DAT'S LIMERICK CITY T i m o S a v e l a

brand tracksuits (Nike or Adidas), shirts of foreign football teams, very short haircuts (especially on the sides), large rings and chains. At times you see the track pants tucked into white sports socks. During my first days in Limerick I noticed a guy who used to hang outside a game arcade asking every passer by: ”Could'ya spare some change bud?”. Search for the Rubberbandits on Youtube if you want to see a stereotypical representation of Limerick knackers.

IMERICK CITY, also known as the 'Stab City', is a city located in the Mid-West Region of Ireland. In general it's know for being the worst city in Ireland. In Galway a hostel owner, who incidentally looked like Captain Ahab, had the following to say about Limerick: ”It's the worst fucking city in Ireland”. A pub owner in Dublin had a different take on Limerick: ”Oh, it's a good place”, but I believe me ordering pints had an impact on his opinion. IF YOU WANDER AROUND Limerick, be it night or day, you'll run into something that you normally only associate with gyms, jogging paths or sports events. In other words, men in tracksuits are everywhere. Here it is perfectly normal to attend a lecture, go shopping or pop into the pub in a tracksuit and a pair of trainers. People openly flaunt their rugby, GAA or football shirts in public. A local told me that wearing brand sports wear is a sign of affluence here. NATURALLY NOT EVERYONE here wears sports clothing and most of the people wearing a tracksuit in public are what people call ”knackers”. These people are generally from the lower classes of the society and travel guides often tell to avoid these people. Spotting a knacker, especially on the streets of Limerick, is easy. They typically wear

REGARDLESS OF the bad reputation and the abundance of knackers skulking around town, Limerick is a proper Irish city. Unlike Dublin or Killarney, it is not ruined by tourism and the abundance of tourist shops that sell the same cheesy 'Irish' products. It has real character, even if the character is a bit questionable. Plus if you steer away from the troublesome fringe areas, it is unlikely that you run into trouble in Limerick.

DAT'S LIMERICK CITY

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

Well matured in an oak cask –

Anglica's Finest

The story of the threesome who changed the way Anglica is perceived today – permanently. Hai Nguyen

T'S A COLD EVENING in March. The weather is drizzly, horrid for even Finnish standards, but it doesn't stop me from getting to my destination. Heavy doors, open from noon till two in the morning, dim lighting and hushed conversation all around. And there they are, waiting for me at the bar. Feels like a James Bond -movie. Originally, there were supposed to be four of them, but the fourth person did not answer

ANGLICA'S FINEST

my enquiries, so we just had to make do. I'm five minutes late, but they don't seem to mind. Eetu Laine and Antti 'JAntti' Kaunismäki head to our table, and I sit down to set up my things. Ilja Hirvonen follows suit and heads over to our table with a beer in his hand. They all seem relaxed and happy – maybe they know something I don't? We all sit down and have a nice chat about Anglica, the University and Everything.

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 So, Eetu, JAntti and Ilja, lets start with an easy one – you guys have quite a reputation amongst the Anglicans, so could you delight me with why you think you have these reputations? Eetu: Years of hard work and tireless ... drinking, obviously. And just, never missing a party or a lecture.

I: Anyway, Lauri, he liked whiskey... On early Wednesday mornings. And we had translation on Wednesday mornings –I've never seen Keith sniff so much during a lecture. (all laughing)

JAntti: Yeah, yeah. In our first year, in the autumn when we did all our basics, we, Eetu and me, we never missed a lecture or a party.

E: Yeah, it's not a good idea to have a lecture at 2pm on Thursday, as advice to the lecturers in the future. If there's a party, it's a very good opportunity to, y'know, sit in the back row, and mix your cocktails ...

That 's one hell of an achievement. E: We made it a thing. What about you, Ilja? Ilja: I had a slight advantage over the boys here, because I started earlier than they did, but the first three years I was on sick leave, so during that time I could complete a lot of courses just as exams – so I could focus on partying. And I didn't have to worry about missing any lectures. You guys get anything out of these lectures or was it just a blur, a comatose state? E: ... Points. Yeah, points. Not sure if I learnt anything but I got points. J: And there was also, well, back then we didn't have anything on Fridays. Except, well, contrastive grammar exercises. So that was the thing you had to go to, the grammar exercises, at eleven o'clock I think. E: I can still remember wearing my overalls from Appro the night before. J: I wasn't at Appro, I was at umm.. Osakunta, at that time. At Beaanibileet, so... I was equally hungover, I guess. E: Thankfully Janne never got mad or anything, cos he's cool like that. I: Janne didn't get mad, but Keith did. E: Oh, he did? I: Yeah, me and Lauri – Jantti, you remember Lauri? The guy who tried to lift you. J: Oh yeah! With interesting consequences! (laughs)

J: We also had drinks at lectures.

J: Yeah, we did that in Yleisen kielitieteen perusteet. E: Thankfully the lecture room was quite big. J: AND packed. I bet every new Anglican or even the old ones, would like to know when did you guys start at the Uni? E: My student number is 69642 and I think it's about time to move on. I mean, if you've got a student number that starts with a six.. I started in 2004 studying computer science at first, but then I switched to English in 2006. I: I started in 2004 as well, but I started directly in the English department. J: Yeah, I started in 2006 and was in the same tutor group as Eetu. I: I didn't like it here first. I remember the first year, that, I didn't feel at home here. It was full of geeks. And, I told the examiner at the last summer exam that I wouldn't be back. But a few organ failures that happened in the army ... I crawled back here. That was when JAntti started here. Ok, so the two of you, Jantti and Eetu, have been on the board of Anglica so I'm wondering why you, Ilja, haven't been on the board? I: I was thinking about it, but when I came back, Antti Suomela was on the board and actually, we did a lot of stuff together and lot of the hallitusnakit got thrown my way, even though I wasn't on the board! And in the end, I've been quite active in the Osakunta business, I've been on the board for a few years there. Plus, I don't really get along with that many people. Gotta be honest.

ANGLICA'S FINEST

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 You prefer Osakunta people over Anglicans? I: Never. Always, Anglica first, Osakunta second, girlfriend and WoW is usually number three. So Ilja, you mentioned WoW there, so as we only see you in pubs, bars, clubs and parties, we never see you outside of class or without a beer (or a 1.5 liter bottle of vodka and cola) in hand – who are you in your free time? E: Who wants to go first?

red and green and all that, and I thought that I'll go with that. Then I found some work jeans and borrowed some rubberboots from my dad – I really did have rubber boots on that evening. It was not very pleasant, let me tell you. Then I had a hat of my own, my hat that I'd just rolled up ... (rolls hands) And I thought that this is interesting and well, I've always liked Monty Python and that was also another reason for this and thought, “Well, Lumberjack song, why don't I learn this” and then I started to learn the song and then people liked it and they seem to like it still. And I like doing it.

I: I can say I am lonely, but Eetu can go first. E: Well, when I'm not at an Anglican party or a lecture or anything, I'm home and playing GH. And that'll be true for about 50% of the time, and other than that, I don't do much. I watch a lot of TV shows and try to exercise a bit, and go out with friends from the time before university in the weekends, but I don't know. So much of what I've been doing with Anglica is been a part of my free time as well. So I don't know, you could say that Anglica is what I really am.

E: Did you do the song already at the Halloween party or..? J: I knew the song, yeah but I hadn't practiced it so much. E: When was the first time you sang it? J: The debut of the song was the little Xmas party, that was kind of the core of the program. E: It's been four years in a bit.

J: Well, when I'm not at lectures, I'm hanging out at SOsis and when I'm not hanging out at S-Osis or at a lecture, or in a bar, I'm home. And when I'm home I study, of course, because I've gotten some good grades and the rest of my free time at home is usually spent watching some TV shows. I'm watching Top Chef at the moment, the American version, I started from the beginning and now am about halfway through season three, so it's quite a lot to watch. I: Actually, my last girlfriend told me that this whole 1.5 liter bottle of vodka-cola, this whole Anglica thing, she called it a hoax. Cos on my free time I love to read, play my guitar and paint. I think her wording was something like 'you're a quiet, decent guy – why can't you be that around Anglica?' But I like separating my life into two, so that Anglica gets one version of me, but I like to keep the rest separated, mainly because it's so boring. Moving on. One question for Jantti – Lumberjacks, why? J: (Laughing) It all started in autumn 2006 and it was the Anglica Halloween party. There are still some pictures in the Anglica web gallery of that. I started thinking of what to wear as a halloween costume and I looked in my closet and I saw this flannel shirt, it's the same shirt I had been wearing, this plaid shirt, y'know,

ANGLICA'S FINEST

J: Yeah yeah, and there are photos of me with my hand stretched out and my mouth wide open and I'm like, oh, that's lumberjack. (laughing) E: It's always the same pose. J: (laughing) Yeah, and you have one of those pictures on your wall. I: You wanna know something funny? That Xmas party when you did that song, I really hated you. Cos you know, I've always liked wearing, well those lumberjack shirts and I've worn them all my life. But when I started the university, it was one of my first lectures, and I walked into the room with one of those shirts on, a few girls turned around and they just started screaming “What the fuck is that?! What the fuck are you wearing?! Don't you have any sense of decency?!” And this went on for a few years, and then this guy comes waltzing in with the Lumberjack song (all laughing) but I still think I hugged you after that song. Maybe you should cash in in the lumberjack business as well? I: Yeah, but apparently it's only cool when you can sing like JAntti. (JAntti laughing)

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 Moving on then, from lumberjacks to first memories of Anglica and its crew. E: Can I tell the story of meeting you [Jantti] the first time? Okay, it was the first time I was with my tutor group and we met in front of the Cathedral and it had been raining, or well, it wasn't too warm or anything, but then I saw this guy, this huge guy walking like towards us wearing sandals. And I think your socks were all wet and dirty. And I was thinking to myself, who is this guy? (laughter) Is he stupid or something, I thought. But in the end, that always stuck with me and I'm glad to have made his acquaintance. J: Well, my first memories of Anglica as such, we had the tutor groups and all that, and it was kind of separate from Anglica but I did not make the freshers' barbecue that year, so my first real memories are probably from the survival when I met kind of the, old and new Anglicans. For example, I met the legendary Mama first time then and she told me about Thin Blue Line, the Rowan Atkinson TV series and after that I had to watch the series, I mean it was great. So yeah, it was a good night. E: I have to tell you, that when the university started for me, it started on a Wednesday I think, with the tutoring business and all that. I had been working that week, thinking university would start the next week and on Friday I heard that it had started on Wednesday already and then I quickly got the number of my tutor and called and got like a huge load of stuff – I moved to Turku the same day, I just unloaded my stuff into the student village and I got to the barbecue, and I remember meeting Juho at the barbecue the first time and hated him. (Laughter) I didn't like him at all, and thought he was loud and stupid – he might have been drunk. But afterwards I got to know him a little better. I: I'll tell you two quick stories because I sort of started to get knowing Anglica twice. First story happened when I first came to the uni, and met my tutor and rest of the tutor group. I had the weirdest feeling of being in the wrong place and the tutor kept making mistakes, trying to introduce the uni to us and then she got us lost, okay, she got us lost in that 10 or 15 minutes I was there, cos I told her “Fuck it, I'm out of here”. So that was my first and only tutor meeting. (Laughter) But a few years later, I remember I was sitting at home thinking that they're having one of the first parties that night and I was

thinking, “Should I bother with this stuff? I could go on working or do something else with my life.” But then, I put on my black suit, I knew it as an Anglican party and I went to Lyni. I go to the bar, and ask for a drink – this, amazing gorgeous woman comes up to me and asks “Why so blue, sailor?” and I'm like “Are you one of the freshmen?” and she was like “Yeah, I just started” and I told her “Yeah, I was thinking of just quitting”. And she says “Don't you dare quit on us, you look just like the guy Anglica needs”. (Laughter) So I was like, “Alright, I'll give it another shot.” What do you think will happen to Anglica and its events once you guys are out of the picture? E: I have complete trust with the people we have now, in the board and otherwise. I think it's probably the time for us to, sort of, phase out in a way, so that other people can come up and take the stage. I: Time for new legends! (laughter) E: I think everything is going to be just fine, because we have people who can do stuff, like lead a sits party and all, I'm not worried at all. J: Yeah yeah, me neither, it's gonna gonna be just fine I: And, well, beyond the idiotic partying thing, like I said last Wednesday (at Anglica's birthday) for once I know there are people in Anglica who are going to take care of other people in Anglica. Cos despite the partying thing, that's what I've been trying to do and that's what I'm proudest of. I think Anglica, there are some really good people here, Anglica's gonna be just fine. Any last words of wisdom? E: Whatever it is, do lots of things during your studies: be it studies or going to parties or whatever, just do a lot of things and don't just sit around the house. Be active – you'll have more memories. J: There's a lot going on in the uni, so there's probably something for everyone. Just be active for on your own behalf – so if you don't want to be active for others, be active for yourself. (laughter) I: To the guys, learn to do one thing: Tell girls they're pretty or beautiful. And learn the difference between the two words. And to the girls, I'd say: learn to forgive us.

ANGLICA'S FINEST

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

EXCHANGE STUDENTS JAIME&ORIANE Joonas Nikkanen

INCE THE EXCHANGE STUDENTS are indisputably an integral part of our university life and we’ve all been in contact with them in some form or another, I thought it would be suitable to have them also be a part of this publication as well. I managed to get two of these visitors, who some of you already know, and asked them a few questions about their stay here and some other things. The interviewees are Jaime Bedia Echevarria and Oriane Desgeorge. Could you tell us who you are, where are you from, what do you do and what brings you to Finland? J: My name is Jaime Bedia and I'm an Erasmus student from Spain studying here, at the University of Turku, for the 2010/2011 course. I'm currently at my fourth year of English Philology at the University of Oviedo. O: I'm Oriane from France, I'm an English and law student (3rd year) and I’m in Turku as an Erasmus student. I study at the University of Turku and I have some courses at the Åbo Akademi. How have you enjoyed your stay so far? Do you have any particularly memorable events you could share with the readers?

the Spanish one. I've visited several schools here in Turku and the level of teaching and education in general is something to be really proud of. But, also, I would like to bring to Finland the spontaneity of my culture and the ability to enjoy more of every day with friends or other people. I think, sometimes, Finns are too busy trying to control everything and constantly trying to reach their auto-imposed goals. Sometimes they should learn how to socialise more, maybe, with less alcohol, and enjoy a good, long, meaningful conversation with a friend. O: I want to bring sauna with me! And being able to speak English and other languages as fluently as you Finns do would be very good. I also love those fluorescent items that you put in your jackets and bags to be seen in the dark by the cars.

J: I've really enjoyed my stay in Finland. I've travelled quite a lot and experienced many 'typical' Finnish holidays, customs, food... I really enjoyed visiting Lapland back in December and experiencing the Northern Lights and the complete silence. Also, I really enjoy my every-day life here, because many things work more efficiently than in my country. O: I really love being here, especially because the student life is so well organized. About memorable events I'd say that going to Lapland, crossing the Arctic circle, sledging, doing some cross-country skiing, sauna and ice swimming are things that I had never done before and it's so much fun. Is there something you would like to take to your home country from Finland or vice versa? J: I'd like to mix the Finnish educational system with Jaime

EXCHANGE STUDENTS

b a c c a n a l i a 2011 What's your opinion on the Finns' language skills? Have you been able to use your native language with us or have you just relied on English? J: One of the things that I envy Finns for is their education, mainly their language education. They aren't aware of how well they're taught languages and that's why the results are so good. I'm still learning Finnish and, although it's a very different language, I've managed to get the basis of it. I usually try to use Finnish as much as I can, but the cases are way too random sometimes and it seems like a lottery when trying to use the right one. That is why Finns and, consequently I, both rely on English; because, basically everyone speaks English in Finland. O: As I said, I'm very impressed by Finns' language skills. I can speak English to everyone and some speak French very well. For example, my tutor, Elisa, speaks French perfectly and it was really useful when I arrived and was a bit lost. You've probably got to know a bit about Finland during your visit. What are the most peculiar or strangest features in our culture or society (or politics)? What do you think about the issue of mandatory Swedish or our infamous grumpiness, for instance?

J: One of the most shocking things for me is the mention of time. 'Now' is not the same here as it is in my culture. Now is this minute, not the next one. Finns' vision of time is quite strict and sometimes limited. But I've got used to it, as the general Finnish way of life. Also, another things that shocks me is the ideas that some political groups, as the Perussuomalaiset or the Christian Democrats, dear to expose in public. I think they are not doing anything good for Finland right now because their ideals fight against logic and the contemporary mind-set of the Finns. Furthermore, the saddest and least likeable thing about Finland is the use of alcohol. I barely drink and I can fully enjoy a party just with some conversations with friends and usually dancing. I usually have to almost 'excuse' myself in front of a Finn so he can understand my idea of 'having fun'. Obviously we all should respect each other but I think, sometimes, some Finns have a very damaging and dangerous idea of what is to 'have fun'. O: I won't say that you are grumpy but just very shy or reserved. Because once the first barrier is broken, Finns are really nice and so helpful! I think privacy is like a religion in Finland and no one wants to interfere in your own space. They're afraid to disturb you. But I like the feeling of equality which exists strongly in your society. About the mandatory Swedish I don't really have an opinion about it. Maybe it is a small reason why you're so good at languages since you are used to speaking two different languages from a younger age. What are your plans for the future? How are you planning to spend the rest of your stay here? J: I'm currently looking for a summer job because I'm planning to stay here to see the 'all-famous and extremely-desired' Finnish summer. I'm sure this won't be the last time I visit Finland and I'll never forget this life-changing experience. Finland is a great country and people should move forward from the damaging stereotypical ignorant-based images of it ('it's too cold, people are cold as well.... quiet... bla bla bla'). O: My rent here ends on the 31st of May, so I'm going to enjoy Turku and Finland until then, but I've planned to travel to Tallinn, Riga and maybe Poland (thanks Wizzair!). After that I'm going for 13 days in Norway and fly home.

Oriane

EXCHANGE STUDENTS

b a c c a n a l i a 2011

Aino Haataja

TO WRITE IT OUT LOUD

HERE IS SOMETHING special about university buildings that caught my eye the very first day of school: not the furniture (dah!), not the draft (although a very good alternative..), not the dull coloring – but the toilets. University students have an interesting tendency to write their worries down on, not paper, but toilet walls. Maybe it is the anonymity that tempts to take out a pen and scribble. But why, oh why, on a toilet wall? Just imagine all the people waiting outside the toilet, in a horrible hurry, and an agony of the most natural kind! THE THEMES of toilet scribbles vary from child bearers to lost loves to metaphysical pondering. “Got a job! Yey!”, “I am a happy mother.”, “I am happily in love with my ex.” (Written below: “I am happily in love with my present boyfriend”. Good for you!). There are not too many differences between the toilet scribbles in women’s toilets and in men’s toilets except for the fact that men are apparently more prone to make practical jokes – even in the stall: in a toilet in the main library on the wall on the right of the toilet it says “Look left”, on the left it says “Look up” and there it says “What on earth are you foolin’ about?”. It is interesting to observe the shift in subjects having seen before Uni only toilet scribbles written on cinema or high school toilet walls. There the common themes rarely exceed the threshold of “A series of expletives!!” or “LOL! Kate and Kim were here 2006”. TOILETS ARE EXCELLENT PLACES for manifesting all kinds of ideologies. I doubt anyone

TO WRITE IT OUT LOUD

of you has missed an animal protection organization flyer with pictures of animals in quite uncomfortable circumstances. What is astonishing is that I haven’t yet encountered an election flyer, although I have frequently bumped into eagerly campaigning candidates in town. Ideologies and politics and phenomena that include some kind of engagement are ‘opinion-splitting’(What a term! Just like we’d take a huge bulk of opinion and saw it down to bits and pieces..!? ). Some find them annoying, some frustrating, some ‘dunno’. Some bravely engage and oppose. Others observe and are sending them to ‘Loony Street’. Some would prefer a toilet politically very correct and clean of any kinds of ideologies or scribbles. But I wouldn’t. They would be like refrigerators without any magnets or post-its. Too sterile. And that would certainly take me to ‘Loony Street’. I BELIEVE there is always some kind of a motivation behind these texts. No one would write “I’m a happy mother!” for nothing. Even if it is just to ‘write it out loud’. We write and say things that are meaningful, in one way or the other. At least we like to record things, take photos, and try to leave a print of ourselves into this world. Meanings are fascinating. We create them and delve in them and of those that we embrace are born yet new meanings. Just as reading toilet scribbles made me write this text and now you are reading it and this might, in turn, motivate you to generate meanings.(Maybe a toilet scribble, saying: “I just read the nuttiest Baccanalia story ever.”) I wish you all a very Meaningful and joyous spring!!