Cultural differences or just uncultured?

[JPablo]

Well, thank you, I am glad you liked these.

At least we can take things in one's stride and smile and laugh as much as we can, while no losing awareness of what is going on around us.

The point being is that we can always help each other, and one who can help others is more powerful than one who is afraid of others... (but now we get into the philosophical implications of all that...)

[pjt33]

Maravilloso, have you tried asking the manager how his Algonquin is?

[poli]

I worked with a woman who said, "talk American" (instead of speak English) to Spanish speakers when they called her on the phone. That's how stupid she was. When I became her supervisor, I fired her.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

I worked with a woman who said, "talk American" (instead of speak English) to Spanish speakers when they called her on the phone. That's how stupid she was. When I became her supervisor, I fired her.

I worked with a woman like that, and one day I turned to talk to another co-worker who was hispanic and I talked to him in Spanish, she immediately turned to us and said something to that effect and added that for all she knew, we could be talking about her. I just said that I had better things to talk about.

[JPablo]

Well, yes... I guess the people who talk Spanish should (by their own origination, not because it is enforced) be polite enough to talk in English when people who only talk in English is around.

I can feel excluded when 3 or 4 Chinese persons start to talk amongst themselves and I cannot understand one iota... (And these people are considerate enough to talk in English when they realize that I am not in the loop... by a long shot.) But the viewpoint is that I am not "intruding" into their conversation or "accusing" them for talking in their language...

I take that the "golden rule" of "not doing unto others what you'd not like others to do to you" and the reverse "do to others what you'd like others to do to you" would be the best rule of thumb... (or words and/or intention to that effect...)

And like they say Lao Tzu said or wrote, "the Tao [dao] that can be explained is not the true Tao..."

[chileno]

Originally Posted by JPablo

Well, yes... I guess the people who talk Spanish should (by their own origination, not because it is enforced) be polite enough to talk in English when people who only talk in English is around.

I can feel excluded when 3 or 4 Chinese persons start to talk amongst themselves and I cannot understand one iota... (And these people are considerate enough to talk in English when they realize that I am not in the loop... by a long shot.) But the viewpoint is that I am not "intruding" into their conversation or "accusing" them for talking in their language...

I take that the "golden rule" of "not doing unto others what you'd not like others to do to you" and the reverse "do to others what you'd like others to do to you" would be the best rule of thumb... (or words and/or intention to that effect...)

And like they say Lao Tzu said or wrote, "the Tao [dao] that can be explained is not the true Tao..."

Basically correct. But that there are moments, for whatever reasons, you speak in your language, in front of strangers.

I would have gone buts, had I thought that every person around me was talking.....................well, about me!

Funny you mention this about the "golden rule". Precisely in that job the boss used to tell us about the "golden rule" being "he, who has the gold RULES!"

Know what I mean?

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by JPablo

Well, yes... I guess the people who talk Spanish should (by their own origination, not because it is enforced) be polite enough to talk in English when people who only talk in English is around.

It's more complicated that that. I read a good book on bilingualism a few years ago, and one point that it made was that two people who both speak languages A and B tend to develop habits for which they use to talk to each other which are hard to get out of. My observations since then seem to confirm it.

Now, if you're alert and make an effort then you can override those habits, but if you're tired or don't stop to think then you can accidentally exclude people.

Don't get me onto conversations where one person speaks a bit of Spanish, one person speaks a bit of English, and you're sitting in the middle...

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

It's more complicated that that. I read a good book on bilingualism a few years ago, and one point that it made was that two people who both speak languages A and B tend to develop habits for which they use to talk to each other which are hard to get out of. My observations since then seem to confirm it.

Now, if you're alert and make an effort then you can override those habits, but if you're tired or don't stop to think then you can accidentally exclude people.

Don't get me onto conversations where one person speaks a bit of Spanish, one person speaks a bit of English, and you're sitting in the middle...

Not only a little Spanish or English. "idiotsyncracies" get in the way no matter what, so one must try to keep an open mind when things are getting "weird" in one's head. I always ask, to make sure I am not shooting myself on the foot.

By the that happens even with people of the same language, but different countries. I don't want to use the word "culture", so instead I use "country".

[pjt33]

Originally Posted by chileno

Not only a little Spanish or English. "idiotsyncracies" get in the way no matter what, so one must try to keep an open mind when things are getting "weird" in one's head. I always ask, to make sure I am not shooting myself on the foot.

Bueno, no me he explicado bien. Me refería más a la dificultad de incluir a todos en una conversación cuando hay algunos que no tienen una lengua común. Si vas traduciendo pero a la vez participas en la conversación surgen más cuestiones éticas de cuándo se puede dejar algo sin traducir etc.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by pjt33

Bueno, no me he explicado bien. Me refería más a la dificultad de incluir a todos en una conversación cuando hay algunos que no tienen una lengua común. Si vas traduciendo pero a la vez participas en la conversación surgen más cuestiones éticas de cuándo se puede dejar algo sin traducir etc.

Ni que decirlo.