One of the great joys of traveling in foreign countries is seeing the differences in cultures; sometimes nuanced, sometimes vast. At times, however, noting the similarities of the local culture and my culture provides a sense of comfort, a sense of belonging.
I felt this kindred spirit recently with a wee lass on a bus to Viña del Mar, Chile. The girl, who was about three years-old, was rummaging through her right nostril with her right middle finger. She inserted the finger, stirred it around, and always removed it without the object for which she was searching. Switching to her more dexterous index finger, she was able to successfully probe her petite proboscis, quickly extracting a piece of dried mucus. She learned from her mistake and practiced the trial-and-error learning technique. I could relate.
The precious little lady hid the recently discovered object from her mother, who was sitting alongside her, in her tiny fingers and began to roll it into a fine ball. I smiled at the memory of my older sister teaching me the exact same technique.
When the girl had rolled the mucus ball until it attained a shape and consistency that satisfied her, she tried to put it back into her right nostril. The object refused repatriation and dropped onto her dress. I grimaced as I watched. Haven’t we all made that mistake?
The girl quickly snatched the object from her dress and peeped at her mom to ensure her actions hadn’t attracted maternal attention. Peering at her mother from the corner of her right eye to ensure that she wasn’t under parental surveillance, the girl pretended to scratch her leg while working the sticky item free from her fingers. She displayed a picker’s wisdom well beyond her years. I nearly stood and applauded.
Moving quickly, the girl was able to wriggle the item free from her fingers. It dropped onto her mother’s pant leg. The little doll then began working her left nostril with her left index finger. What tenacity!
My bus compatriot was tenacious, wise and a quick study. I was sure that she would do well in life, in any culture, in any country.
