Bilingual?

xikry5talix

xikry5talix

kry5tal...get it?!:]
O.G.
Jan 3, 2006
3,661
10
#1
I was at loehmann's yesterday and they have those community changing rooms where everyone changes in front of each other.This girl next to me was trying on clothes with her mother sitting by the mirror watching her. From the corner of my eye, I kept noticing them glancing at me, but I didn't really pay attention to them, I just kept trying on clothes. Then I hear the mother say, "Nothing looks good on that girl next to you" in Vietnamese. I didn't even know what to say because I could totally understand what she was saying! I was so angry and surprised that I didn't know what to say. I just walked right out of the dressing rooms. While in line to pay, I was with my mom and we started talking in Vietnamese, and the lady turns around in astonishment. That experience totally ruined the rest of my day!

So, I'm pretty sure most of you ladies are bilingual so has anyone ever said anything about you in a language they thought you couldn't understand? And what did you do?
 
#2
I'm glad you surprised that woman, what a rude ***** :suspiciou People have some nerve.

That has happened to me before. I went into a quickie mart to get something to drink, and two guys said something in Spanish about what I was wearing and gave me the once over. In Spanish, I told them that they should think before they speak, because you never know who might be listening. They both just stared at me while I paid for my drink and left. It pissed me off :suspiciou That's something that really bothers me - most of the time when people are confronted about it, they're very embarrassed.
 
#3
I've never had anyone say anything nasty.. but I have had older women struggle to talk to me in English because they don't think I can speak Spanish!

You should have told her to shut up!!
 
#6
I'm sorry you had to deal with such an ignorant women. How awkward no matter how quick you are with repartee. I think it came back to haunt her beautifully. I speak french as a second language but so far so good. V
 
#7
If I were in your place, I'd say to her in the language she spoke, "No one asked for your opinion anyway."

It will ruin your day, I know. I've been in the same boat as you before.
 
#8
I'm sorry about your experience. I've never had that happen to me, or if it did, I unfortunately did not understand what someone was saying. I think that you handled it well...I don't think it would have had the guts to say something. I am classically passive-agressive.
 
#9
This happened to me during lunch at a fast food place in Chinatown(LA), one group of people were standing close to the door blocking the way, so I waited and waited until I really had to leave. I said "Excuse me" as I walked out but I guess this middle-aged man was too occupied with his order to hear me(I was kind of slightly bumped into him).

When I got to the door, I heard him saying something in Spanish with "pinchi hoto" in it to his group of people. And I immediately turned around and said "I did say 'excuse me'"--LOUD and continued walking.

Everyone looked at me when I did that :LOL

PS: I am Asian and I don't speak Spanish...I just know what "pinchi hoto" means :smile:
 
#10
you have community fitting rooms? Is this where everyone who wants to try on clothes changes on one big room? That's so strange! I would feel so unnerved about that!

Sorry to hear about your experience. She's probably just jealous that you can pull off those looks and that nothign looks good on HER or her daughter! What a petty woman!

I've had experiences like that, but not quite to that extent of rudeness. I look full asian and I speak french. So I get to "listen" in on several conversations being that Canada is bilingual. hehe
 
#11
^^loehmanns has a community fitting room and a couple of single rooms

i'm sorry, xikry, that that happened to you! i've never experienced something like that...but not a lot of people speak french in the us! it might have happened when i went to france but my oral comprehension sucks
 
#12
Once I was in France, and I heard the Sales Clerks complaining about how I was messing up the sweaters! (I'd been speaking English to a friend, so they didn't realize...). I apologized to them (in French!).
 
#13
I speak French, German, English, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese and it is really annoying when I go somewhere and people assume because I first spoke in English that they can make fun of either myself or someone in my party. Usually, I will give a scathing remark back to them in the language they spoke "What you think just because I don't look like you that I don't understand how rude you're being??". It usually puts them to shame and it's the end of problem.

I don't care what language it's in but typically people know when you're talking about them in a bad manner, your body language will give it away.
 
#14
Thanks! You ladies always have the right words to make a girl feel better! :amuse: I love how everyone on this forum is so nice!

I'm just upset that I didn't have the guts to say anything to her. The more I think about it, the more I think I should have said something. Oh well.

you have community fitting rooms? Is this where everyone who wants to try on clothes changes on one big room? That's so strange! I would feel so unnerved about that!
Click to expand...

It's one big room with mirrors all around, and maybe 3 personal fitting rooms. The first time I saw it, I was like..what the heck? But we're all women, right? It is a little awkward to see other women in thongs though...I never could get over that, haha.
 
#15
Wow BalenciagaLove, how did you get to learn so many different languages?

I speak English, Mandarin, Shanghainese (the dialect in Shanghai), and know a bit of French from school but like Mariah, my oral comprehension sucks.


I've never really had people speak badly about me, but when I was in China, I would always speak in English with my friends so people around me think I can't understand Mandarin/Shanghainese and speak freely around me. For some reason, I get pleasure out of understanding something that they think I don't. I'm weird like that haha.
 
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