When I called Jyväskylä resident Aki to have a chat about his ManCave, he was in the process of paying for his beers at the local bar. Whilst I let him put the phone down to handle the transaction I thought to myself, “Why isn’t he in his bloody ManCave?!” but I guess when you are fortunate to own your own space, it is healthy to get out and see other places….I think…..
That door there, note that the ManCave has it’s own access road
Aki lives with his wife and young twin daughters in a free standing house in the middle of Finland where the price of getting your own actual house as opposed to an apartment is not so piss-takingly horrendously priced as it is here in Hellstinky. Then, of course, the potential for there being a convertable space for manly living is much higher. He teaches at a local school in predominantly Music but also in Philosophy and History but he was previously a songwriter for a number of well known acts in Finland and he made a semi-tidy living off of that, but with the arrival of his daughters (sweethearts that they no doubt are) his songwriting output was vastly reduced. He had previously written songs for, among others, Mikko Siltala and a band called Yö, which if you are wondering how that is pronounced in Finnish then it’s the very last vocalisation that you make just before you would have to hurl your guts up, I shit you not.
After a couple of commando roles, you’re inside
The T.V. is placed just off to the side. Special armchair for collapsing onto after a brisk run
About the time that the kids came, Aki noticed that the garage was very chilly in Winter and set about fixing the sliding doors in order to keep it warm, thus came the idea for his ManCave and its quite a conversion considering it was a garage. Very cosy looking, and when you are cosy, you are relaxed and when you are a man and you are cosy and relaxed then you have not a care in the world.
In order to make the idea of having the space all to himself and no one else is allowed except for mates to play games and watch the footy, Aki graciously offered part of the former garage as storage space to keep his wife sweet.
Aki had previously considered (in his philosophical role) the question of why it’s so important to men to have their own ManCave (even to those of whom are not lucky enough to have one, it’s instinctual). ” When women need to charge their batteries, they want company and to share things with friends and to shop and so forth. When men need to recharge, they need to be alone and do things they love, like playing video games, watching T.V. or playing music etc etc.” preaching to the converted mate!!
Another royalty cheque just arrived
He said that on rare occasions he does have guys over for “gentlemans clubs” to shoot the shit and hang out but also he said that on the odd occasion that he and his wife have guests, he quickly whisks the male guest to the ManCave to truly relax and enjoy his stay.
As to what Aki would do to improve his space, ” I think mainly more room to be able to fit more instruments as I do plan to get into the songwriting and playing a lot more when the girls grow up”. I then asked him what his ULTIMATE ManCave would be . “I have been pondering this since I was 15 years old and I think I would love a big dimly lit room covered with dark blue velvet and with a big black grand piano in the middle which I could play with a whiskey sitting in front of me. This would be surrounded by a bar, sofa and a selection of instruments”. All very Lynchian Blue Velvet, Twin Peaksy kind of vibe and that is no bad thing.
Manisphere 
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