So, I just had the funniest experience at the Post Office.
To start, I actually sort of like the post offices here. They are open until 8:00pm, so that makes sending letters/packages convenient. The staff are friendly and efficient, and signs are marked in Slovak, German, and English (so I know which line I need to be standing in).
The only thing I don't really like are the lines. There is ALWAYS a line, no matter what window you go to, and you have to be careful, because sometimes a line with 5 people in it will drain faster than a line with 2 people in it, because the 5 are only sending a couple of letters, while the 2 may have a whole grocery bag full of things that need heavy-duty postage.
Today, I was in the line with 2 people. The first person didn't take very long, but serving the woman in front of me became quite an ordeal.
First, she had at least 5 different types of post that needed to be sent. Luckily, she had already grouped them with the necessary paperwork, but still, its a tedious undertaking. Sometime during the process she said something with a sort of urgency to the woman behind the window. They started to have a semi-heated discussion, and the work of the postal woman became more violent. Instead of merely placing the stickers on the packages, she was slapping them. I knew that this may mean trouble for me, so I planned to smile as widely as possible and give a non-threatening "please don't hate me because of that other woman" dobry den.
The two of them even argued over payment.
When it was all over, I inched closer to the window, only to see the postal woman get up from her seat, walk through a door to the back room, and slammed it with considerable effort. The other patrons, workers, and I all looked at each other and kind of giggled because we knew what had just happened. Frustration always translates.
She returned shortly, gossiping with the workers next to her, and complaining to me while processing my letters. I smiled and said "ano, ano" (yes, yes, I understand) and thanked her graciously before leaving.
It was one of the best non-English exchanges I've had with a local.
1 comment:
Going postal must be a world wide occurance. An interesting story of communication. So would you like a grammar book for reference while teaching English? My First Grade learned was and were usage this week. They will tell you that "staff" is one group to be coupled with "was"- what do you think? Next week; has and have-good-bye got.
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