Kootenay and I had the ultimate inter-cultural experience the other day. We were doing our usual morning beach routine. I had a nice cup of tea in my travel mug and was enjoying it in the sun while Koot ran after her ball.
A bus loaded with tourists pulled up and off loaded fifty or so Japanese tourists. When they walked down the seawall one woman caught sight of Kootenay playing and was overcome with excitement. She stood beside me and laughed and giggled each time Kootenay caught the ball and then applauded when K brought it back to us. After a few minutes of this we ended up with the busload of people standing around us. Then Koot’s original fan started to ask me a question. Despite the language barrier I quickly caught on that she wanted to take her picture with K. Not with me.
The tour guide came up to me to ask me some questions. This is where things got complicated. I had no idea what he was saying. I told him, in my best Portuguese, that I spoke English and was from Canada. Turns out that he could speak a bit of French. So I stretched my high school French and came to understand that all of the women from the bus wanted their pictures taken with K. I asked the guide if they knew that she wasn’t Portuguese. He indicated that they did, but they didn’t care.
So now pictures of Kootenay on a beach in Portugal will be in the holiday albums of about thirty Japanese families.
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2 comments:
Hi Treena. You're starting to sound a little lonely. The language barrier is a nightmare as far as I'm concerned. I went through it when we went to Brazil. The only words I learned in Portugese were please, thank you & beer. I guess that was all I needed as long as John was around. Don't ask me now what the words were. Old age you know. Am going down to see P&P & kids this weekend. Hope to have Thai one day. Will miss you.
Hi, Trina.
Your dad is sitting beside me nattering about your site (oh, good, he moved), to which he just directed me.
Pretty cool life you got. Lonely/schmonely, you have the dog.
No time to peruse your archive, but will get to it.
Apparently your Poor old dad and family are planning to visit soon - pretty cool life they got.
Sunny days in your home town lately, but there are still feet of snow and lots of ice.
I don't suppose you miss that.
Cheers
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