On my way back from the recent Trainers Path event in Maastricht I stopped over at my friend Salmaan Sana’s house in Amsterdam. Having been slowly recovering from a nasty bout of tonsillitis before the event, I had managed to push myself back over the edge into a bout of congestion and chesty cough. I can only blame the incessant passionate ranting (or “Clecturing” as my close friends call it) that I partook in with my fellow Trainer’s Path participants.
Needless to say by the time I arrived at the Sana household I was a little worse for wear and suitably exhausted. Well, never fear as Mama Sana was there to save the day! If, as described by an adorable child in a recent fabric softener commercial, a hug is indeed “snugly-buggly” then being in the presence of Mama Sana is like one long, lovely, soul warming hug!
I first met Mama Sana when attending a Zero Generation meeting in Amsterdam last January. Salmaan’s mum fed and watered us for three full days and spared no expense or effort in doing so. We dined on lashings of amazing Pakistani cuisine for our entire stay and, despite gaining 3 pounds in as many days, I would not have given back a single mouthful! Every meal was a delight and was thoroughly enjoyed by all!
Obviously, I had thus been much looking forward to returning for more Mama Sana home-cooked goodness! However, I had not expected Mama Sana’s home remedies to come as an added extra! I was instantly treated to gallons of special ginger tea and chai, along with a wonderful welcome, warm enough to drive out even the most stubborn of colds!
After having all my “sicky” needs tended too, I had a good nights sleep; my warm ginger teapot there any time I awoke coughing. In the morning the delights continued, as I was cooked a traditional “Shira”, a semolina dish that all the Sana boys are given when they are under the weather. All of this despite the very difficult time Mama had been going through all week, tirelessly supporting her close friends who had lost a dear relative. She did not falter once in her hosting or generosity of spirit and home.
I could not have been made to feel more cared for in that short time! How excited I was then to hear that Mama Sana is beginning her own cookery workshops, teaching her love of good traditional dishes to her lucky participants. Well, I shall certainly be signing up for a class, because with Mama Sana you can learn more than just cooking; you can learn how a beautiful spirit expresses themselves in the world around them and positively impacts on others through love, care and attention. Everybody should have a Mama Sana in their life!
