Two beers with Andreas Kinnari
Two beers with Andreas Kinnari
T he first thing that meets me when I trudge through the fresh snow towards BEde is photographer Ingunn who orders Andreas here, there and up a tree. During the breaks in storm of flashes, I ask what he thinks about being honored with two BEers, to which he replies that it’s a bit strange, but fun. “There’s something that happens when you have BEen a part of Ås,” he says, and yes, that’s right. We descend into the infamous BEsement in BEdehuset to get to know Andreas BEtter and to discover what he has BEen up to in the last five years at Ås.
Journalist: Celine Våga
Photographer: Ingunn Reimers
Translator: S. Faseeha F. Gillani
“I actually lived here for two years,” says Andreas as we move down into theBEsement. We sit down in one of Mannskoret Over Rævne’s many partly unknown and incredibly exciting basement rooms for a chat. BEhind the sofa Andreas settles down on, the wall is Adorned with an older motif we recognize from Rævne’s recruitment posters, a piece of art Andreas says he painted himself. He quickly points out that the motive is not his; he was only the hand BEhind the brush. We knew from BEfore that Andreas has dabbled in a bit of everything BEsides just singing rough tunes at Ås, and drawing is perhaps one of the things he has BEcome BEtter known for during his time here at Agrarian.
Andreas, BEtter known on Ås as ‘Kinnari’, has always liked to draw. He says that his dream was to BE able to combine drawing with a sensible job, so the architectural profession was something he envisioned early on. But one fateful school visit from NMBU’s ambassadors was to throw the young man a stone’s throw away from his original plans and into the world of landscape architecture. He decided for Ås with its rural surroundings, a contrast to the city of Stavanger, which he welcomed with open arms. “I got exactly what I needed at Ås,” he points out thoughtfully; a direction in life, blank slates and the opportunity to grow.
We can’t get away from the topic of BEer during a two BEers with a Rævnekar. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the BEreweing vessels are ready and Andreas talks about the love he has developed for BEreweing. Photographer Ingunn notes that it was drier than a two BEers interview usually is. This sends Andreas in search of some ‘refreshing BEvrages’. He returns with three bottles of BEer he has BErewed at school as part of the BErewing course NMBU offers in the autumn. “This BEer is perfect! Perfectly carbonated!” he smiles as the BEer glasses are filled. During the corona shutdown, there was plenty of BErewing, and he says that both BEer and mead have BEen BErewed. BErewing the BEer yourself has certainly enriched the drinking experience and opened up a world of controlled degeneracy in a bottle for Andreas. But it certainly wasn’t love at first sight. “I didn’t really start liking BEer until I joined Rævne...” he admits shamefully. A blasphemous statement at the heart of BEde, but it has to BE said that he has drank his share (and then some) since then.
Not long after his somewhat turbulent start to student life one autumn in 2019, Andreas finds himself at one of life’s many metaphorical crossroads; is he going to study for the next five years or is he going to BE a student. Can you guess which way this story goes? He kick-started it all by joining the region-based associations Løgnaslaget and slowly BEgan to shape his social contact network in Ås. But it was the choires that he had a small crush on, and he especially had Over Rævne in his sights. He was admitted in autumn 2019, and it was quite a start for Andreas. There were several gigs right off the bat, many new people and an intense schedule from end to end. But it must BE said that he enjoyed the whole thing immensely! A rather involuntary break nevertheless came, barely a year after when a not-so-small pandemic broke out, which put an end to much of the planned fun. But the show must go on! During this period, he moved into BEde, BEcame a BEstyrer and really got to integrate himself as a Rævnekar. He summarizes the collision BEtween the new association life and the global pandemic by saying that “you win some, and lose some... you have to see the positive in it!”. Despite the pandemic, living in BEde was a good experience, as they had plenty of space, had time to BErew and create a good sense of fellowship both inside the house and with the neighbors in IVARINN. It was a bit of luck in the accident that he should end up right here, right then.
It is clear that he has enjoyed BEing part of the association life. He is in his fifth year in Rævne; a significant feat in itself. I ask Andreas if he has BEen shaped by BEing in the choir. “We probably met halfway,” he says; he has BEcome a bit of Rævne, and Rævne has BEcome a bit of him. Photographer Ingunn is so moved here that she has to shed a tear.
Like many others, association life has had a lot to say about his well-being at Ås. With his handsome sixpence and genuine adorable smile, you wouldn’t think that Andreas does anything but dance on roses. But he talks about dark times and opposition he has struggled to overcome. “It was a lot of thoughts bussing around,” he says. It probably all started long BEfore he BEgan his life as a student at Ås. “I thought at first that it was something physical that was wrong, but [I realized] it was the psyche,” explains Andreas. It was only at our dear health center in Ås that he BEgan to understand what was bothering him, and was able to take action. Andreas encourages those who experience the same thing to seek help from others. His experience with the health center was very positive, and he felt that he was taken seriously from the start. Shortly after, he was forwarded to what he somewhat jokingly called “adult BUP”. The help he received there over several years and the support from the people around him, especially the good environment within the choir, has BEen central in turning Andrea’s psyche the right way, “I needed help to get over some trouble”, he notes. He clarifies that there has also BEen a lot of hard work BEhind it, and that pushing yourself over the bumps is important in the work to help yourself out of ‘it’.
Andreas says that throughout his time at Ås he has strived for involvement in volunteering; both in himself and as a healthy influence on the rest of the gang. “One must BE involved at Samfunnet,” he says firmly. The idea that one should contribute to others was passed on by the older generation of Rævnekarer, but is also a value that he has seen great importance of even in recent times. The range of voluntary positions is very long. Andreas has BEen to all major bodies at Samfunnet in Ås, from funkis at UKA, marketing manager for the Business Committee to committee member at Samfunnet and freelancer at Tuntreet. I ask where he has found time to study BEtween all these positions, something he humorously (and perhaps wisely) chooses not to comment on. BEing a volunteer in Ås gives you the opportunity to join in a lot of different fun activities, and he says that he would have regretted it if he hadn’t joined in on anything during his time.
This idea that one has a little extra fun when the work is voluntary can BE found again in the artistic hook of Andreas. For Andreas, drawing is a way of expressing himself. It took some trial and error BEfore Andreas really found his own illustrative style that we know today. With caricature-like and colorful illustrations of figures in mind and haste, Andreas found an expression he liked. “They usually look a bit tired from the stress,” Andres laughs BEfore adding, “a bit like me!” and smiles. He explains that he can often feel that he is going around and stressing a little too much about things in life. For Andreas, drawing should BE fun, and once it starts to feel like work, it no longer works. “Voluntarily is BEtter!” he concludes. Voluntary fun is perhaps the secret BEhind several of the great works he has created over the years. We reminisce back to Rævne’s bar during UKA 2022 and the hand-painted BEast that adorned the bar’s wall. Some of Andrea’s illustrations have also found their way into Tuntreet’s editions; and hopefully more in the future as well.
When Andreas graduates, he hopes that a job as a landscape architect in Oslo will BE found, and that he has found his place in the high culture that the big city can offer. With his last semester ahead of him, he looks back on his student life at Ås without regret.
Greetings:
Andreas/Kalle Skinnari/Kallemann!
We got to know each other during a relatively normal neighborhood, which quickly turned into a special existence when the corona came and the BEdeinn cohort came into existence. Buried IFA, sourdough bread, dildo, Russian music, quantum, home-burnt, do-brush, volunteer work, cabin tour, electric pipe and Sunday dinners - are some selected keywords from this fascinating time which was supposed to be heavy, but with Andreas on the team it was instead playfully easy. Before he could grow firmly into the walls of BEde, he also got to see what life in the apple garden has to offer, or rather, he got to show the apple garden what Andreas has to offer. With glitter in his face and GT in hand, he goes into the night, stays up with completed speeches, presentations or quizzes, before giving thanks 10 meters from the bed, falling asleep on the sofa with cheese pops and HP7 part 1 on the TV. Andreas is a committed member of 40 associations and holds 200 positions, but still always finds time for his friends. Andreas is a person who bakes the cake you don’t have time to make, without taking credit for it!!!
We appreciate the meaningful and reflective conversations, as much as we appreciate the monkey side of him, which we see more often than not. Kalle is simply a feast of a human being, and a neighbor and roommate we would never be without.
And meeeeeeery Christmas!
Julia on behalf of x-IVARinn/23Asylum
BEST X-drunk, X-bede resident, X-manager, diner and now one of Over Rævne’s bitterest - Andreas Kalle Kinnari! Throughout your two years as a RESIDENT, you have made everyday life the BEST. You have completely turned BEde and turned it into a home, with your creativity and execution ability. Your sense of humor is BETTER than most people’s and there are probably few who shine on stage during the UKA in a shell to be able to fuck with cancer in the following months. No one mops BETTER, eats more tacos or drinks more beer than you! Thank you so much for giving us the honor of staying with you and for making it a party!
BBB Your X-BEboers Einar, Ludvig, Martin, Matias, Åsmund, Peder and Vebjørn
When Andreas shaped the world in 601 AD (After Kinnari), it was not just a calling but a desire. Like a peeled potato in a champagne-drinking Society, he was more than just an intelligent man. Wikipedia states that Andreas means man or manly, but even as the Platonic male ideal, Andreas is still very concerned with the people’s opinions. Do not worry, dear Kinnari; your sense of humor is second to none. You will always be the funniest in the room ±1 standard deviation. Even Da Vinci and Michelangelo cannot compare to your artistic talent. We tried, but couldn’t.
In his next project, Andreas solved space rockets by inventing space. And as if dark matter wasn’t enough, Andreas replaced the sun with Taco Thursday, sparkling over his newly created world. This created a global party that surpassed all previous celebrations, where unity and 1993’s dance MOVEMENTS were recognized as the highest form of communication..
To subdue himself, Andreas introduced “Body Swap Friday,” where everyone switched bodies with a randomly chosen person on the planet. This created global awareness and understanding across cultures, genders and species, and contributed to a world where empathy and understanding were central. Julius won the peace prize. This is how Andreas’ world became, a place where the impossible is possible, every single week.
Keep it rough, greetings from the Cave College
