kindness

{source}

After I went to the grocery store on Sunday afternoon I couldn't manage to get a cab, so I decided to walk home. Thankfully I had my reusable bags and after a stop mid-week my groceries fit, somewhat awkwardly, inside the bags.

During my walk, I was behind some tourists. 

How did I know they were tourists?

They had obviously spent the day at the beach in which the woman decided to get her hair corn-row braided by one of the vendors. 

No locals get their hair did on the beach.

As I went to pass them, due to their touristy pace, the stopped me to ask me a question. 

I have a confession.

Most of the time when someone stops to ask me a question my response is,

"No hablo espanol".

My Spanish takes me pretty far in daily events. Grocery store, pilates, cabs, restaurants. But unexpected conversations, like a random asking a question gets confusing and difficult fairly fast.

This particular couple asked me where a specific church was and I had no idea. So I responded, 

"No se. Lo siento." {I don't know. I'm sorry}

As I walked a few more steps, I thought about the question. In the area there are not a lot of churches {not like the Old City} and I walk by a church during my random walks in the area. So I retraced my steps back and told the couple that I believed there was a church on the next street. 

Then they started asking specific questions. This is where is gets tricky. But I stuck with it, pulled out all my Spanish lessons of old and completed the conversation. 

They thanked me several times and seemed very appreciative

And I smiled. Because it felt good.

Small random acts of kindness are hard here. The language barrier. The culture.

The culture is different. It's not rude, it's just different. They don't have the same unwritten rules of social etiquette, it is nothing to have people cut you in line, honk at you for walking when you have the right of way, or run into you to rush into an elevator before you even exit.

So letting someone go before you in line doesn't present itself very often, because if they want to be in front of you, they will.

But the warm feeling that comes with lending an unexpected hand isn't cultural nor does it know any language barrier.

It's a human experience.

Here's to many more...