2 Weeks working for Mesa/Boogie - Some thoughts

[HeavyAxe]

Or perhaps, you know, he could have learned to communicate better. I don't speak Spanish nor Laotian, and I never had a problem making myself understood nor did I have any problems understanding them. Many of them are good people and good workers. Besides - although the majority of people in America speak English, America doesn't endorse English as an official language. If you are in a workplace with predominantly Spanish or Laotian workers, then the onus of responsibility to learn how to communicate is on you, not them.

I'm not saying they're not good people. But from what the OP said, it sounds like they weren't particularly eager to help him or at least attempt to converse with him. I'm just saying, don't beat yourself up for not knowing a language you simply don't speak. He only had two weeks after all. Its tough to figure out how to talk with someone who doesn't speak your language well after only two weeks.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I'm not saying they're not good people. But from what the OP said, it sounds like they weren't particularly eager to help him or at least attempt to converse with him. I'm just saying, don't beat yourself up for not knowing a language you simply don't speak. He only had two weeks after all. Its tough to figure out how to talk with someone who doesn't speak your language well after only two weeks.

I never had any problems communicating with the other people at Mesa/Boogie, even in the first two weeks. But perhaps the OP doesn't have as charming of a personality as I.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Yeah, if you don't understand what's being said, just smile & nod your head, no problems.

 

[Geezer Brown]

I never had any problems communicating with the other people at Mesa/Boogie, even in the first two weeks. But perhaps the OP doesn't have as charming of a personality as I.

I will agree with that. I'm not the most charismatic guy. What department did you say you worked at again?
If you know/knew clemente, you know his personality as well. He was very rude and despite being one of the better english speakers, took a combined time of about 4 or 5 minutes in 2 weeks to show me how to do anything.

 

[Benjamin Strange]

I will agree with that. I'm not the most charismatic guy. What department did you say you worked at again?
If you know/knew clemente, you know his personality as well. He was very rude and despite being one of the better english speakers, took a combined time of about 4 or 5 minutes in 2 weeks to show me how to do anything.

I actually started in the same position as you: final assembly. It's tough work. I didn't find Clemente to be rude, but he is definitely to the point. I did end up playing basketball with him after work and on weekends, though.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Speaking of the language thing.

On one of my first jobs in Thailand, our boss would come in & give us instructions in English & ask if everyone understood. All the Thai people in the room would nod in affirmation. As soon as he was out of sight, they would ask me *** he was just telling us all. It happened a lot too.

 

[nutdog]

Yeah, if you don't understand what's being said, just smile & nod your head, no problems.

This also works with the wife. Sometimes I grunt sympathetically also.

 

[Bass Viking]

Besides - although the majority of people in America speak English, America doesn't endorse English as an official language.

Interesting. Doesn't the company have a policy on the language of work?

If you are in a workplace with predominantly Spanish or Laotian workers, then the onus of responsibility to learn how to communicate is on you, not them.

That sounds ass-backwards. Isn't it the immigrants who should be learning English?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

That sounds ass-backwards. Isn't it the immigrants who should be learning English?

Apparently not. All the Social Services information has been printed up in Spanish so the immigrants don't need to learn English.

 

[bolophonic]

you would have fired me for having ideas?

Sounds a little harsh, don't you think?

At the last prosthetic lab I worked in, we brought on a kid who spent all of two days learning about the job before explaining that she was ready to start looking into how we could incorporate her ideas for robotics and so on. I was like, "look, we have 30 sockets to get out the door this week," right before I fired her. this is going to make for a lively discussion that I will probably follow until it is locked down.

 

[bolophonic]

Geeeez. It that offensive now too? Please, link me to a constantly updated Web site of the thousands of things we are no longer allowed to say. Thanks.

Look who just flew in from 1987 in his time machine!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Look who just flew in from 1987 in his time machine!

I worked abroad for 15 years & I was a little shocked by all the PC BS when I came back to North America.

 

[bolophonic]

I worked abroad for 15 years & I was a little shocked by all the PC BS when I came back to North America.

In other words, it offended you when people told you that they weren't going to answer to your outdated lingo? Sounds like a "you" problem, not a "them" problem.

 

[two fingers]

Look who just flew in from 1987 in his time machine!

Uh..... time machines are racist too.... or haven't you heard?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

In other words, it offended you when people told you that they weren't going to answer to your outdated lingo?

I am not easily offended, but apparently 90% of the population of North America are very easily offended. That is the "other words" for what I meant.

 

[bolophonic]

I am not easily offended, but apparently 90% of the population of North America are very easily offended. That is the "other words" for what I meant.

So you, as a minority in this situation, felt like it was important that your point of view was understood and recognized as valid by others around you? Interesting.....

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I don't know *** you are trying to prove, but you might as well can it!

 

[bolophonic]

Uh..... time machines are racist too.... or haven't you heard?

I'm not sure what that sentence means, but your earlier post did remind me of a memory from way back. My grandmother, who was approaching 100, was angrily muttering something about how unreasonable it was for society to abandon the use of the word "colored." This would have been during the time of Reagan, so even as a youngster, I knew that she was deliberately clinging to an antiquated perjorative -- 20 years out of date -- precisely because it was the one word that she was being asked not to use. It struck me as a completely pathetic point of pride to not only insist on calling people by a term that they didn't appreciate, but to also put forth such a transparent charade of just not being able to understand all these complex linguistic acrobatic games that were being played at her expense. I mean.... I certainly would agree that she had every right to spend her life letting people know that she had a basic lack of respect for their identity as individuals, but it seemed really small-minded and embarrassing to me. Perhaps you could provide me some insight into the need for this?

 

[bolophonic]

I don't know *** you are trying to prove, but you might as well can it!

You are going to dictate what I say now? Sounds.... politically correct to me.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Did OP really just use the term "orientals"?

It gets used by Asians where I live at, so apparently they are not offended by it.

I sincerely wish people would pull their collective heads out of their back sides and quit being "offended" by every stinking little thing in the entire freakin' world! Half the things people say they're "offended" by weren't offensive until someone else came along and told them they were supposed to be offended by it!

Absolutely!