23 January 2013
"Aren't you cold?" an abuelita asks me, huddling in her shawl.
I tell her that I'm English, that to me it's not cold at all.
She tuts and shakes her head with a smile, we bid each other adios.
A neighbour of mine says "Hola!" to me as over the road I cross.
At the bus stop, a girl of four and her baby sister, three,
Chase each other around my legs and ask questions about me.
At first I just exchange smiles with their tired but cheerful mum,
And then we strike up a conversation whilst we wait for the bus to come.
In the queue at the supermarket, holding shampoo and my purse,
Two teenage boys with a cart full of beer kindly let me go first.
So if you find yourself in Spain, remember, this advice you can trust;
Talking to strangers anywhere and everywhere is an absolute Spanish must.
It's these little incidents that remind me, it's okay to slow my pace.
Because talking to strangers gives me hope for the beleaguered human race.
Talking To Strangers • Opuss № I