Posted by Kath on August 30, 2009, at 18:03:21
In reply to Re: How much do your friends know?, posted by Sigismund on August 30, 2009, at 15:42:38
> I suppose it's the same where you are?
>
> Here the conspiracy starts with every encounter.
>
> The conversation is meant to go
>
> "How are you?'
>
> "Great, and how are you?"
>
> "Great."
>
> and then the conversation starts.
>
> But being me, I refuse to cooperate in a slightly underhand and cowardly way. So it goes, other person first
>
> "How are you?"
>
> "Hi"
>
> "Great"
>
> "No, I'm not really."
>
> "Not really what?"
>
> "Not high yet."~ ~ LOL LOVE it!!!
Sometimes when people say "How are you?"
I'll say, "Do you want the truth or a polite answer?" Then I smile.Or depending on who it is, it can go:
"How are you?"
"Not very 'how', as Winnie the Pooh would say."
;-))
When I was in my mid-teens, I remember going with my friend to her relatives' house. I guess I had led a sheltered life, or something....it must have been the first time I'd actually done a 'formal' introduction.
So, when the Aunt (or whoever it was) held out her hand to shake hands & said, "How do you do?"I held out my hand & replied to the question:
"Fine thank you." I felt really awkward. I guess I hadn't been taught that one could say, "I'm glad to meet you." or something like that!When I was a teen, I worked one summer helping an elderly lady with her housework. I'd go every day & spend maybe half a day. It was a lovely summer; it was about a half-hour walk through our town, which had sidewalks bordered by big old trees, including a shortcut through a lovely huge church property with towering pines & nice little paved walks.
I'd walk along, reading my book on the way there & back! I still am not sure how I did that, but it's a specific memory as to loving the walk to & fro.Anyway, this lady told me that with her age had come aches & pains, & she Hated it when people met her on the street & asked "How are you?"
She would pointedly ignore the question & just begin talking about whatever she wanted to talk about.I just read "Wrestling With Rhinos" by Dr. Jerry Haigh. It was about a vet in Kenya in the 1960's. He told about the Swahili formula for greeting each other when he would go & visit an African farmer to tend the cattle.
I found it sort of lovely for some reason - here it is, copied from the book:>>>"Jambo daktari" (Good morning, doctor.)
>>>"Jambo mzee" (Good morning, old man. "Old man" being a term of respect, whatever the age of the man.)
>>>"Habari?" (What news?)
>>>"Mzuri, habari yako?" (Good news, what is your news?)
>>>"Mzuri, lakini....' (Good news, but...)
>>>The "but" could be anything from a minor inconvenience to a major catastrophe. The essential thing was to observe the niceties of form and start the conversation politely.
So, it's interesting, that even in those times & in that location there was the 'polite starting a conversation' thing going on!!
I love the "What news?" part!!!
I think I'll incorporate it into my conversations with my kids! We like to joke around, so it might be fun.
So I phone son.
He answers "Hello."
"Jambo son's name...what news?"The first time he'll think I'm nuttier than I even am! LOL
:-))) Kath
poster:Kath
thread:914564
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20090827/msgs/914914.html