 |
Leo Kallio, Lang Dibba and Tuula Nikkola
enjoying tea in of the salons |
In
the Old Town of city of Porvoo lies a pearl, a treasure to be
explored and a haven to fall into. Travelling back to 1800's in ones
mind when the most of the houses in this Finland's oldest business
street were built.
Welcoming
my little retinue is Mr Leo Kallio, a young gentleman who is one of
the sons and offspring of the restorer who had an excellent idea to
establish this Tea- and Coffeeroom Helmi (a pearl in Finnish is
helmi) in 1983. He is now the executive director of the place.
Their
tea selection consists of fifty different teas. Most of them come
from Stockholm from the company called Tea Center of Stockholm. Their
Söderblandning Green tea is a lovely and sweet blend and one of the
most sold teas they have.
Lang
Dibba
- Six!!
I shout shockingly in this graceful little tea house breaking the
porcelain cultivated atmosphere. I am utterly amazed by the amount
of sugar cubes my guest, Gambian Lang Dibba, adds to his tea cup.
- It
is normal to me... He shyly admits that he uses too much sugar. That
is how he is used to enjoy tea also in Gambia. Although sugar is
very expensive there and not many people can afford to buy it.
The
first time Tuula and Lang met was in a local train in Helsinki. One
day Lang just happened to sit opposite to Tuula. Was that love in the
first sight? Only they know...
- Tuula is my First Lady, Lang
announced lovingly.
One
could say that Lang Dibba is an adventurer and a cosmopolitan. He has
lived in Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and now
in Finland since last spring.
- Finland
was my final destination, he says. While
in Gambia he already decided about it. It was a gut feeling. It was
a mystery to him as much it is to us at the moment as we were
wondering what is so special about our country that made him want so
eagerly to come here...
Lang
Dibba is a linguist. He speaks ten languages so learning Finnish
would not probably be much of a challenge adding up to it? He speaks
English (official language in Gambia), German, Spanish and then seven
different African languages: Mandinga (native), Wollof, Jola, Fula,
Sarahuli, Bambarang and Jahanka. Wouldn't there be some opportunity
for him to work as a interpreter or traslator, I wonder as he is
currently looking for a work. He has been doing lots of things
professionally. In Gambia he worked in a hotel, in a factory and then
in the President's Office as a protocol officer. He is trained
computer information technician in Spain. There he also worked in a
telephone company. Now he is keen to any kind of work after he
arrived in Finland.
No restrictions for him so far.
