Fast food restaurants are famous for messing up orders at the drive through windows. It's a fact of life in the USA, as I'm sure it is world wide. It's hard to hear one another through those low quality speakers. In this country there is an added difficulty....the language barrier. Let me illustrate by using a real life example of our latest run through Burger King:
Ibrahim: May I take your order, please?
Brn: I would like one large diet coke, please.
Ibrahim: You want large fry???
Brn: No, I want to order one large diet coke, please.
Ibrahim: You want fry?
Brn: No! I just want a large diet coke.
Ibrahim: You no want fry?
Brn: No! One large diet coke.
Ibrahim: (says something we couldn't understand)
Bss: What's going on?????
Brn: I don't know, but I think we're getting fries.
Sure enough, we got a large order of fries and a warm can of diet coke. He did understand me when I asked for a cup of ice. He looked perplexed at the idea, but at least he didn't hand me a fish sandwich or something.
This blog began as a description of our life in Al Ain, UAE (United Arab Emirates). Brn worked at the UAE University Libraries Deanship for three years and Bss homeschooled our four children, D, B, P, and O. After returning to the the USA for five years, we are living in Abu Dhabi now.
2 comments:
My favourite - a group of French customers asking for rice and getting fries. The diners were asking for 'riiiice' in a strong French accent and the Indian waiter was replying 'yes, you have friiies' in an equally strong accent. Most amusing.
We have battled every time we ask for Diet Coke. Last night a waitress asked "what is Diet Cake?" The penny has dropped - now we will be sure to ask for Diet Coco Cola (or Bebsi!)
Post a Comment