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- Would it kill you to learn a little English por favor? Yeah Yeah Yeah,.... America. The big cultural melting pot. Still, if you're gonna live here, those of us who grew up here would surely appreciate it if you would make an honest effort to learn to speak our language. What really gets me though, is when someone who doesn't speak english acts as though they can. I mean... come on!!! You've learned how to say, "yes", or "okay", or even "no". You might even fool a few of us into thinking you actually speak english. For a few milliseconds anyway. You need to add one more phrase to your vocabulary. "I don't understand". That would be a lot less frustrating for those of use who do speak the native english language and we would have a lot more respect in that you would at least not be wasting our time listening to you nod your head and saying 'yes' and 'okay' when you have absolutely no fucking idea what you're being asked or told. For example we have one of those 99 cent stores that opened up recently. They shut down our long standing HEB Pantry store and this opened instead. Nothing over 99 cents. Not a bad store, you can get a dozen eggs for 79 cents. Four green bell peppers, 99 cents. Pasta sauce, 99 cents. Breakfast sausage, 99 cents. I don't think I've seen one white english speaking person working there yet. Lot's of people here in the 'hood' speak english, ya know!!! That's cool, everybody needs a job. But english is in short supply at the new store. I'm a fairly outgoing person sometimes and will sometimes make small talk with the cashier, I mean, it must be tough to be on your feet all day long standing at a cash register, if I were to be working such a job, I'd appreciate a little small talk and a joke or two now and then. But last week one day, I go to get a few items, and the conversation at the checkout lane went something like this: (putting items on conveyor belt) Ordinary looking cashier person who doesn't speak english (with a confused and glazed look in eyes) me 'Sooooo... you working hard today or hardly working?' Ordinary looking cashier person who doesn't speak english 'Yes' I'm now thinking to myself, that's not a yes or no question, the response should have been (a) I'm working hard or (b) I'm hardly working. nontheless, I continue... me 'I see the eggs are 79 cents this week, that was a really good deal last week, I think they were only 59 cents a dozen, weren't they?' Ordinary looking cashier person who doesn't speak english 'Yes' By now I'm really starting to think this person is absolutely clueless as to what I'm saying, so I raise the bar a little bit. me Is today Tuesday or Wednesday???? Ordinary looking cashier person who doesn't speak english 'Yes' ahaaaaaa!!!! B U S T E D !!!! At this point I realize everything I've said has been a total waste of my breath. By now the cashier has rung up my purchase, taken my money and given me my correct change. Thank God for bar codes, scanners, and cash registers that tell you the exact change. Had there been an error and an actual conversation been necessary, I'd probably still be in line. To the cashiers credit, she seemed to have the US currency system down pat, at least she didn't try to give me change in pesos, euros, lira, rupees or whatever her homeland currency might have been. Now look, don't think for one second I'm ragging on 'foreigners'. After all, this great country was made great by 'foreigners' who came here from distant lands. I don't for one second criticize anybody who leaves their country looking or a better life. I may have to go a few generations back, but somewhere back along the line my great grandfather or great great grandfather did exactly the same thing, and that's why I am blessed to be here. But really, a leeeeeeetle english surely wouldn't kill ya now, would it??? I didnt' think so.... till next time, keep on rockin in the free world!!!
previous - next - my archives Have you read these? Would it kill you to learn a little English por favor? - no more free air - stray cat thud and jam sessions - 2005-04-22 Stray Cat update - 4 months and still job hunting - 2005-02-04 Stray Cats - 2004-11-01 
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