I have been people-watching during all these years of residing in different countries. I am not stereotyping, but somehow, there is a general trend of each nation, based on my naive observation.Before I moved to Country D, my sister showed me an article that she read about how cold the people of Country D are. I did not pay much attention to that but took it as an additional piece of information with me. So I went there, busy settling down, meeting many new people. Everything seemed all right for me. After some interaction with the new people I met, whom were usually foreigners from other countries, I began to hear some not-so-good remarks like, "The people here are just like its weather." or "The people are cold here."
Are they really that cold? Yes, sometimes. But I guess using the word "cold" to describe its people seem unfair. I would rather say its people are a bit more reserved in terms of social wise. They are not that upfront compared to other nations in the world. But they are no doubt nice people. If you have a bit of patience for the fruit of the friendship to ripens, which generally takes longer time there than elsewhere, you still manage to be surrounded by a good bunch of good friends there. And usually good friendship comes when you least expect them. Since my sister gave me a head-up before, I was not expecting any friendship when I moved there. It all worked out pretty all right for me.
The place or at least this part of the country I am now visiting is the opposite of Country D. The people are warm in general. You get strangers saying hello to you on a bus, crossing the streets or sitting at the park, even the bus drivers greet you in the morning, as if he/she have been some old friends. Yet the downside of this acute friendliness is you are likely to see the obvious change in these people's mood here. I have been taking the campus bus rides. I always get to meet two bus drivers, either this man or this woman. Anyway, I have seen both jolly happily greeting people at certain days, but the next day, their mood turned a 180 degrees.
This morning, I was talking on the phone with my Travel Companion outside the corridor. There I saw a lady walking up to me asking for direction to Level 4. Level 4? I know the lab I was working in is located in Level 3, thus I presumed Level 4 is just one more level up. I knew where the stairs are since I have been walking from the entrance of the building up and down each day from the ground floor till Level 3, where the lab is located. So I stopped my phone conversation with my Travel Companion and told the lady that the floor we were at was Level 3 and if she was looking for Level 4, it should just be one level up, and she could take the stairs on our left after the door in front of us. She walked to the floor. I went back to my phone but keeping an eye on her to see whether did she manage to locate the stairs. She did, but 2 minutes later, she came back. I asked, "Did you manage to find the stairs?" She told me the door was locked prohibiting her to enter Level 4. I remembered there was an elevator on the right side of the building too although I have not taken it before. She went to try it. Another two minutes later, she came back but this time she looked furious. I wonder why. I asked, "Did you find your way?" She nearly yelled at me but trust me her tone was not that nice and told me "The door is locked. I can't get in!" I felt sorry for her but at that point I looked out the window that apparently allowed me to see the connected building for both east and west wings. I felt something was wrong. There is no Level 4 because the floor we were at was already the top floor of the whole building. I figured that the reason she could not get through the door after upstairs because that was the roof level and of course only authorized personnel would have accessed to it. So I politely explained to her that I was new here but it seemed like there was no Level 4. She refused to listen and walked past me angrily. I shrugged and shared this little incident with my Travel Companion.
I do understand there are times when we are in bad mood because something unpleasant has happened. But I always try to tell myself we should not be that temperamental. It does scare others surrounding us plus it is not doing any good to us. I told my Travel Companion that I like the moderate way. Be happy if you can, if not try to be extremely sad when feel agitated. I know it is hard not to be affected when things do not work out. But at least not happy for this second and angry or upset the next second. It is too tiring, for ourselves and others who have to bear with our temperamental change. Just imagine hot at this second and frosty cold the next. It only does damage to the tissues, the body or even the machines. That is why we need to warm up before an exercise or using a machine.
♥ every page of my imagination
