Friday, January 09, 2009

I'm a Foreigner.


I know I’ve gotten used to this country when I consider it a treat to get coffee at McDonalds. McDonalds is one of two places in the city where I can get buy filtered coffee. And at McDonalds it is only two dollars. Everywhere else sells instant. Here’s what happened when I tried to order ice cream for my family and get myself a coffee.


Me: I would like two Sundays, one chocolate and one caramel and two ice cream cones. Could you put the...

McDonalds worker (MW):..ice cream in a cup. Yes I remember the last time you ordered.

Me: Thanks. Oh, can I get a cup of filtered coffee too.

MW: I’ll bring you the ice cream and then the coffee, okay?

Me: No, I’ll take both of them together.

MW: (With a look of complete amazement) You want both something cold and something hot, together?!?

Me: Yes. [pause] I’m a foreigner.

MW: That will make your teeth hurt.

Me: I do that all the time, I’m a foreigner.

MW: you can’t do that.

Me: In American it is very normal

MW: Okay. The coffee is on me. It is a gift.

(He gets the ice cream and coffee, and gives me a lot of sugar.)

Me: I don’t need sugar. I take it black.

MW: [aghast] No sugar! That’s right, you are a foreigner.


There are sometimes when it is just really fun to be a foreigner.




2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Haha, cute story. I bet you are the talk of the McDonalds workers when you leave. ;)

Julia

Becky said...

Mike left out the first part. We had gone out for dinner at a local restaurant, and then to McD's for ice cream. Mike and I were at the counter and Anna was playing around the base of the Ronald McDonald statue. Then she stands up and very deliberately tossed a stale french fry onto the counter where it skids to a stop right in front of the very suprised worker. I don't know if he could even see Anna, since she is shorter than the counter. I think she thought she was helping by "returning" the french fry she found.