Unspoken Understandings

Living in a country in which I barely speak the language has given me a newfound appreciation for one very important thing: understanding someone without having to speak. I have had to rely on a few things in order to either understand someone or be understood this year:
-My survival level of French
-The fact that almost everyone living here speaks English
-My incredible talent in miming and performing distressed sign language

The latter has been what has allowed me to buy tickets, find a pair of scissors, and even comment on the weather. But it is when all it takes is a look to understand a situation that I have come to appreciate most. This has happened several times, but two times that stand out to me now.

The first was when I, completely in character, was running late to an engagement. I was on my usual springing-on-cobblestone-in-heels mode when I turned a corner and ran past another woman who was doing the same thing. We made eye contact for only a few seconds, but both burst into laughter at the absurdity of both our situations. I keep running to and from places in hopes of achieving the same outcome, but normally am just greeted with looks of confusion, pity, or even hostility.

The second and more recent instance of an unspoken understanding was this morning when I was on my way back from church. I was stopped at a cross walk about ready to cross a rather busy road to get to my house. Parked in the street next to me was a car whose front was edged so far into oncoming traffic that a line of cars began to form, forced to wait until their lane was no longer blocked. The owners of the car, a middle-aged couple, scurried about the car, taking things out and putting things in, almost seemingly unaware of the angry honks directed at them from the line of cars that was steadily growing. They eventually got back into the car, drove out, and even gave a little wave of apology to the lead car, whose driver just glowered at them menacingly. I glanced across the street at a couple who, like me, was enjoying the spectacle and made eye contact with the woman sitting at the table. We both smiled at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and gave a "Wow, wasn't that guy an idiot" laugh.

Language has become something so fascinating to me since I've moved here, and the longer I live here and take visits to English speaking countries, the less I take for granted the fact that there are some places I can go and be understand, and in turn, understand those around me. In the meantime, I will accept the fact that I will not understand a lot of what's going around me, but still appreciate those little moments, fleeting at best, when I completely understand what someone around me is thinking, just by meeting each other's gaze.