First Conversation with foreigners

                                                    

The month before Diwali my mother planned that I, mom and my sis will go to visit my uncle’s home who lives in Chandigarh. Mom told me that we will leave after Diwali. We were going to travel by a train Kalka Shatabdi Express. We were travelling to Chandigarh by that train since two years. I was much aware of its facilities. On 4^th November 2013 around 5 at morning we left home and went to New Delhi Railway Station.

When we reached there the train was already arrived. We got in the train and started finding our seats we got the middle seat of the train. It was my favourite seat in Shatabdi Express. My plan was to sit there and listening to my music in my phone. When I was putting out my phone suddenly I heard someone saying ‘Excuse me’ in English accent. When I turned around I saw a foreign couple standing in front of me. I stood up and gave them some room so that they could sit on their seats.

When they put their bags and sat on the seats they joined their hands and thanked me for giving them some room. When I sat down the lady of the foreign couple asked me that in which direction the train will move. I was not sure because every time we went to that train the direction always changed. I said ‘I don’t know’ after that the foreign man of the couple told me ‘she’s always in superstition, thinking that going forward is safe and going backward is not safe’. It was my very first conversation with foreigners, I was a little nervous because I was not only talking to strangers but I was talking to foreigners. I decided that I will make a normal behaviour in front of them.

When the train was ready to depart I saw four people coming and sitting on our front seats. They were having a conversation with each other but I couldn’t understand there language. I thought that they were speaking Tamil but later after I heard a word छे from them repeatedly. I understood that they were speaking Gujarati language. They were laughing during their conversation but still I couldn’t understand their language then suddenly mom asked to put out the towel from the bag. When I was putting out the bag I saw the Guajarati were looking at me with a big smile. They said something to each other and started laughing out loud. I thought that they were making fun of me and I sat down.

I started observing the Guajarati people very carefully then I felt by their gestures that they were making fun of the foreigners. The foreigners suddenly observed them and Guajarati people made a pleasant smile. Then both people started their conversation in English. The People talked about their destinations, ages, carriers and then the Gujarati people asked their names. The foreigners told them that they were from Switzerland and are going to visit Shimla. I also made my involvement in the conversation and asked them ‘what are nice places for tourism in Switzerland. ‘Do you want to go there’ they asked. I nodded and they said that there are many hill stations in Switzerland. They also added that that Switzerland is a very small country having the population of less than that of Uttarakhand.

The Gujarati people did a lot of conversation with the foreigners. I was only listening to them and finding a way to involve in the conversation. I failed to make involvement in the conversation and decided that I should go to washroom. When I came back I saw that one of the Gujarati persons has taken my seat and were having a nice conversation with foreigners. I sat on the other chair and then I kept listening to their conversation until I asked them ‘can I take your picture’, they agreed and said ‘In Bollywood Style’ and I took a picture of them. After them I didn’t made any type of conversation with them. I observed that the train has arrived to the destination and I, mom and Juhi put our suitcase and got off the train. I had a very great experience with the first acquaintance with a foreign people. The only regret is that I became nervous with no reason and I didn’t say goodbye to those people. This experience was great.