I love them!!!
I think I'm one of them deep inside me.
BTW, I'm saying this cos I just came back from Quebec... with many great moments with strangers
I met Spanish ladies and gentlemen who I danced and sung with... (They are so cute I want to pinch them and hug them..) So fun to talk to them even though I and them have no clue of what each other are talking about.. (they can't speak English... and I don't know Spanish.. :) But they are so cheerful ...! We can't stop talking to each other till we have to part at the parking lot :P (maybe partly cos we really don't know what each other are talking about, ... I tried really hard to use my body language to communicate but I still don't know if they are from Spain or Toronto.. we are thinking they are from Toronto but only speak Spanish.. hehe..)
I met this cute (sort of) captain on the boat, at the end of the cruise we took picture together, I was taking photo for my friends, was shy to take a pic with him but he was so funny, asking me "do you want a picture?" "no" I said. "you don't want a picture?" I said no at first cos it's bit embarrassed already to have my friends taking photo with him, but I said yes afterall - cos sounds like he really want a photo with me so I can't say no! :P blah! or he wants to get famous and have people post photos of him! hahhaha
I met this drunk (we think he is drunk haha) Colombian on the street of Montreal when we were trying to figure out where we were... he failed to pick up my friend, but we really appreciate that he actually know what he is talking about when he asked us where she's from (he guessed it right right away) maybe he always pick up girls on the street? haha.. who cares, he talked so cute and gentle (while being tipsy!), that's all that's count. hahha.
I met this group of Toronto ladies (I think they are from Ontario), they were drinking on the patio by the beautiful rue Petit-Champlain, just beside their table there are one loonie and one quarter permanently stick on one of the cobblestone on the street. Photo Opt! So I were taking pictures pretended to pull the coins off the street.. failed of course, the ladies laughed at us so much and one of them ended up handing me a swiss army knife to try again.. hahha.. even though at the end, we spent 15 mins there pick none of the loonie or quarter, it was so much fun just to make jokes with everyone at the patio, we all laugh so hard my stomach starts to hurt (I guess me and my friends always acting drunk without the help of need any alcohol, we kind of look more sober than the ladies hhahaha)
I met this group of french guys who is doing stag on the busy rue Grande-Allée asking ladies to whip their bachelor (who dress as topless cowboy with a woody hanging on his neck). We were eating dinner at the patio when they past by. One of the cute guys asked us to do some whipping and offer us to do it for FREE hahha.. (we love freebies), we don't understand it first until he act it out and also with the help of the waitress translating in english for us. Photo Opt! So my friend did ended up whipping him three times, right on his butt cheeks (literally, cos he pulled his pants down.. hoho). anyway. again, they speak their french talking to us, we speak our english talking to them. but it's all fun...! (not so fun for the bachelor cos his butt is literally red.. hope his first night is okay haha) and oh, my friend is now "engaged" to one of the guys, cos she said "sure" when one of the guys said the only english sentence to her "would you marry me?" so yea, my friend is "engaged"! WOHoo~! (but we said to them where's the ring, and where's the house and everything.. but we have communication issues.. they can't understand what we saying hahah... or pretend to be not understand??!?!... :P so we got no answer hahaha..)
This concluded my moments with strangers from the fabutastic trip I just had. :) (Omit were some more uncensored moments that I am going to treasure them just by myself hahhahaha)
Showing posts with label Strangers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Strangers. Show all posts
Monday, June 14, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Moments with Strangers #2
This moment of me and a stranger happened yesterday March 3, 2010 (before I got tipsy LOL)
I know I should have do this "memoir" in chronicle order but I really want to share this one now. So I was on the subway ride, doing some reading, suddenly, I noticed this little girl and her mom sitting diagonally across from where I sat.
She was one curious girl, turning all around, looked all around, she knelled on the seat, reaching out her pink mitten covered hand onto the glass window and excited about how the patterns of the concrete walls look when the train slowed down to a stop. She was so happy to show her mom about the moving images at the window. This caught my attention whenever a kid do that, cos it reminds me of the time when I was the same - I used to looked into the moving walls in the subway tunnel back in HK. Now I don't do it cos I get so used to it and it gives me dizziness if I stare into the moving walls too long. hahahha.
Anyway. So I took my eyes off my book and somehow me and this little girl's eyes met. I don't know why and I don't know how, I smile at her instantly, and she did the same. It was a genuine smile, not a small one, not a big one, just the right one.
I shy away (why? don't ask me), I think I got goosebumps from seeing her smiling at me and my heart skipped too. I took my eyes off her for a second, and the next second I looked to her again. She did the same thing, we smiled at each other again. This time I attempt to make a funny face, I want to play with her. But I guess I failed, she just looked at me hahhahah.
So I looked away. and look at her the third time. This time we still looking at each other, but I added a wave. Cos it's time for me to go. My heart sink for a millisecond, cos I had a lot of fun!
But I know at that short crossing, we liked each other and it was all that matter.
I walked out the train without turning back. and when I walked up the stairs at the station, I had another flashback at the time when I was about 3 years old. I was on the plane flight to Korea with my mom. I cannot remember too many things about the trip (I think I only remember I saw the ceramic pots outside the place where my grandparents used to lived. I remember the black and brown-ears doggie named Barbie on the tatami (don't know what to call in Korean), the staircase that has a window having sun shinning through and the telephone in the wooden box on the wooden panel walls (like the wooden wall hung telephone you see in old Japanese drama), the wood flooring for the entire house, the wooden short table and all the wooden furnitures around it. everything was dark cherry wood in the house, so beautiful and shiny. For my life till now I never seen any flooring and furniture more beautiful than what I remembered) But guess what I remembered the most was some lady who sat behind us in the flight gaving me a piece of "green arrow" gum (still at that time wrapped in paper) when I turned around looked at them. I did not know how that happened, I was probably looking around alot?! but I remember the image of the lady inbetween the flight seats.
So go back to this girl I just met, I told myself - "This is such an amazing feeling". My and her life had crossed, intersected for this special moment, it will never happen again, but it will forever remain a permanent time in our lives.
I might or might not remember this later on. (well I will cos I have good memories about strangers whom I met). She might not even going to remember it. (or she might, like how I remember my entourage when I was 3 years old.)
At this short moment, we had this connection that no one can ever take it away from us.
This has been my feeling to many of my strangers encounter, you meet this nice person at the nice moment and you know that you will probably never meet again. It's sad, but it's memorable and had been putting smiles on me whenever I thought of these moments. Thank you for giving me these special moments in life, strangers!
(There are many many more of my moments with strangers, stay tune! ^_^)
I know I should have do this "memoir" in chronicle order but I really want to share this one now. So I was on the subway ride, doing some reading, suddenly, I noticed this little girl and her mom sitting diagonally across from where I sat.
She was one curious girl, turning all around, looked all around, she knelled on the seat, reaching out her pink mitten covered hand onto the glass window and excited about how the patterns of the concrete walls look when the train slowed down to a stop. She was so happy to show her mom about the moving images at the window. This caught my attention whenever a kid do that, cos it reminds me of the time when I was the same - I used to looked into the moving walls in the subway tunnel back in HK. Now I don't do it cos I get so used to it and it gives me dizziness if I stare into the moving walls too long. hahahha.
Anyway. So I took my eyes off my book and somehow me and this little girl's eyes met. I don't know why and I don't know how, I smile at her instantly, and she did the same. It was a genuine smile, not a small one, not a big one, just the right one.
I shy away (why? don't ask me), I think I got goosebumps from seeing her smiling at me and my heart skipped too. I took my eyes off her for a second, and the next second I looked to her again. She did the same thing, we smiled at each other again. This time I attempt to make a funny face, I want to play with her. But I guess I failed, she just looked at me hahhahah.
So I looked away. and look at her the third time. This time we still looking at each other, but I added a wave. Cos it's time for me to go. My heart sink for a millisecond, cos I had a lot of fun!
But I know at that short crossing, we liked each other and it was all that matter.
I walked out the train without turning back. and when I walked up the stairs at the station, I had another flashback at the time when I was about 3 years old. I was on the plane flight to Korea with my mom. I cannot remember too many things about the trip (I think I only remember I saw the ceramic pots outside the place where my grandparents used to lived. I remember the black and brown-ears doggie named Barbie on the tatami (don't know what to call in Korean), the staircase that has a window having sun shinning through and the telephone in the wooden box on the wooden panel walls (like the wooden wall hung telephone you see in old Japanese drama), the wood flooring for the entire house, the wooden short table and all the wooden furnitures around it. everything was dark cherry wood in the house, so beautiful and shiny. For my life till now I never seen any flooring and furniture more beautiful than what I remembered) But guess what I remembered the most was some lady who sat behind us in the flight gaving me a piece of "green arrow" gum (still at that time wrapped in paper) when I turned around looked at them. I did not know how that happened, I was probably looking around alot?! but I remember the image of the lady inbetween the flight seats.
So go back to this girl I just met, I told myself - "This is such an amazing feeling". My and her life had crossed, intersected for this special moment, it will never happen again, but it will forever remain a permanent time in our lives.
I might or might not remember this later on. (well I will cos I have good memories about strangers whom I met). She might not even going to remember it. (or she might, like how I remember my entourage when I was 3 years old.)
At this short moment, we had this connection that no one can ever take it away from us.
This has been my feeling to many of my strangers encounter, you meet this nice person at the nice moment and you know that you will probably never meet again. It's sad, but it's memorable and had been putting smiles on me whenever I thought of these moments. Thank you for giving me these special moments in life, strangers!
(There are many many more of my moments with strangers, stay tune! ^_^)
Friday, January 22, 2010
Moments with Strangers #1
The summer before (2008), We had a garage sale.
An old man probably in his 60s came with a cup of coffee in early morning... I and my dad greeted him, and he started to talk to us and then browse around the stuffs we put out for sell. That was around 8:30am. (right around we finished the set up). He went and looked around, got a handful of stuffs that he wants to buy... I can't remember what are the things, there were quite a lot of them... but there were this Mickey Mouse sag.
He said he wants to get this for her daughter who lives in the states, he is going to post it to her in a parcel full of Mickey Mouse stuffs, "She loves anything Mickey Mouse. This will make a great birthday gift for her." He said. "She is going to get marry in the coming fall." He said.
"What a nice father" I said to myself.
Then he started to talk to me about more things, first about how nice we are to have this garage sale in the community, he saw our sign on Sheppard and decide to drop by, then we talked about some food and cooking (he told me step by step about how to cook mash potato in half an hour ^_^ since it involved at least 5 mins of instruction.. I will make it short by saying the key he said - cut the potatoes in half and boil them for 20 mins. "That way the potatoes will cook through" He said).
He talks alot, in a passionate manner, there's nothing crazy about him, only friendliness.. even to a Chinese young girl who literally just woke up from my bed, with my hair tied up and my glasses on me in my sleeping clothes...
I was tired, woke up for the garage sale and set up from 8am. As we talked more I started to enjoy talking to him. With the sun shining through the garage which we stood under, I see his white hair shinning, his wrinkles are deep, I thought it must be from smiling alot?! We then talked about how him remember his mom... then onto his family... his daughter and kids... He seemed to love life very much.
Later, he mentioned he was a alcoholic and gambler. He went through two divorces. His kids from the two marriages grew up, they wouldn't want to have anything to do with him before.
I was very surprised he would share me that, and I was a little bit shock - Such a nice old man, had stories that were less than glorious. And he generously shared his feelings to me - literally a total stranger.
He told me, "You learned from your mistakes, there are times in life you confused and done many things wrong... but one day you learned and realized and said to yourself "what have I done". And now, I only want to do well in life, love and treat my family well. Now I have a great relationship with my kids. Now I live with my current wife in the senior apartment, I treasure what I am having and make up for the people I hurt before." (Note: Might not be in exact words ^ ^ """ But I remember it was worded something like that... and only better because he was a well spoken man)
So true... I realized now that I recall this lesson from a stranger - forgive your past, learn to live and love your life all over.
We talked for like about 30mins at least. There were nothing awkward about it. I love listening to what he said, only the potatoes part I was tempted to tell him I know how to mash potatoes though hahahhaha..
In the end, of course I gave him great price for the things he bought (haha) He asked me for mine and my dad's name. Shaking hands, when he wanted to say his name. I said "David, right?" .. He was shocked. (got him hahha). I told him, cos he mentioned his name once in the conversation when he said his mom said "David, ...".. He then asked, "So you are Asian?" I told him I'm Chinese Korean. and I said "I know your Irish :)" (Got him another time). He said "How could you know?" I said, cos you mentioned it.. when you said you sent your daughter to do Irish dance... I just assumed your Irish ^ _^ "I'm very impressed, Angela" He said.
Sure. You better be. hahahhaha.
I should consider myself a good listener. Am I?
I don't know. I never knew I am a listener.
His story... I should have remember... earlier... so maybe I would never feel depressed about my life as much. But that's a maybe. Maybe... things just have to happen on me for me to realized. Like how David did in his story.
Tonight, I remember this David I met once, what a sincere smile and strong handshake he had, he was a very peaceful, calm and mannered old man. I hope he's doing well at the senior apartment four blocks from where I live. Anyway, so this is one of my little encounters with strangers... Many more to come. ^_^
An old man probably in his 60s came with a cup of coffee in early morning... I and my dad greeted him, and he started to talk to us and then browse around the stuffs we put out for sell. That was around 8:30am. (right around we finished the set up). He went and looked around, got a handful of stuffs that he wants to buy... I can't remember what are the things, there were quite a lot of them... but there were this Mickey Mouse sag.
He said he wants to get this for her daughter who lives in the states, he is going to post it to her in a parcel full of Mickey Mouse stuffs, "She loves anything Mickey Mouse. This will make a great birthday gift for her." He said. "She is going to get marry in the coming fall." He said.
"What a nice father" I said to myself.
Then he started to talk to me about more things, first about how nice we are to have this garage sale in the community, he saw our sign on Sheppard and decide to drop by, then we talked about some food and cooking (he told me step by step about how to cook mash potato in half an hour ^_^ since it involved at least 5 mins of instruction.. I will make it short by saying the key he said - cut the potatoes in half and boil them for 20 mins. "That way the potatoes will cook through" He said).
He talks alot, in a passionate manner, there's nothing crazy about him, only friendliness.. even to a Chinese young girl who literally just woke up from my bed, with my hair tied up and my glasses on me in my sleeping clothes...
I was tired, woke up for the garage sale and set up from 8am. As we talked more I started to enjoy talking to him. With the sun shining through the garage which we stood under, I see his white hair shinning, his wrinkles are deep, I thought it must be from smiling alot?! We then talked about how him remember his mom... then onto his family... his daughter and kids... He seemed to love life very much.
Later, he mentioned he was a alcoholic and gambler. He went through two divorces. His kids from the two marriages grew up, they wouldn't want to have anything to do with him before.
I was very surprised he would share me that, and I was a little bit shock - Such a nice old man, had stories that were less than glorious. And he generously shared his feelings to me - literally a total stranger.
He told me, "You learned from your mistakes, there are times in life you confused and done many things wrong... but one day you learned and realized and said to yourself "what have I done". And now, I only want to do well in life, love and treat my family well. Now I have a great relationship with my kids. Now I live with my current wife in the senior apartment, I treasure what I am having and make up for the people I hurt before." (Note: Might not be in exact words ^ ^ """ But I remember it was worded something like that... and only better because he was a well spoken man)
So true... I realized now that I recall this lesson from a stranger - forgive your past, learn to live and love your life all over.
We talked for like about 30mins at least. There were nothing awkward about it. I love listening to what he said, only the potatoes part I was tempted to tell him I know how to mash potatoes though hahahhaha..
In the end, of course I gave him great price for the things he bought (haha) He asked me for mine and my dad's name. Shaking hands, when he wanted to say his name. I said "David, right?" .. He was shocked. (got him hahha). I told him, cos he mentioned his name once in the conversation when he said his mom said "David, ...".. He then asked, "So you are Asian?" I told him I'm Chinese Korean. and I said "I know your Irish :)" (Got him another time). He said "How could you know?" I said, cos you mentioned it.. when you said you sent your daughter to do Irish dance... I just assumed your Irish ^ _^ "I'm very impressed, Angela" He said.
Sure. You better be. hahahhaha.
I should consider myself a good listener. Am I?
I don't know. I never knew I am a listener.
His story... I should have remember... earlier... so maybe I would never feel depressed about my life as much. But that's a maybe. Maybe... things just have to happen on me for me to realized. Like how David did in his story.
Tonight, I remember this David I met once, what a sincere smile and strong handshake he had, he was a very peaceful, calm and mannered old man. I hope he's doing well at the senior apartment four blocks from where I live. Anyway, so this is one of my little encounters with strangers... Many more to come. ^_^
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