I have arrived to Buenos Aires, Argentina on Saturday 3rd December 2011. I came here to experience a new way of life, to learn and grow as a person, to begin a new phaze in my life, to face another challenge...
To move around the capital of Buenos Aires for me alone is not as easy as I would like it to be, for I know so little, and the city itself to me seems like one big jungle. Anyway, sooner or later time comes when you have to face the challenge and start knowing your surroundings. So therefore, time came for me to go to the city and get from one destination to the other in hopes of not getting lost, even though I was ready to fish around if needed...
My knowledge about the city was equal to 0%, Spanish language skills equal to 0.1%. The adventure was ahead of me...
I had to get from the point A to the point B and from the point B to the point C. First, I had to use a bus, then a subway. The trip itself takes not longer than half an hour if you know how to get there. However, for me it was my first independent trip to the city... I left home more than an hour in advance, as I wanted to make sure to get to my destination on time.
I got on the bus without any problem. The bus was overcrowded with people. I found myself standing in front of a lovely elderly lady who was restlessly moving in her seat. Suddenly she began talking to me in Spanish. I smiled and listened to her patiently. Once she finished her speech, I politely informed her that I did not speak Spanish. Then to my great surprise she started talking to me in English. Her English skills were not very good but yet better than my Spanish :-) She started telling me through which door I should leave the bus, she made sure to tell me to keep my purse zipped and close to myself, and she pushed some people away so to give me more space. Then she pointed to a man standing a few meters away from me saying: ´Go and talk to that man in a blue shirt. He is American, he speaks English, he will take you to your destination´. I hesitated. She encouraged me once more: ´Speak to that man in a blue shirt. I just spoke to him, he speaks English. Go and speak´, and then she gently pushed me towards him. I had no other choice, I had to approach him.
´I heard you speak English,´ I said.
He looked at me surprised and then nodded in agreement and introduced himself. Then I asked him how to get to the point B.
´Actually, I am going there myself. We should leave the bus now´, he answered.
To be honest, if not for that man in the blue shirt and that elderly lady, I would had missed my bus stop without any problem :-)
´I heard you speak English,´ I said.
He looked at me surprised and then nodded in agreement and introduced himself. Then I asked him how to get to the point B.
´Actually, I am going there myself. We should leave the bus now´, he answered.
To be honest, if not for that man in the blue shirt and that elderly lady, I would had missed my bus stop without any problem :-)
I quickly jumped out of the crowded bus, he followed. We slowly walked towards the subway. He took me to the subway, explained which train to take and reminded me to keep my purse close to myself. We talked for 10 minutes before I finally got onto the train.
I followed his directions. However, then I got down to the subway, I yet managed to get confused, as I did not know which train exactly I needed to take. There were 2 of them standing ready to depart. I entered through the gate looking at the both directions deciding my luck. And then suddenly I noticed an older man in white shirt looking at me and smiling. Apparently he was waiting there for me.
´You need to take this train,´ he informed me and pointed to the left, then continued: ´5 stops, take 5 stops´.
I was completely taken by surprise. In broken Spanish I asked him how come he knew where I needed to go.
Then he in half English and half Spanish answered: ´I was passing by and heard you talking to the other man, that was how I knew. I wanted to help you.´
I felt an immense gratitude to this person. But that was not all. He got on the train together with me, went all the way to my destination, explained me which exit to take, and once I got out, he took another train back to his destination.
As you may see, I did get to the point C on time, actually 40 minutes earlier simply because of those amazing unexpected occurrences and people's kindness.
´You need to take this train,´ he informed me and pointed to the left, then continued: ´5 stops, take 5 stops´.
I was completely taken by surprise. In broken Spanish I asked him how come he knew where I needed to go.
Then he in half English and half Spanish answered: ´I was passing by and heard you talking to the other man, that was how I knew. I wanted to help you.´
I felt an immense gratitude to this person. But that was not all. He got on the train together with me, went all the way to my destination, explained me which exit to take, and once I got out, he took another train back to his destination.
As you may see, I did get to the point C on time, actually 40 minutes earlier simply because of those amazing unexpected occurrences and people's kindness.
But this is not all. The following day I had to get to the same place again, however this time I felt confident enough to go all the way by myself and also I left home just half an hour in advance. Anyway, I got to the subway without any problem, but when I wanted to pass through the gate, my travel card failed to work. The reader failed to recognise it. There was a long queue of people waiting behind me and me holding them back. I tried a number of times to enter through the gate, but the card failed to work. I was almost ready to step back when a man behind me gently removed my hand from the reader, pressed his travel card to it and let me through the gate.
*** *** ***
Life once more proved to me that it was there to look after me, to protect me, to guide me, to provide me with all the needed help, to care for me. And again I was blessed to witness Life's beautiful ways of working its miracles. You might say I was lucky, but I would say that it was one of those mere wonderful blessings.
Jolita Kelias
Jolita Kelias
Copyright © Jolita Kelias, December2011
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Thanks for reminding me to pay gratitude for every single although small miracles happening in day to day life.
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