When a brown guy, having the tan from the Italian sun, sits for dinner in a cold country.. people are always curious. As a typical Indian, I checked all the menu hanging outside the restaurant, at the market square. Finally with great difficulty, I zeroed in on a restaurant in Brugge for my dinner. I'm ushered to an empty table by the belgium waiter who is more than happy to get me the a la carta again. I ask for his suggestion and stressing on the fact that I'm a vegetarian. Though there were plenty of dishes listed in the menu, the only options I had was pizza or pasta which I have been eating for past 2 and a half years or so. I think of simple margarita pizza (costing me 14Euro which costed me 4 euro in Milan), the waiter suggests me against it. He was candid enough to tell me that the pizza base is from the super market and if I insist, he would get it for me. Trying to keep things simple I decided to stick with veg spaghetti with some house wine.
The server, who bought the wine, apparently tried to connect to me looking at the Tulsi mani which I was wearing. But I, being an arrogant NRI, could not talk to servers. So my airy self, I told him that my origins are from India but I still haven't found a home. I had been travelling and my previous stop was Italy, where I stayed for over 2 and half years. I expected he would understand what I was trying to do. He understood alright but couple of minutes more into the conversation, it was clear what he assumed. He was a Nepali, having a Indian Nepali wife (I have never heard of that in my life till he mentioned it). He was in Brugge for about 6 years, even more than I have been travelling Europe. He then told me that his friends were also in Italy and work was not going well. His assumption were clear to me, when he asked me about the kind of a job I was looking for and offered to help. All I could do was give him a smile and clear his misunderstanding. I was humbled alright but what surprised me was his confidence to maneuver the conversation after I told him that I was working for a MNC. He told me that his wife was well educated and could do any kind of job to do with Computer and also the fact that he had contact with the community he could be of great help me. After assuring him that I would surely consider, paid a good tip before making my way to the hotel.
The point being, I have hardly met people who are so good in maneuver the conversation. This guy, not sure what his education was, had the presence of mind to change the topic. He had the confidence to, first offer help and then to sell his wifes skill set in the most suitable way he thought of. This are the skills a sales guys try to learn for years and are ready to pay a huge amount for workshop. And I meet this server, who has developed in him without formally being trained to do so.
The server, who bought the wine, apparently tried to connect to me looking at the Tulsi mani which I was wearing. But I, being an arrogant NRI, could not talk to servers. So my airy self, I told him that my origins are from India but I still haven't found a home. I had been travelling and my previous stop was Italy, where I stayed for over 2 and half years. I expected he would understand what I was trying to do. He understood alright but couple of minutes more into the conversation, it was clear what he assumed. He was a Nepali, having a Indian Nepali wife (I have never heard of that in my life till he mentioned it). He was in Brugge for about 6 years, even more than I have been travelling Europe. He then told me that his friends were also in Italy and work was not going well. His assumption were clear to me, when he asked me about the kind of a job I was looking for and offered to help. All I could do was give him a smile and clear his misunderstanding. I was humbled alright but what surprised me was his confidence to maneuver the conversation after I told him that I was working for a MNC. He told me that his wife was well educated and could do any kind of job to do with Computer and also the fact that he had contact with the community he could be of great help me. After assuring him that I would surely consider, paid a good tip before making my way to the hotel.
The point being, I have hardly met people who are so good in maneuver the conversation. This guy, not sure what his education was, had the presence of mind to change the topic. He had the confidence to, first offer help and then to sell his wifes skill set in the most suitable way he thought of. This are the skills a sales guys try to learn for years and are ready to pay a huge amount for workshop. And I meet this server, who has developed in him without formally being trained to do so.
