A reminder

There are good people in the world.

Sometimes you forget that living in the Netherlands - land of standoffishness. But this weekend in Paris I was reminded. People said hello, they smiled, they offered to help carry luggage, they served with a positive and prompt manner...it was like I was in the twilight zone. Still in Europe - just a different part. I found that, I too, had become less warm and inviting in comparison. I REFUSE TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN! I am making that commitment.

One of the bigger, more time consuming bits of news is that I auditioned for a movie in Paris. I didn't really have time to sightsee...much. I enjoyed watching the people, racing through the streets to get to a location I thought was closer than it actually was. My feet were tired and my french was rusty, but somehow I still made it through. How? Because people were nice! At the end of my audition, one of the other girls took me to a computer, helped me book my train ticket and went with me on the metro and helped me get my tickets squared away. All I could do in recompense was purchase her pineapple juice. It felt odd - because I wanted to thank her in a much better way! She was soooo nice - and she did it for no reason at all. But mostly, she reminded me the extent we should go to for others, even those we don't know. I owe her big time for that reminder...because in Holland it is far and few between at times.

I should say that my theatre friends (LOVE YOU!) are the exception to this rule - they were warm and inviting as well. But for the most part - I simply don't feel the love here yet.