On a beautiful Saturday evening I
head to my neighbor Hoda Shabrokh who lives just one train stop's
distance from me. Although she is living close, this is the first
time I manage to visit her home even though she has invited me there
many times. Birds were singing and I definitely could smell the
spring! That reminded me strongly of the happy memories of my
childhood, being so close to the nature. Now when I'm a city girl I
tend to forget my roots and needs and nature's importance to me.
Every now and then I promise to make day trip in the forest or to the
countryside but apparently it's easier to think than to make it
happen! Today I made that promise again: next weekend...
Back to my charming and spiritual
friend and to the lovely evening she hosted at her home. We met in a
youth choir called the Kiiminki Skylarks and were choirpals for some
years traveling and having concerts all over the world. Now she lives
in Helsinki and works as a project manager in educational act in the city of Vantaa. Currently she manages a
project integrating immigrant students in high schools in Finland.
Her work also concentrates on the topics of global education and
global citizenship. During my visit Hoda was having a fast which is
an essential part of the Bahá'í Faith of which she is a member. The
fast consists not only of cutting out eating food during the daylight
but also of thinking, reading and reflecting spiritual texts. Maybe
there is some great wisdom in fasting. I have never done it but have
felt tempted to slow down the rhythm of life for some period of time.
When you don't eat much you loose energy so you must stop your speed
and slow down.
Bahá'í Faith is 169 years old. The religion was born in Iran and established by
Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'ís believe that there is only one God and all
the religions in the world are all from the same origin and from the
same God. It considers Abraham, the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammed, the
Bahá'u'lláh and the Báb among others as the divine messengers.
Hoda tells me how Bahá'í texts from early on values the equality
between woman and man, learning the skill for negotiation in the
family and in other circles but main concern is the unity of
humankind.
- It is every person's mission to contribute on the civilisation of the world, as Hoda described it.
In Finland there are about 750 Bahá'ís.
We had very interesting conversation
about religions and spirituality over a marvelous dinner she had made
for us. Due to her fast we had to meet in the evening after sunset to
brake the fast! At first it sounded so rebellious that I was a bit
worried if we did something wrong. Hoda had made a delicious
barley-linseed soup, some salad, bread and of course tea was nicely
set on the table. The tea was Rooibos and served in very lovely glass
teacups which I immediately fell for! The story behind them was even
more charming: She got them from an unknown granny she met in Alepa
(that's a foodstore chain) nearby around the time she was moving to
her flat. There she was browsing the noteboard for items and
furniture on sale and met this friendly elderly lady who offered to
sell her some spare furniture she now didn't need because her husband
had just passed away. Hoda bought some bookshelves and washing
machine from her and on top of that she gave her a series of those
pretty teacups! I have always thought that tea tastes better in the
glass teacups.
Hoda was born in Oulu. Her parents are Persian. Her father moved to Oulu to study at
the Oulu University to become an electric engineer. Hoda's mother is a hairdresser but in addition she works as an
interpreter.
Hoda enjoys tea all the time! In her
childhood home they drank it for many purposes. If one had a stomach
ache the mint tea was the remedy and in the evenings chamomile tea
was served with dates and nuts. In Persian they drink among others
the popular mint tea as in Turkey or in Morocco. The Arabic tea
culture also includes the tea salons called Teteria. The Arabs
brought the Teterias to Spain. I never have visited one but I was
very close when last summer I was in Madrid. I found one but
unfortunately it was closed and the next day I had to fly away. In
the Teteria the floors are covered by carpets and one sits on the
ground and takes it easy! Slow down as one does while fasting...
Before
Bahá'i fast season there is intercalary days called Ayyam-i-Ha. It is a season for festivities, sharing and charity. At that
time Hoda was visiting her friend who lives in an apartment building
in Helsinki. They realized that they had not done yet any of the good
deeds related to this season. After a thought they got an inspiring
idea to bake some muffins and take them to her friend's neighbors!
Her friend had lived there for a year and hardly met any neighbors or
not even knowing them at all, which is typical in Finnish city life!
They were a bit worried of their idea; how people would react? At the
end they had the most fun ever! Surprisingly people reacted in a very
friendly spirit. They met a person who had lived in there for 30
years and said that there has never happened anything communal. One
man opened the door in his morning gown and was gladly surprised.
Apparently some people didn't dare to open the door at all, maybe
they were frightened of not wanted visitors. In the upper floor they
met this elderly lady who opened the door with her rollator. They had
a chat and she was ever so pleased that asked them inside into her
big apartment. They went and had a nice conversation together. The
elderly lady told them that she had lived in that house also for 30
years and for two years she had been outside only about five times
with some nurse. This was due to her operated leg and inability to
move properly. She hardly had anybody to visit her and she was so
taken of these surprised visitors that she wanted to take a picture
of them! What a memorable day for everyone!
Inspired of this circumstance Hoda
urges people to notice and meet their neighbors. What is happening
behind the walls, downstairs or upstairs? Or behind the road? How
much joy could we bring each other with just a small knock on the
door or just with a smiling hello in the corridors? Have a cup of tea
with your new friend!
