A memory from my Middle Eastern life

[kittyrefuge]

silvan_lady's post brought me back a funny memory.

One morning, one of my friends called me saying "Let's have a coffee morning at the City Centre!". It was about one month after I moved from Abu Dhabi to Doha.

I was told the gathering place was a coffee shop (perhaps Starbucks) on the second floor.
Only one friend, an English girl came on time. We kept waiting for the other two girls for another 30 minutes. "Where are the other girls??"

Our American friend kept waiting for us on the 1st floor of the correct building. The other one was at the City Centre in Dubai, not Doha. The invention of the mobile phone was greatly appreciated by us.

Comments

[melusine6619]

Oops! LOL I had to quickly learn the difference when I was first stationed in what was then West Germany.

[kittyrefuge]

It's confusing, isn't it?

I had to edit my post...My American friend was on (UK's) "1st floor", her second floor.

Canada has the same system as the US. I always follow the number of the lift (elevator!) panels.

[zee113]

We number the floors the same way. (And there are other differences too.)
So I'm used to ask whether something is the American or the Hungarian way now. ;-)

[kittyrefuge]

As a child, I learned how to count the floors the American way. After moving to Abu Dhabi, which has many parts designed in the British way, I quickly adopted it.

Now I live in Canada, I am trying to remember to use North American terms. It is sometimes very funny when I say something in British English and the conversation just gets frozen.

[silvan_lady]

It is something I try to take into account when I'm writing stories. It can be very confusing!

[kittyrefuge]

Same English but sometimes so different...

A few weeks ago, I was helping the theatrical show as an usher. I needed a torch, so I asked "May I borrow a torch, please?" My boss got frozen. "Torch?" Someone yelled, "She must mean a flashlight!"

[silvan_lady]

Now that's one I've never come across before!

[kittyrefuge]

We can never get bored in life.