LunkkiStudent’s guidebook to Kemi-Tornio Contents life in small cities 1 about finland 2 Key population centers of the Kemi-Tornio area 4 Local Area 10 Connection TO THE REST OF THE WORLD 11 Health Care Services 12 authorities useful to know 14 ROOF above your head 15 When you’re hungry 16 Clothing and other expenses 18 Freetime Activities 20 www.luontoon.fi 24 associations and student bodies 26 finnish culture 27 finnish famous holidays 30 map of kemi 31 map of Tornio 32 Lunkki Editors: Tutors, Pavla Brožová, Kateřina Kosová, Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences Heli Lohi & Maria Sipilä P.O.Box 505 Translation: Keith Hakso FI-94100 Kemi, Finland Graphic Design: Pia Kuha www.tokem.fi Images: Kemin kaupunki, Tornion kaupunki, Hana Kadlecová & Petra Filipová, KTUAS’ photo library, Tampereen Työväenteatteri Kalevaprint, Oulu 2011 Life in small cities elcome to study at the Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences! You are starting a new phase in your life, perhaps even in a new city. If you are not already familiar with the Sea Lapland region, this guide will help you get started and make it easier to become familiar with the area. Kemi and Tornio are about the same size, and provide nearly similar services to all of their residents. There is also a variety of activities in these cities for many kinds of needs, so it pays to be active and leave your student dormitory to be among people. The surrounding area also provides interesting natural attractions for those interesting in outdoor recreation, and Lapland’s four seasons guarantee many different kinds of experiences from winter darkness to the midnight sun. Student life in Kemi-Tornio includes certain traditions, a variety of common events and a relaxed atmosphere. It is worthwhile to learn about the activities organised by the student associations: they offer a variety of exercise, culture and even student parties. Many kinds of events are held in the Sea Lapland region throughout the year. More information on them is available at the student’s databank edu.tokem.fi or from local newspapers. Hopefully these tips help you find interesting things to do What happens and new hobbies alongside your studies. And if something and where is bothering you, feel free to ask for advice and help from edu.tokem.fi student tutors and from us. We are here for you! PAKKASRAJA- event calender Hannele Keränen Substitute Principal Lunkki | life in small cities 1 More information www.visitfinland.com www.finland.fi About fin land Finland is bordered on the east by Russia, on the south by the Gulf of Finland and Estonia, on the west by the Gulf of Bothnia and Sweden, and on the north and northwest by Norway. A quarter of its territory is north of the Arctic Circle. If you're Finns You are familiar with many TV personalities and celebrities, Finnish and foreign. The latter are, in decreasing order of probability, American, English, Scandinavian (rarely), French or German (very, very rarely). You believe in the news on TV and in the newspapers. In fact, you are used to believing in most of what you read or hear. You have (or you plan to have) a family, which means a spouse and 1 to 3 children (but not having one doesn't mean a catastrophe). A guide to finnish customs You may state that “old people should be and manners respected”, but you know you don't have to www.finland.fi | life | people obey your parents, at least not if you are over 18. You are accustomed with the society Cricket is something incomprehensible, but (rather than families, churches or charity for baseball you have a version of your own, organizations) taking care of the poor, sick the Finnish pesäpallo. “Skiing” means cross- and disabled. country skiing, but if you are under 25, you You may like football (if you are a young might prefer the snowboard. urban male, perhaps even the strange You have a vacation of at least a month a year American version of so-called "football"). In and you do take it, preferably in July (although general, however, you feel most comfortable it is generally complained that “in Europe” watching sports where people wear helmets: nobody has vacations of more than a week and Formula One, ice-hockey or ski-jumping. we should follow that trend). You spend it at 2 about finland | Lunkki Sauvosaari Church, Kemi Keminmaa Tornio fin land your summer cottage, bathing in your foreign guests with reindeer and arctic the sauna and swimming in the brambleberries (an exquisite taste and seeds lake, or visiting the numerous like pebbles between your teeth) and try to summer events in every village convince them that these belong to a typical Finland has, from opera festivals Finnish menu. to world championships in If you are Finn, you drink milk for breakfest, wife-carrying or rubberboot- lunch and dinner. throwing. In winter, you take a Your favourite drink is coffee. Coffee is week or a prolonged weekend to considered by a “national drink”. travel to the Mediterranean or the Canary Islands. You are most probably a Lutheran (which usually Did you know means that you go to church in Christmas or never, get married that Finland has? in church and have your children baptized). You may also be an • 5.3 million people Orthodox or sometimes even (17 people per sq km) a Catholic (in the latter case, • 180.000 islands you are usually of foreign descent or an • 230.000 reindeer intellectually oriented convert looking for “something different”). • 100.000 salmon If you are middle-aged or younger and • 188,000 lakes urban, you believe in a kind of all-European (accounts for 10% of the total area) gourmet cooking (anything from pesto to • 465.000 summer cottages paella) and also visit McDonalds or other junk food places. You have also eaten in a Chinese • 35 national parks restaurant and, if young and urban, you might • 1.8 million saunas (approx 500 are like sushi. If you are old and rural, you eat rye traditional smoke saunas) bread and potatoes every day, with either fish • 5.2 million mobile phones (mostly Baltic herring in different forms) or (Nokia is a Finnish brand) “sauces” with different kinds of meat. You feed Lunkki | about finland 3 Key population centers of the kemi-tornio area Kemi “THE MONACO OF FINLAND - 10 km of beach and as many inhabitants” www.ihmekaupunki.fi ja www.kemi.fi Valtakatu “the main street of Kemi” 4 Key population centers of the kemi-tornio area | Lunkki Sampo Ice Breaker Snow Castle Inner harbour area is the centre of Kemi in the summer. Gemstone Gallery Lunkki | Key population centers of the kemi-tornio area 5 Keminmaa “THE EGYPT OF SEA LAPLAND” www.keminmaa.fi At the Church of St. Michael (Pyhän Mikaelin Kirkko) can find a mummy. A vicar named Nikolaus Rungius, who served in the early 1600’s, said: “If my word’s are not true, my body will decay, but if they are true then it won’t decay.” Rungius died in 1629 and was buried under the church floor. With no embalming, his body mummified and can still be seen today. Kemi River – fish and electricity Saint Michael’s Church New Church of Keminmaa Museum 6 Key population centers of the kemi-tornio area | Lunkki Tornio “LIFE WITHOUT BOARDERS” www.tornio.fi Old Tornio Pikisaari Beach Tornio Church Rajalla På Gränsen shopping mall The Water tower Lunkki | Key population centers of the kemi-tornio area 7 Tornio The “Engage” Statue on the border Outokumpu City Hall Kukkolankoski/Kukkolaforssen 8 Key population centers of the kemi-tornio area | Lunkki Haaparanta “OASIS OF CANDY LAND” www.haparanda.se Over the years Haaparanta has developed into a shopping destination. In the 1970’s people came here to buy low-priced butter and sugar from as far away as Ostrobothnia and Kainuu. Today the stores of Haaparanta offer low-priced beverages, bulk candy and shoes. The return to the good old days, when people came shopping from far away, took place in 2006, when IKEA Haparanda-Tornio was opened. Remember that you can also take care of business almost everywhere in Haaparanta using the Finnish language, too. The currency is the Swedish krona, but euros work in most places. Tutor’s Tips Sport activities Culture • Netto, Kraftvägen 3 • Haaparanda’s • Folketshus “Cheap sodas and energy Carting course (People’s house), Åkerg. 1 drinks.” Vojakkala Haparanda tel. +46 922 145 49 • Maxi Ica (shopping mall) tel. + 46 70 33 557 23 Shopping Hästskovägen 2 • Aspen hall tel. +46 (0)922 688 80 • IKEA, Norrskensvägen 2 Västra Esplanaden 25 “huge selection” tel. +46 775 700 700 tel. +46 (0)922 150 53 • Candy World • Sko Punkten • Swimming hall Norrskensvägen 4 Norrskensvägen 4 Åkergatan 1 tel. +46 (0)922 123 50 www.skopunkten.com tel. +46 (0)922 150 49 “Good offers & fassionable • Rusta, Lillvägen 4 “Affordable prices” shoes.” www.rusta.se Lunkki | Key population centers of the kemi-tornio area 9 Local Area The following places are worth checking out in the Kemi- Tornio area: • In Sweden, Kalix and Luleå are so close that you can made a day trip there. • On the Finnish side of the Torniojoki river, as you go northward you find the town of Ylitornio, which is home to the Aavasaksa hill, from which you can see far into Sweden, and the town of Pello, which is located within the arctic • www.lapland.fi circle. • kalix.se • lulea.se • If you go 100 km northeast from Keminmaa, you get to • ylitornio.fi the city of Rovaniemi, where Santa Claus has built his • pello.fi own tourist trap.