Вы говорите на русском языке?

I have never wanted to speak another language as badly as I did this morning on the way to work. Just as the streetcar started leaving the subway station, a lady came up to me and started speaking to me in a language I couldn't understand. She repeated herself several times, and then looked at me and said, "Russia?" I shook my head and apologized, telling her that I didn't speak Russian. Do I look Russian? Why, on a streetcar full of people, did she single me out as the person most likely to speak Russian?

Anyway, this poor woman didn't speak any English, except to say "I don't speak English," and was trying to get to a particular intersection. She was obviously lost, and was starting to get rather upset (worried upset, not angry upset). After trying to talk to me, she just kept turning to someone else and saying the name of the intersection, and everyone on the streetcar did their best to communicate to her where she needed to go, but she couldn't understand. The streetcar driver even made an announcement asking if anyone on the streetcar could speak Russian, but no one could. The project then became communicating to the woman that the streetcar driver had radioed ahead to the next subway station and arranged to have a translater meet her there, but as soon as we stopped, she rushed off.

I wish I hadn't been on my way to work, or that I didn't have to be there by a certain time. Then I could have tried to escort this lady to her destination, but it just wasn't possible today. I did learn something while watching this scene play out, though: the people in Toronto are incredibly helpful when given the opportunity to be. They just seem unfriendly because of the city-shell that they've had to develop in order to live in such close proximity to so many people. If you can get past that shell, which can be as easy as making the effort to speak to someone, they're just as friendly and willing to help as any Maritimer I know.