Something quite extra-ordinary happened to us today, and it is about $$$$$! Erik, our magnificent producer, walks into the bank, Millennium BCP, to change his €500 notes into €50 notes so we can actually SPEND MONEY in this historic town of Guimaraes, but his request is heartlessly-turned down by the bank's counter staff, who adamantly refuses to even consider changing for part of his possessions. So we go to the Information Centre, hoping to get some solid advice. The lady who works at the counter here is very nice and apologetic, but there is nothing she can do. She can only suggest that we go to another bank, Caixa Geral de Depositos, to try our luck. A lady who is also a visitor in Guimaraes over hears our conversation and she keeps saying, mortified, "It's unbelievable." She has beautiful blonde hair, and her skin is tanned a lovely wheat. Her English is so good that I almost take her to be American. But she is a native of this country, a Portuguese lady. By this time, we also feel very sorry for ourselves, because it is hot and we've walked for twenty minutes, hungry. Anyway, we march on to the next bank, collect the waiting ticket with a number on it, and queue docilely. A few minutes later, to our surprise, the blonde lady shows up at this bank and she goes up to Erik. I'm sitting down, therefore not able to hear what they say. But apparently she offers to help us by depositing our "big cash" into her account and withdraw it in smaller value notes from the ATM. When it is Erik's turn, he walks up to the counter with the blonde lady, and I see that the bank man is not happy. He looks serious and ready to turn Erik down. I think to myself, wow, no one wants our money in this town!? But the man yields to Erik's persuasion in the end. The blonde lady walks away smiling, and so do we. Straight into Ana's lunch feast - | 抵達吉馬良斯的第四天中午,首演的前一天,除了辛苦的舞台監督和製作經理一早先到劇場準備舞台之外,對於我們其他人來說,這又是一個幸福的豔陽花園午餐約。 有些團員先到午餐地點,準備烹煮拿手東方菜以回「餽」葡國的新舊朋友們。 有些則留在宿舍做點事。 晚點出發的三人,路上繞道銀行換鈔。製作人Erik Kuong手上好多張五百歐元的超大鈔(每一張大約面值五千元港幣),好幾天都沒得用,因為沒有一家商店找得開來。我們知道午餐料理還需要一個鐘頭左右,於是閒步走向Millennium BCP銀行,拿了等候的號碼牌,等了十來分鐘,最後… 卻吃了個閉門羹。 不可思議… 櫃台內西裝筆挺,神情嚴肅的行員,斬釘截鐵地拒絕為我們將五百歐大鈔換成百元鈔,更別說面值更小的鈔票了。而我們實在傻住了,也不知道接下來怎麼辦,呆呆站在那兒好一會兒,才又慢步走出銀行,想著到其他家銀行去碰碰運氣。 路途上,Erik說我們還是到遊客資訊中心問一下好了,免得又白跑一趟。 在遊客資訊中心當班的小姐聽到我們的遭遇一臉歉意,不斷跟我們道歉,但是看得出來她也毫無辦法,因為她還分享其他遊客類似的悲慘經歷,說那人一整個星期都沒有錢可以花。 而一旁排隊等著問旅遊資訊的葡國遊客也是一臉詫異,瞠目結舌。 最後遊客資訊中心的馬尾小姐建議我們到隔壁Caixa Geral de Depositos試試,於是我們就在小姐歉意的眼神 、其他遊客搖頭嘆息的同情中, 垂肩緩步離開了Information Centre. 到了下一間銀行,Erik照樣拿號碼排排隊,但我們其他兩人就百無聊賴地坐下,東張西望 – 其實,正午的炙陽很耗人的,我們等著等著都昏昏欲睡了。 突然,見到略覺眼熟的金髮女子,咦,這不是剛剛在遊客資訊中心那位英語流利的女士嗎? 我倆望著她操作ATM,取完錢之後,直直往Erik走過去。從他們談話的神情看來,她是特地來幫助Erik的!原來,她打算用自己的銀行帳戶幫我們將大鈔存進去,再領出來。 這一次,櫃台的西裝行員在Erik有力的說服之下答應換鈔,我們於是歡樂跟金髮女士道別,再次頂著大太陽朝食物前進。 抵達午餐花園時,同一天我們被冷漠對待、又讓陌生人的真誠善意溫暖的經歷,已成軼事一則,可供葡國友人們廣為流傳、到處傳述我們遠道而來參加2012歐洲文化首都活動的澳門團隊,在太陽底下遭酷曬和冰冷拒絕的災難! 但這則小故事,最後還是以溫暖窩心結尾的。 |
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Author
Momo Archives |