Do I sound like a stuck up B****?

Reply 40

Stems

OP

Original post by S-man10

Edit post, then go advanced. You can correct the thread title there.

Yeaaa, thanks I've edited it now.

So what's you input S-man?

Reply 41

battycatlady

13

Yeah like someone else said, if there is anyone different to the majority then people are naturally curious. Nothing wrong with that really I guess.
But only knowing 2 countires in Africa...wow just wow. Even I could manage about 20, maybe more if I had to and I am the world's biggest spack at stuff like that lol.
While it isn't something I would get annoyed by, I don't think you sound stuck up and fair enough if you did.

Reply 42

Sendaii

14

I think you reacted within reason. I work in a shop and a bit of banter between the staff and customers is common and encouraged, but this is just being pushy and puts customers off, if anything. So yeah, you had every right to react the way that you did.

Reply 43

Rzc

12

Original post by Stems

Why not?

why the **** you think?

Reply 44

MizzCupcakes

11

Original post by Fandabidoze!

No. Bringing a map into the store to give to him would be really petty though.

Why did he ask where you were from anyway? Even if you had a strong accent which caught his attention, it seems a random question to ask in that situation.

you'd be surprised how many people ask that question in really random situations...though mostly they are also foreigners sorta trying to connect or something...though when u dont say the country they are expecting u to say they get disappointed!

Reply 45

Stems

OP

Original post by Rzc

why the **** you think?

No I mean why did you specify not asking if someone is Somalian as opposed to other countries.

Reply 46

OceanSoul

He sounds like a retard from his first words. But no, you're not a bitch for telling him he should look up a map.

I'm not sure if you really need to print out one for him though; the dude just doesn't care.

Reply 47

Stems

OP

Original post by yokabasha

you are over analysing this waaayyyy too much

I think so too. Its just my friend made me feel like .. So I just needed to know if she was right.

Reply 48

Rzc

12

Original post by Stems

No I mean why did you specify not asking if someone is Somalian as opposed to other countries.

oh, i meant it as a whole, if someone is Asian you don't ask if they are from China or something do you? not when you've known them for half a minute.

Shop assistant: Where are you from? Are you from Somalia?

Reply 49

babygirl110

15

I'm always randomly asked where I'm from. I don't mind it though, I wouldn't keep someone guessing though, it would I annoy me. I'd just tell them.

Reply 50

cowsforsale

15

Were you stealing? Is that why he mentioned Somalia first?

Anyhow, that bit about "don't think, just buy it" .. i would have slapped him silly if he said that to me. what a tool.

Reply 51

Stems

OP

Original post by Rzc

oh, i meant it as a whole, if someone is Asian you don't ask if they are from China or something do you? not when you've known them for half a minute.

YES, that annoys me to the max. If you don't no, don't assume, people do this a lot.

However I think some people enjoy guessing, and I don't really mind it either, as long as its logical.

Reply 52

KissMyArtichoke

11

To be honest, I would consider myself fairly well educated and I still couldn't name a single part of Africa. I am awful at remembering place names though. It sounds like the shop assistant was being a bit too probing though, that's not really their job, even if they were only trying to be nice.

Reply 53

NyLonEd

11

Psh, you think that's bad?

In a class today someone actually said "Where's Northern Ireland?"

Or how about "Who's Nelson Mandela?" If that on its own isn't shocking enough the girl who asked it was BLACK!

Reply 54

Stems

OP

Original post by NyLonEd

Psh, you think that's bad?

In a class today someone actually said "Where's Northern Ireland?"

Or how about "Who's Nelson Mandela?" If that on its own isn't shocking enough the girl who asked it was BLACK!

Ok i think that's a level of its own. No I actually can't decided which of the two are worst.
I had a girl once ask if Islam was a country "isn't it just short for Islamabad" that was in R.E GCSE . lol

Reply 55

tehforum

20

Original post by Stems

Ok i think that's a level of its own. No I actually can't decided which of the two are worst.
I had a girl once ask if Islam was a country "isn't it just short for Islamabad" that was in R.E GCSE . lol

Ignorance for the loss.

No wonder the average grade is a C!

Reply 56

babygirl110

15

Original post by Stems

Sorry if this is long and insignificant, i just don't really want to discuss it with anyone I actually know.

So I went to the store today and was looking around. One of the shop assistants came up to me to ask if I needed any help or was looking for anything in particular:

Me: No thanks, I found what I’m looking for just thinking about whither to buy it or not.

Shop assistant: Don’t think, it’s not good to think you know. Do you know that?

Me: Ignore/ forced smile

Shop Assistant: Don’t think, just grab

Me; Ignore

Shop assistant: Where are you from? Are you from Somalia?

Me: No

Shop assistant: Are you from Africa?

Me: Yes, but you know Africa is a BIG place?

Shop assistant: Ok are you from Congo?

Me: NO

Shop assistant: Ok that’s all the places I know in Africa

Me: WHAT!! Are you serious? ( I was genuinely shocked)

Shop assistant: Yea I only no two places lol

Me: You need a map, maybe try to start learning different places.

Shop assistant: No can’t be bothered learnt all that stuff at school no point, that
was when I did geography. Ok are you from Mongola?

Me: You think that’s in Africa?

Shop assistant: Urm, isn’t it?

By this time I had to go, so just kind of walked off I did say bye.
So I told my friend about this and she wasn’t shocked at all. This guy obviously went thought the education system (he told me). She basically told me I sounded stuck up. I did mention to her that I wanted to print a map and give it to him, as I’m a regular at the store (it’s down the road). She just looked at me with disgust.

So did I over react?

Do I need to recognise that some just don’t have knowledge in areas that I believe are basic, however may have knowledge in other areas?

I mean I didn’t expect him to know which country I originate from, I was just shocked that he only knew two countries in Africa. Also the fact that he was just guessing random places yet appeared to be 100% serious.

I think you are over analysing the situation. I don't blame the SA for suggesting Somalia or even if she would have suggested Ethiopia because people from that region of africa often have similarities in features. I often get mistaken as being someone from western africa and never get offended.

I really don't expect people who aren't from Africa to know the countries or the map at all.

Saying that, the shop assistant was annoying and probably trying to make a sale. It was really up to you to set her straight and stop her guessing.

Reply 57

babygirl110

15

Original post by Stems

Ok i think that's a level of its own. No I actually can't decided which of the two are worst.
I had a girl once ask if Islam was a country "isn't it just short for Islamabad" that was in R.E GCSE . lol

The reason he/she suggested somalia is logical in my opinion. Somalians, Ethiopians and Eritreans all look quite similar to me, particularly Ethiopians/Eritreans. I'd have to ask where a person is from, just to clarify.

People hardly know Eritrea exists anyway.

I imagine the reason you were offended is because of the negative stereotypes associated with Somalians.

Reply 58

Stems

OP

Original post by babygirl110

I think you are over analysing the situation. I don't blame the SA for suggesting Somalia or even if she would have suggested Ethiopia because people from that region of africa often have similarities in features. I often get mistaken as being someone from western africa and never get offended.

I really don't expect people who aren't from Africa to know the countries or the map at all.

Saying that, the shop assistant was annoying and probably trying to make a sale. It was really up to you to set her straight and stop her guessing.

I'm not annoyed that he thought I was Somalian the point is he never said it out of logic, he only knows two places. Congo and Somalia,he just went for somalia first Congo second (he doesn't no where either are in Africa let alone Ethiopia). He cant differentiate between the two because clearly to him all Africans are the same. He's just ignorant and that surprised me.

Why would you not expect people to know different places in Africa ?.
Ask most African living in Africa and they know European countries, I think it should go both ways.