Maddy Tan

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS

Before I left for my travels in Europe sometime this year, I was reading a book titled 'The Kindness of Strangers' (Lonely Planet S.) by Don George (Editor). It's a book based on the real life story of travellers all around the world regarding the kindness that they have encountered during their travels. As I read the book, I was amazed at the fact that there are truly an act of kindness, at times, unexpectedly around the corner when we thought that this is the end. The book was convincing but it was not as convincing as to what I truly did experienced myself.

I was half-way on my travels and this time my location was in Spain. The itinerary was from Valencia and then off to Madrid, then off to Granada. I was still in Valencia when I 'lost' my digital camera. It had in it a 512 MG card and about 700+ of pictures taken in Italy. Needless to say, I was utterly upset over my lost pictures and to be deprived of the luxury of taking picures in future. So, as an aid I bought an older version of Canon IXUS I 3.2 at only Euro 30. The only problem was I need to find a compatible charger for it. I could not do that in Valencia as it was unavailable. I moved on then from Valencia to Madrid in the hope that I would be able to find a compatible charger as it's a capital city and surely, they would have more camera shops there.

As we all know, I do not speak Spanish. So here goes my attempt in trying to communicate with the locals of what I really intended to buy. I went from all shops of sizes to those at the departmental stores. Namely, I was at El Corte Ingles, the largest and most premier departmental stores in Spain. EVERYONE goes there and it was jammed packed with Spanish and Spaniards of all shapes and sizes. I got to a point where I was utterly frustrated in trying to tell them I wanted a charger. I was at El Corte Ingles at the lowest/ground floor and I was trying in vain to tell this Spaniard that I was wondering if he had a compatible charger for IXUS1 3.2. He thought I meant the travel adaptor and showed me 7 with his finger pointed up. Ahh, seventh floor. Apparently, I was at the wrong floor. Up I went.

Seventh floor - I was talking in err .... English with this salesman about charger and he was a bit dazed with what I was saying, obviously we did not understand each other. I hit a point of frustration and I was gonna give up with the intention of saying , 'Nevermind, it's Ok' but before I could, a bespectacled man stood next to me said "Oh did you wanted a charger? It's not this floor, it's on ground floor". And to imagine my relief when I exclaimed "Oh great! You speak English! I have been trying to buy a charger but I don't speak Spanish!" He grinned widely and smiled at me. So, he offered to take me down to the ground floor and said that he would tell the Spaniard that I actually meant a charger and not an adaptor. So off we went. Ahh, we got there and communication was great as Primi could say what I could not say in Spanish. But alas, he did not sell that particular charger and referred me to another shop. Primi again took me there and it was closed. Such rotten luck.

But through out it all, I was so glad and so appreciative of his help. For without him, I would not have known which actual proper shop to look for that charger and I would have gone back to my hotel feeling hopeless and down. Primi was so helpful and I could not let him go off without buying a drink as a token of thanks. So, he took me to a nice bar, but not overly priced for a glass of 'sangria'. We chatted a lot and this was when I found out that he was actually Spanish but have been living abroad in Australia for the last 20 years ever since he got married. So, that explains his fluent spoken English! He was out on a visit to his family and sightseeing in outer Madrid. He had a good recommendation of that bar too, though I have forgotten it's name by now .. the bill came and the 'sangria' cost only Euro 7 for 2! The ones I had in Valencia cost Euro 5, each!

Although it was only a simple scenario, and not a matter of life and death situation .... nevertheless, I am still so grateful and appreciative of such helpful attitude. Primi actually took his time to accomodate my lingua deficiency and even showed me around Madrid in finding the shop that was referred to by that Spaniard in El Corte Ingles. He clearly had no ulterior motive as he did not make a move on me and not ask to keep in contact. Think the whole incident took up about 3 hours.

Primi must be one in a million. So, yes truly .... there are good, honest and kind people out there. It's a fact. I have long thought that Samaritans have long perished but I am proven wrong.