(CNN) — It had been seven days since she landed in New York Metropolis, and Hana Sofia Lopes’ baggage was nonetheless misplaced.
Each morning Hana Sofia phoned the airline for updates and ended the decision more and more pissed off, and nonetheless luggage-less.
Hana Sofia, a Luxembourg-born actor of Portuguese descent in her early 30s, was stopping off in New York Metropolis in October 2022 to meet up with a good friend. Her finish level was Canada, the place she was starting manufacturing on a film.
Upon arrival in Montreal, Hana Sofia was on account of attend a prestigious trade occasion, the place she’d rub shoulders with movie legends and Luxembourg’s prime minister, Xavier Bettel. Her fastidiously deliberate outfit seemingly misplaced endlessly, Hana Sofia purchased a last-minute gown in New York and boarded the flight to Canada.
After touchdown in Montreal, Hana Sofia headed straight to the airline info desk to lift her baggage criticism in particular person.
“I used to be actually considering to myself, ‘You realize, I’ll explode,'” she recollects. “However alternatively, I am a yogi too, so I additionally consider in karma.”
Hana Sofia knew her misplaced baggage — mislaid someplace en route from Europe to the US — wasn’t the fault of an airport employee in Canada. In order she approached the counter, she tempered her anger.
“I simply begin by saying, ‘Pay attention, what I am about to say is nothing private. It is actually simply towards your organization, towards the corporate you are working for,'” recollects Hana Sofia.
As she spoke, Hana Sofia’s frustration manifested not as anger, however as tears, and he or she discovered herself getting emotional as she poured out the small print.
Hana Sofia spent per week in New York Metropolis with out her baggage.
Courtesy Hana Sofia Lopes
On the opposite aspect of the airport counter was Azalia Claudine Becerril Angulo, an element time airport employee in her mid-20s who’s lived in Montreal all her life.
Azalia listened to the story, and located herself imagining how she would really feel if she have been the crying stranger.
“She was actually unhappy, indignant additionally, and I understood why,” Azalia tells CNN Journey.
“I needed to assist her. Usually, persons are impolite and so they’re very aggressive. She was totally different.”
Azalia appeared up the misplaced baggage reference quantity nevertheless it wasn’t excellent news — the display screen stated the bag was in Frankfurt, Germany.
Listening to this, Hana Sofia deflated.
“I am right here to shoot a film, and tomorrow, there’s a reception with the prime minister of Luxembourg, which is my dwelling nation,” she defined. “I do not even have make-up to placed on my face. I do not even have face cream. I’ve nothing.”
Azalia turned again from the pc.
“Wait, do you want make-up? I am a make-up artist, I can do your make-up for you,” she supplied.
Hana Sofia was fully bowled over, however Azalia carried on, explaining when she wasn’t working on the airport, she was knowledgeable make-up artist.
“In order for you, I can come to your resort within the afternoon and do your hair and make-up so that you could attend your reception,” she stated. “If I used to be in your house, I might be additionally freaking out. So I actually wish to do it free of charge.”
Each bemused and touched, Hana Sofia agreed and the 2 ladies exchanged numbers.
Azalia says she did not have any reservations about serving to Hana Sofia.
“I actually trusted her,” she says. “It is actually about her vibe and the connection we had.”
Hana Sofia felt the identical means.
“I sensed in the way in which that she was speaking and in addition the way in which that she was behaving that she was actually, actually trustworthy,” she says of Azalia.
Forming a connection
This is Azalia in Hana Sofia’s resort room together with her make-up equipment.
Courtesy Hana Sofia Lopes
The following day Azalia arrived at Hana Sofia’s resort, and as Azalia started working, the 2 ladies beginning chatting about their lives.
Hana Sofia talked about how she felt each nervous and excited concerning the reception that night, whereas Azalia spoke about what it is like splitting her time between the airport and her make-up profession.
They toggled between French, English and Spanish — each ladies are fluent in a number of languages.
“Whereas she was doing the make-up, it was very pure,” says Hana Sofia. “It did not really feel like I used to be simply assembly any individual for the primary time. It felt like I used to be assembly up with an outdated good friend, which is loopy, as a result of I simply met her the day earlier than, however we have been speaking quite a bit.”
As an actor, Hana Sofia spends quite a lot of time within the make-up chair. She is aware of what she likes and what she would not, however she completely liked the look Azalia put collectively.
“She did an awesome, nice job,” she says.
Hana Sofia’s solely hesitation was Azalia’s insistence on doing the service free of charge. However Azalia was firm.
“Make-up for me, it is an artwork, it is actually a ardour,” says Azalia. “So it is not concerning the cash. It is simply because I actually prefer to make the particular person really feel good and joyful.”
To high it off, that very same day, Hana Sofia heard from the airline. Her misplaced bag wasn’t in Frankfurt in any case. It had been tracked down and was on its strategy to her Montreal resort.
At that second, Hana Sofia says she felt like Azalia was an actual fairy godmother.
“She’s not solely an awesome human, she’s additionally actually good at her job as a result of she managed to seek out my baggage,” says Hana Sofia.
A good friend in Montreal
Reduce to the current day and Hana Sofia is again in Europe for the vacations. She’s going to return to Montreal to movie within the new yr, when she plans to fulfill up with Azalia for dinner and drinks.
The 2 ladies have stored in contact and message forwards and backwards frequently.
“She has a good friend in Montreal,” says Azalia of Hana Sofia. “Something that she wants, I’ll be there.”
Each ladies say their unlikely connection illustrates the significance of openness and empathy, particularly on the airport, the place persons are typically burdened and laser-focused on their very own journey.
“Individuals need to be a bit of bit extra understanding that the particular person in entrance of them, they do not have management of what occurred,” says Azalia. “So if they’re affected person and actually calm about it, the particular person in entrance goes that can assist you one of the best that we are able to.”
“It isn’t about make-up. After all, if I did not have make-up, it is not the top of the world,” says Hana Sofia.
“It is way more about how little we do these type of issues. We do not cease actually typically to consider how the opposite particular person is likely to be feeling or how the opposite particular person is likely to be experiencing one thing. We simply do our personal factor and we do not care, sadly, that is the way it goes. And in her state of affairs, she actually did not try this. And that is what’s extraordinary.”
Prime picture: Hana Sofia Lopes, entrance, pictured after Azalia Claudine Becerril Angulo, again, did her make-up in Montreal. Credit score: Hana Sofia Lopes
