International Coordinator, Mirja Onduso and Communicator, Andruta Ilie started organizing a series of Finnish activities at TAMK for international students who study or do their exchange at Tampere University of Applied Sciences. The aim of this project is to introduce students to the Finnish lifestyle while connecting with each other and developing friendships.

With only a few weeks left until Christmas, the atmosphere at TAMK is getting festive and the snow outside is of great help too. Therefore, we thought it would be the best time for our international students to learn how to bake Joulutorttu, a delicious Christmas pastry in shape of a pinwheel with a middle filled with prune jam.

32 hungry students showed up at TAMKO’s kitchen and altogether, 128 Joulutorttu were baked and eaten. By far, the biggest number of students we had during our events, until now. It felt wonderful and rewarding to see them sharing the tasks with a smile upon their faces and waiting patiently to get the pastries out of the oven. Here’s what Ruotong Xu, Chinese exchange student, told us after the event:

"Such a fine day! I joined this lovely activity to bake Joulutorttu: windmill-like pastry. Upon my coming in the room, I felt the warm atmosphere here. So many pretty people with smiling faces, were all busy with their hands working. I just went in and found my place, then threw myself into the work. Firstly, I cut the dough into two pieces and put the jam in the middle, then made it like a windmill. Easy and funny job! After a few minutes, I smelt the flavour of the baked pastry and felt excited to see them because some of them were made by me! Yummy, yummy, I like them! After the baking, a funny game involving fighting for the chairs began. My heart was beating fast at that time because I was extremely excited. I forgot all the worries after this beautiful day! Thank you for organizing this activity!"

Text: Andruta Ilie

Photos: Laura Wirth, Nao Oikawa and Andruta Ilie