A look that changes everything

It’s not necessary to share the same idiom to understand each other and share a feeling of belonging together, like an invisible fraternity that warms up the heart...
Yes, I dared using this concept – that, not long ago, would probably have received my sarcasms. It was just before I joined some Turkish comedians to share a meal, a nice way to conclude a report that had already filled me with joy. Two days long, I could, once again, noticed the magic power of theatre, its ability to overcome the barrier of language: on stage, the expressions of the body and the comical expressions of the face both give a universal meaning to the words let out. In fact, I was still acting as an observer, of course with a great empathy for the subject, but I was still outside of this movement of communion that was taking place in front of me. But then, what did actually happen in this restaurant on the banks of the Bosporus, to cause such a strong physical feeling in me, something I had rarely felt? It has nothing to do with some soothing demagogy: in reality, nothing in particular really bound me to these comedians I didn’t even know two days ago. When I first entered the restaurant, I immediately noticed the happy atmosphere reigning at the end of the table, where the Turkish comedians were seating together. But that wasn’t enough to start talking to them…My poor knowledge of the English language (due to a kind of old inherited French pride?) just blocked me for a while. Who took courage first, my neighbour or me? I can’t remember. But what I do remember is the quality of his look. His big wide smile just encouraged me to start to build up a sentence that would have appalled a Shakespearian disciple. He just laughed his head off at me, as I started apologizing for my bad English and his good mood gave me confidence, as well as the fact that I could perfectly understand is Anglo Turk. We have shared words and ideas (and also the exploits of our countries and their football teams, among other things!) and above all an unbelievable closeness. As the discussion went on, others started exchanging views with us, as if we were having a meal between palls. If someone had said the comedians were old friends of mine, I wouldn’t have denied it. A mental barrier had fallen down, a contact had been established. Just this kind of small event that changes the way you are looking at people.

Bruno Bouvet

Submitted by rédacteur on Wed, 08/10/2008 - 13:34

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