Mr. Sami Sykk?, journalist from Helsingin Salnomat, sat with Her Excellency Puan Sri Blanche Olbery, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Republic of Finland at the Ambassador's Residence on 20 October 2014 to talk about Malaysia and also Her Excellency Ambassador's preparation for the 97th Anniversary of the Independence Day of the Republic of Finland on 6 December 20147.
The interview is one of the interview series by Helsingin Salnomat with foreign diplomats currently based in Helsinki, Finland to have a peek of the countries of origin of the Ambassadors, their experience living in Helsinki and preparation for the most celebrated even of the year, the Independence Day. The English translation of the article appears here...
The last door open opens in Tapiola, by the sea. In this stylish row house lives the Malaysian Ambassador, Blanche Olbery. The Ambassador has chosen a traditional batik dress for the Independence Day reception, which she has bought from Kuala Lumpur. The chiffon dress is decorated with banana tree leaves.
When the Ambassador is standing on the lawn of her backyard, she cracks a joke: ”Now a banana tree is growing in Finland.”
The Ambassador's dress is a national dress of sorts as batik clothes are worn by all Malaysian ethnic groups. The clothes must be light as the Ambassador's home country is hot and humid. For that reason when the sun is shining people are inside in air-conditioned spaces - unlike in Finland.
”Finns are able to enjoy the nature. We also went to pick mushrooms in Porvoo last week with other Ambassadors.”
Olbery noticed that her six-year-old son has learnt to recognise different types of mushrooms at the nursery. When the son presented the edible mushrooms, the Russian Ambassador confirmed that the son really knew what he was talking about.
Before Finland Blanche Olbery was Ambassador at Papua New Guinea, which is located on the Pacific Ocean. Independence Day there was celebrated by raising the flag at sunrise.
”And the sun rises there very early, soon after four o'clock”, the Ambassador laughs.
In Finland Olbery has so far had a chance to celebrate independence once before in Tampere. She had learnt the greeting in Finnish but in front of the President, she got tongue tied.
”I suddenly did not remember the word 'itsenäisyys' (independence).”
?She felt sorry about this.
"But this year I intend to wish the President: hyvää itsenäisyyspäivää (Happy Independence Day).”
