LaFerrari starts smoking after being driven recklessly

Ah, harkens back to the days when men were men...and 🐑 were nervous


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I've conducted business in Japan and like everywhere I visit, even for leisure, I always learn or refresh a few simple local phrases and words like "good morning/good day", "excuse me", "thank you", "please", "hello (on the phone)", "goodbye" and "do you speak English?".

On my initial contact I will check with my host and let him/her know that I am polite and friendly but that I need to converse in English. The key concept here is "respect" for your host and host country. While English is normally recognized as the "universal language", the default common denominator in everyday situations as well as in business, I still try to convey respect when I first speak to a stranger especially if he/she is my host. Arabic is not a universal language.

If you try to ignore the fact that you are in the other person's country and simply do as you please you will come across, at least as being less than friendly and appreciative of your host and his/her host country. At worst you will come across as arrogant to some locals. Your host may not even display displeasure but it will always be felt and you may not receive the best reception. If you are leading a group in Japan, it is your duty to pave the way for them so you should apologize for them, however quickly, to your host and let him know your group needs to speak in English. Well-mannered people have always done this throughout the ages.

FWIW, I also use some safe body language... like a smile, a simple nod or keeping both hands in a respectful posture when I approach a stranger in Japan.

 

Well said. I found that when I tried to speak the native language in Japan and France (phrases), they go out of their way to speak English and are some of the nicest people on the planet. I'm brushing up on my Spanish to engage more Latinos working on my homes. They too, appreciate the gesture as genuine kindness.


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This incident made the front page of today's Los Angeles Times.

 

+1000000

 

Good for you Al! A few friendly Spanish phrases would certainly be received warmly, even if you are the employer and host in this situation. The reality is that while money can buy cooperation sometimes, it's mutual respect which "buys" you goodwill.

I was visiting a Moravian town one time, arriving at around 10 pm by train. I managed to cobble together a phrase to inquire about hotels at the Soviet era train station but the ticket office was not able to help. A very pretty young Czech girl apparently overheard my conversation and started speaking to me in perfect English with a British accent... said she had worked a couple of years in London and would be happy to show me a safe place to stay for the night. She and her friends then took me there, taking 15 minutes of their time and telling me a bit about their town.

The same thing happened again the next day when I asked for directions in Czech. A young man replied to me in good English and said "come, I will take you there". He then walked with me for a good 30 minutes until we reached the door before turning to wish me "enjoy your stay!" as he smiled, nodded and said goodbye.

I also stopped at the local library to look up something and another very pretty young girl overheard my attempts at speaking Czech again and this time the young girl, with her older friend smiling by her side, even asked me how long I would be staying in town!

 

Great stories Michael 😎


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The Japanese people are too polite. And yes, learning a couple of words of a foreign language will get you respect and a smile does miracles. I still think the guy was wrong for kicking people out for speaking a foreign language, universal or not. Walking up to someone and asking them to change their language certainly isn't good manners.

 

I'm getting the impression that speaking bad Czech is the best way to pick up hot girls. Is that about right?

 

The way i understand the story is that He kicked them out bc they told him he would end up speaking Arabic eventually (i.e. We will take over your country..and you will have to submit).

 

Apparently you incorrectly read Traveller's message. Here's part of what he actually wrote:

"...As they stood there chatting in Arabic he politely asked if they would mind speaking in English whilst inspecting his cars. The harsh response was no and soon you will all be speaking Arabic. He escorted them from the premises and refused to deal with them..."​

So his dealer friend kicked the Arabic-speaking people out because of the "harsh response" and the veiled threat that "...soon you will all be speaking Arabic....". I ask you what would you do if a customer made an insulting threat to you and perhaps to your (entire culture) that you would all soon be bowing to his culture.

Please read more carefully next time as your (honest) mistake can convey a completely distorted picture of "public" opinion.

 

Yes. That and asking for directions, information for rather innocuous places (bishop's residence for example) and things (sheet music).

The Czech girls were gorgeous and very friendly... both blondes.

 

What they said afterwards is wrong and plainly disrespectful. I still stand to say that you do not walk up to a bunch of guys, "politely" or not and ask them to change the language they speak. Be it Latino, French, Arabic or Japanese its just rude.

 

It sound like you have been looking at the porno Czech movies.

 

Flees the country, cops deny any diplomatic immunity, coverage across national newspapers.

Not bad so far.

 

Story here. Doesn't sound like a nice person...

Video: Sheikh 'leaves US' after supercar street race video - Telegraph

 

Them being in an english speaking country, having walked into an english speaking business and then proceeding to speak in arabic around a business owner/salesperson that they know is an english speaker, quite frankly is far more rude IMO.

 

IMO what the Arabic speaker(s) said afterwards was much worse than disrespectful. If someone had made that kind of threat to an Arab businessman in an Arab country, they wouldn't just be shown the door.

As for walking up to prospective customers and politely reminding them to speak the local language, this would happen in any number of European countries if people chatted away in a foreign language in a posh establishment, loudly enough to be heard by other customers and staff. OTOH it should otherwise be alright to whisper or speak briefly in a low tone if you need to speak in a foreign language because speaking quietly indicates you are trying to respect other people.

I cannot say for sure in this case but if they were chatting away as if they were at home or in their own country, it would likely offend a high end non-Arabic-speaking establishment as well as other customers. The same thing would happen if I yapped away in Cantonese in a high end German dealer and I wouldn't blame them for being annoyed with me.

Parents often remind children that they are no longer at home and have to behave respectfully when they are in public. If you can remember back far enough, this sentiment would seem to have largely disappeared from many people's consciousness; aided I imagine by the advent of trashy TV and trashy movie content. Unfortunately Arabic speakers also have to watch our trashy TV programs and movies.

 

You do realize that not everybody communicates in English. imo the dealer / salesperson could have capitalized on this fact, used Google to search for a welcome phrase in the language they were speaking and gain potential customers.

 

Actually, I believe English is the universal language spoken internationally in aviation between pilots and controllers.


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If they didn't understand english how on earth did they know that they were being asked to speak english or that they were asked to leave?

They clearly spoke english and chose not to and that is why their conduct was rude IMO.

 

Theres a difference in understanding a language and communicating in one. A bunch of guys standing and admiring a car would most likely "communicate" in their first language about their emotions.

 

No one can really speak Czech, not even the Czech folks. It has no vowels, just c's z's and k's.

 

Perhaps there has been some cultural misunderstanding.

Those Qatar drivers weren't trying to terrorize Beverly Hills.

"This is how we Arabs drive."

Anyway I now understand why they don't want Muslim women to drive.

 

Being 'most likely' doesn't mean that it isn't rude to do.