Another Small World After All Story
So we have all had them, realizations that this huge world may not be as large as we think. The first one that i can remember that really blew my mind was when i was visiting France with my parents. We are walking along a string of outdoor cafes when my dad asks my mom if she would like to talk to “so and so”. My mom with a confused look on her face says “You mean call them?” These being people that they had not seen or heard from for many years and the idea of calling them made my mom a bit confused. This, being the exact response that my dad was looking for said, “No, they are sitting right there. Although he said it in a kind of are you stupid way that he loves to do. And sure enough, these people that they had once known and had moved to another country, were sitting about five feet away. What a surprise for everyone, and my dad once again got to feel smug. (You know im just picking on you once again father.) Anyway, I had one of these surreal experiences at the train station waiting to go to Naples. We are sitting there, me reading “High Fidelity,†when an Indian kid sitting next to me asks in English if the book is any good. I reply that it is and he should definitely give it a shot at some point, he says that he will…. wait for it cause that is not the crazy part. We get to talking and about his travels to the US, when he announces that he is going to go to Temple a year from now. I sit there and then ask “Temple University?…. as in the college…. as in Philly?” and sure enough he is studying at their satellite campus in India and will be going to Temple as a junior. WHAT? I mean, what are the chances of meeting an indian kid who can speak English and happens to be going to the same college as me in a train station in italy? Im not really sure cause im not good with math but you better believe that they’re not good. Anyway, things are still going well and im about to write another post after this.
Oh Matt, this is a great story.
Love, MoM
Comment by Mother K — June 17, 2006 @ 11:19 am
I like the way I make your mom look stupid. It’s not that easy to do, you know. This and the one above are great stories. For me, it’s what travel is all about – meeting new and interesting people, broadening my horizons. Why just the other day I drove to Stow and met … .
Comment by michael — June 17, 2006 @ 11:33 am
Hey dad, apparently we are all online at the same time. that kinda funny, but speaking of your trip the play about choppin, we had a good talk about him with our friend vincenzo who had no idea who i was talking about until i spelled it. Another interesting coincidence indeed.
Comment by Matthew — June 17, 2006 @ 11:38 am
We are online at the same time and you should have seen the smile on your mom’s face, when not one, but two posts from Italy appeared on her screen. I confess, I didn’t exactly frown. Is Debbie having as much fun as you? We need a few lines from her to make our “trip” more complete.
Comment by michael — June 17, 2006 @ 11:45 am
Well, if that’s really what you think then maybe you should scroll back up to the top of the page, cause the one about the train ride is from her… mostly. but yeah, just to let you know aside from me not feeling well this morning everything is going perfectly, we are sleeping as much as you should be on a vacation, however. So far we are not all that impressed with Naples, it’s kinda dirty and grimy and you get the point.
With love
us
Comment by Matthew — June 17, 2006 @ 11:51 am
That’s because you’re just supposed to eat in Naples, and take day trips to Capri on a glass-bottomed boat and Pompeii (if they are nearby; my geography is not so hot.)- Mother K
Comment by Mother K — June 17, 2006 @ 12:05 pm
How does Vincenzo pronounce Chopin? (And how do you?)
And I just wanted to say that the chances of finding an Indian who was going to Temple soon who DIDN’T speak English would be … well, zero.
Comment by Jennifer — June 17, 2006 @ 5:29 pm