Sunday, November 05, 2006

A crash course in IRL shopping

When I have guests over, guests that are not so used to speak English, they sometimes gets frustrated when shopping. "I feel like a fool, they keep asking me things and I don't understand, I thought my English was good enough". So now I usually go through the main phrases the cashiers will ask them when done shopping, these phrases they say hundreds of times a day and is a mere mumble since everyone knows what is being said anyway. No problem for a resident, but kind of tricky for those who are already nervous how to get the different, unfamiliar coins right.

Here they are, in the usual order they come:
  • Did you find everything all right?
  • Do you have an xx account/card?
  • Would you like to save ten percent today by opening an xx account?
  • May I have your zip code?
  • Is that ATM or credit?
  • The receipt in the bag or with you?
Once you know what they're asking you can shake or nod appropriately or mumble freely and everyone will be happy and you will feel like a power shopper despite being an alien!

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