Please say please .. por favor

We had the annoying "honor" of helping some tourists today, who proceeded to ask us why we live here and at the same time, tell us how awful the people are here.

Apparently, according to their world, Telephone operators in South America should speak English.

When you get your finger smashed in an occupied bathroom door, an apology is not enough, you obviously should be compensated in some way by the owner... especially since his waiters don't speak English.

After asking us about a dozen times, "So you really like it here ?", sort of in the tone of someone looking down at you while you sit in hot tar .. " you like it here ?? " ... After I told them one of the greatest aspects of living here is the People... we were treated to a list of woes about how they are not nice here, they are rude, they don't speak English.

I used the example of us .. the "foreigners" in a building where everyone knows each other well and for a long time.. kind of like moving into a dorm at the end of the year .. and being welcomed and accepted like long lost family members.

But that didn't really make a dent in their steadfast bullheaded opinion that Everyone here is rude ... because they don't speak English.

I know a young woman, she is Japanese and learning to speak English. When she visited here, she carried a little Spanish phrase book so she could pronounce things correctly and ask for things in Spanish and Please and Thank you in Spanish.

She was treated as well as we are , probably better, since it seems that no matter where she goes, people fall in love with her ... regardless of the language she speaks. She smiles, is polite and quiet spoken. And respectful.

That will get you a long way in some places. At least it does in my book :)

These awful tourists made me thankful for all the polite , quiet spoken people who come here and want to enjoy everything , who learn a few words before they leave home, who smile and say Thank you and are not demanding .. who leave a Good Impression and hopefully set a standard that everyone wants to meet.