I was in an airplane fixing to come back home from a business  trip. My wife was with me and that is always a happier trip.

I don’t know WHY we usually end up in the middle or the back of the plane (perhaps because I usually try for the cheaper tickets, lol). I found a dilemma after we finally found our seats and settled down. There was an older Chinese couple whom did not speak English and they were sitting already in place beside each other. Apparently they had been assigned seats that were not together, but were in two different rows instead. They figured this out when a young man whom was traveling by himself stood in front of them and demanded to have his seat which was the one where the lady was sitting in. The Chinese gentleman understood the situation and traded seats with his wife and then he moved to the different row.

I am obviously not one to judge people for not being kind, but sometimes it is small kind gestures in life that make a huge difference and mean so much. I felt bad for this couple that did not speak the language or really understood the culture around them.

Just to be fair to the young man that wanted his assigned seat, I must remark that he seem oblivious or perhaps not interested in the cultural situation and just wanted his seat and went to sleep not long after he sat down (however I cannot say I didn’t chuckle the couple of times he had to get up to let the Chinese lady out to go use the restroom).

While cultural awareness has to do more with being aware of the cultures of people and why they do or don’t do certain things I like to be as kind as possible to people who are in need specially when they seem unaware of language or things around them.