November 2, 2012

The concept of “thank you”.  Having been here for going on three years now, I question the concept of “thank you” and “you are welcome”.  I have always been of the mindset to “thank” people for services provided, for help they give me, for almost anything.  Gratitude is a wonderful attitude for those that are receiving it or giving it. So, in this country where customer service is pretty limited to say the least, I really make an effort to “thank” people all the time.  I will not check out of store (even with bad service, which I generally get) or frankly anything without a “thank you” and a smile.  But, in return I have often noticed that all I get from the person is “OK”.  I suppose that I didn’t’ realize this until last week when I was checking out of a grocery store,  I  said “Gracias” and the clerk said “da nada” (which in  Spanish is “you are welcome”).  I was so shocked, because generally I just get an “OK” .  So I started asking people just why was this?  Most reflect that it may be because people just do not express gratitude here.  They really are not “trained” to respond like those of us from the USA with a simple “You are welcome”.  I find that very sad.  So, if nothing else in my time here, I will express gratitude and hope that maybe, just maybe someone will see that gratitude is a behavior that can make the world a better place.

I am trying to update my blog regularly.  It is difficult at times.  I do not want to repeat myself.  But, I am still in a “foreign country”.  There are people that just don’t realize what living abroad might look like. I totally know that I don’t.  I need to be moving to other places in the world. I just don’t want to move that far away from my grandkids, so I stay here!!!