You can’t take Vantaa out of a man

04.03.2021News

For comedian Ali Jahangiri, Vantaa is his dear home and a source of funny stories.

We moved to Nyyrikintie from Perniö reception center in 1993. I loved the place. It was my first home in Finland.

Pentti was one our first buddies; when I and my brother came home from school, he was there, helping us. Our yard was safe but it must have been different for us children. Päiväkumpu had a lot of problems then, with lots of different minorities.

Now I live a few kilometers from my childhood haunts. For most of my life, I have tried to fit in and be a part of the community. That is why my hometown is a big part of my identity. You can’t take Vantaa out of me.

Culture has suffered from the coronavirus but has also been boosted by it. The results may be visible only later. I believe that we will see new ways of entertaining. It would be interesting to meet guys who have started doing stand-up during the pandemic, having done it all without live audiences.

People don’t take culture for granted anymore but are waiting for theaters and gig venues to open again. I’m hoping to start live gigs again in March, if possible.