Shaking Hands

We arrive at the conference hall for a training on mediation skills for lawyers - same thing I always do.  The tiny, scrawny cleaning man, with glasses an inch thick, looking 75 years old (perhaps only 50 in fact) is startled when I take his picture.  Then, when I shake his hand, he looks like he will swoon.  He grins, he sways, his eyes widen to saucers, and he says to my helper, in Tamil, "She touched me!" My helper says now he will be devoted to me for life because he is untouchable and in fact no one does touch him - certainly no one important.  No "advocate" woult notice him, much less greet him.  He gets me water without my asking; he wipes my chair off, he hovers to see what I might need.  I smile and say "Nandri, nandri" (thank you, thank you) which always gets a laugh because a foreigner is saying somethinig in Tamil and because it is quie formal (perhaps like saying "Your courtesy is greatly appreciated.") but this cleaning man again looks as if he'll faint.  My helper says he's sure no one in life has ever said "nandri" to this man.  (Indians actually say "Thanks" mostly)  Then the man is called away and I don't see him again.  Remember also, the lawyers I am training all call themselves "human rights advocates".