It's All In The Body Language

Written by Pio Sioa
Monday, 04 February 2008
If it comes down to choice, would you rather go to the airport to see people off or to greet them on arrival? A simple opinion survey will answer that question easy. But since none is known to have been officially carried out at Faleolo International Airport, the best ‘off the cuff’ way to a quick answer is body language reading. Observe first how people behave when they either make their final goodbyes or simply watch others do! Tears are the first to catch the attention because the eyes latch on quicker and longer to any display of emotion, particularly in public. Lots of tears streaming shamelessly down puffed up faces, that have suddenly transformed into a cross between a cry and a smile, are a common sight these past few days. The onset of tears is usually started by a couple of people and before long everyone seems to join in. Whether or not they had intended to cry, the emotions of the moment are so highly infectious the eyes will melt - absolutely. Then there is the hugging part. The person leaving tends to hug or be hugged a lot longer. Sometimes the huggers are forced to tear themselves apart, only when someone else intervenes so he/she can have a turn. Another long, clutching cuddle will again ensue. While all this is going on, someone is talking himself hoarse over the public address system, urging all passengers with a final call to please all board. Then there is another type - brisk, robotic and totally oblivious to all the mushy stuff going on. Hardnosed and devoid of any heartbeat, as if they can not wait to leave the country. While this cross section of human emotions is being played out, the watchful eyes of people like security workers and commercial drivers remain ever on the alert. The taxi drivers in particular are eternal crowd scouters. Always watching and sniffing for signs of a ‘lost soul or souls’ who may possibly be in need of their services. A trip into Apia from Faleolo Airport is only a ‘short dash’ for them and it pays good. The odds however are not really favourable when it is to do with the ‘out bound’ crowd. Most of them brought their own transport along. Still the eyes are forever on the patrol. If it helps to show empathy they will, just so they can score a fare to town. In the end, the language of human behaviour is there on display for random observations, and after gathering enough for your purposes, the attention should then switch to the arrivals. Again the focus starts with the tears. If there are any tears, they are natural cosmetics to emphasise the bubbles of joy at reuniting once again after a period of absence. Instead of a puffed up face, there are bound to be speckles only of wet brightness, radiating atop wide blossoming smiles of sheer delight. The hugs are done in spurts and the cheek rubs more frequent as they go through the established rituals of greetings. The eyes are allowed to roam freely, for a close up body length inspection of any changes, real or imagined. Reprimands, if there are any, become insultingly complimentary. Meanwhile the mouth chatters like a nagging busybody, free to screech as recognition sets in on old faces that appear new. Luggage is whipped up and rushed into the boot of a waiting car, with the promise of all the goodies inside for everyone to share later on. More hugs and more beaming smiles follow until the family vehicle swerves alongside the curb to load everyone for the happy trip home. The eager taxi drivers meanwhile are on the extra alert, knowing that the odds of a quick fare into town are a whole lot better for the inbounds. Usually their vigilance is eventually rewarded and would be streaking to overtake everyone on the way to Apia. In the end the whole arrival scene is a happy buzz for everyone. So in the absence of any recognised opinion survey, the mostly likely choice, has to overwhelmingly favour, turning up at the airport to greet people rather than to farewell them. So what is the point of this survey – the critics may ask? The survey is intended solely for all those parents who shed gallons of tears at the airport these past few weeks, to see off their children leaving on scholarships for University studies overseas. Particular mention is made here of all the mothers, and maybe a few fathers, who were forced to part with their ‘difficult’ daughters for the first time. Seeing them leave the nest on a mechanical bird is the hard part. But if they can survive the anxiety of their daughters being away until the end of the first semester or the end of the year, the next trip for them to the airport will be a joyful joyful time. Our body language survey guarantees it. Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Title Comment

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