Wednesday, April 05, 2006

We don't need to understand no stinking questions.

Funny thing about working in a forgein country; I often don’t understand the questions that I am asked, but I almost always know the answers. For example, my hotel offers cooked to order breakfast at the buffet. I walk up to the grill and the girl asks me something like “blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah?” No biggie, I just answer “Ham and tomato omlet with cheese.” She starts making the omlet. Later I get in the cab and the cabbie asks me the same question. But this time I know that the answer is different. I give the company name and street of where I am working and off we go.

This is great on this trip as there are no hard deadlines and I’m not spending my own money. It could be a major pain if I was in a hurry or if every wrong turn was costing me an extra $20. As it is, I can just enjoy the ride. I hope I can bring some of that attitude back to the states with me.

12 comments:

Alcuin Bramerton said...

Might there be a semantic conflict if the cabbie offered to fry you an omelette?

Soother said...

Guess you are playing Russian roulette

Isn't it easier to try and learn the local jargon?

Maybe you will be surprised at the whole thingamabobs you'll learn from it!

Anyway, keep enjoying the situation, it is a real gem and you are a lucky guy.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I'm from Singapore and I was just trying out the "next blog" button in the navigation bar above, and I arrived here. I like the way you update; your tone is cool (:

furtherleft said...

Bienvenidos a méxico amigo. There is a trick to learning spanish. Nineteen years of expatriation here from the US has taught it is that of not talking to white people. There is something about Monterey you won't find in books and propably not mentioned there but used elsewhere throughout the country. We have nick names for people from each city. Monterey's adapts well to hand signals, an important part of the language. A person from Monterey is indicated by touching an elbow with the opposite hand. The word for elbow is "codo", by which term those from Monterey are graced. That's because elbows protrude when one holds their purse close to the chest. That is "cheap skates" in US jargon and kInda a Canadian of the south, who also gain the same moniker from Mexicans familiar with them. A phrase sometimes offered to friends by those verturing north across the border may be useful if, now having discovered the meaning of 'heart', you should have the misfortune of having to return to the US. "Dejo la corazón en tus manos porque no se necessita para allah", or "I leave my heart in your hands for one is not needed there".

Matty said...

Did the cabdriver deliver a ham and tomato omelet? Ha ha

Nazli Hardy said...

very international, mate!
:-)

your gratitude blog entry inspired me - I must write one too!

cheers

Mr Angry said...

I think you must have a positive attitude that keeps getting you the positive results... I am sure the people concerned get more than their share of surly foreigners, they're probably happy to have someone who goes with the flow.

Poorna Banerjee said...

well, lets just say we are all creature of habits. we dish out what we are supposed to all the time.

Phyllis Renée said...

hmmm . . . I wonder if that works in the husband/wife language barrier.

Cherrypie said...

I think Bob forgot his medication

John Paulus said...

ji

Unknown said...

This tickles me somewhat as I too work in a foreign country and often have to make an educated guess as to the content of the speech directed at me. They think that they are speaking English but they really don’t understand even the basic syntax, but it is sometimes amusing nevertheless, good luck on your sojourn.