Tuesday, February 05, 2002
Mondays
I walked in to the post office with a simple question. I approached the counter that is for special requests and English service. What I got was a great example of the challenges that you face while trying to accomplish simple tasks while living abroad. “I want to send a box to Canada.” I say, clearly to the man behind the counter.
“How heavy?” He replies
“4Kg”
“Surface or air?”
“Surface.” At this point I’m quite happy. I’m having a normal conversation with the guy
and I’m about to get my question answered. Never mind the people who have decided to converge around me to watch the foreigner and the post office employee speak English (A real treat for some Chinese). I’m not even upset about the other people who are pushing past me instead of waiting their turn.
He returns with a calculator and punches in the price so he can show it to me clearly. NT 385 (about 17dollars CDN). One more question, and I’ll be on my way.
“Is there insurance?” I’d like to know that the package would actually arrive, intact, at its destination.
“Let me ask my supervisor.”
While I wait a girl pushes her way into the 6-inch space between me and the counter. I lift my arm to the counter and elbow her in the ear without a second thought. She moves back 4 inches. I watch as the young man I was just speaking with asks his supervisor in Chinese (I assume) about insuring a package that is being sent by surface. The supervisor returns and begins to speak in very poor English. “Howdoyoudo?”
I stare at her. After teaching hundreds of different students for the last year and a half, I know when someone has no idea what they just said. If you were in this post office, you would have noticed that all the other employees were watching their supervisor in admiration of her English skills.
“I want insurance on a package.” I reply, giving her the benefit of the doubt.
“Fine, thank you. And you?” She replies, exhausting everything in her English vocabulary.
Now here’s where the cultural trait of saving face becomes the most important thing in a situation. If I get upset at her attempt to speak English, she will lose face in front of her Employees, and my parcel will end up floating in the Pacific. I continue in English and smile.
“I would like you to build a railroad from Halifax to Vancouver.”
She punches a number into the calculator and shows it to me. NT 412 (about CDN$22) “With insurance?” I ask again. “You’re welcome” She replies. Assuming that we have finished this conversation. God knows I was finished with her a long time ago. I walk out of the Post office with no hope left for this society. Have lunch. Head to work. Quit.
Flights are booked. Send lawyers, guns, and money.
I walked in to the post office with a simple question. I approached the counter that is for special requests and English service. What I got was a great example of the challenges that you face while trying to accomplish simple tasks while living abroad. “I want to send a box to Canada.” I say, clearly to the man behind the counter.
“How heavy?” He replies
“4Kg”
“Surface or air?”
“Surface.” At this point I’m quite happy. I’m having a normal conversation with the guy
and I’m about to get my question answered. Never mind the people who have decided to converge around me to watch the foreigner and the post office employee speak English (A real treat for some Chinese). I’m not even upset about the other people who are pushing past me instead of waiting their turn.
He returns with a calculator and punches in the price so he can show it to me clearly. NT 385 (about 17dollars CDN). One more question, and I’ll be on my way.
“Is there insurance?” I’d like to know that the package would actually arrive, intact, at its destination.
“Let me ask my supervisor.”
While I wait a girl pushes her way into the 6-inch space between me and the counter. I lift my arm to the counter and elbow her in the ear without a second thought. She moves back 4 inches. I watch as the young man I was just speaking with asks his supervisor in Chinese (I assume) about insuring a package that is being sent by surface. The supervisor returns and begins to speak in very poor English. “Howdoyoudo?”
I stare at her. After teaching hundreds of different students for the last year and a half, I know when someone has no idea what they just said. If you were in this post office, you would have noticed that all the other employees were watching their supervisor in admiration of her English skills.
“I want insurance on a package.” I reply, giving her the benefit of the doubt.
“Fine, thank you. And you?” She replies, exhausting everything in her English vocabulary.
Now here’s where the cultural trait of saving face becomes the most important thing in a situation. If I get upset at her attempt to speak English, she will lose face in front of her Employees, and my parcel will end up floating in the Pacific. I continue in English and smile.
“I would like you to build a railroad from Halifax to Vancouver.”
She punches a number into the calculator and shows it to me. NT 412 (about CDN$22) “With insurance?” I ask again. “You’re welcome” She replies. Assuming that we have finished this conversation. God knows I was finished with her a long time ago. I walk out of the Post office with no hope left for this society. Have lunch. Head to work. Quit.
Flights are booked. Send lawyers, guns, and money.
