I saw him getting off the bus this morning. An elderly man who was probably in his late 60s or early 70s. Walking gingerly as he pushed around his walker. He had a worried look on his face as if he was helpless and lost.
He walked up to a young woman asking for directions. His heavy accent sounded Eastern European in origin. His English was rudimentary and broken. The woman tried the best she could to understand the elderly man but was unsuccessful and the look on his face changed from worried and lost to annoyed.
Slowly walking towards my direction, he then asked me for help. "How to get to universally," he asked. I kind of knew what he was trying to say which is what others had a problem with. The bus stop where we were at, had two different bus lines going in the same direction and there were two destinations to which he may have been trying to say. In my slowest voice, I asked him "Are you trying to go to Universal City? Or University?" To which he replied "Yes," with such excitement that there was someone who finally understood him. That there was hope. Little did he know that his answer did little help to me in trying to help him find his way. I went with another approach asking him, "Are you going to Universal City? Or CSUN," thinking if he wanted to go to Universal City, he'd say "universally" again. His expression was one of perplexion. No verbal answer was given. In this moment, I thought I did the best I could and told the man to ask the bus driver but I told him to get on one particular bus because it went to both locations. If he was going to CSUN, I hoped he would recognize the streets and get off there and if he didn't, he was going to Unuversal City.
One of the buses was ready to depart and I got on with the other people waiting. I noticed the elderly man was the last one but he didn't board the bus. Rather, he asked the bus driver the same questions he asked everyone else and much like everyone else, the bus driver couldn't understand him and gave similar answers we all did. Defeated, he walked away towards another bus and just as the bus driver was ready to close the doors, I told the bus driver "I think he means university." The bus driver wasn't sure so I asked him if he could wait a minute so I can confirm for sure what he means and the driver kindly obliges so I run out of the bus and asked the elderly man once again, in a slow voice "universal city? Or university." He started to panic, speaking a language that was both wherever he was from and English until he said the words "big library." "Follow me. I know where you're going"
We both hurried back to the bus. I got on first so I can make sure to tell the operator that the elderly man was coming along and that I knew where he was going. As we both found a seat, I remembered that I had Google Translate on my phone so I ask the elderly man what country he was from. "Ukraine," he said. So I opened up the app and put on the English to Ukranian translation option so I can communicate with him better and tell him where to go. The first words I typed was "you go to university?" and the app gave me an answer of backwards letters reminiscent of The Russian alphabet and hoping it works, showed the man my question translated to Ukranian. I saw his face light up with surprise and joy as his reply was something I gathered to be Ukranian for "yes". With positive confirmation, my next translated words were "you get off at next stop." I'm not sure what he said to me but I gathered that he was amazed that my phone was capable of translating text to his native language so quickly, to which I replied that my phone can translate many languages. Of course this was translated all through Google Translate.
We reached the bus stop that conveniently is right in the heart of CSUN and as he stepped off the bus, I felt glad that I, through the use of technology, was able to get him to his destination. I'm not sure if he was able to find the library. I wish I had known myself, where it was as I've never been to that particular part of the campus. I only hoped someone would have the idea of breaking out their smartphone and helping him get to where he exactly needed to be.
As I went on my way to my destination, I thought about all the times where I was in his shoes and was lost and in need of help and often times I wouldn't get it. There have been a few kind strangers that have helped me out in those situations and I've always been thankful for their kindness as well as the kindness of the people in my life and it is these acts that give me a little more faith in humanity. I've done kinds things before but it's weird that after this particular event, I never thought myself as being...a conduit? That my good deeds may lead someone to have a little bit more faith in mankind.
I had a long and exhausting day but this experience was good for me and I hope for the elderly man from Ukraine as well.
He walked up to a young woman asking for directions. His heavy accent sounded Eastern European in origin. His English was rudimentary and broken. The woman tried the best she could to understand the elderly man but was unsuccessful and the look on his face changed from worried and lost to annoyed.
Slowly walking towards my direction, he then asked me for help. "How to get to universally," he asked. I kind of knew what he was trying to say which is what others had a problem with. The bus stop where we were at, had two different bus lines going in the same direction and there were two destinations to which he may have been trying to say. In my slowest voice, I asked him "Are you trying to go to Universal City? Or University?" To which he replied "Yes," with such excitement that there was someone who finally understood him. That there was hope. Little did he know that his answer did little help to me in trying to help him find his way. I went with another approach asking him, "Are you going to Universal City? Or CSUN," thinking if he wanted to go to Universal City, he'd say "universally" again. His expression was one of perplexion. No verbal answer was given. In this moment, I thought I did the best I could and told the man to ask the bus driver but I told him to get on one particular bus because it went to both locations. If he was going to CSUN, I hoped he would recognize the streets and get off there and if he didn't, he was going to Unuversal City.
One of the buses was ready to depart and I got on with the other people waiting. I noticed the elderly man was the last one but he didn't board the bus. Rather, he asked the bus driver the same questions he asked everyone else and much like everyone else, the bus driver couldn't understand him and gave similar answers we all did. Defeated, he walked away towards another bus and just as the bus driver was ready to close the doors, I told the bus driver "I think he means university." The bus driver wasn't sure so I asked him if he could wait a minute so I can confirm for sure what he means and the driver kindly obliges so I run out of the bus and asked the elderly man once again, in a slow voice "universal city? Or university." He started to panic, speaking a language that was both wherever he was from and English until he said the words "big library." "Follow me. I know where you're going"
We both hurried back to the bus. I got on first so I can make sure to tell the operator that the elderly man was coming along and that I knew where he was going. As we both found a seat, I remembered that I had Google Translate on my phone so I ask the elderly man what country he was from. "Ukraine," he said. So I opened up the app and put on the English to Ukranian translation option so I can communicate with him better and tell him where to go. The first words I typed was "you go to university?" and the app gave me an answer of backwards letters reminiscent of The Russian alphabet and hoping it works, showed the man my question translated to Ukranian. I saw his face light up with surprise and joy as his reply was something I gathered to be Ukranian for "yes". With positive confirmation, my next translated words were "you get off at next stop." I'm not sure what he said to me but I gathered that he was amazed that my phone was capable of translating text to his native language so quickly, to which I replied that my phone can translate many languages. Of course this was translated all through Google Translate.
We reached the bus stop that conveniently is right in the heart of CSUN and as he stepped off the bus, I felt glad that I, through the use of technology, was able to get him to his destination. I'm not sure if he was able to find the library. I wish I had known myself, where it was as I've never been to that particular part of the campus. I only hoped someone would have the idea of breaking out their smartphone and helping him get to where he exactly needed to be.
As I went on my way to my destination, I thought about all the times where I was in his shoes and was lost and in need of help and often times I wouldn't get it. There have been a few kind strangers that have helped me out in those situations and I've always been thankful for their kindness as well as the kindness of the people in my life and it is these acts that give me a little more faith in humanity. I've done kinds things before but it's weird that after this particular event, I never thought myself as being...a conduit? That my good deeds may lead someone to have a little bit more faith in mankind.
I had a long and exhausting day but this experience was good for me and I hope for the elderly man from Ukraine as well.