Minna Koskela, known from the Kumman kaa hit series, never forgets a confusing fan encounter

A good-natured person sits in the Lappajärvi shore scenery Minna Koskela. He says he enjoys a leisurely trip to the countryside.

– The summer has been really wonderful, and the weather has also been kind. Many people have also come to the village to chat and exchange news, which is really nice.

– I’ve never been to Lappajärvi before, so I’m enjoying the new experience in that sense as well. The biggest surprise for me has been the large size of the lake and the freshness of the area.

Koskela says he generally enjoys acting in the summer theater.

– I like to do things at a fast pace, there is no time to get bored in the summer theater. We have done our work on the principle that coffee-making is left to less people.

– The good part is also getting to know completely new colleagues, even in the Pesänjako play there is a group, most of which are new acquaintances for me.

In Lappajärvi as elsewhere, it is Koskela’s custom to have a daily conversation with himself about the events he has experienced.

– I go through encounters with people in my mind. If I feel that I have done something badly, I try to learn from it. Correspondingly, if an encounter has gone better than expected, I take the things I learned from it with me.

Which one?

Koskela’s career has been marked by the television series Kumman kaa, where he is a screenwriter and actor. He says people still come to talk about the series regularly.

– It happens quite a lot, both women and men talk about it, even though men discovered the series more slowly than women.

– Over the years, meetings have mostly been laughed at. Sometimes someone has also burst into tears after seeing “Ellu”, because the characters of the series have become friends in a way. It does touch the heart of the screenwriter and the actor.

It has also included a moment when reality did not correspond to the television series.

– We were the second central person in the series Heli Sutelan eating together in the evening, really tired. We heard a small Christmas party of women who were there at the same time talking confusedly: “They just sit and eat there, they don’t dance.”, Koskela laughs.

He also remembers the memorable autograph search.

– I was in the shower in the swimming pool when a little girl came with paper and pen to get an autograph. I had to tell him that writing doesn’t seem to work on wet paper. The autograph signing was then done after the shower.

However, there is no new material for the series.

– That idea is dead and hollowed out.

Important nature

Koskela says that he moves a lot in nature, he enjoys the peace and freedom that nature brings.

– It is important for me to see and experience nature in general, because we humans are dependent on it. It is good to remember that we are a part of nature, if it is lost, we are gone.

– When moving in the forest or by the lake, the biggest impression is generally made by the beauty of nature. I experience this kind of environment as a really soothing multi-sensory experience.

Swamps are particularly meaningful places for him.

– They are exciting, for example their vegetation is completely unique. It’s also amazing to think how deep and old the turf under your feet is.

Sometimes Koskela’s nine-year-old dog Frida is also included on the nature trips.

– He is a really nice guy for nature trips. At Lappajärvi, Frida hasn’t been there yet, but she might still be at the end of the summer.

Koskela bursts into laughter when asked about memorable encounters with animals. Such a thing happened when he was jogging in the forest with his already deceased dog.

– We had stopped at the edge of the sand pit to eat snacks. At the same time, a terrible crash began to be heard from the forest.

– Soon a big-horned male moose appeared from the forest, staring at us about ten meters away. Then we stared at each other for a few seconds, and luckily the moose decided to go in a different direction.

Energetic Koskela says she also enjoys picking berries, picking mushrooms and collecting various wild plants.

– For example, you can get a variety of healthy and tasty things from nettles and goat’s milk. Correspondingly, honeysuckle is nature’s own painkiller.

Flea market person

The flea markets of Lappajärvi and nearby municipalities have become familiar to Koskela during the summer. He confesses to be a staunch friend of flea markets.

– I was already interested in them in the 1980s. From the beginning, one important factor has been the joy of discovery, you never know what you will find. Flea markets highlight the fact that one person’s trash is another’s treasure.

– I’ve bought a lot of stuff from flea markets for interior decoration, I’ve practically decorated two cottages entirely with flea goods.

He has also made discoveries in Lappajärvi.

– For example, I found a rattan table. There would also have been an absolutely wonderful chair, but at that moment the mood struck.

Koskela also sells and donates its goods to the flea market.

– It’s a good way to get rid of things you don’t need. I usually end up donating, because it’s more convenient. Recycling goods also reduces the burden on nature, which is important.

He also keeps his eyes open when moving around.

– I stop by recycling centers from time to time. When I see garbage pallets, I usually look through them too. If you see, for example, healthy-looking furniture on the pallets, they go with it. It’s great to save good things from the landfill, Koskela smiles.

For next fall, Koskela’s designs include the play Luolanainen and the play When kindness is not enough.

– I’m also continuing an unfinished writing project, so there’s plenty of work to do.

At the end of the interview, Koskela tells one of his mottos, how he approaches the world.

– An older lady who lives next door to my garden cottage in Siirtola once said: “A madman fights with a madman.” I remind myself of this every now and then, it keeps me calm