What's An Annoying Happenings Today

@julyteen (13252)
Davao, Philippines
November 21, 2010 4:54pm CST
During our lunch time I go out for awhile and went to the mobile network provider here in Saudi. I have simcard from another network but it was expired few days ago because I didn't meet the required loads every month. TOgether with my friend, we went to another network provider but it's hard to deal people who doesn't know how to speak English. Because we are new so our Saudi language is limited and we know only basic terms. I asked to the receptionist that we will buy a simcard so they replied what we are going to buy postpaid or SAWA means prepaid. Well, they give us priority number and the customer service representative asked our IQAMA means resident permit. They process and give us the simcard. We didn't read the package of the simcard because the information is limited unlike in the Philippines you can read all information you need. Just now me and my friend found out that the simcard they give us is POSTPAID. OMG! I already experince having a postpaid plan before when I was in my country and it is not good because of the bill I received monthly. Now, what I can say it's very hard to live in a country that there's language barrier.
3 responses
@hushi22 (4927)
22 Nov 10
oh yeah. i experienced this in Thailand. it was the reason why it took me time to call my parents back home that i was okay.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
22 Nov 10
hi julyteen I was lucky as I did not have ajyu annoyin happenings 'to day. tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment which to me is never fun but its okay,Yes I can imagine how hard iT is to live in a country where there's a language barrier.Also for me the religious customs of the Arabs would bother me too.But you seem to hold up pretty well and you do have a good job hope you can see your'famiiy htis summer coming.
@4mymak (1793)
• Malaysia
22 Nov 10
true.. language barrier is annoying.. but - to me you could have been more 'prepared', especially when you have gone thru' bad experiences when dealing with the locals. You should have whatever you wanted to be written down - even if you cant pronounce it correctly - the person at the counter surely could read and understand what you really wanted. You really should have asked someone who spoke the local dialect to accompany you, to avoid these kind of misunderstandings.. I have been on 'both sides' of the fence - i was 'foreigner' when i studied abroad many years ago.. and now i have 'foreigners' working in my office, whom i have to cater to at times.. and yes, i understand the frustations when these things happen.. but it is always 'OUR EFFORT' that's important.. how we manage to get them to understand what we want - so, if it means you have to learn their language, then learn it.. dont blame them for not speaking your language (english)... just like the 'foreigners' in our office - they are not comfortable speaking in english (they are not from english speaking countries), but they know they have to... and they try very hard...