Tony the soccer coach
I met another American mom yesterday for a chat and a snack in our local pub. We both had our young children with us, so we had our hands full. A man sitting at the next table over introduced himself when he heard us talking English. Turns out he's a soccer coach for our town's team. But what a different world he inhabits than we do! As part of his job he gets a house located in the stadium, which is up on top of a hill, so he claims he has a view of the Eiffel Tower.
"You two staying here for long?" he asked.
"Yes," said I.
"Been here 20 years," said my friend.
"What? You married to a Frenchman?"
"Yes," said I.
"Single mom," said my friend.
He'd lived in various countries, Germany not being a favorite. Finding fellow expats, he shared his frustrations with the French: "You can stand on a corner with a map looking lost for an hour, and nobody will stop. In Chicago or New York, you do that and ten minutes later someone's asking if you need help." --> Said my friend, "But they won't get out of their cars to do that."
He was a friendly guy. Made me think of how we behave with people of our own country and language, almost casually, often seeking shelter or understanding in a stranger.
"You two staying here for long?" he asked.
"Yes," said I.
"Been here 20 years," said my friend.
"What? You married to a Frenchman?"
"Yes," said I.
"Single mom," said my friend.
He'd lived in various countries, Germany not being a favorite. Finding fellow expats, he shared his frustrations with the French: "You can stand on a corner with a map looking lost for an hour, and nobody will stop. In Chicago or New York, you do that and ten minutes later someone's asking if you need help." --> Said my friend, "But they won't get out of their cars to do that."
He was a friendly guy. Made me think of how we behave with people of our own country and language, almost casually, often seeking shelter or understanding in a stranger.