Lesson in Hospitality

This afternoon we headed for a park that had some motorized cars for the kids to ride. We had our foursome and two of the kids' friends. We actually found the park without getting lost, so we knew it was going to be a good day.

As we entered the park, the kids played on the playground equipment first. Mike and I "sat a spell" on the park bench in the shade. We got out some language study books and began to read as the kids played. About 5 minutes into our time, a man approached us and spoke a mile a minute about needing money. He pulled out papers and pointed to a bunch of line items. He continued to pull out papers and spoke a little louder and more excited with each paper. We understood about 1% of what he said. Mike showed him his empty wallet. The man wanted Mike to go to the ATM and get some money for him to pay a bill he kept showing us. It's hard enough to understand this language, much less from an excited man who thinks speaking louder and faster will help.

As this is going on, a 5-yr. old boy fell in the gravel at the playground. He called for his mother, but no one responded. He was crying, and his knee was scraped up. After a minute with no one helping, I got up off the bench. Though I couldn't really communicate with the little boy, I had a clean tissue to wipe his scrape. When I got to the child, I placed the tissue on his scrape and carressed his hair. At that moment, his mother joined me at his side. After she checked on her son she asked me to sit with her.

So I'm sitting with my new friend directly across from Mike who is listening to the "money man", and I've noticed that another man has joined Mike's conversation. Mike later told me that the "money man" claimed he was a policeman and pulled out papers to "prove" it. The other man argued and said he couldn't be a policeman because that was a fake document. Then he proceeded to show a genuine police document and said HE was the police.

Without knowing what was going on, I told my new friend that the man by my husband was asking for money. She said she'd take care of it, and she walked over there and gave him a tongue-lashing. He walked away after my new friend got through with him.

About this time the kids are ready to find the motorized scooters. I told my new friend where we were going, and she asked if she could come along. So my new friend and her 2 children ages 5 and 9 rode the scooters with our kids. While the children rode the scooters she bought Mike and me some tea, and we drank tea and flipped through the dictionary trying to communicate for the next 45 minutes.

As we were drinking tea my new friend's father showed up. He's retired, and he enjoys meeting his grandchildren at the park. He joined us for tea as well. As we were drinking tea and visiting with the children, I noticed the 9-yr. old girl's ears were pierced (pictured above with Annie). Abby and Annie have wanted their ears pierced for quite some time, so I asked where she got her ears pierced. My friend said the ear-piercing place was really close, and she wanted to take us there. After I asked the girls and they squealed, we all headed to the store to get their ears pierced.

A half mile later we arrived at a jewelry store. Several people came in from off the street to see the American posse in the jewelry store. The store was the size of a small bedroom. In a crowded, unairconditioned store with an audience of about 14, Annie sat in my lap and got her ears pierced. Then Abby sat in my lap and did likewise. Everyone was happy for the 2 little American girls who looked so beautiful with pierced ears. I asked about how to care for the ears, but I was assured that the studs had medicine on them, and I did not have to apply anything, twist them, or do any of the usual things they advise you to do in the U.S. I'll let you know if a couple of days if we have green ears. The picture to the left is one of the guys who pierced the ears. We think his eyes were open when he pierced them!

When it was time to pay for the deed, my friend's father took care of the ticket. He refused to let us pay! It was only about $3 per girl, but he was adamant about paying.

Following the ear piercing we went to this family's home. The father's home was directly above the jewelry store, and they insisted that we come up. So we went upstairs and had more tea and some cookies. While we visited, they asked us if we've ever attended a wedding in the country. When they found out we've never been to one, they asked us to attend one tomorrow night. It's the father's friend's son getting married. I was really excited because I've been wanting to go to one! We said yes, and tomorrow night at 5:00 we are going to our first wedding in this country!

What an odd chain of events!

Something to consider...if you were in a park, would you make conversation with someone from another country with limited English? Then, would you buy her a drink? If her daughters wanted to get their ears pierced, would you take them and foot the bill? To follow that, would you (on the spur of the moment) invite her entire family (all six of them) in your home and give them food and drink? After all that, would you invite her to do something the following evening together?

It's called hospitality.