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ICA (Isn't Currently Available), a haven for rudeness.
Hi all,
I'd like to share with you another "postcard" from my missionary work here in Sindinvaia. Today's lesson about the pagans has to do with their manners (or lack there of). It seems that when you don't believe in God it means you do believe that you are the center of the universe. My trip to a local convenience store this morning was just further proof of this. (Bare with me here, this is a bit of a soul cleanser.)
Going to the store to stock the family larder is usually the little lady's job, unfortunately she was at the fabric store when I noticed that we were out of bottled water (I don't trust water out of a tap anywhere outside of the US) and that we needed some sandwich materials. So, I had to meander down to something called an ICA in her stead. (As a joke we say that ICA stands for, "Isn't Currently Available", since the place has nothing compared to an American grocery store. I am not even going to do this place the justice of comparing it to a supermarket.)
Before I had even gotten into the store the rudeness and lack of respect began. Here is a list of things that happened to me:
Event #1: The slackers don't bother to have bilingual signs so I spent a couple minutes trying to figure out which door to go in. The person who went in before me didn't bother to hold the door open for me. When I opened the door a woman with a baby carriage immediately darted through it in front of me - running over my foot in the process. She didn't apologize or say thank you.
Event #2: I asked a young grocer who worked in the store where I could find some yellow mustard. (I had to say it like 6 times since the moron didn't know what the word "mustard" meant. In fact I had to actually pantomime the act of putting condiments on a hot dog like a retard just to get the dolt to figure out what I wanted.) After all that, IQ Jones says to me, "I no nowhere is." Thanks Junior, next time I'll just flip a coin.
Event #3: After some searching I located the area where they keep the feeble assortment of mustards. While standing there trying to figure out which inferior brand I should buy a woman actually walked in front of me. Seriously. She walked between me and the product wall without saying excuse me. I was so angry I still have visions of tripping her and seeing all her collected vittels go spilling all over the floor.
Event #4: At the charcuterie area (the place with cheese and meet) I approached the butcher and asked for a pound of cheese. There was no one else anywhere near me but the fellow says, "You need to take a number ticket." Fine. Whatever. I went over to the machine and took a ticket. (They make you do this everywhere. I bet people have them in their homes so they know who's turn it is to use the bathroom.) Standing there, holding ticket number 14, the guy actually made me wait a full 30 seconds before saying whatever the word is for 14 in their language. Why not just spit in my face next time?
Event #5: Still at the charcuterie area. Jerkface Jansson working the deli has already annoyed me and continues to do so. I ask him politely for a pound of cheese while pointing at something that looks like normal American cheese. He tells me that I can "Shop cheese already cut". I tell him I don't want to. He shirks his shoulders. I tell him, once again, I want a pound of the indicated cheese. He asks what a pound is in kilograms. I tell him I have no clue, something like 4-5kg I would guess. He shirks his shoulders and starts slicing the cheese. And the dude just keeps going. And going. And going. I now have cheese for like 6 months. I also know that litte rat knew I didn't need that much cheese.
Event #6: While attempting to find bottled water I was bumped into not once, not twice, but thrice. And in each one of those instances I was not given so much as a sorry. I was treated like I was invisible. On the third occasion I made one of those exaggerated "pardon me" motions (like I was doffing a non-existant bowler). Did I get any reaction? No. Nothing. Again, why not just spit in my face?
Event #7: After assembling my basket of goods I head towards the checkout area. (Amazingly they don't have one of those number machines for this. But, they probably should, considering creating an orderly line and sticking to it is beyond the scope of these idiots.) While standing in line an old woman feins like she is going to get some cough drops which are positioned by the cashier. She then proceeds to cut in front of me. I can tell you, I am boiling at this point. So much so that I actually said this, "Hey, lady! No cutsies!" (Been a while since I've even thought of that one.) Of course cause she's old and not American so she doesn't understand what "cutsies" means so I just make a "take a hike" motion meaning get to the end of the line. The old bitty just acts like she's deaf and dumb and starts to unload her pathetic assortment of sardines and patês onto the conveyor belt. I start putting them back in her basket and that's when the cashier starts to tell ME off! Whatever, I let her get on with it. Next time I see that lady in line ANYWHERE I am cutting in front of her. I honestly do not care what she is in line for.
Event #8: I just want to get out of the store at this point. The stupid cashier chick is sighing in a real drama queen like way, following the incident with the cutsies wench, while she scans my stuff. Just when I think it can't get any stupider she asks me if I want any bags. It is then that I realize that I have to bag my own groceries at this store. I can handle that since I only have about seven items. I tell her that I want one bag. She then scans the bag. I had to pay for the thing. They made me pay for a bag. That is like paying for air. I know for a fact that the old bitty got her bags for free. Why not just spit in my face lady?
Event #9: My "turn the other cheek" is going into overload at this point. I guess, not to be outdone in rudeness by his countrymen, the guy leaving in front of me doesn't hold the door open for me. He just lets it close pretty much directly on me. Hearing the sound of my nose being crushed against glass causes him to spin around...and smirk.
Event #10: While walking home I pass under a pedestrian bridge. Some teenagers are standing on it. As I walk under it I feel something hit me in the forehead. One of them has actually just spit in my face. It takes all my strength not to tell them what I think of them. Why not just...wait, they did.
I honestly do not understand how my wife can deal with this. She has never mentioned how rude and stupid these people are in all her trips to the ICA. She must be an even better Christian woman than I had her pegged for. A woman that doesn't deserve to be amongst these arrogant atheist jerks.
I only hope that I instill enough morals and ethics into my children that they never behave like any of these miscreants. This is just proof, again, of how much worse it is to live in a country without any religious beliefs whatsoever.
Thanks for baring with me. I can breathe a little better having gotten all that out. And to all of you in the US of A, you remember this cautionary tale next time you're shopping in a well-stocked and well-mannered supermarket. Man I miss that place...
Yours in faith,
Two-Dollar Bill
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