I had an interesting day today.
We ran some errands, and decided to stop at Beach 1 in Wasaga.
The best espresso is available there at Ciao's Pizza.
Pamela walked bare foot along the water's edge as I drank my coffee and lite up a cigarette.
An elderly man looking of Indian decent approaches and asks if it's permitted to smoke here.
"No" I replied.
He looked confused as he looked up the street were another man was smoking, back at me, and then pointed at the cigarette butts on the ground.
"It is not allowed, but I am smoking anyway" I said.
"Oh" he replied as he pulled a pack out of the pocket of a well tailored shirt.
The wind of the lake made it hard to light a smoke so I gave him my already burning cigarette to lite his.
"Are you visiting from Toronto?" I ask.
"Brampton" he replies.
"We are in a motel over there, we stay until tomorrow"
We chatted a little more, and I ask him where are you from originally.
Proudly he answers "Punjab" but goes on to say "Canada is a very good county, many good people". He offered his opinion that some from India do not appreciate it and do not adjust to Canadian lifestyle.
"I don't think that's true" I answered, "it just takes time". "Before it was Chinese, Italian or Portuguese, and before that Polish and German"
"Today you cannot go anywhere and see Italian or Chinese restaurants, even Indian restaurants are popping up everywhere". "It just takes time, Canada has always been a land of immigration".
He smiled and said "you like Indian food?"
"Love it and cook it myself at home". " India is a beautiful country and I would love to visit there one day".
"Give me your address, I will send you a ticket" he says.
A little stunned I ask "why would you do that?".
"I am 72 and a very rich man, it would make me happy", was his answer. " I was an engineer working for the military, I get pension of 4 big rupees".
By this point Pamela had joined us and listened to the conversation with obvious suspicion.
I thanked him for his very generous offer but told him I could not accept. "I will visit India one day though".
We chatted a little more, "That is my wife over there, in the blue".
"She is very young, you are a lucky man", I answered.
"No no, she is 75, she was a gold medal discus champion in India" he comments while making the arm motion.
I laughed and said " So she is very strong too, you better be a good man to her".
"Oh yes, we have 2 sons and a daughter, we still have sex but I need just a little pill" he proudly asserted.
I could not help but chuckle, a cultural difference in the meaning of a "good man".
I shook his had and wished him a good day and safe journey home in the morning. As we walked back to our car, Pamela asks, "Why would you give a stranger our address?"
Not that I did but I said "something tells me this man would have actually kept his word and sent us that ticket".
Sometimes you encounter good honest people when you are willing to open up yourself.
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