Lost in translation

[superbadgirl]

Over halfway on my walk to Job 2, I realized I'd left my apartment without any supplies for Girl Thing. I don't know how I manage to do that so often, but I do. Anyway, I ran to the drug store before the office hours began and picked up a box of tampons. The woman at the register, sweet thing that she was, rang me up. When she came to the tampons, she scanned them, looked puzzled for a minute and then put them down on the counter instead of in my bag. She continued ringing everything else up, and when she was done held up the box and asked me what they were.

Me: Tampons.
Her: Oh.
She fiddled around with the register.
Her: But what are they?
Me: They're...tampons.
Her: Tampons...I don't...?
Me: They're, uh, they're for when you have your period.
Her, blushing: Ohhhhh! Say no more. I understand now.

Turned out she's only very recently Stateside, from Africa, and is still learning words. Bless her heart. I figured it was something like that, but the whole conversation was very amusing to me for some reason. LOL, I've never had anyone have to ask me what that particular product was before.

Rented two apartments today, to twenty year olds. MAN, I hope I was never that clueless. These encounters also felt like I was speaking to someone whose native tongue wasn't English. I really don't remember when I got my first apartment, but I'm pretty sure I wasn't as unprepared as these two were. I felt like a life coach or something.

But bonus points to the one who assumed I wasn't old enough to have 10 years of rental history under my belt.

Comments

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

That reminds me of the story of when my dad went to buy "sanitary napkins" for my mom. This was probably back in the late 50s or early 60s, but he asked the guy at the counter because he couldn't find them. The guy, of course, sent him to find dinner napkins. My dad went back and said, "I want sanitary napkins, and the guy was quite insulted. He said, "All napkins are sanitary!" hehe My dad used to love to tell that story.

Are you still working at the place you used to live or are the rentals related to something else?

[superbadgirl]

LOL, that is a cute story.

Yeah, I'm still working at the place I used to live, but hopefully they've finally found someone and yesterday was my last day. I don't mind a few extra dollars now that the job pays, but last weekend off was SO nice.

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

You probably were never that clueless. I'm surrounded by daft college kids in my neighborhood. One time I asked my mom if I was ever that stupid/inconsiderate. She said no. I said, "I feel really old saying this, but I just hate them."

Her response: "Why does that make you old? You hated them when you were their age?"

Me: "...oh, yeah."

:D

[superbadgirl]

Heh. I remember thinking 90% of my high school class were absolute idiots with messed up priorities. No wonder I didn't really enjoy that whole experience. ;)