The other day I was trying to buy something on the street. As I tried to communicate what I wanted with the man, I had to revert to my favorite (and most often used) phrase- "I don't understand you."
He looks at me, as if I came from another planet and said laughingly, "you don't understand me, you idiot!?!?" Ok, so the idiot part was my interpretation of his facial expression, but seriously, he could not believe that I wasn't able to communicate fluently in the language.
I was just fuming. How dare he talk to me like that? Look, buddy, I'm sorry that I'm not fluent in your language, but before moving here I didn't even know how to say "hello." Get OVER yourself. Do you even know who you are talking to? I was a straight A student at a top university in America. I've worked on Capitol Hill, Parliament in London, written a 90 page thesis, published articles, written speeches for people of influence... People KNOW me.
I mean, who are you? You sell FRUIT on the STREET!
How dare you laugh at me. I'm... I'm... I'm... better than you?
There it was. Disgusting. I have no words to describe the ugliness that reared its head in my heart that day.
Everyday I am struck with the hard reality: my resume means nothing here. I'm just a foreigner who depends on the patience of the salesman to help me make simple purchase, and honestly I'm the one who needs to get over myself. All I can say is... how humbling.
Told you it was my most honest self.
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