Wabi Sabi - a way of looking at the world with a kind of quiet insight, to find beauty, even in imperfection.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Paradigm Shift at DFW

"The best thing one can do when it rains is to let it rain."
--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

It was my "Quote of the Day," emailed to me the morning of May 23, 2011. How prophetic.

True, it had been a day full of frustrations at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport. After returning from Copenhagen where we disembarked from a spectacular Scandinavian cruise, we were ready to return home. I won't bore you with details of our misadventures at DFW, but will simply say after a day full of waiting for hours on an airplane, fighting crowds, delays, cancellations, gate changes, irritable agents and customers, we ended up spending another night in Dallas.

But amidst all the frustration, three things changed my persepective, little by little at first, then, WHAM! The way I viewed those "challenges" changed.

First, I'd heard about the tornado and its devastation in Joplin. As our flights were delayed, then cancelled, it was pretty easy to tell myself that my problems were minor compared to those of the victims of the tornado. However, I'll admit  that as the day progressed and tempers all around me flared, it became harder and harder to remind myself of the relative smallness of my "problems."
Toward the end of the day, as we waited to see if we might possibly be lucky enough to have our names called to board the third flight for which we'd been placed on standby (we were at #87 and #88 on that  standby list,) a young woman who reminded me of my daughter sat next to us.

She smiled. "Are you guys waiting to get on this flight?" she asked.

Stephen and I both chimed in, keen to tell her our woes of the day.

She continued to smile as she exhaled. "Wow. I just had to come over here and sit for awhile - to get away from all that negative energy over there."

That next little paradigm shift came as a whisper. "Ooh," I thought. "I wonder if we're emitting the very negative energy she's trying to escape?"

With the most sincere look in her eyes, she said, "You guys sure are handling it well for what you've been through."

It's hard to describe how her words - her demeanor - affected me. I knew inside that we'd done our share of complaining, but she took the time to find something positive, and it immediately made me want to be positive, too. But, it was as I thought more about her words over the next few hours, even as I went to sleep, that I realized the kind of power her kind of attitude had.

The next morning as we prepared to head to the airport for another day of attempting to get home, I asked Stephen, "I wonder how it would affect the customer service agents if we empathized with the kind of day they must be having, even thanked them for their help?"

Sure, I'll admit they could have done much to provide better customer service through the
delays and cancellations, but I put myself in their place, and imagined a customer saying a kind word.

Imagine.

That morning while we waited for the aiport shuttle from the hotel,  I watched news stories about people who'd lost loved ones in the storms in Joplin, saw video of the complete destruction, and the pettiness of the previous day's inconveniences was reinforced to me again - so minor inconveniences ompared to lives that have been changed forever in Joplin.

Though I believe dealt with the frustrations better than many, I, too, was affected by all the negativity around me by the end of the day.

The girl at the airport will probably never know how her kind, positive words changed my perpective and my own demeanor. I realized how a smile could be a positive influence on someone else.

Maybe sometimes all we can do is let it rain, but it sure is nice to see a little sunshine in the storm.

Friday, May 13, 2011

An Indian Meal in Copenhagen

Well, okay, the first thing I ate in Copenhagen, Denmark was a Danish -- a yummy, raspberry-filled, flaky pastry accompanied by a piping hot Cappuccino served by a barista with deep blue eyes and an accent as rich as the pastry.
But the next meal to tickle our culinary senses was Indian. Yes, after walking around with watering mouths, looking to discover a local favorite, we came upon Gateway to Bombay, a quaint-looking candlelit little restaurant. Since our hometown does not have an Indian restaurant, it was far too tempting to resist.

We walked in to a warm, humid room, thick with the aroma of curry and cardamom. I passed tables with dishes of family-style portions of a variety of entrees on our way to a table for two, crammed in between two other tiny tables. At least if our willpower didn't limit what we would eat, the size of the table would.

After perusing the extensive menu, we selected curry chicken (light on the "heat"), seekh (lamb) kabab, channa masala (chick peas and potatoes in curry), nan (flat bread) and rice. I chose a morsel of curried chicken first - simply heaven on a fork; perfectly seasoned with spices for my wimpy tongue. Next, the channa masala. I savored each little pea, trying to detect the seasonings used so that I might prepare it for Thanksgiving this year.


Ratings - 1-10, with 10 being BEST!

Atmosphere - 8
With soft lighting accenting original artwork and tables lit by candlelight, the atmosphere was warm and calming. My only complaint was that it was rather cramped.

Food - 10
Definitely the best Indian food I've had - even in India. Perfectly seasoned, as long as you let the waiter know how you like it.

Service - 7
The wait staff was extremely professional, but not as friendly as that of other establishments we've visited in Copenhagen. They spoke English well, however, I got the feeling it really was a "local" hangout, and they weren't accustomed to tourists.

Observations
1) I always think it's good when you see that the locals frequent the establishment, and especially think it's a good sign when Indians frequent an Indian restaurant, Japanese frequent a Japanese restaurant, Chinese a Chinese restaurant, etc., etc.

2) The repeated realization that we really do live in a "melting pot" small world always makes me smile. At Gateway to Bombay, the Indian wait staff spoke Danish and English, and a Chinese woman who sat next to us spoke Danish. On our walk this evening, we heard a Peruvian duet with guitar and flute playng Peruvian music and another duet with guitar and accordian playing "Besame Mucho" - certainly not Danish. :)

Tomorrow, we'll be taking a city tour of Copenhagen. Who knows what we'll find to eat - maybe Italian? Chinese? Perhaps another Danish.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Guatemala Ponderings

I never know what I will come away with after traveling to a new country, but always, I gain new insights and lessons.

As I waited for a flight in Houston during the Great Blizzard of 2011, I pondered the lessons of Guatemala.


We visited the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal and learned they existed from approximately 600 B.C. to 900 A.D. - 1500 years! Archeologists have mapped over 3000 structures over a 25 square mile jungle area, however most have yet to be excavated after being "taken back" over the centuries by nature. What is amazing is how these structures have withstood the ravages of time. It's hard to imagine any of our modern-day structures lasting even beyond a century or two. Compare the 1500-year Mayan civilization to the age of our own country - 235 years. Though we see ourselves as a superpower, even invincible, it is likely only temporary.

Sometimes, I think in our relatively wealthy and technologically-advanced  society, we have become spoiled, even soft. Seeing the hard work that is a part of day-to-day life for the people of Guatemala confirms my thinking.
I watched the toil of women and children, first with a bit of pity, then with awe. Children as young as five or six help their families with farming and selling goods. Throughout the cities of Antigua and Chichicastenango, they followed us, trying to sell their goods. I was amazed not only at their persistence, but also at their math skills. In negotiating, they were often quicker than I at calculating quantity discounts and dollar to quetzal conversions. Young children could be seen everywhere carrying their younger siblings on their backs, as their mothers carried stacks of wood on their backs, even on their heads.(Many of my thoughts on Guatemala were similar to those I had of India, posted in my entry,
Poverty and Nimiety.)


 

The landscape of terraced crops was beautiful. But even more incredible was the fact that most of the field work we saw taking place was done by hand. Hand tilling, hand picking. Entire families were working in these fields.

And if only we had vegetable markets like these!
Travel opens my eyes to other cultures. Though I always learn something about the culture of the country I am visiting, and I also get to know other travelers in our group who are often from different backgrounds. On this trip, we met new friends with Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese heritages. We also met a young man from Switzerland, and a couple from Israel. It's interesting to learn about other countries through their eyes, and to hear their perspectives on a variety of topics. It also gives us ideas of new places to visit.
Guatemala is actually a land of many cultures. About half of the population is a mix of Spanish-Amerindian heritage, or mestizo. The remaining population belongs to 23 indigenous Mayan groups, each having its own language. A traveler can see the differences in culture immediately, in the many styles of dress in various parts of the country. My favorite style was in Chichicastenango - so colorful.

Guatemala is a country with a culture as varied as the brilliant colors woven into its fabrics.