Charmed

I just got back from a family vacation to Hong Kong, and man, I am tired! I feel like my feet have walked the earth, and then some. But I have also returned content and inspired.
I know this post should logically be about all the wonderful sights and sounds of HK, but my take away from this trip was something else, my take away was that people are charming. Simple, yet true. And yes, it took a trip to HK to remind me of that.
For those of you who don't know, I work from home. This somewhat (completely) limits my social interaction. I chat with my colleagues online constantly, but I don't really meet anyone in person. And living in a city where I don't have many friends doesn't help either. So, when I was in HK, I was pleasantly surprised. I was surprised by how charming people (men) can be, I was surprised by how far a genuine smile can take you, and I was surprised by how refreshing social interaction can actually be. To be very honest, I had completely forgotten what it was like, and, boy, am I glad to rediscover it!
I met a charming purser on my flight from Mumbai who kept referring to me as Miss Pradhan. It wasn't a big thing, but it made me feel nice, it reminded me of my own reference to Miss Austen, and I felt the pleasant feeling you get when you're around, what we term, 'a nice guy'.
When I was in the actual city, I was attended to by a very knowledgeable tour guide who was so fascinated by my university coat of arms (on my uni hoodie) that she just had to photograph it to show her kids.
At the gamblers' paradise of Macau, I met an old Chinese lady who tried to explain the workings of a slot machine to me, even though she didn't speak any English! It was a hilarious yet unforgettable moment!
And then there were the chivalrous men, they seemed to be all around! They were holding doors open, letting me get in the elevator ahead of them and smiling, what seemed to be, their most charming smiles! I was ecstatic! Yes, good manners get me ecstatic, that's just who I am.
So, there you have it, even though I did all the touristy things there were to do in HK, and I had a whale of a time at Disneyland, what this holiday did was just remind me of how charming and enigmatic people can be. It reminded me that I need to try harder to, well, have a life, and not sink into the comfort of being unsocial, and most of all it reminded me that a charming, pleasant smile once encountered, it can be hard to forget ;)