My New Office Policy

[Flamingo]

Hey... I understand Bostonian!

Pock tha ka in Havid Yaad.

(Or so, I thought I did.) Actually I was asking directions in Boston once. The man kept telling me about the Boston Commons, the Combat Zone, and Downtown Crossing. I couldn't understand a word he told me! Of course, the directions included "Park Street", "Public Gardens" (Commons), "Jordan Marsh" (now closed), the water fountain in the Gardens, and various other landmarks.

Park Street: Pock Street
Public Gardens: Publik Gadins
Jordan Marsh: Jawdin Mawsh
Water Fountain: bubblah (bubbler)

So... see the Gadins over there? The Publik Gadins? Cross heya and go 'round the bubblah? Pass the Pock Street "T" station... bang a right and you'll see Jawdin Mawsh.

LOL! When my granddaughter was born a few years back in Falmouth, I arrived at the hospital early morning and asked for the room number and directions to my daughter's room...when she gave them to me verbaly I said, "Huh?" She smiled and handed me a sheet showing me where the room was.

[frogger]

I've talked to some folks from the deep south and unless you are from that area, understanding them is difficult too

It's all ya'll that talk funny, not us.

[calgirl67]

They are not just calling us on the phone, the Indians are EVERYWHERE in California.

They are moving here in droves.

When we first bought our house 6 yrs ago there were none. Now we have 6 Indian families within a stone's throw. All 3-generational families too. They hate us Americans and never give us the time of day.

[MSbklawyer]

We have done that for a while now. If someone calls us or we call in and we can not understand them, we ask for an American.

It's not so much that I can't understand them. If they'll slow down I can usually get what they're saying. But it's the principle of the thing: An debt collector from India dunning an American who can't pay his bills because he is unemployed because companies are sending low skilled jobs to India.

If American Express or Chase wants information out of me, they're going to have to request it by someone who has English as their first language. Othewise they can just get on Pacer and look it up.