Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Spain series (3)-- Spanish people


Have you ever visited a place and felt that you belong to that particular place even though you have never lived there before?

Have you ever encountered some people whom you felt they are returning your kindness in this life time because you had treated them well in the last life?

To me, the situations described above happened to me more than once when I was in Spain. 




Every time I use this cup, I remember the story.

There was this cafe that sells ice cream, cakes and fresh hand made yoghurt in the city of Granada in Spain. I was dragged into this nice cafe with modern decoration by my dancing teacher one day right after lunch because she had to have ice cream in one cold winter day. I had no idea that after the first visit I would become a frequent visitor there.




The cafe was often packed with visitors because the food and the service there was superb. In its busy hour(around 2--3PM), you often found one waiter in the centre of the counter busying serving all customers. My teacher and I were impressed with this waiter's swift service. He was able to take orders while making yoghurt, serving ice cream or cakes to customers. He never got the order mixed up. We never learnt his name. All we knew was that he never left his hometown--Granada and he was not the boss of the cafe. We often jokingly said that he belonged to a fast-paced city like Hong Kong. Sometimes we had this understanding that he could slow down a bit when it came to our order because we had all the time in the world to wait for our orders. Sensing our patience one day, after completing our order, he went to the chocolate counter and took out two pieces of chocolate as a compliment gift. At that moment, we bonded.


Sometimes I felt that I visited the cafe just to marvelled at the swift service. Sometimes I just had to have ice cream. Whatever the reasons, I went there at least once a week. 

For some odd reasons I had to leave Granada for Valencia, I left Granada for two full months and decided that I had to live in Valencia so I went back to Granada to pack my things. 

The day I stepped in the cafe for the first time after my 2-month absence. The waiter immediately asked me where I had been. I told him casually that I had been to Valencia and decided to settle in Valencia and I was back just to pack my things.




As usual, I ordered ice-cream and sat there quietly and started observing the waiter's work. He was making yoghurt with fresh fruit. All I saw was that he was mixing the yoghurt of original favour and put some freshly cut strawberries in it and then he made the crunchy chocolate to top it off. Minutes later, I found this cup of yoghurt sitting in front of me.He said to me,"This is the hand made yoghurt with fresh strawberries, it's good for your health." He said to one of the customers,'well, this girl is a frequent customer, she is leaving Granada for Valencia, I make this yoghurt to her hopefully she will come back again to Granada one day.'




Looking at this cup of yoghurt and feeling the kindness, I found myself in tears and called my friend to talk about it. It never happened to me in my own city. People just are so cold that they made no contact with one another let alone doing things for one another unconditionally. God, the happiness and grateful feeling were so difficult to contain and I burst in tears. I was happy and touched because I felt that the world was still full of humanity and kindness. 

'I think I will be back once again before I leave for Valencia.' These were the words I uttered. I had no idea that the day I visited again the waiter was nowhere to be found. Maybe he was on holiday. Well, life! life!




The white texture trim looks like the yoghurt. I also love the violets at the well of the cup and saucer. Violets remind me of this pure friendship between the waiter and I. We never talked much but somehow he was like my uncle, we had this kind of understanding. It's kinda like the friendship between the two characters in the film--'Lost in Translation'.




Though it's a married set, the cup is in pale blue and saucer in mint green, the color tones are the same and it does not distract its own beauty.




Who said that Spanish people are always lazy and inefficient? There are always exceptions.


Have a nice week.

I am joining Terri & Martha  for tea cup Tuesday. 



Note: Usually most of the shops in Spain close from 1PM--4 PM. But the cafe I visited open during Siesta hour, maybe that's why it was packed with people.

8 comments:

  1. Hello Felicity,
    I loved your post! How sweet and tender it is in so many ways.
    I have felt exactly this way when I go to
    England. I feel like it is my home, even though I was born in America. When I away from it, I feel like I am away from home. Weird I know.
    And yes, I have met people and in one second knew there was a strong bond there that could not be explained.
    I do love your cup! You know you are showing off my colors lol! In fact, I have an E.B. Foley cup that has similar swirls to your cup here.
    http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/2013/01/tea-cup-tuesday-favorite-blue.html
    I don't know if you saw it before.
    Anyways, your cup here is gorgeous even if the blues are a little different on plate an cup.
    Hugs,
    Terri

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    Replies
    1. Hi Terri,
      I do believe that we all have a second 'home' somewhere in the world.
      Oh, I did not mean to show off. I seldom have cups of this color but the texture creamy trim just helps me link to this memory.

      Yes, I read that post already. Thanks for showing me the link again. After reading many of your posts, I got to know your fav color. I am also impressed with the high handle royal albert cup you bought when you were in a tea shop. It's in deep mint green and with gold trims exterior and flowers in the well of cup.I like that one a lot.

      Thanks,
      Felicity

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  2. Dear Felicity
    You have precious tea cups! This one is beautiful ,I love that blue color and the violets.I think you have a gorgeus collection.Mine is not so good and at the moment I´m not posting cups as I have not new tea cups to show and I have not
    enough free time for taking new photographs of them.
    Thank you very much for your words about Spain and the spanish people,you were lucky living in Granada,for me it,s one of the most beautiful cities in the world
    As Terry say even I´m spanish and I love Spain I like very much the british style life and sometimes I dream about living in England
    Love from Cádiz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Princesa Nadie,
      I think I have too many tea cups sometimes. But I cannot help but buy more when I see something I like.
      I guess I will repost the tea cups later if I run out of tea cups and add some of my hand fans(abanicos) with it.
      I just love the Spanish sun and the people. Somehow most of them are nice to me. I was in Granada for a few months, yes it's a nice city but I love Valencia more ja ja. The people I met in Valencia were like some friends I knew in my past life.

      I have been to England once only and I still love Spain more.

      I would love to visit Cadiz one day.

      Hugs,
      Felicity

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  3. Hi Felicity: God is so good. He always gives us just what we need. Your post is beautiful and your story so heart felt. I do hope one day you will be able to see your friend again. Thank you for sharing that stunning cup. Have a blessed week. Martha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Martha,
      Yes, after the trip to Spain, I do think that God is nice to us, it's just that sometimes He teaches us lessons and people complain about it.
      I do hope that one day I can meet all the friends I have met in Spain again.

      Hugs,
      Felicity

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  4. Hi Felicity,
    I loved your cup and the interesting story that you told about the Granada waiter. But I can assure you that you could also find that kind of person in a Portuguese café... :)
    Who knows, some day you'll come to visit... Spain again and Portugal!!!
    Hugs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Maria,
      I am sure there are nice waiters in Portugal.
      I would love to visit Portugal, I admire the hand embroidered linens from Madeira.

      Seems that everyone is wishing me to go back to Spain ha ha.

      Thanks,
      Felicity

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