multi-lingual incomprehension

[trochee]

"Bonjour," says [French guy, we'll call him Jean], upon arriving in the office, to the South Indian [we'll call him Prakash] with whom he shares a cubicle wall.

Prakash looks back, blankly.

"Buenos dias," Jean tries again, gamely.

Another stare.

"Guten Tag, bon giorno," Jean tries, with a tiny note of desperation along with his accent. "Nii hao, hello!"

"Namaste," I add, perhaps unhelpfully.

Prakash pulls the tiny tiny earphones out of his ears and looks at us both. "What?"

Comments

[faithhopetricks.livejournal.com]

((cackles))

[tangy-apple.livejournal.com]

*L* Reminds me of when I was in Mexico a few years ago. I asked (in Spanish), "where is the restroom?" to an employee at a shopping center. She asked me, in Spanish, something like "say that again?" I repeated my request. She answered in English, "ohh, the bathroom. Inside this store, to the left, just beyond the children's section."

Her English = much better than my Espanol. :)

[isolt.livejournal.com]

I think you just made my day.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

always a pleasure to serve.

[congogirl.livejournal.com]

I know there is an important lesson in here somewhere...

[kirinqueen.livejournal.com]

I love it. It's like a hober story, only more ... linguistic.

Thank you!

[trochee.livejournal.com]

I've never met hober, even here on LJ, but I know who he is to you.

Thus I am flattered.

[trochee.livejournal.com]

heh. I had that feeling too but I can't put my finger on it.

[writeanya.livejournal.com]

bwahahahhaha! perfect!

the only thing you should have at the end of this story is . ;)

[writeanya.livejournal.com]

grrr! i had carets in there... it said:

(fade to commercial)

[trochee.livejournal.com]

are you saying it sounds like a sitcom?

*sigh.*

[writeanya.livejournal.com]

despite the fact that i haven't had a cable-ready and going teevee in more than a decade, i have to say to you, yes, indeed yes, this was a perfect scene from a sitcom.

it happens.

it is where they get their stuff.

:/