Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Unforgettable moments

I have already guided hundreds of people in the Cella Septichora Visitor Centre. I can not recollect every single face but there were some people I will never forget. First of all, there was an English lady who taught me the appropriate pronunciation of sarcophagus. I think it is a beautiful word but not easy to pronounce. At first I was in trouble with it. Then came this English lady who were so nice to whisper the proper pronunciation (sär-kŏf’ə-gəs) in my ear and I had to repeat it loudly. Since then it is my favourite English word. If I want to be precise I must note that it has Greek origin (sarkophagos) and its meaning is flesh-consuming stone.
Another person I clearly remember was a French lady. She participated in an international conference in Pécs. The weather was unfriendly: cloudy, cold and foggy. A bit later a heavy rain began falling and this poor lady realized that she had left her raincoat in the hotel. She asked me whether we sell umbrellas. We did not. But she was lucky because I found one unclaimed. She wanted to pay for it but, of course, I did not accept the money. She was very grateful and she wanted to express it somehow. Finally, she presented a badge to me and fixed it on my coat. Before she left she told me that the capital letter "A" stands for ambassador.

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