Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Walking alone in Nice = seeing the good in people
Funny how even after 9 months living in France, I still come off as the poor lost foreigner, unwittingly attracting the concern of French people, young and old alike!
No, I'm not talking about me promenay'ing in bad quartiers and getting the oh-so-tired "Vous-etes etudiante?" or "Hello, what is your name?" (that's right, English. Dammit, I can speak this country's language, alright?!)
Instead, today I must have looked exceptionally lost in Carrefour's legumes section, 'cause 3 (THREE!) older french people gave me advice, even to the point of physically stopping me from getting the expensive bag of onions. (Mais pourquoi vous prenez ca?)
Yup, I'm hopeless.
After finishing mes courses (grocery shopping) at 21:30, I lugged my 15 kilos of stuff 10 mins to the bus stop. Whew! Thank goodness for public transit...and I then realised that buses stop at 20:05.
As my friends would say, je me suis fait OOON-ed. 1,5 kilometre walk home with all my groceries in hand, great. I trudged home, using the occasion to work my biceps by lifting them as I walked. I'd been getting pudgy anyway. Then I hear a low voice to my right: "Un coup de main?" (Want a hand?)
I looked over, and, not to be stereotypical or anything, but it was a 25-ish african dude with an earring... Now, you have to understand; night had already fallen and I've become used to ignoring comments from men on the street unless they're old or cute. So I said
"Non c'est bon, merci." (No it's ok, thanks)
- "T'es sure?" (You sure?)
He actually looked rather friendly (ie. lacking that look of 'hey baby' blood-hungryness), so I handed over two bags, relieved, and now expecting to have the usual "Where are you from, are you a student" conversation.
But nope, apart from asking which way I was going, silence!
Just a guy wanting to help out, and nothing more. Brilliant. :)
No, I'm not talking about me promenay'ing in bad quartiers and getting the oh-so-tired "Vous-etes etudiante?" or "Hello, what is your name?" (that's right, English. Dammit, I can speak this country's language, alright?!)
Instead, today I must have looked exceptionally lost in Carrefour's legumes section, 'cause 3 (THREE!) older french people gave me advice, even to the point of physically stopping me from getting the expensive bag of onions. (Mais pourquoi vous prenez ca?)
Yup, I'm hopeless.
After finishing mes courses (grocery shopping) at 21:30, I lugged my 15 kilos of stuff 10 mins to the bus stop. Whew! Thank goodness for public transit...and I then realised that buses stop at 20:05.
As my friends would say, je me suis fait OOON-ed. 1,5 kilometre walk home with all my groceries in hand, great. I trudged home, using the occasion to work my biceps by lifting them as I walked. I'd been getting pudgy anyway. Then I hear a low voice to my right: "Un coup de main?" (Want a hand?)
I looked over, and, not to be stereotypical or anything, but it was a 25-ish african dude with an earring... Now, you have to understand; night had already fallen and I've become used to ignoring comments from men on the street unless they're old or cute. So I said
"Non c'est bon, merci." (No it's ok, thanks)
- "T'es sure?" (You sure?)
He actually looked rather friendly (ie. lacking that look of 'hey baby' blood-hungryness), so I handed over two bags, relieved, and now expecting to have the usual "Where are you from, are you a student" conversation.
But nope, apart from asking which way I was going, silence!
Just a guy wanting to help out, and nothing more. Brilliant. :)
# posted by Unknown @ 3:12 PM 
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Wow, that's actually really sweet; wanted nothing more than to help a stranger.
Yay random kindness :)
Yay random kindness :)
# posted by 
: 11:00 AM
: 11:00 AM
Actually, this day I saw you. So I decided to pay him for his help.
Don't believe me if you want, but that's true.
... Hmmm... See Ya!!!
:p
Don't believe me if you want, but that's true.
... Hmmm... See Ya!!!
:p
# posted by : 12:19 PM
: 12:19 PM
Strange that these things happen when you least expect it. Oh la douce France... I sort of miss it, lol.
*Dale*
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*Dale*
# posted by : 8:51 PM
: 8:51 PM << Home
