Little stories from life
Fishy?
My friend Daniel from the college has a (Spanish) friend who also came to UK to study English, but in Brighton, but now she came to my former college because she heard it's better.
So, Daniel invited me to go to the centre with them, you know, coffee, walk, spend some time, chat...So we met and the girl spoke few words in English, like 'hello my name is lalalala' and few other questions. And gave me that awful limp fishy handshake. Ugh. Is it so hard to squeeze someone's hand properly? You know, you put your palm somewhere close to the 'V' between thumb and forefinger and close the fingers around the hand, squeeze and SHAKE. See, not so hard, is it?
Anyways, we continue and Daniel speaks in English so I can understand conversation and so she can practice English. But no, he speaks in English and she replies in Spanish. And again, and again...Well, now that's rude. Even if she has broken English at least she can try. I know her English is not THAT bad so she doesn't dare to speak!
So 2 more hours I spent listening two of them speaking Spanish. Daniel didn't have much options; he did try to speak English but she kept asking him and talking in Spanish so he was automatically drawn to speak it too...The funny part is that I understood half of the things she was saying, so if she even bothered to look at me while asking him question about ME I would answer in English and Daniel could translate if it was problem with her.
Later on, just before we parted ways I told Daniel I want to go to supermarket to buy some food and he said he'll go with me, but when I realized it's actually a bit far I told him they don't have to go with me, because it will take them away from their path and I don't want them to walk for my shopping. Daniel still looked like he wanted to go and kept looking towards the supermarket and back at his friend and then she spoke loudly and in fluent English 'It's too far.' Aha, NOW you can speak English! Pffft. I like Daniel but not his friend, but I still didn't say anything.
And two days after that Daniel asked me if I want to go for a coffee and I was happy I could have a nice chat with him, but when I met him she was there too, ugh. So I lied: I said I had emergency call for a job interview and had to go. :( I really didn't feel like spending another hour or two being third wheel.
Forbidden love?
The lady I met on the plane when I was coming back from Croatia, Mrs J., let's call her, told me a little story when I went to visit her few days ago...
She came to London during the war and she got UK citizenship as a refugee. But she is older and ill, so she doesn't work and receives government support. I think every few years she has to have her case reviewed in court, and that's actually happening this year. So she has a lawyer who is on her case. The thing is...she fell for her lawyer. :) He's maybe 20 years younger than her and black. Not any issue these days, you'd say. But her generation and especially where is she from, would disagree. But that doesn't matter now, in this story.
She told me how she spends all day getting ready for the appointment: masks, hair curlers, bath, depilation, makeup, clothes...trying out clothes combination like a highschool girl :D
And then she tells me how he compliments her, how they talk about completely random things (maybe 20 % of the time is spent on the talk about her case...), how he calls her late in the evening on weekend asking about 'some document from her case he lost'...
I wanted to giggle listening all of this. To me, it seemed like there might be something. I told her 'Go ahead! Make the move!' Oh well, there is a problem of professionalism and the codex. But I'm sure she'll think of a way, she's cunning. :D
Bipolar?
This same lady called me few days ago to ask how I'm doing, with the job and accommodation...And somehow she started talking about certain topic...telling me about my goals in life and my plans and then turned the story towards Stephen Fry and the condition he has...and that my behaviour, my plans are classical in the cases of people with manic depression (old term for bipolarity) and that I should be careful, because those people make so much plans and have so many goals, they are very intelligent, but succumb to depression when it goes wrong or the plans don't come true or as they should.
Well. I knew I am indecisive, want many things to do, emotionally unstable and change moods very often and parts of my character are a bit contrasting...but bipolarity? I dunno. :/
My friend Daniel from the college has a (Spanish) friend who also came to UK to study English, but in Brighton, but now she came to my former college because she heard it's better.
So, Daniel invited me to go to the centre with them, you know, coffee, walk, spend some time, chat...So we met and the girl spoke few words in English, like 'hello my name is lalalala' and few other questions. And gave me that awful limp fishy handshake. Ugh. Is it so hard to squeeze someone's hand properly? You know, you put your palm somewhere close to the 'V' between thumb and forefinger and close the fingers around the hand, squeeze and SHAKE. See, not so hard, is it?
Anyways, we continue and Daniel speaks in English so I can understand conversation and so she can practice English. But no, he speaks in English and she replies in Spanish. And again, and again...Well, now that's rude. Even if she has broken English at least she can try. I know her English is not THAT bad so she doesn't dare to speak!
So 2 more hours I spent listening two of them speaking Spanish. Daniel didn't have much options; he did try to speak English but she kept asking him and talking in Spanish so he was automatically drawn to speak it too...The funny part is that I understood half of the things she was saying, so if she even bothered to look at me while asking him question about ME I would answer in English and Daniel could translate if it was problem with her.
Later on, just before we parted ways I told Daniel I want to go to supermarket to buy some food and he said he'll go with me, but when I realized it's actually a bit far I told him they don't have to go with me, because it will take them away from their path and I don't want them to walk for my shopping. Daniel still looked like he wanted to go and kept looking towards the supermarket and back at his friend and then she spoke loudly and in fluent English 'It's too far.' Aha, NOW you can speak English! Pffft. I like Daniel but not his friend, but I still didn't say anything.
And two days after that Daniel asked me if I want to go for a coffee and I was happy I could have a nice chat with him, but when I met him she was there too, ugh. So I lied: I said I had emergency call for a job interview and had to go. :( I really didn't feel like spending another hour or two being third wheel.
Forbidden love?
The lady I met on the plane when I was coming back from Croatia, Mrs J., let's call her, told me a little story when I went to visit her few days ago...
She came to London during the war and she got UK citizenship as a refugee. But she is older and ill, so she doesn't work and receives government support. I think every few years she has to have her case reviewed in court, and that's actually happening this year. So she has a lawyer who is on her case. The thing is...she fell for her lawyer. :) He's maybe 20 years younger than her and black. Not any issue these days, you'd say. But her generation and especially where is she from, would disagree. But that doesn't matter now, in this story.
She told me how she spends all day getting ready for the appointment: masks, hair curlers, bath, depilation, makeup, clothes...trying out clothes combination like a highschool girl :D
And then she tells me how he compliments her, how they talk about completely random things (maybe 20 % of the time is spent on the talk about her case...), how he calls her late in the evening on weekend asking about 'some document from her case he lost'...
I wanted to giggle listening all of this. To me, it seemed like there might be something. I told her 'Go ahead! Make the move!' Oh well, there is a problem of professionalism and the codex. But I'm sure she'll think of a way, she's cunning. :D
Bipolar?
This same lady called me few days ago to ask how I'm doing, with the job and accommodation...And somehow she started talking about certain topic...telling me about my goals in life and my plans and then turned the story towards Stephen Fry and the condition he has...and that my behaviour, my plans are classical in the cases of people with manic depression (old term for bipolarity) and that I should be careful, because those people make so much plans and have so many goals, they are very intelligent, but succumb to depression when it goes wrong or the plans don't come true or as they should.
Well. I knew I am indecisive, want many things to do, emotionally unstable and change moods very often and parts of my character are a bit contrasting...but bipolarity? I dunno. :/