Sultan Speak - Family collage

As I wrote to you last time, May is that time of the year when I am away from India visiting different countries. These visits also enable me pick new thoughts and learning. While in Cannes, Southern France for the media festival this summer, one of the evenings had me walking in the old town of Cannes, enjoying the old French architecture and landscape and architecture that added to the beauty of the town. While on these jaunts, I saw this little girl on a small cycle riding down a cobbled narrow street. I looked at her and flashed a smile at her. The girl stopped the cycle looked at me, gave me a sweet smile and said ‘Bonjour Monsieur’. I instantly retorted ‘Bonjour’ to which she responded ‘Merci’ and rode away. I was touched by this gesture. Here was a little girl who had the courtesy to stop and wish a complete stranger. I was instantly reminded of a school notice that someone I knew received sometime back that had a list of things that parents must teach their children before they get an admission to school. One of the things in that list read ‘children should be taught not to look at or talk to strangers’.