Hellen Chen is an international speaker, author of 20 books on the subject of relationships, and a business consultant. She recently came to Finland to participate in the Tango Festival. Banafsheh Ranji sat down for a chat with her at the Sokos Hotel Presidentti in Helsinki.
What brings you to Finland?
It was by accident. I lived in Istanbul and different friends of mine asked me to come to Finland for the Tango Festival. I’ve never been in Finland and it was my dream to be here and see what is happening. You live on one side of the world and you are always wondering what is on the other side, how people live and fall in love. I‘ve been to many places to research about people’s marriages, to see how people fall in love, how the family life is and how they face relationships. So I have been in many parts of the world but it’s not finished yet, and what I have found so far in all places is the same. People in Finland are very friendly and kind, they have their ways, they are very quiet, pure, calm and sweet but not passionate. They are quiet like snow but very deep.
Why and when did you start to be a relationship expert?
When I was a teenager, people who had problems came to me and asked me, “I’m in love, what should I do?” or “I like the guy, what is next?” I was very interested in these things. Sometimes I saw girls who liked somebody but couldn’t express it or people who wanted to fall in love but were scared, and I encouraged them. I was a teenager and I was kind of interested naturally. I think my mission in life is to understand life and help people to fall in love and marry. So I did this unconsciously or consciously for many years until ten years ago, when I became serious about helping people. I did it for entertainment and fun, and then I thought that I want to do in my life, so I took it more and more seriously and now I have really got into this as a business and I think that I’m really good at this. This is part of my nature and I do this every day. I’ve given many speeches and written 20 books. People come to the seminars to learn about relationships and after that I encourage them to marry. I’ve married 50 couples so far and many of them now have babies, it’s fun for me. All my life, my dream and goal was to be a housewife, now I am happy with marriage and I have the time to do many other things.
Have you found Finnish people quiet, especially men?
When you don’t talk to them they have no expression and they are quiet, they are like snow and statues. Once you talk to them or ask questions, you find out that they are friendly. If you talk to them and ask them and invite them then they talk more, it’s really beautiful. They are very honest – it was a surprise for me. I am willing to talk; if I don’t talk, they don’t talk. So somebody needs to initiate, then it’s very good.
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Banafsheh Ranji
Helsinki times
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