« December 2004 | Main | February 2005 »
January 31, 2005
Say What?
Just in case you wonder how busy I actually am, that previous entry was the very beginning of a long entry about dreams/goals, of which I had only the time to write the title and one line before I had to skidaddle.
Sorry about that. The entry is now gone out of my head. If I can piece it together, I'll post it, but for now, it remains a very pathetic journal entry.
My weekend went fairly well, except that I'm entirely too tired. There's lots of socialising to be had, but also conflicts of friends. There's just not enough calima to go around, it seems.
I battled with a bit of stereotyping at work the other day, which infuriated me. I know Americans are, in general, very proud, and most of the time, oblivious to anti-american sentiment, but I had never come across anything that was out and out insulting...normally I get the anti-american sentiment in a piss-taking, jokey sort of way...sometimes followed with a wee hug or a drink just so I know they're joking.
But that's my friends, really. They pick on me for being American in a gentle way, and then I pick on me for being American, and then we have a little American bashing chat until someone takes it a bit far, then I get my hug and we all change the subject. But for the most part, I can't say I've ever really been insulted.
At any rate, I was on the phone with a woman the other day, helping her with her payment schedule, and whilst I was looking over her account, I heard her talking to someone in the background.
Now, please note, that I never put her on hold. I never said I was going to put her on hold. I don't like the hold button, I would rather sit there looking over the account with the person on the phone with me.
Apparently, this woman thought I couldn't hear her and she said crude things about my culture to whomever was in the room with her.
Here's how it panned out:
Me: Ok, bear with me a minute while I look over your account.
Her: Alright.
Her (to her pal in the background): I'm on the phone with a bloody American. I fucking hate those people. ...yeah, she's giving me the silent treatment.
Me (fuming): Excuse me?
Her: Yes?
Me: Are you speaking to me?
Her: Sorry? Are you finished looking at my account, luvvie?
Yeah. *snort* You better suck up to me now.
When I told my colleagues what had been said, they all agreed that I should have refused to help her and should have ended the call.
Except that I didn't want to end the call. I wanted to yell at her.
Grrr....
To balance this story out, it just so happened that a very nice woman yesterday thought I was Irish, and went on a long story to me about her family being from Ireland, etc. Then she asked whereabouts I was from. Ha. I'm from America. That's about 3,000 miles west of Ireland.
My accent must be pretty funny. I don't notice anything different myself, but someone the other night swore on his own life that I had to be from New Zealand.
Interesting.
...
Weather today is a bit spring-like, with a touch of warm wind, mostly cloudy, but fresh smelling.
x
Posted by calima at 02:29 PM | Comments (3)
January 27, 2005
nosce te ipsum
Know yourself.
Posted by calima at 04:40 PM | Comments (0)
January 25, 2005
still alive, I see
I'm still alive, despite having had my life support (a.k.a. internet access/computer) taken away. The good news, however, is that my back up life support (sweetheart) is keeping me breathing in and out every day, and Mr M.W. Davis is being a terror just to keep things interesting.
Someday soon hopefully, I'll be able to let my fingers do the surfing again, but for the moment I rely on the good humour of the University computer labs.
x
Posted by calima at 11:53 AM | Comments (6)