Conversations at the library
Two young Brazilian boys come up to the counter and ask for library cards. They have just watched me talk to a Hispanic man.
Boy: Lady, do you speak Portuguese?
Me: No.
Boy: Do you speak Spanish?
Me: Yes.
Boy (looks at me suspiciously): But... but... you look so... completely... English!
***
Older man, maybe in his seventies comes up to counter to check out two language learning sets. One for Spanish, one for Portuguese. He wears 3 big pins on his jacket and duplicates on his hat. The pins say "Stop terrorism, dissolve the CIA!", "Invaders out of Irak!" and "Stop terrorism, dissolve the FBI!" I check out his books and hand him his card.
Old man: Eco la vita! - That's not Portuguese though!
Me: I know. It's Italian.
Old man: NO! It's French! "C'est la vie!" - That's Italian. "Eco la vita" is French.
Me (confused, wondering if he's messing with me): No, actually "C'est la vie" is French...
Old man: No, no! I have a complete list at home! "Eso es la vida!" THAT's German.
Me (inner linguist is getting pissed): That's Spanish actually...
Old man (DEAD serious): No. That's German. In Spanish it's "Das ist das Leben!"
Me (in German): "Das ist das Leben" is German, I know, because actually I speak German and I'm from Austria.
Old man (interrupting me): No, no, it's Spanish!
Me (nodding, trying not to giggle): Ok, you're right.
Old man (smiles triumphantly): Tsk tsk... so where in Austria are you from?
Me: Small town near Vienna.
Old man: I was in Austria once. In Klagenfurt. Beautiful town. But it was 1946 and we had been shipped there to free the place of fascists. When I got there though, I realized I was the fascist. I was very disappointed!
He leaves. I run off to the backroom to burst out laughing.
C'est la vie - as the Italians say.
I love my job.
lol Sounds like you ran into my FIL. ;)