Neighbourhood week

Following article appeared in the local Pegasus Post:

Neigbourhood week a chance to share cultures
Iranian mother-to-be Atena Hensch will be making the most of this neighbourhood week.
On October 30 she will be putting on afternoon tea for her Avondale neighbours in an effort to get to know them "So we can talk to each other and see who we are," she said.
Atena left Iran last year to be with her partner who was living in New Zealand on a work permit.
Atena and her husband moved into the area form Takaka just over two weeks ago after he had got a job as project manager for the Sustainable Cities Trust.
Both Atena and her husband believe in a natural sustainable lifestyle and try to eat organic food ans much as possible.
The couple are both trying to gain residency and Atena is due to have a baby in March.
Being born and raised in an Islamic country Atena has noticed many cultural differences. She said family connections were very different in the two cultures.
She said family ties in Iran were very important and often entire families would live under the same roof. "I don't see it so much here," she said.
"There are so many children who are 17 or 18 years old who do not live at home. This is not common in Iran."
Atena said so far she had found New Zealand a welcoming place. She siad she had got to know the small Takaka community very well and hoped to do the same in Christchurch. She said she really liked the Avondale area and particularly appreciated being close to the river.

by Anna Kirtlan