Friday afternoon at Borders

I stare at a map of Borders Bookstore. I exchange eye contact with H, working the information desk. She is talking with P, her coworker, about college courses.

H: Are you looking for anything in particular?
Me: No, I'm just looking at your map.
H: What section of the map are you interested in?
Me: Actually, I'm looking at the whole map. Is it new?

Apparently, I am still in map mode. Meanwhile, she keeps trying steer the conversation back to what books I'm interested in.

H: Oh come on. You must be interested in something. (1)
Me: Well, what do you have to recommend to me?
H: What are books do you like to read?
Me: I like poetry. And I like learning foreign languages.
H: What language are you interested in?
Me: Well, I don't know yet. I want to buy the Rosetta Stone, but it's expensive, so I want make sure I choose a good language to learn.

Then P interjects, asking me all about the languages I've learned and the programs I prefer. She tells me I should learn Russian, because I speak German and I already know about cases (2). I find out what her major is, but not much beyond that point. I tell her that the best to learn a language is to learn with a friend, but sadly none of my friends are into languages (3).

H: I think you'd like a Spanish novel. Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Me: I love him.
H: You should read "One Hundred Years of Solitude."
Me: Why?
H: Just the style of writing. It's so other worldly.
Me: And how does that make you feel? (4)
H: Um, good I guess...
P: (to the side) Is he a psychologist?
Me: Come on, let's go find it.

She gets it for me, and I find out her name, but she leaves before I can talk more to her.

Later I go back to P and talk about language learning. When the topic winds down though, I leave (5).



Comments:
(1) Here, I totally could have said something like: "I love that your so assertive!"
(2) P is very knowledgeable about languages. I totally should have talked to her more, it seems like we have a lot in common. She's very intellectual. I should have told her that, but I guess I was too entranced by H's assertiveness dominating the conversation.
(3) I should have put a positive spin onto this. "None of my friends like learning languages, but I'm always making more friends, so maybe this will be the year I finally master Punjabi!"
(4) "How does that make you feel" was a canned line, and P totally picked up on it with her psychologist comment. Here's how it could have gone:
H: It's other worldly!
M: Wow, I totally appreciate other worldly writing. It really just takes me and puts me in this other dimension. How does it make you feel?
H: Um... good.
M: It makes me feel good too. I'm a composer, and I love other worldly music.
H: You do? That's so cool! I like to write poetry and paint coffee mugs. It really puts me in this state!