A Jewel from Gambia

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.