When in Paris, Say merci

It was my first time being out of India. An IT professional I had met in Bangalore, on a direct flight to Paris assured me - France is a great place to visit for the first time out of the country.

But I was totally unprepared for any kind of travel, let alone to a developed country with no ‘coolies’ and cabs I couldn’t afford. After a smooth connection from the airport to the small local railway station in Lozere, I landed on a bridge, with a long flight of stairs in front of me.

No escalator in sight.

Flowing skirt and high heeled shoes designed just to make things more difficult, I couldn’t even pick up my heavy suitcase. So I dragged it down the stairs, stopping it with my knee after every step. And before I could claim to have been tired, a handsome African man came to my rescue, picked up my suitcase and placed it at the end of the staircase.

When someone does that in India, they are usually planning to steal your stuff. So I hurried and followed him. And there it was, my suitcase, safe and sound. The man had left before I could even reach it. Lost in the crowd.

I was taken aback by this kindness. It was new to me. I revived my mind for the French word for expressing gratitude, for the next time someone did something nice to me.

I ended up using it a whole lot. Out of courtesy as well as genuineness.

Have you ever lost an opportunity to thank someone? Have you ever wondered if they were aware of your gratitude?