The learning curve

I had a very interesting run-in today. It was a totally "sporadic" (wink wink jinuni) meeting on the street. I was walking back home from class thinking of food (obviously). I was lost in thought of a crunchy baguette with goat cheese(drool). This is when, a man walks up to me and asks me for the time in french. So while I look for my phone, I hear him say "Sorry" and whip my head up immediately. It's very rare to hear english on the streets here. I ask him " Do you speak English". I get the biggest smile ever and an "Of Course!" 

A common language is so reassuring. Its a strong link in a country full of foreigners. He asks me where I am from. I tell him. Immediately he says " Namaste! Kya kar rahe ho?" I've never felt so happy hearing Hindi. He was in India for 2 weeks and he picked a few sentences up and I felt guilt and maybe some regret that I lived in Bangalore for more than a year without picking up basic Kannada. Anyway so moving on, we start chatting and I feel like this guy has the life that I dream about. He's a tourist guide! Takes french tourist to Spain and spanish tourists to France. I was dreaming about the job before he could finish the sentence! 

Then He does something even more shocking, but in a good way. He sang for me in hindi!!! 

He sang "mere sapno ki raani kab aayegi tu!" He sang it with perfect inunciation ( at least the words that he remembered). My jaw literally dropped. I asked him how he knew these songs ( he sang two) and he told me ever since he was young, he loved hindi songs. He used to sing them when he was in school. He said "I love the oldies." There I felt more regret. I know lot of hindi songs but at that moment I realised I never truly appreciated them. This lebanese guy could learn this song and appreciate its beauty and I never took the time to appreciate something that is my heritage(of sorts). 

The learning curve continues in the land of the french: Everyday I appreciate my country and its multi-faceted culture more :)