Faces Production

Hier finden sich Interviews, Statements und Kommentare aber auch ein faces poem und sogar eine faces fairy tale sind vertreten. Geschrieben wurden sie von Helfern, Mitarbeitern und anderen Beteiligten des Faces Festivals. Auch auf dieser Seite haben wir uns mal wieder sehr bemüht, die Faces der Interviewten einzufangen. Schaut sie Euch an und lest ihre Sicht, ihre Meinungen und Eindrücke.

			Aykhan (18) I’m from Azerbaijan. I´m studying in Azerbaijan state economic university. I came here together with Orkhan. Why I’m here? Because I want to have new friends from other countries and I´m interested in Finland. This is my second work camp. I will probably do it again.

Hy! We are Aline (22) and Claire (25) from Belgium. I’m still a student in Public Relations (Aline) and I’m an elementary teacher (Claire). We’ve been in this workcamp for more than one week so you guess we have a lot of stories and anecdotes for you! We have discovered here that we are not the only ones who can be recognized only by our accent: you should ask our Czech girl to speak about “fat from frites”. We found also quiet difficult to remember the names of everyone: so guess who is “Denise”( the one amazing one. We have noticed also some customs in Finland: find out what is the use of the shower in the toilet…, how to lock it (other direction), first liquorices sweets, no sweet breakfast, and best of all lakes and sauna!!! More seriously, workcamps are such nice places where you can meet so different people that it would certainly change your mind and make you full of beans when you go back home. Finally we manage to make good jokes despite the different cultures and languages.

		Orkhan (19) I'm from Azerbaijan. The main purpose of my visit is having new friends from foreign countries, to know more about local people, to travel beautiful places of the world, to know about culture of different nations. It is my first work camp that's why I can't say anything about this work camp (was it good for me or...).The best thing that I have loved here is that me and Max are champions in arm wrestling!!!

Hallo! I am Pim (38) from The Netherlands, the oldest person (or, as we say in Dutch, Nestor) at this international work camp, more than twice as old as the youngest here! This is my 6th SCI work camp, I am involved with VIA, the Dutch SCI, since 1999. I visited Finland/Suomi in 2000 and decided to visit it again. A friend already volunteered at Faces some years ago and she was enthusiastic, so I used the opportunity. I spend most of my time in the kitchen here, I am quite a fan of cooking. So I work here with the camp cook, Janne, and other volunteers. I learn about typical Finnish food like ‘Wurst Stroganoff’, real workman’s food, but as a vegetarian I did not enjoy making it so much…like the fish… International work camps are great ways to spend a holiday and learn about other peoples and countries; I can recommend it to everybody! We are a nice group!

	Terve! I am Michael (20) from South Carolina, USA. I am 20 years old. I have lived in Finland for two years and have enjoyed it very much so far. I am in Karjaa for my practical training for school, which is the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences, for facility management, tourism, and event management (and other such things). I came to Finland because I wanted something different from American schools. During my time in Karjaa I have learned more Finnish (still not fluent, but getting there), and even a bit of German thanks to my German friends (I already knew some… ? ). I have been stuck in the office for 90% of the time making passes (damn things) and giving people money. The office would fall apart without me. This festival needs me. I am the most important person here. ? Not really, but it is nice to think so. I am interested in how the festival works, which I have been able to find out about while I have been here. I also am “employed” as the driver, driving the piece of shit Audi, the big white van, and the nice new van. The Audi broke today when the exhaust pipe fell off. Very interesting. If you would like to know anything else about me, just ask! Heippa!

Zdravo! I´m Marusa (25) from Slovenia. Faces is my fourth experience with the work camp, after two camps in Germany (Berlin and Muenster) and one in Belgium. As it seems I enjoy spending my time abroad with people from all over the world, doing something useful for the local community and at the same time learning about myself. A great thing about this kind of spending holidays is also getting to know a lot of new friends, when you keep contact not only a few months after the festival but for years. This year I had an idea to visit my Finish friend Olli from the Belgium camp, and he told me that Faces festival is very nice so it was easy for me to decide and come to Karjaa. So far I must say I am enjoying it a lot, and the best thing is yet to come – the festival!


	Hanna (22) I am from Poland, I study science of culture and Czech language. I have come here because I love Suomi. This work camp is my first voluntary work. Why have I decided to spend my holidays that way? My friend is a camp leader. She has had good experiences with this kind of work. It was a good advice from her. It is my best holidays ever. But not just holiday also work. I have worked as a driver. A few days I have spent in the old Audi (older than me). I have seen a lot of beautiful places. Because of Aline I know more now: “Running on the highway!”. I have painted walls and signs in Rotalla. I also worked in the kitchen, carried big things around, but also cut grass and wood. I live here with six girls in one big room. Sometimes it is not easy to live together, because we have different schedule and life styles. Of course, all the time there is a problem with the bathroom. The worse though is the morning. All alarms go on and they all have very bad and different sounds. The earliest one starts around 7 am and the last one at 8, so everyone in the room has free choice when to get up. After work camp I will be missing people who I have met here, but I am very happy that I have friends from different countries and cultures. I am sure that this is not my last work camp.

Angi (25) Sorry for my Spaniglish. I am from Barcellona, I study architecture. It is my first work camp. I came here searching for new experiences and really I found more than I hoped. I learned new points of view to understand life, news, people, and relationships. I learned that with illusions we can build all what we want. These days my work is very different than I know it. Normally I always sit down to work, but here all the work is physically. I cut grass, painted a lot, repaired bikes, carried around materials. Some days I was very tired because I am not very strong but with good company it was much easier. It has been a very good experience and I hope I can repeat it in the future.


	This is a poem about building Faces An international work camp with so many races. My name is Iva, I am 20 years old And I didn’t know that Finnland’s summer is so cold. With me from Serbia came my friend Jovana And she liked the most Republica Banana. We do everything, we clean and paint Some work we like and some we hate. In our room sleep five more chicks And we had to put up with each other for three weeks. Marusha came from Slovenia and is part of the chicks team, We share cigarettes and beer, she is the nicest girl that I have ever seen.

Hanna a melancholic girl from Polland, likes to chat with Pim a cultured guy from Holland. Clara from Czech came a bit late So I didn’t manage to become with her good mate. Mei Chi is full of energy all the time, She worked hard, no matter if it rained or there was sunshine. Angi is a passionate girl from sunny Spain, We have a lot of fun but couldn’t work when it was rain. Claire and Aline mas auxies de Belgique, A pitty I got to know them just last week. Orhan and Aykhan young Azerbaijani boys Were working, even though they were sick, but that was their choice. Dagna is a sweet girl and medicine is her future call, We did some jobs together, but carrying things was her main role. Cate came from Slovakia and she brought with her a hakisak ball I know to play with a bigger balls, but not with this one it is too small. Fabio ragazzi italiano, felt like he couldn’t fit in. He was complaining and couldn’t even stay in the same room with Pim. Seven more German people, they were building the fence, They were going nuts but for another job there was no chance. Their names are Nadine, Philipp, Katja, Melike, Sinah, Max, and Chris Some are so crazy, that I am even going to miss. Together with Finish volunteers we were building the Faces fest, And for the past three weeks we were working hard with only a bit of rest. Now the festival is open and guests are having fun And we just want some nice days and more sun. Our camp leaders were leading us through all of this, Sometimes I really liked them, sometimes I got pissed. Anyway, I think they are pretty much OK, I just sometimes hate to obey. Without our leaders Kati, Mika and Anni It wouldn’t be so interesting and funny. Our big boss Börje acts so tuff and strong I think it’s just acting but someone could judge it wrong. So that was about everything about people who were working here. We were together for more three weeks but from now we won’t be so near. We are all proud to be part of it And we can all take credits, if nothing else than a little bit.
The Faces Fairy Tale Once upon a time there was one not so little girl named Jovana (21)… On a sunny day in Belgrade, a couple of weeks after her 21st birthday, she was sitting in front of her computer trying to do some very boring biochemistry stuff… But there was some kind of restlessness in her head and unknown force that influenced the internet and switched the page through voluntary service of Serbia to www.faces.fi While she was reading the lines her eyes were glowing from curiosity and positive energy. She knew at once she had to be there!
Days were passing by, the expectation were growing as well as her impatience to start the journey… Finally the day came, she was in Finland with her friend Iva struggling with the white nights and trying to find that quiet place where the festival is to be held, Billnäs! The sky above Karjaa was cloudy and there weren’t many people at the train station. She didn’t have to use much of the power of observation, the other volunteers were easy to spot, especially because of their backpacks and sleeping bags. During the introduction names were flying around and impressions were flowing fast. Walking to the festival area didn’t give her enough time to sort them out. Now, when she thinks about it, it had all probably started there in Janne’s kitchen. This is where most of the work camp has gathered and where the finish volunteers backup and the Berlin crew found their way, too…. The incredible world of Faces started its existence with the preparation in its basis. At the beginning there was Rottala, the trash, the woods, the signs. This place has undergone some serious transformations. Painting was one of the things she enjoyed most, covered from head to her toes with paint of different colours with interesting music in the background and occasional cursing in Finnish and Serbian with the “local” girls. She has also discovered the circle has a very annoying shape when you cut many of them from the fabric and that building a castle from sponge-like materials and newspaper made her artistically excited. On the other side of the town a different volunteer life was taking place. Nights in the yard with 12-packs and wine, conversations in at least five different languages and some music usually performed by Angie, a cute, energetic Catalan girl with a big heart and Iva, who she knows too well to describe her in this short story. Then there were funny rides in the back of the van, Saunas by the lake, sausages and corn on the barbecue. Little by little the two sides of her voluntary life joined into one and every day was cherished by specific personalities and unique gestures. Pim’s sharp observation and funny comments, Aline’s cool jokes, Aykhan’s and Ohan’s sudden laugh waves and gangster rap in Russian, Dagna’s uncondional kindness, Claire’s charming smile, Hanna’s jumping bursts and rolling R in English, Katharina’s calmness, Mei Chi’s strength, Fabio’s complains, Marusa’s spectrum of drinks and cigarettes, Clara’s neutrality. Than there were the “leaders”: Anni, with persisstant spirit and her never ending will to help where help is needed, Kati, a quite soul at first sight but soon she saw a party girl in her, a good and warm person and Mika, a.k.a. the big brain, thinking through every aspect of work that has to be done and his sympathetic laziness especially emphasised when speaking Finnish. It would be impossible for her to imagine Faces without the “Berlinjans”: Nadine, frontwoman of “Dancing Blueberries”, teaching her trainees the true values of life besides web design. Max, a big fan of arguing, reasonable ones but pointless ones, too, apples his “leadership skills” practically for example to get a full access pass. Christoph, talks in his very tricky to understand combination of German and English, mostly about his muscles. She got the impression he could talk more serious when he “behaves”. Philipp, an hyperactive but good kiddo, Melike, a cheerful girl, who understood her need for some real coffee and food and dancing till the morning… and Sinah and KAtja and all the other faces around … The sky above Karjaa is cloudy again and there is still the smell of rain in the air. She is sitting in the kitchen watching the shadows moving and trying to handle all these impressions and little pieces of life running through her brain as memories….