when in rome...

tourists--they're either really annoying or completely adorable.

today i was waiting in line for the m42 to port authority with a family of french people. i enjoyed their conversation, even though i didn't understand a single word. there's something about the french language that just swoons and sweeps me off my feet (though for all i know, they were probably mocking my child-like features donning a UN staff ID).

a few minutes later, the bus arrives and as we were getting on, the french lady taps me on the shoulder and asks me if the bus goes to... ready? ..."grungtra station."

"sorry?" i ask her to repeat.

"grung *garbled mumbling* station," she says.

at this point, though i probably knew the answer to her question, i didn't want to keep asking her to repeat what she was saying, for fear of looking stupid. i just say, "i'm not sure. you might want to ask the driver," and get on.

i look back at it now (about an hour and a half later), and i'm flooded with scenarios of how else i could've approached the situation.

if i weren't in such a hurry, i probably would've taken the time to mouth off stations in the area. "grungtra?" "grunda?" "grand central station?" oops, my bad. that could've been it.

if i were completely heartless though (which i secretly wish i were sometimes), i probably would've said, "you french people, you refuse to help us out in your country if we didn't speak a word of french, yet you expect us to do so when you're in ours even though you refuse to speak english?! sorry, i don't feel for you."

i'm not THAT mean though. in fact, when i found my seat, that's when it registered in my head that she might've been asking for grand central station. though by the time i decided to go back outside and ask, the bus was already pulling away.

in any case, as the bus was pulling away, i look back and see they were walking in the right direction, at least. i mean, come on, midtown manhattan has to be the part of new york that's easiest to get around in. i hope they found "grungtra" station. some people might find it annoying and frustrating to not understand them, but i'm actually cheering these tourists on.

did i mention her son was cute? ahhh.. yes, THAT is the part i love about tourists.

hey, i'm a tourist too! we can be tourists together...

haha.