First week at work
The last day of my first week at work. A Monday morning. An old Chinese man is looking for help.
I love to help if I am able to, and this job seems to be a place where I will be able to do just that once I get used to it.
So this old guy says thank you for my help, and before he leaves he says; "You look like them" gesturing to all the Chinese staff "I thought you'd speak better Chinese" he said, but with a cheeky smile on his very friendly face and he clearly means no harm.
I just smiled for myself for a bit. Then thought of it all day. Or at least until another person comes for my help. He chose me out of everyone, comes up to me speaking full on Chinese without gestures without slowing down. I understood him. Not because I speak Chinese, but because his question was popular a day before. So I was absolutely about to help him anyway, and I already had an idea how even if he wouldn't understand my response.
But then another co-worker just comes around - says something in possibly Cantonese I don't get obviously but from the guy's reaction I think he's just been told that I don't have a clue about Chinese.
Then I explain him that I know what he meant anyway, and I'm able to help anyway. And this guy, apologizing to me...
This is a rare situation of feeling like an actual human being, because treated as one. This guy looked at my face knew I wasn't Chinese -possibly - , and still he trusted I might be able to speak the language that is close to the top on the list of most difficult languages to learn. Spoke to me without expecting me to not understand his normal pace, and when he found out that I in fact do not understand him, he just said a proper sounding sorry with a smile and explained that he really thought I would understand Chinese.
I assured him that I might be... later as I am in a sound position to learn it. In a position I've never been before. I'd even call it a good opportunity.
It stuck with me the whole day. This absolute stranger guy gave me this level of trust and he was so nice about it, while the people of the languages I actually understand and speak had never given me. It was somehow very rare and touching to be treated that way.
He didn't need me to prove my language skills to be worthy of a friendly interaction.