We have had the hottest July day on record folks…luckily in the UK that doesn’t mean we should panic…’cos the weather will change…quite quickly (tick)…and there will be rain (tick)…and thunder (tick)…
On finding my services were not needed at the cafe in which I volunteer…I walked through spits of rain and then took the opportunity to….sit in another cafe and read an old copy of The Economist which I’d purloined from the cafe I work in. This is an esteemed current affairs magazine…but I glanced up from it several times as a 5-6(?) year old young lady whizzed by me on her scooter. Luckily there was room in the cafe for her to do this. I smiled at her every time she whizzed by. On her 4th visit from her Mum’s table about 30 feet away, she was on foot. I was just thinking about leaving…but, without saying a word, she dragged a chair from the empty table nearby and installed it at my table. Then she sat down. And smiled. I smiled back. Hello I said. I told her my name and asked her hers. No answer. Just more smiling. I pointed to my chest, repeated my name and asked her hers again. Aha.. she said, silently…then jumped off her chair and ran over to her mother’s table. Then she came back. My name is Dura (I think she said). English is not Dura’s native language I surmised…I repeated my name and offered my hand, which she shook. Where are you from? I asked. Yes! she replied clearly and enthusiastically. Is that your mum, I asked. Yes!! she said again. Is your Dad here? Yes!! (tho no sign of any dad-like person at mum’s table). What is your mum’s name? She runs over to mum. Mum’s name is Sumi (I think she says). There is more smiling and a little not-awkward silence as she smiles and stares at me and I try to think how we might proceed with our discourse. I comment on her lovely top and headband with pretty bow – giving both a thumbs up. She takes the headband off and shows it to me. Hablas espanol? I offer. She shakes her head. Francais? I go through most of Europe, Russia, the Middle East, the Far East and end up in Argentina without success…just lots of smiling and amused head shaking. Silence again. Hmmm…what have I got in my bag that might entertain a young lady I think to myself…hah! polka-dot fan. Yes indeed. I flick it open, fan myself and then hand it over. Beaming now, she does the same. And then shuts it and flicks it open again, carefully inspecting it’s mechanism. Hmmm…I think to myself…is there a chance I might not get this back? In a flash of brilliance, I think of the best possible use for the Economist magazine by tearing out it’s centre page and folding it alternately to make a paper fan. This is met with some delight and is tried out by my new friend. We agree that it is not as good as the polka-dot one. I fold a second page of the magazine to make a paper bag in which we then store tubes of sugar taken from the pot on the table…which Dura shakes enthusiastically. Dura likes this paper-folding lark. I point to myself…and then to the door…it’s time for me to go now. Dura obligingly puts down my polka-dot fan, and takes the paper fan and bag to her mother’s table…and I follow her. Dura is from Turkey; She is newly moved to London and her mother tells me that she was worried how long it would take Dura to learn English. We conclude that her confidence is impressive and it will take her no time at all!
I wonder if all children are born confident…I guess some are not…but I guess quite a few are. But slowly that confidence seems to dissipate…as a fearful society tells them to be fearful of….everything. Could there be another way, I wonder. Can we ever really change things? Well…maybe we can. But I reckon it starts right here, with me…
jx
Ain't we got it made? 
Nice blog site!
Hi there…How lovely of you to say so! Thanks very much! jx