As I say, my Mandarin was in it's infancy at the time; I was so anxious about opening my mouth. I didn't want to disturb him, but I really wanted to just be there awhile and hoped maybe we'd talk a little. I was simultaneously starving for and terrified of conversation opportunities whenever I took my walks ... I noticed that however much passers by might pause, stand at a distance and watch for a minute or so, he didn't engage them. He was completely focused on his work.Nordic wrote:Okay, the armless guy is pretty amazing, but I couldn't help but notice he had a pack of smokes.
What I want to see is how he lights a cigarette.
I never saw him smoke, but somewhere in the jumble of paint pots and brushes near his left knee were a number of dog-ends which is how I worked out that he's a smoker. That's when I thought I should give him some of the tobacco I'd just bought, so I did.
It occurred to me to get the plastic out of the way and pop the lid so he wouldn't have to when he took his smoke break, and that was an interesting moment. I'm sure he could have done all that himself of course - I held up the tobacco and asked "Dui bu qi, ni yong ma?" / "Excuse me, you use [this]?" I couldn't remember the word for smokes/cigarettes (irony) ... he nodded, brush between his teeth, and carried on working. I thought for a second and decided that if I were him I'd appreciate the plastic off and the box open.
It was a good call; I got my first big smile. I was so self conscious, but his smile really put me at ease. Worried about my language skills, worried about being rude without meaning to be, I had memorized how to ask someone if it's okay to take their picture. All of a sudden I couldn't remember the words for "camera/take picture". I held up my camera with a question mark on my face, and he smiled and nodded yes. ... Sitting near him on the sidewalk, with just that beautiful smile and our eyes hooking together, there was suddenly the feeling that he really didn't mind me there, or my camera, and we did speak a tiny bit.
I seem to recall matches somewhere there ... the thing I would have liked to see was his arrival and his organization of his space and getting down to business. As you can see - everything is laid out just so. That's how I remember his movements and physical demeanour. Just so. Very fluid. He opened paint pots with his feet as easily as I might with my hands. No mystery.
I also wish I knew his name, but names are like quiksand for language learners ... really. I'm going back, so I'll go looking for him and bring him some more tobacco... and something a lot closer to a real conversation ...
by the memory of the late 19th century piano composition an excerpt of which is played in the intro of All the Things You Are on Charles Mingus’s album that Laodicean posted above. Thanks, L. Maybe you knew that 
already? I thought of this video in which the comedic team spoofs the original composition. 
, if you please 