| So Sympathique |
 I volunteered to go shopping and secretly pick out a gift for someone who was overlooked this year at Christmas. I just thought it would be a nice thing to do, but it was also mercenary: I love to shop - even if it's not necessarily for myself.
So, I meandered throught the Queen Victoria Building, picked out a couple of things I thought this person would like, and made a small detour on my way back to the office.
I stopped in a little discount shop, thinking I would find a little card to stick with the gift, or perhaps even some wood filler for home repairs. In any given week, you can find any collection of odds and ends in this store.
I am feeling pretty happy with the little gifts I purchased, hopeful that the recipient will like them once she receives them, when I am greeted at the door by an older French gentleman who bows slightly and says "greetings, madame," with a smile.
I say "hello." Isn't it nice when someone smiles and says hello? Still, I figure he is the store greeter and he is just doing his job, and I walk off to spend a few minutes looking through bins.
After about five minutes, I give up and decide to leave the store, and the Frenchman is still there. He asks "Are you Australian?"
I tell him that I'm not, but that I am a resident.
He answers: "Oh, you are so sympathique and so beautiful."
I smile and said "thank you very much."
I think I held my head higher as I left the store. I will be back. It's probably a good thing I don't live in France if all Frenchmen are that debonaire. Or maybe they just get that way when they become greeters in Australian discount stores. At any rate, c'était très sympathique. |
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| 4 Comments: |
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What a wonderful compliment - no wonder it lifted your spirits. I think compliments from mysterious foreigners pack a little extra punch!
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Absoluement! :) Made my day. I hope that karma comes back to him and rewards him with a big smile, too.
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...and you found a place to practice your high school french if you want to.
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Ack - I'd be too embarrassed to practise my French with a native speaker - at least, not until after I have an intensive refresher class.
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Name: Melanie O.
Home: Durham, North Carolina, United States
About Me: Female, American health and beauty-conscious professional who has rekindled a childhood love of dolls.
See my profile...
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posted by Melanie O. at 
What a wonderful compliment - no wonder it lifted your spirits. I think compliments from mysterious foreigners pack a little extra punch!