Kuinka selviytyä kaamoksesta
Aamuisin herään talveen: lumeen, pimeyteen ja kylmyyteen. Iltapäivän tullen havahdun harmauteen, joka on syönyt suihinsa lumen, ja jättänyt jälkeensä maan yhtä tumman kuin iltataivaan. Taistelen pimeyttä vastaan syömällä tädin tuomia mandariineja ja sytyttämällä ikkunalaudoille kynttilämeret. Lähin vastine auringonvalolle on keltainen keittiönpöytäni, jonka jouluvalojen loisteessa voi kuvitella valaisevan huoneen. Mutta nurkkiin asti ei senkään valo yllä. Kasvini pitää hengissä lemmikkiliskolta viety UV-lamppu, joka värjää olohuoneen violetin sävyin. Se sopii yhteen vanhuuttaan välkkyvän vessan valon kanssa, jonka nähtyään siskoni totesi: "Opiskelijaelämää". Tähän kommenttiin lienee vaikuttaneen myös viikonlopun menu, joka piti sisällään purkkihernekeittoa.
I wake up to snow, darkness and cold - to winter. In the afternoon I realize the grayness has eaten all the snow. The only thing that's left is the ground as dark as the evening sky. I fight against darkness by eating tangerines given to me by my aunt, and by lighting up a sea of candles on the windowsills. The closest I have to sunlight is my yellow kitchen table that, when lit by the Christmas lights above, seems to light up the room. But it can't reach the corners which remain dark. An ultra violet light is keeping my plants alive and colors the living room purple. It goes with the flickering light in my bathroom to which my sister reacted by saying: "Student life." It might have had something to do with the pea soup that was on the menu that weekend.
Coldness can be beaten with a hot drink, the heat of sauna, and my fleece pajama pants with little happy snowmen on them. It can be overcome by wrapping up in a blanket and curling up in an arm chair. Yet the best medicine to this dark time of the year is having company: Those nights when you have a friend over for tea, and the group work sessions turned into talking. Those days at the university practicing on playing guitar with pals, and Fridays in chop class with classmates. The afternoons having endless conversations because none of you wants to go home yet.
Company is the biggest reason as of why I hadn't even thought of applying for the University of Helsinki and moving back, like someone recently asked me if I was going to. Why would I leave now? I've got friends in here, I've got relatives and I have my very first own home here. My family is only a phone call away, and I can reach my relatives with Skype any time. Social media keeps me updated with my friends' lives, who too have started new lives in new places. My life in Oulu and in Helsinki are slowly starting to come together as my loved ones get familiar with both by visiting. No matter which direction I'm going to, I can always say I'm coming home.
Kylmyys voitetaan kuumalla juotavalla, iltasaunalla ja lumiukkokuvioisilla fleece-housuilla. Se kitketään vilttiin kääriytymällä ja nojatuoliin käpertymällä. Kaamoslääkkeistä parhain on kuitenkin ystävät ympärillä: Pimenevät illat teekupposten äärellä ja porinaksi kehkeytyvät parityörupeamat. Kitaranrämpyttelytuokiot koulukavereiden kanssa kasvatustiedepäädyn käytävillä sekä pitkät perjantaipäivät yhdessä puutyöluokassa puurtaen. Iltapäivät yliopistolla kuluvat keskustellen, kun kukaan ei jaksa lähteä kotiin.
Seura on suurin syy siihen, että olen alkanut juurtua tänne. Eräässä illanvietossa minut yllätettiin kysymällä, aionko hakea Helsinkiin luokanopettajakoulutukseen. Ajatus ei ollut käynyt mielessänikään. Miksi minä täältä mihinkään lähtisin? Löysin Oulusta sukua, ystäviä ja kodin. Perhekin on vain puhelun päässä ja sukulaiset Skypellä tavoitettavissa. Sosiaalinen media pitää minut kartalla kotopuolen kavereiden liikkeistä, jotka hekin ovat rantautuneet kuka minnekin. Oulu-elämäni ja Helsinki-elämäni alkavat pikku hiljaa kietoutua yhteen vierailujen ja vierailijoiden tuodessa niitä tutuksi toisilleen. Voin sanoa palaavani kotiin, taitan matkaa kumpaan suuntaan tahansa.
* * * * *
I wake up to snow, darkness and cold - to winter. In the afternoon I realize the grayness has eaten all the snow. The only thing that's left is the ground as dark as the evening sky. I fight against darkness by eating tangerines given to me by my aunt, and by lighting up a sea of candles on the windowsills. The closest I have to sunlight is my yellow kitchen table that, when lit by the Christmas lights above, seems to light up the room. But it can't reach the corners which remain dark. An ultra violet light is keeping my plants alive and colors the living room purple. It goes with the flickering light in my bathroom to which my sister reacted by saying: "Student life." It might have had something to do with the pea soup that was on the menu that weekend.
Coldness can be beaten with a hot drink, the heat of sauna, and my fleece pajama pants with little happy snowmen on them. It can be overcome by wrapping up in a blanket and curling up in an arm chair. Yet the best medicine to this dark time of the year is having company: Those nights when you have a friend over for tea, and the group work sessions turned into talking. Those days at the university practicing on playing guitar with pals, and Fridays in chop class with classmates. The afternoons having endless conversations because none of you wants to go home yet.
Company is the biggest reason as of why I hadn't even thought of applying for the University of Helsinki and moving back, like someone recently asked me if I was going to. Why would I leave now? I've got friends in here, I've got relatives and I have my very first own home here. My family is only a phone call away, and I can reach my relatives with Skype any time. Social media keeps me updated with my friends' lives, who too have started new lives in new places. My life in Oulu and in Helsinki are slowly starting to come together as my loved ones get familiar with both by visiting. No matter which direction I'm going to, I can always say I'm coming home.
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