Earlier this week, I paid a visit to our local Utrecht IKEA. I went there to buy some dinnerware, decorations, etc (you can see them on my Flickr page, if you click the link in the lower right or this page). But first, I had to return a clock that was not working properly. Sounds, simple right? Little did I know, I was going to get an extra dose of rudeness and far right politics.
I do know how to speak a little bit of Dutch. I understand a lot, actually, if not word for word, then usually the general idea...especially in daily activities (maybe not university lectures, etc). But I thought I was being nice, when I started the conversation out in Dutch, not English..instead of just sort of coming out of nowhere and speaking English (which could be rather pretentious of me to assume that this woman spoke English), I started out in Dutch saying "do you speak English?" Plus, I also thought, if we both wanted the following conversation to be comprehensible, it was going to have to be in English. She replied in Dutch "do you speak dutch?" and then in English continued with "you live in Holland, you should speak dutch." I was really taken aback by this, because I did not expect that response from her ...so all I could muster up was "I've only been here 2 weeks!!"...but in my head I was thinking, "WTF! I've only been here 2 weeks!! who the hell do you think you are?". That was it for that, and the returning of the clock went on in English....but really...I am just trying to return a clock, I don't think her political beliefs should be made evident there...nor am I asking for her to tell me what I should do. She has no idea about my personal situation - like if I am even living here to begin with! Or how long I've been here, if I am trying to learn Dutch, etc. I was rather upset while walking to my promised land of 200 lights and 1000 glasses and 500 clothes hangers...but then I thought, maybe she was joking? If that is a weird Dutch blunt sense of humor...but then I thought, no, I was offended by that, its not funny. At all.
I got the woman's name before I left the store, and M called IKEA to complain after I got home. That political crap is not needed when I'm only returning a clock! He asked for a written apology, so we'll see what happens. The customer service person for IKEA already apologized
for IKEA...but of course they can't apologize for the woman herself. Unfortunately, I am too attached to IKEA to not go there again...and I am too nice of a person to say something mean back to someone usually (I needed to return the clock...she's the one who had to decide to do it for me or not). I have to stop being too sensitive for their feelings/language...but the problem is, I'm sure this situation will happen again in the near future.
Oh, and her name was Trudy. She had a yellow scarf and brown hair. Be warned!
I do know how to speak a little bit of Dutch. I understand a lot, actually, if not word for word, then usually the general idea...especially in daily activities (maybe not university lectures, etc). But I thought I was being nice, when I started the conversation out in Dutch, not English..instead of just sort of coming out of nowhere and speaking English (which could be rather pretentious of me to assume that this woman spoke English), I started out in Dutch saying "do you speak English?" Plus, I also thought, if we both wanted the following conversation to be comprehensible, it was going to have to be in English. She replied in Dutch "do you speak dutch?" and then in English continued with "you live in Holland, you should speak dutch." I was really taken aback by this, because I did not expect that response from her ...so all I could muster up was "I've only been here 2 weeks!!"...but in my head I was thinking, "WTF! I've only been here 2 weeks!! who the hell do you think you are?". That was it for that, and the returning of the clock went on in English....but really...I am just trying to return a clock, I don't think her political beliefs should be made evident there...nor am I asking for her to tell me what I should do. She has no idea about my personal situation - like if I am even living here to begin with! Or how long I've been here, if I am trying to learn Dutch, etc. I was rather upset while walking to my promised land of 200 lights and 1000 glasses and 500 clothes hangers...but then I thought, maybe she was joking? If that is a weird Dutch blunt sense of humor...but then I thought, no, I was offended by that, its not funny. At all.
I got the woman's name before I left the store, and M called IKEA to complain after I got home. That political crap is not needed when I'm only returning a clock! He asked for a written apology, so we'll see what happens. The customer service person for IKEA already apologized
for IKEA...but of course they can't apologize for the woman herself. Unfortunately, I am too attached to IKEA to not go there again...and I am too nice of a person to say something mean back to someone usually (I needed to return the clock...she's the one who had to decide to do it for me or not). I have to stop being too sensitive for their feelings/language...but the problem is, I'm sure this situation will happen again in the near future.
Oh, and her name was Trudy. She had a yellow scarf and brown hair. Be warned!
1 comment:
Next time, tell her to go back to Sweden.
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