Un nouvel ami

I made a new friend today. His name is Jean-Pierre and I estimate his age to be around 65 or 70. He has glasses, wears argyle sweaters, and sits at the same table in le Brasserie for at least an hour with his Suduko and a cup of coffee--deux sucres. I've been wanting to crack him for a while now. He comes in every day but is the silent type, not giving much of a smile or saying anything else but his order, though always politely. And he tips, so I took an instant liking to him.

I must have been extra smiley or chatty today, I'm not exactly sure. But I finally succeeded! He cracked! All it took was a smile and "Comment ça va aujourd'hui, Monsieur?" We chatted for a little while, exchanging the usual and somewhat boring getting-to-know-you-superficially questions. But it was an honest and simple exchange that made my day. And you know what's even better? He came in again tonight. Twice in one day. Okay, so maybe he just really likes our coffee and free newspapers and café music (which sucks, by the way), but I like to think that he came back for some company and another conversation, no matter how brief it may have been. And before he got up to leave, he asked for my email and I his, and he addressed me using "tu" instead of "vous"--he actually pointed this out to make sure I knew that we had suddenly crossed over into friendly and informal territory. That did it. So don't worry family and friends, I may not have any boyfriend that will make me want to stay in Switzerland forever, but JP--that's what I'm going to start calling him if he goes for it--is definitely my new man friend who I'm sure will have some great stories to share.

I love it when people you'd think would be quiet and timid come around to surprise you. They serve as a good reminder to never judge too quickly or make assumptions. You could be missing out on someone really special. And it is amazing what a short exchange of words or even glances can do. Just as JP--he'll tell you.