by Christine Slomski (Gonzaga Univeristy)
I FEEL GRUMPY TODAY. It’s the stress of getting everything done and planning to get away from here this weekend. It’s August and I feel cold and I feel cramped, like there’s no place of my own, in this hostel.
Over the past few days I’ve made a generalization: Irish are welcoming and talkative when they’re engaged in conversation, but left to walk amongst them in the streets and shop alongside them in the supermarkets, well I do not find them friendly. They do not make eye contact or move to let you move past them. I was at Sainsbury’s today (supermarket) and when I was paying for groceries the clerk didn’t look up to say hello, smile at me or converse with me. I felt invisible. In back of me, just as I handed my money to the clerk, a woman was already putting her groceries on the counter and I felt pushed out of the way. Customer service here is not a priority, I can tell. The people here like to talk about themselves and their history, not as much about you. In America, or at least on the West Coast, there is a lot of emphasis on getting to know the other person, on listening. I feel there is a desire to hear and to learn.
Last Friday night something happened that bothered me, and for the rest of the night small instances of the first experience kept jumping out at me. I was leaving Red Ned’s (a local pub) with a few girls and as I was opening the outside door to leave, a young man of about 20 rushed in from outside right past me, followed by his friends. I stood there stunned and tried to stare him down. Do men here not understand the phrase “ladies first?” I felt very annoyed. It’s just so expected, so normal for the men in America to put women first. That’s part of our culture, granted it does not happen 100% of the time, but nonetheless it is sort of a cultural standard. So from that point on that evening I noticed how much the men here are not as aware of the women in terms of manners and politeness. Men pushed past me at a local dance club later that night, not making eye contact or anything. They aren’t purposely rude but they ARE NOT GENTLEMEN. I think they could learn a few things from those chivalrous Southern boys in the US.
Oh, yeah, what’s up with all those striped, long-sleeved, collared shirts? Men in the US may be manicured and more glamorous, but at least they have some outward individuality in their dress sense. What I have seen and only seen so far is: long-sleeved, striped, collard shirts; plaid, short-sleeved, collard shirts; and rugby jackets and jerseys. On Friday evening I saw two men with the same striped shirt. It’s THAT bad. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture for this blog… I think you’d be amused.
Looking forward to customer service (which I won’t take for granted as much anymore) and distinctively different looking men, little over one week to go…..
Ahem!
