She is such a joy to talk to and hear her version of what's been happening in her life. She came over to England from Poland almost 18 years ago, and speaks English so fast and fluently its amazing. She studied law in Poland, and was going to be a lawyer, but here she has retrained as Teaching Assistant in local school. I never tire of hearing her adventures during the week. and they are so funny too! I barely have time to join in, but that doesn't matter as I find her conversation delightful!
She is also very very pretty, slim and witty. She has a 12 year old daughter and a hard working husband. She walks her big black Labrador dog regularly along the river bank and is the most glamorous dog walker you are ever likely to meet! The houses where she lives are built on what used to be an old farm and buildings there. When they moved in five years ago I did not get to meet them straight away. John told me about this girl who walked the dog when he was out with Sasha our old dog, and so one day I went and introduced myself to her and invited her to my birthday tea party. From that small beginning we have become fast friends, even though I am older than her mother and father!!
We talk on the same level and there is not an age gap to feel difficult about. I met her mother last year, and she was equally dynamic and chatty, so although she didn't speak English, we all got along like a house on fire. We invited them around to us for drinks during her mother's stay. After a couple of glasses of wine, she felt relaxed enough to ask if we had anything stronger! Dorotta was embarrassed at having to ask, but we didn't mind... We looked around and found a bottle of brandy that John's father had won at a golfing tournament over 20 years previously!!!. We gave her a glass, and then another, and then it was time for them to go back home..
[All the rest of that week we were expecting a phone call to say mother had been taken ill after drinking the brandy, as we knew it was so old!! However it was a great evening and we loved to see them and we know now that she has not stopped telling people back home how she enjoyed meeting her daughter's friends** ]
It is quite amazing when you meet someone and whatever their background or where they live, you click immediately and have a special friendship straight away isn't it? A lot of my friends do seem to come originally from outside the UK.. why that is I cannot imagine..
I have a little Chinese friend that came from Malaysia to study law, and she qualified and became a solicitor. I met her during a client visit for my business and as I went to leave, she asked me to be her friend and see her again.. Since then we have shared many happy times together and even been on holidays with our husbands too.
I went once with her to visit her parents in Malaysia in the best part of their year which is Spring time.. What a super country that is and how I loved my visit there, the days were hot but not too hard to bear. I loved the dry heat and the sun tan I got despite it only being March . We spent almost three weeks away and John was home looking after Sasha our old dog.. He never minds when I travel.. lucky me..
Whilst I was in Malaysia, my mother called my mobile and told me not to let go of Yew See's hand** just like I was five years old,[ besides which, my friend is tiny and I tower above her], but my mother was worried I could get lost out there in a foreign land!!! Sadly my mother is gone now and my dad, but I do not think they ever stopped seeing me as their little girl, even when I got to be a grandmother!!
What a great day you had! I think maybe people are drawn to you because you are mix of different ancestry and that makes you feel universal to others - besides the fact that you are just so open and kind.
ReplyDeleteWish I lived around the corner from you.
And 20 year old brandy....sounds like a very, very good thing!!