Photo by Piet and Irene

Some might think that living so far north is very difficult because of the freezing weather conditions for about half the year. But the people that are actually living in Oulu see the benefits and find different ways of coping in a foreign country. Here are the first two of four views and opinions on what it’s like to be a foreigner living in Oulu.

We start with Irene (23) who is Norwegian and Piet (24) from Belgium. The couple live together in a rented apartment. She works as a sales assistant and he is a sales representative. They both came to Oulu for the first time as exchange students and Piet explains why they are still here.

They both agree that Finns are shy and making friends with them can be tricky.

“It takes a long time to have a Finn as a friend. I have one good Finnish friend and I met him at this jam session at the market place,’ say Piet. ‘Then I was looking for someone to start a band with and he wanted to join and we’re good friends now. If they really want to be your friend they will put some effort into it but normally they will just take it easy.”

“But most of our Finnish friends have a foreign boyfriend or girlfriend or they have been abroad so they’ve gotten a taste of a foreign culture,” comments Irene.

“For example I lived in a university city in Belgium,’ recalls Piet, ‘and if I had known that there is a community of foreign students I would have tried to get in there. But whether we want it or not foreigners isolate themselves from the natives.”

“It’s like in your home country,’ agrees Irene. ‘You have a network of friends and family you don't really need to go out and actively find new friends.”

That is also one thing Irene misses most from her home. Friends, family and knowing how the system works: “Yes, Finns are helpful if you ask but they don’t tell you if you don’t ask.”

However he misses something else: “The city where I come from is a very lively city and there is always something to do so I somehow miss that in the evenings or on the weekends. On the other hand if you live in a city like that it means that it is busy all the time. But apart from that, some foods maybe.” Irene jumps in:  “I miss properly made fish which doesn’t taste like the sauce it has been soaked in! Finns are horrible at making fish!”

But Piet argues: “It’s all relative. I think the fish you get in Oulu is excellent compared to what you get in Belgium.”

Apart from proper Norwegian fish and some Belgium happenings the couple finds some advantages to living in Oulu. “As far as I’m concerned there is no stress or at least not that much stress in Oulu.  It’s calm and quiet. At the same time Oulu offers everything that a city has to offer. There is one big Cinema, one place with a certain kind of music and so on. In that way there is at least one so you don’t miss out on anything.” 

Irene adds: “And also there is the city but you have the nature close by. I grew up with nature next door and I really like the opportunity of going around the corner and there is a forest.”

Coming from different backgrounds their suggestions to a foreigner thinking of moving here are contradictory. “Be sure you’re the kind of person who feels comfortable in a smaller city. If you are for example from Paris you should make absolutely sure you can manage in a city that is one fifteenth of the size of your city,” is Piet’s advice.
And Irene’s: “I would say the opposite. Make sure that you will be able to survive in such a big city. It depends on where you come from.”

Piet adds: “Bring an extra jacket! And I think you have to be here to know if you would like it or not. So my advice would be to come here and try to live here for a month before you move here permanently.”
In their opinion Oulu described with one word would be peaceful and big. You can probably guess which one is whose. 

Irene finds biking in winter very strange. Piet is puzzled with Finnish drinking habits: “They can drink huge amounts of alcohol without thinking of the consequences too much. They just can’t stop. And also how shy and proud they can be. I think if it was up to them they would all tattoo a Finnish flag onto their chest.”

A funny thing happened to him at the beginning of his stay in Oulu. He explains: “I got lost in front of my own apartment because all the buildings look the same. It was in Syynimaa and all the houses look the same there, except for a tiny letter on the wall somewhere you have no idea where you are.” 

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