Anyway, one time the phone (actually mobile phone) rang when my boss was in the toilet and there was nobody else at the office. I picked it up and greeted her and she started talking so fast with such awful background noise. I couldn't pick up any of the words she was saying. To me at that time, there were no words that sounded familiar to me (no mention of any of the places that people usually asked us). I tried to listen to her once more by saying, "Excuse me?" (of course in Finnish)
She then started doing the same thing. Frustrated, I just said to her, "Wait a minute, let me ask my boss." (at this time I could hear my boss coming out of the toilet)
So I just gave the phone to my boss and she dealt with her he he he he...
The second time I had to pick up the phone, I was ABSOLUTELY alone. My boss was out and there was nobody else there at the office.
THANKFULLY this time I understood most of the things he was saying, especially since there was no background noise. I had a little bit of trouble in responding to him (I'd have liked to tell him more things, but I couldn't due to my limited Finnish, so I just answered in short phrases or sentences).
However, at least this second experience was MUCH better than the first one, since I knew the many words he was saying to me, so I could at least understand what he wanted to ask. After all, how could I give an answer to a question I didn't understand at all, right? HE HE HE HE...
Oh well...I still have a LONG way to go, but I'm just going to enjoy this bumpy ride instead of cursing it he he he...
Haha yeah, complaining and cursing don't help much. :) Sometimes, my mouth is complaining, but I still do the job. At the end of the day, I feel relief with my own hard work. :D
ReplyDeleteChoc Mint Girl: YEAH, you're a hard worker!!! :-))) It feels GREAT to feel a sense of accomplishment after doing such hard work, eh? ;-D
ReplyDeleteOh wow. Well done!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard enough to understand someone in your own language when they are babbling away and it's a noisy reception. So well done! I'm sure you did a million times better than I could have done!
ReplyDeleteit's happen to me also in the beginning i learn dutch. I was so nervous everytime our phone was ring or there were someone at the door hi hi hi hi...
ReplyDeleteJust keep at it Amel, and eventually you will do great.
ReplyDeletei had always nervous when i had to pick up the phone when i worked in the hotel reception :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started working in Barcelona and my spanish was not good, I was really very fearful of incoming calls too. I can understand that feeling.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, such are really good opportunities for you to improve on the language. In fact, my spanish really got better and really faster.
I am sure in no time at all, you would be speaking finnish like a local.
Oh boy, I always fear phonecalls, even in Czech, not to mention in other languages. I hate not having any body language to help me out... And I get oddly embarrassed when I have to make a phonecall in front of other people :)
ReplyDeleteI admire your improvements so much! My last phonecall in a foreign language was in Spanish when I called to the language school to get rid of Andrea, the bothersome Italian squatting in appartment. I think I told the lady something like "There's a boy in my room and I don't want him there" Wonder what she thought of me :D
I always have same problem but in the house... since my hubby is working in our house :)
ReplyDeleteBlur Ting + The World According to Me: THANKS for your encouragement!!!
ReplyDeleteJul: So now you're confident in Dutch? I hope I can be like that too in a few years' time he he...
Jeanne: Ahhhh...so everybody's got the same experience he he he...
WaterLearner: Yeah, practise makes perfect, but I'm afraid my practise time is done for now he he he he...THANKS for your encouragement, though!
Bitter Chocolate: I also don't like making phone calls. I'm more of an email type of person HA HA HA HA HA HA...And I'm the same as yourself, I'm also embarrassed when I have to make a phone call in front of other people (esp. when it's a formal call!).
THANKS for your encouragement!!! I need to learn more and more 'coz I'm starting to forget the grammar he he...
Nyumix: Your hubby works in the house? WONDERFUL!!! So you're together a lot he he he...
Just keep trying Amel, before you know it you'll be fluent ;-)
ReplyDelete