Meeting new people

Today was my "day off" sort of day and one of the things I did or went was my favorite place which is the market place in Helsinki harbour. I just love the feeling and atmosphere there and like always, I went to the "crepe house" and had my coffee with a delicious crepe. A free spot to sit I found next to an older man and I asked politely if the seat was free and turned out his was not Finnish but he would like to know how you ask in Finnish "If this seat is free". So I repeated that to him and he repeated after me and so we became friends for the next few hours.

He was around 75 years and liked to travel. He told me that this was his second visit over here and in his last visit he went as far as Inari in Lapland. I told him that "oh, thats quite funny you mention Inari since I have just named my last jewelry piece I made, with this name Inari, IloveInari". He looked at me and said - "Do you know what Inari means in Japan?" - No I don´t, but please tell me!

Inari is a God/Goddess of rice. Inari not only protects the rice harvest, she/he is also the patron of prosperity for farmers and merchants, especially for those who are involded in rice production. After telling the story from Inari he said that Inari´s messenger is the Fox (!) and I said to him that my artist name is Fox, Pearl Fox, can you believe this?

In 11th century Inari comes associated with fox. In Japan it is a legendary creature with supernatural powers, good and evil. Inari is in modern times pictured as the magigal shape-shifting fox. Fox is able to transform itself into human shape and to hear and see all secrets of humankind. Even today, fox statues are found in great number inside and outside the thousands of Japanese shrines dedicated to Inari. Jewels are a common symbol of Inari, and representations of sacred Inari foxes without them are rare.

So to hear this, made me very suprised, after all Inari was the first jewel I have ever named and Fox a name I just took few weeks ago and Inari, jewels and foxes seems to be hundreds of years ago already related together.

Anyway, I did have an adorable afternoon with this gentleman who I was lucky to meet. So keep your eyes open, meet new people and talk to them -  we all can always learn! 


Thank You from this day.