Re: AW: Zappa, and homework for the weekend.

[bill bigrig <billbigrig@yahoo.com>]

howdy,

 as a Natural gas service rep in the Tacome/olympia
area of washington state, I found myself entering a
LOT of Korean households. The parents were gone to
tend the family business, the kids were off to school.
There would be one lone old family matriarc in the
house and she always looked very intimidated. I first
learned to carry a pair of clogs with me so I could
remove my shoes at the door area, step into my clogs
and honor that custom. Then I bought a couple korean
language books and studied. Whenever I went to
business that was Korean owned, I'd ask them how to
say different words and phrases, then write them down.
Soon I was able to greet the stooped elderly
grandomthers in the traditional AND RESPECTFUL MANNER,
AND ASK THEM QUESTIONS ABOUT THIER APPLIANCE PROBLEMS
USING YES/NO QUESTIONS. AS SOON AS i ENTERED THE
HOUSE, GREETED THEM IN THeiR TRADITIONAL MANNER, AND
TOOK OFF MY SHOES, DROPPED THE CLOGS AND STEPPED INTO
THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE THRESHHOLD, YOU COULD
see the apprehension just melt away from these elderly
women. i am not fluent but I learned enough to show
respect and gain the trust of these households to the
point that when they'd call the gas company they would
request me by name. word spread throughout the korean
community and I soom found myself responding to
practically ALL the call outs with an oriental name.
the other techs didn't care and were boorish and
condescending to these grandmothers and my small
effort did a large service to our reputation.

 I have relocated and now work at a titanium
wheelchair factory. I now have to pick up Ukranian and
spanish skills as when talking about a problem with
their machine, there is a language barrier. But you
can bet your ass I'm going to learn. Not ALL of us
americans are alike. (sorry about the cap lock)
Rig


--- Nemoguitt@aol.com wrote:

> 
> In a message dated 6/23/07 5:29:40 AM,
> rs@moinlabs.de writes:
> 
> 
> > Don't these
> > Americans ever learn a single (foreign) language
> in their lifes?
> > 
> 
> 9.....:)
> 
> 
> 
> www.ct-collective.com
> http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepmeci/
> http://www.myspace.com/klobuchar11
> 
> 
> 
> **************************************
>  See what's free at http://www.aol.com.
> 



       
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