Today I had a knitting meet-up with the ladies from the university. We try and meet about once a month and usually at someone's home - we bring snacks and have tea or coffee and it's great.
We kind of didn't really have anything planned for December - so a day or two ago - someone suggested a caf� and some of us were able to make it.
While waiting for my bus, as I missed the first one - and this one was late of course, I helped an elderly lady hop out of a tow truck that pulled over to drop her off.
She couldn't reach the 2nd step from the bottom - they're really narrow and more ladder-style than protruding outwards like stairs - so I reached out to hold her arm and she gave me her purse and shopping bag to hold on to.
Thankfully the ice has melted over the last few days and she was grateful for the hand.
There was another person at the bus stop and he must not have noticed the lady was having difficulty jumping out of the cabin of the tow truck.
Anyways, the bus finally arrives, the little old lady is gone and me and this guy get on the bus.
I sit near the middle - as the bus is almost empty - with the exception of a couple sitting near the back and am excited to go knitting (Old Lady points are tallying up!).
Suddenly, I notice that the other guy is faced towards me and smiles at me and begins to sign something to me.
I looked at him a bit funny and he did it again.
So I started signing back.
"My name's Dominique."
He signs something else and I'm thinking, "CRAP! Finnish sign language might be different than English!"
So I start to sign, "Sorry", and decided I'd go sit closer to try and practice my signing skills (which I haven't used in YEARS) and perhaps make a new friend...and find out how different Finnish and English sign language signals are!
I sat across from him but on the opposite side of the bus and notice that he hasn't looked at me but he's still signing.
We kind of didn't really have anything planned for December - so a day or two ago - someone suggested a caf� and some of us were able to make it.
While waiting for my bus, as I missed the first one - and this one was late of course, I helped an elderly lady hop out of a tow truck that pulled over to drop her off.
She couldn't reach the 2nd step from the bottom - they're really narrow and more ladder-style than protruding outwards like stairs - so I reached out to hold her arm and she gave me her purse and shopping bag to hold on to.
Thankfully the ice has melted over the last few days and she was grateful for the hand.
There was another person at the bus stop and he must not have noticed the lady was having difficulty jumping out of the cabin of the tow truck.
Anyways, the bus finally arrives, the little old lady is gone and me and this guy get on the bus.
I sit near the middle - as the bus is almost empty - with the exception of a couple sitting near the back and am excited to go knitting (Old Lady points are tallying up!).
Suddenly, I notice that the other guy is faced towards me and smiles at me and begins to sign something to me.
I looked at him a bit funny and he did it again.
So I started signing back.
"My name's Dominique."
He signs something else and I'm thinking, "CRAP! Finnish sign language might be different than English!"
So I start to sign, "Sorry", and decided I'd go sit closer to try and practice my signing skills (which I haven't used in YEARS) and perhaps make a new friend...and find out how different Finnish and English sign language signals are!
I sat across from him but on the opposite side of the bus and notice that he hasn't looked at me but he's still signing.
DRUM ROLL PLEASE...
Yep. He was signing to the couple in the back.
Then he got up and went to go sit with them...thankfully, some people were getting on at the next stop and I just looked like someone who wanted to sit closer to the front door.
At least I still know how to say, "My name is D-O-M-I-N-I-Q-U-E."
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