A conversation in another language made a huge difference
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31366)
Denmark
August 7, 2020 9:33am CST
Many years ago my parents, my brother and I were driving around in France. We had rented an RV in Germany because it was cheaper than renting it in Denmark.
One day we arrived at a camping site in northern France. My parents asked the staff if it was possible to stay there for a few days. At first the staff ignored my parents and when my father kept asking they just said "No vacancies" and they seemed annoyed and unfriendly.
My parents started discussing where to go instead and they were talking to eachother in Danish. They were about to leave, but suddenly one of the staff members said "Wait, you aren't German?" My parents told him that they were Danish. The staff started smiling and suddenly became very friendly. They said: "Welcome, let me find a spot for you"
The staff excitedly started talking about some of the famous Danish soccer players and they told my parents how much they admired those soccer players. My parents weren't that interested in soccer, but they knew enough about the topic to be able to participate in the conversation.
My parents were happy that they didn't have to look for another camping site, but it never would have happened if they hadn't had that conversation in Danish
3 people like this
4 responses
@LadyDuck (470492)
• Switzerland
7 Aug 20
I am not surprised, not a bit, in the north of France they do not like a lot Germans. I had the same surprise when we visited Puerto Rico. We were in a store and I asked a few questions to a sale person in English (it is supposed to be their official language). He was really unfriendly, not of big help. I exchanged a few words with my husband in Italian and that person totally changed... They do not seem to love Americans a lot in Puerto Rico.
2 people like this
@rachelennia (211)
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
7 Aug 20
It’s probably because the US owns PR and probably won’t give them independence.
2 people like this
@rachelennia (211)
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
7 Aug 20
All Puerto Rican’s learn Spanish as their first language. If the official is English, it’s only because of the good old USA.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (470492)
• Switzerland
7 Aug 20
@rachelennia Exactly, they are a lot nicer if you speak Spanish with them, from that "incident" I spoke Spanish all the time in Puerto Rico.
1 person likes this
@Butterfingers (66583)
• India
7 Aug 20
That does make sense too good your parents were able to get the required help.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Aug 20
Yes, my parents were happy that they didn't have to look for another camping site. We had already been driving around a lot and we just wanted to relax.
1 person likes this
@rachelennia (211)
• Montego Bay, Jamaica
7 Aug 20
In Jamaica when I speak English I get treated totally different than when I speak the native Patwah which is basically broken English but sounds completely different.
2 people like this
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
7 Aug 20
Sometimes it really matters what language you use. When I was living in Estonia I experienced something similar. I was living there as a foreigner. I wasn't very good at Estonian, and I usually spoke English. I often visited a local bookstore, I had been there many times but the shop assistents were always pretty rude and unfriendly to me. One day I visited the bookstore with a German friend who was also living in Estonia. She spoke Estonian really well and they treated her much, much better.