I had studied the map the night before (that's what I always do anyway, I'm always prepared before any journey or adventure, even so when I'm alone. It has always been this way since my schooling days), so I had an idea of the direction I should head, from Swanston Street to get to the market on the corner of Victoria Street and Elizabeth Street.



It was not really that difficult, since the layout of the CBD was quite straightforward, really, with the streets all neatly arranged as though they were planned and drawn on a piece of white paper, with grids and rulers.

I knew I could cross over to one of the streets to connect me to the part of Elizabeth Street, so I was walking past shops, ambling among the mixed crowd of office workers, students, and tourists, like myself.

I just could not resist it, I knew I just had to check.

I stepped to the side, stood by myself and reached into my bag for my neatly folded map which I had earlier printed out.
Yes, I still use a paper map, and I like it, and it must always be neatly folded.
I like to see them folded back in that same order it was unfolded, as well, thank you very much.

I pulled out the map and took a quick glance, just to make sure that I remembered everything correctly.
(Well, typically my memory rarely fails me, and I've always relied on it, but it never hurts to double check. Just to be on the safe side. That's also what I usually do).


"Can I help you?"

A soft voice startled my thoughts and my concentration, making me jump in surprise as I turned to take a glimpse of the person who just spoke to me.

The owner of the voice was a tall and sturdily built girl; dressed in black, with a rather stylish haircut and I think she had piercings on her ears (more than one) and nose, with a bag slung to her side and an earphone plugged into her ear (the other earphone was in her hand as she was trying to talk to me).

"Ohhh, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!"

I smiled and told her in return, "It's okay..."

Before I could finish my sentence, she continued hastily, "It's just that, I noticed you had a map in your hand and I was wondering if you need help with directions to where you need to get to?"

I tell you, that sentence sounds like magic for it just sends an inexplicable sense of warmth all over me, and it just felt like there was an electric current.
I felt so touched by her words, though I was not moved to tears.
Not yet.

I smiled at her again, and said, "Thanks, I was just trying to get to Queen Victoria Market, but I think I'm pretty near, I just wanted to double check".

"I'm not lost or anything, hopefully"

She grinned, it was a really friendly grin that I will not easily forget for she was actually a stranger and I was equally just that stranger to her.
We are two people who do not know each other, mind you.

"Oh, you're right on track, you're getting pretty close. Queen Vic's just right across the street"

*Queen Vic's the local term for Queen Victoria Market*

So I was pretty sure she's a local, an Australian for she had that unmistakable Australian accent in her English, and definitely a Melbournian, no less.

I smiled at her and thanked her as we both hurried on her way.
Well, she hurried anyway, but somehow we were walking in the same direction on that same pathway that I just could not help but thank her again.


She smiled and when we both parted, we wished each other "Have a great day!"
"You too!"




It was a really brief encounter but I just had to write about it, though I did not have the girl's name.

She may not even remember me, for she could be just that kind soul, who is always used to offering help whenever, wherever and to whoever she could.

She will not know, that she had truly made my day, just with that simple question on that day.

"Can I help you?"

A simple four-word question which had a profound effect, and left that tinge of warmth in my heart and a smile on my face that just won't go away.

It's true what they say, a little truly goes a long way and sometimes we may not know the little things we do, which we may not think much of and that it was probably forgotten right after, could affect someone else deeply that it could even leave an everlasting impression.

She is one example of Hope in this world, and that among all the hatred and the dangers that we are warned against, there is always that glimmer of good which will shine through and prevail.

We just need to believe.

Keep faith.

She may not have thought of anything of what she had done; by just asking a stranger who looked lost, presumably another tourist in the city.

She thought it was just normal, but she may not have realized that what she had done was just heart-warming and beyond what someone on the street; a tourist, would expect from a passer-by.

She could be on her way to her class.
Stopping by to help another person could probably delay her own journey to college.

She was listening to music, and she could have been just so engrossed with the song that she could have lost track and even sight of what goes around her.
She could have just walked past anyone without noticing them, and that would be normal.

The thing is, she did not.

She made a choice.

She chose to be attentive, to spot someone who could need some help and walked over, to ask if she could do anything to help.

It was a choice.

She chose to help.
She chose to put down an earphone and listened.
She paid attention to her surroundings.
She looked.
She asked.
She did all that, without any expectation, but with a real intent to help.

That was all.

That to me, was everything.

It was not nothing.
It was angelic.

To that girl I met on the street, I don't know who you are, and neither do you, but I just want you to know, that I could see that angel in you, simple, pure and just stepping up to help others.

I want to thank you and words simply just cannot express how I feel.

Hope is always there, and this girl just showed us that through her simple question.

As though it was a sign, I walked past a statue like this on my way.


(Okay, not close to how she look like, not directly or at all, but it was like a sign somehow)


Yes, hope is always there, and Hope is always beautiful.


Hope had me at that four words, "Can I Help You?"


She must be an Angel in Disguise.



She is not just a symbol of Hope, but also that the people in Melbourne are just so warm and friendly.
She's not just about herself or Melbourne, but of the world and how we would want of the society.




The Melbournians must be proud of her, so am I, for we have angels like these walking among us in the society.


She is truly a portrait of the beauty of Melbourne, all in all.

To the Angel in disguise, you have made My DAY~