On Friday there was an International
Student Orientation at the Seinajoki campus.
We were given a brief overview of the university as we did a couple
weeks ago in Ilmajoki, except this time it was presented in English! Afterwards
we ate lunch and were scheduled to take a bus tour around Seinajoki. However,
in light of the fact that we had been shown around Seinajoki and had the major
landmarks pointed out to us a couple times already, we thought our time would
be better spent walking around exploring the city ourselves. We used the maps given to us and our own
volition to wander around and see the sites.
We crossed the river leading from
one side of the university to the other and on both sides the campus was
beautiful! The large glass wall of the cafeteria looks out over the lawn and
onto the river. On the other side, there is a great white building with slender
pillars and a similar transparent window wall. There is a cute little waterside amphitheater
with a stone podium in front and it is lined on one end by a cobblestone stream
ending at the river. After walking
through campus, we exited towards the city center.
Alvar Aalto is a renowned Finnish
architect and designer whose work can be seen all around the city. We first came to the church he designed which
is easy to find because it is one of the tallest landmarks in the city center.
His style is modern, simple and elegant as reflected in his buildings and the Finnish
style in general. The church is a grand
white building inside and out with gold chandeliers and wooden pews on the
inside.
Across the way form the church is
his library, one of the coolest I’ve ever seen in my life. The outside is
impressive; an asymmetrical design with one wall that is simply a large glass
window through which you can see the shelves of books and a row of chairs
looking out. The other outside surfaces are a copper scaled pattern, which
contrast magnificently against the smooth glass window. Inside the library, his style is punctuated
by the bright colors that pop out among the wooden shelves and white
walls. The chairs around the library are
so unique in structure they are like art themselves. The kids’ section had carpeted cubbies where
you could sit and read a book among flowers or fish or other unique
scenes. The artistic, fantasy aspects of
the library made it a fun place to be and the people there, whatever their
purpose, seemed to enjoy it very much. Next we went to the Aalto’s theater, which had
a more subdued, classy feel and a small section dedicated to him.
We left the Aalto center and walked
to quite the extensive thrift store. We
spent probably an hour and a half cooking through the clothes, dishes, trinkets
and traditional pieces that crowded the shelves of this warehouse-like
store. On our way back to the bus
station we stopped for a Friday night beer at a local bar before heading back
to Ilmajoki.
On Saturday I went on a run and came
upon a small food and craft fair on the side of the road. I stopped to look around at the pretty
homemade jewelry, knit items, embroidered tablecloths, jams, glassware and
more. Every second booth I visited the
person in charge pointed at me looking very confused and asked me something
sternly in Finnish. Considering everyone
there was bundled up in pants, jackets and hats, I’m guessing they were
wondering where my clothes were and why I was wearing capri leggings and a
t-shirt. Apparently running and suntans are not appreciated in Finnish
culture. After explaining I’m still
learning Finnish I got even weirder looks and rolled eyes so I gave up and ran
home. I returned later with Valerie
wearing pants, a jacket and bearing money. I was received slightly better. This event was held in the courtyard of a
historic farmsite in Ilmajoki. We got to
see the inside of an old farmhouse from the 1800’s ,which was kept in great
condition with traditional furniture and appliances on display. Considering
this was a small fair held once a year, we were very glad to have chanced upon
it, giving us more exposure to Finnish culture.
The Finns are hard working people who value artistic design and
appreciate the little things in life, including the time of the year that is
not icy cold.
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| Alvar Aalto Church |
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| Alvar Aalto Library |
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| Alvar Aalto section at the theater |
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