photo by Chandra
I’d just finished my exercise class and was feeling noble. I strutted over to my bus stop where a beautiful young couple were hugging. I asked for a hug too. (I can do silly things like that.) The young man looked at me with question marks all over his face. He hadn’t understood a word I said. That was embarrassing — for a moment. He spoke only Spanish.
How to explain or translate such nonsense? I hadn’t used Spanish in years, not that I did well with it to begin with. When daughter Susan studied Spanish in high school, she declared I spoke Spanish totally in infinitives. Did I even know what an infinitive was?
Nonetheless, between the young man’s few words of English and my terrible Spanish with French words thrown in, he got it. Immediately I was given a happy, enthusiastic hug from him and another from his young lady who wanted to join in the fun. What followed was a hugging fest.
What followed was a hugging fest
Our trilingual conversation continued. He had spent three months at UBC researching mining and that very night they were reluctantly going home to Chile. They loved Vancouver and Canadians and had enjoyed every moment in my beloved city. NIce….
The Canada Scarf my friend Joe sent me
When our bus arrived, they chose to sit with me.. It was cold out. I was wearing one of those wonderful, warm scarves with CANADA and the maple leaf proudly displayed in red. My kind, thoughtful friend Joe, who lives in Beverly Hills, CA, had sent it after I’d complained about having been caught out in that devastating, cold wind storm we had recently.
When the young woman admired it, I impulsively took the scarf off and gave it to them. Surprised and delighted, they thanked me again and then again and with delight, stuffed it into their backpack.
As for me, I love imagining the conversations this lovely young couple are having with their friends back in Chile when they tell them the story of this crazy old woman they met at the bus-stop in Vancouver who asked for a hug and gave them a CANADA scarf.
My friend Joe sporting the Vancouver T-shirt I sent him
And, what did Joe think? He has a generous soul and a fabulous sense of adventure. He was just delighted and declared he’d have done the very same thing himself! Yeah!
Meanwhile, I know my CANADA scarf is busy learning Spanish.
****The following is another scarf story……..
** This is the scarf which won’t let me lose it
To read about the scarf which won’t let me lose it or give it away, go to:
View from Over the Hill 
I am sure that couple thinks of you whenever they think about Vancouver, and that you did your part in perpetuating the reputation Canadians have of being among the nicest people in the world!
I think you are right Susan: Canadians ARE the nicest people in the world. Love ya, Mom
You are such a fun person! 😘
And no one has more fun than I do Jaya: A hug every day is good for your health! Chuckle.
I wish there were more people like you in the world, Muriel! You make it a better place:)
And I’m delighted there are people like you! Look how lucky I am. I have you in my life. All the best. Muriel
Hello Muriel! Just found a newspaper column you wrote in 1997 – and we were mentioned in it. Made us wonder what you are up to, which led us to the internet and this blog. So happy to see you are still writing! So sorry that we have lost touch with you. We are well and happy and still living in New Westminster. Would love to hear from you/see you sometime 🙂
Bruce and Sandra
Wow: How neat to hear from you. Delighted you were able to find me. Let’s talk and catch up on what we’ve been up to….
Estoy seguro de que la bufanda está aprendiendo español bastante bien
Hi Raf: Thanks for guiding me to that expert of experts, Google, for a translation of the above. I laughed so much my neighbors now know for sure how crazy I am. Love you mucho, Mom
Isn’t Google Translate fun? I used it a bunch when we were building our house, as there were many days when not a member of the crew spoke a word of English!
Hey Susan: I could’ve used Google in the days I struggled with my Spanish. Something new for me to play with. Yeah! Love, Maughm
Hi Muriel,
I am flattered that the scarf was happily given to visitors from Chile. I can imagine how that wonderful hugging couple is enjoying talking about the eccentric lady who asked for a hug and became a friend for life. If the scarf could talk it would be saying: Que buena vida (what a wonderful life). The next time I get a compliment from a stranger on any one of my musical ties which I enjoy wearing I will give it away with a song and a smile. As the song goes: When you smile the whole world smiles at you, etc. etc. Thanks Muriel for giving this couple from Chile a smile and a hug. Your dizzy friend, Joe
Indeed Joe: I loved the scarf especially because you sent it to me. It didn’t surprise me at all, what with your generous personality, that you approved of my sudden impulse to give it to these young visitors to my country. Thank you so much for being you! (I wish you weren’t dizzy though.)