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Question about greeting procedure
Question about greeting procedure
I know that it's polite to begin your conversations with "Good Morning" etc. But I've always been hung up by the dead air that generally follows. I think that, to my mainland brain, that dead air time is longer than I'm used to and I'm always at a loss for whether I should wait for them to say Good Morning back to me, or if I should just continue with my side of the conversation.
Say I walk into a shop and I'm looking for something in particular. I say to the shopkeeper "Good Morning". Then there's this dead air. Should I just be patient and wait for them to reply? Should I just launch into "Do you have any XYZ?"
Say I walk into a shop and I'm looking for something in particular. I say to the shopkeeper "Good Morning". Then there's this dead air. Should I just be patient and wait for them to reply? Should I just launch into "Do you have any XYZ?"
Jennifer
Actually, I always entered the stores with, "Good Morning (Afternnon).....how are you today?" And that will prompt a reply from them. No dead air, so to speak. They always answered me with , I am fine, and how about yourself? Then I would start asking my questions, or start a conversation.
Jusr remember, be friendly, and be polite.....no problems, Mon!
-Bert
Jusr remember, be friendly, and be polite.....no problems, Mon!
-Bert
The liver is evil, it must be punished!
I agree with CariBert. I always put on my "friendly face" and give a cheerful "Good (time of Day) How are you?". Maybe it's that I'm not at home and at work that makes me want to be so friendly.
It's quite different from Raleigh, where the accepted greeting is "Hahhowryewwww" (Sound it out)
Or, from NJ (where we used to live) where it's an extended middle finger.
It's quite different from Raleigh, where the accepted greeting is "Hahhowryewwww" (Sound it out)
Or, from NJ (where we used to live) where it's an extended middle finger.
Great question, thanks for asking that. I have always felt really stupid after saying "Good Morning" and launching into a question about what I need. Feels fake.
Any more ideas about greeting and talking with locals would be greatly appreciated.
Also any suggestions on how to interact with the lady at the Rib place (can't remember name) would help too.
My husband is beside himself about that place and always comes back frustrated because he gets the cold shoulder and has to wait SOOOOOOO long and sees people getting orders that ordered way after him.
I tell him now he knows what it feels like to be a minority- you don't know if you are being discriminated against, if they have run into too many exremely rude tourists, or if they are just on "island time".
Any more ideas about greeting and talking with locals would be greatly appreciated.
Also any suggestions on how to interact with the lady at the Rib place (can't remember name) would help too.
My husband is beside himself about that place and always comes back frustrated because he gets the cold shoulder and has to wait SOOOOOOO long and sees people getting orders that ordered way after him.
I tell him now he knows what it feels like to be a minority- you don't know if you are being discriminated against, if they have run into too many exremely rude tourists, or if they are just on "island time".
djmom,
Any more ideas about greeting and talking with locals would be greatly appreciated.
Just be yourself, talking with locals in St. John is no different that anywhere else.
Waiting for a rib carry out or whatever. St. John is a small island of many, many relatives and friends. They just may be waited on before strangers/tourists. My advice, be polite, be patient. If not ... believe me your wait will be much longer.
Any more ideas about greeting and talking with locals would be greatly appreciated.
Just be yourself, talking with locals in St. John is no different that anywhere else.
Waiting for a rib carry out or whatever. St. John is a small island of many, many relatives and friends. They just may be waited on before strangers/tourists. My advice, be polite, be patient. If not ... believe me your wait will be much longer.
Peace,
bj
bj