Äh.... Sie, certainly....
I´ll never forget how P and I - P still being a VW-trainee - always talked about our VW-boss the way I address him, with his first name.
When talking with him directly it was "M" and "du" for me and "Dr. K" and "Sie" for her.
We had weekly meetings back then and in one M mentioned he got in some bigger trouble due to her missing something - it was no accusation or such, he calmly just mentioned it and P very, very loud exclaimed,
"DUUUUUUUUU?!!!!"
Silence, all looks on her...
"Äh.... Sie, certainly...."
I can still laugh my head off.
An hour later he offered her the casual "du", btw.
Kinda "certainly".
Well.
Just yesterday I said to Ingo, gah, those people at the bank, they just do not do their job in time! Again! They just do not care about small peeps like me!
To my surprise the bank-guy just called me (it´s not "my" bank).
He does indeed care and does his job as fast as he can do and I felt bad for getting on the soapbox about him.
It is just so dang plain weird.
This stupid formal Mr/Mrs and "Sie" makes it difficult to be as easy, as friendly, as well... In-Formal-Chatty-Thank-You for me.
We are the same age, too.
Stupid Germans and their formal ways, I´d say.
Never will I forget 1999, Perth, Kingsway Caravan Park, I needed a PC for use shortly, to check if my CD works.
The staff said, go over to Lee, he has a PC.
Yes. 1999, Australia... In Germany back then you would very likely not found anyone with a PC on a campground!
Well, I did. Go over.
Addressing him, "Mr. Lee".
Baaaahhhhhh. Stupid Germans! Well, me!!
He gave me a very blank look.
(I do not laugh when my Indian "external-boss" struggles on the phone with others saying, "I am sitting here with... ahhh.... Mrs... ahhh Iris").
Countries like ours, France and Co really do not do themselves a favor being overly polite, I think.
I prefer the English "dear first name... kind regards, first name" very, very much.
Sorry, bank-dude, I really meant a thanks from the heart!
My Mum used to say, "it is faster said 'du ###' than 'Sie ###'... but, really? How is it for you? True?
Pic... our balcony. "Wallflower" - that´s what makes this language to me.
2 comments:
In Portuguese we also have a formal and informal way to address people.
Older people and ones you don't really know would be "Voce" (Sie), younger people "Tu" (Du).
I also like the English way, they are so informal. At the clinic where I work we address the Drs by their first name, and so do a lot of the patients that have been going there for a few years... That wouldn't be done in Europe!
Yes, same here with (most of) the older generation. It even sounds alike to the French with "Vouz" and "tu" - I reckon Spanish and Italian, too.
Oh, dare call a doctor here by his first name...
But there is progress!
At work many older than me just address me informal :-)
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