Friday, 15 June 2007

The Friendliest People in the World

You thought I was talking about Italians, didn’t you? Ma no, mi amici, it’s Indians. I was told as much yesterday by one, and I have no evidence to the contrary. He’s super friendly and sweet, if slightly overwhelming. I met him on the way to the supermarket; he came grocery shopping with me (“I am Christian – you are ok with me”), and tried to buy my groceries for me – we compromised on him buying me a drink.

“you have very beautiful figure…I have apartment in San Marco. I am not married – no girlfriend. Do you have boyfriend?”

WHEN am I going to learn to lie?

“Um, no.”

“Good! You have no boyfriend, I have no girlfriend, I like English people, we are good for each other.”

“But… I am several years older than you. I am OLD.”

“We are in Italy – only hearts matter. I have good heart. You have good heart. I am taller than you. “

Can’t argue with that.

He likes to cook Indian food (doesn’t like Italian pasta), speaks Hindi, English, and Italian, goes to the gym regularly, “I am strong!” (shows me his bicep). And likes cricket (shows me his cricket ball scar). And David Beckham.

“You are Christian, I am Christian – I think we are good for each other. You are first England girl I talk with.”

“Really?”

Very seriously: “I swear on my mother.”

Oh, the “really” was more, er, rhetorical, actually. No need for that.

“Do you like beer? I can get you beer. I have scooter. We meet and go to discotheque. I pay – I have money. We walk hand in hand in the streets.”

As Dave Barry might say, I am not making this up. But I do quite fancy a curry.

3 comments:

Tech Geek said...

Well, you know, Lena, it wouldn't be a true Italian vacation without a romance of some kind, right? Maybe you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth? ;-)

lenalou said...

Well, he is taller than me.

Janean said...

This is awesome, but I still think Nigerians are the friendliest. I had a Nigerian propose to me on a bus in Montreal once and yesterday on the sidewalk a Nigerian kissed my hand and told me I had the prettiest face he'd ever seen. (OK, maybe he wasn't Nigerian, but he had that English African accent going on.)