Which way, Guv?

When in another country it's always nice to be able to give directions to fellow tourists - it makes one feel just a little bit 'at home'. Yesterday in one of the tube stations I was standing by a wall watching the passing parade and a young Japanese guy timidly came up to me. As he spoke, he did that endearing nodding gesture that I thought was just a racist Hollywood cliche. "Ah-excuse-ah-me sir, can I ask-ah you?" I smiled and said of course he could ask me. "Please-ah what-ah station to Tower-Bridge-ahrah?" Without hesitation, and quite surprising myself, I was able to tell him which line he needed, where he needed to change trains and where to alight. I felt positively local! I asked him where he was from and he told me Tokyo. "My-ah first-ah visit.. Yes.. Old London town-ah very beautiful-ahrah." I guided him to the right stairwell, lightly gripped his arm and said that I hoped he enjoyed the rest of his trip. It's little moments of random human connection across cultures like this that fill my heart with warmth and which suddenly make the world seem perfectly beautiful.

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