Living in Turku and Finland

Living in Turku or Finland in general does not differ very much from living in the USA. Finland is predominantly a Western, secular Christian society, and people share the same basic values with the majority of North Americans. The cultural differences are details you will be excited to discover rather than fundamental issues you will have to deal with. You can find many familiar products, brands, and business chains in Turku. The food is pretty much the same, a bit more expensive though. To sum it up, Finns are generally very receptive to American culture; you will be able to watch American TV shows and movies here, have a sandwich at Subway, or even play football to keep home sickness away!

Where          Get them numbers straight           Language         Living in Turku and Finland

You won’t need a car in Turku. The city is not too small but not too big either. You can walk, ride a bike or use public transportation around the city center. Grown up people riding a bike is a strikingly common sight in Finnish cities. It is a recommended way to get around for you too.

The foreign players will be living in Student Village, which is only a mile away from the city center. The 4000 students in the village all have a small private apartment of their own. There are no dormitories with enforced rules and hours, and you alone will have the key to your place. The main difference between that and renting a place yourself is that in the village you’ll have a free super fast internet connection and lots of neighbors in their twenties.

Turku is the major university town in Finland. There are two universities, a technical college, two business universities, a law school, and a medical school. Consequently, you will find that the city is bustling with young adults. The great number of students means that restaurants, live music clubs and nightlife are ample. A true local specialty you will find in no other Finnish city are the floating bars in the river. There are a number of fairs and music festivals in the summertime, many in Turku and more near by. There is a stunningly beautiful archipelago around Turku with 40 000 islands (that’s right). One of the bigger islands is accessible from Turku by bus and is home to beaches, golf clubs, trails, and a huge annual music festival.

Our American and Canadian players have had the time of their lives in Turku. The local players have taken good care of them and organized all kinds of fun activities in their free time. You can read about their experiences from their web sites (see links below).

Former players:

Clint Patterson 2003: http://www.clintpatterson.net/finland/index2.html

Brett Dietz 2004: http://www.qbdietz.com/Finlandindex.html

Chris Dapolito and Jamal Allen 2005: http://www.chrisdapolito.bravehost.com/

Chuck Guedo and Dan Mott 2006: http://www.freewebs.com/thechroniclesofthecanadianconnection/index.htm

Ryan Mitch, Johnell Wyatte, Martin Xavier André and Malaki Lesa 2007

Jayson Davis, Johnell Wyatte and Malaki Lesa 2008

Billy Hart, Gerard Hamlett and Marques Dailey 2009

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