This topic has been covered before. Read away...
http://forum.maryland.com/showthread.php?t=3142
WHY SO MANY FOREIGNERS...
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 07:16
#1
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 08:18
#2
I also vacation in Maine and almost all of the workers there are from the eastern European countries also. All of these resort cities have Sister Cities connections.
I posted before about the surly attitude of some the female workers but...my recent stay at the Frances Scott Key Resort is a good example of how you can find rude people who are American also. The entire staff, and I mean from the check in to the maids, American and foreign, were polite and courteous BUT I had an issue with a petulant, snippy American teenage lifeguard.
But it can be a challange trying to understand what they are saying. There was a barker at one of the games and I stood there for a few minutes trying to understand what she was saying. I could've stood there for an hour and I still wouldn't understand what she was saying. Some of the accents are so heavy. I just smile and say I don't understand what they are saying and walk away..with a smile on my face.
I remember some years ago the workers were from Ireland, Scotland and England. The girls from Ireland were all heavy smokers. Talk about heavy accents and trying to understand what they were saying!!:eek: The English were the worst!;) :D You would think they would take the time to learn English!:D
**SPOILER IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH**
The above paragraph was said in jest. Relax.;)
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 08:29
#3
I also vacation in Maine and almost all of the workers there are from the eastern European countries also. All of these resort cities have Sister Cities connections.
I posted before about the surly attitude of some the female workers but...my recent stay at the Frances Scott Key Resort is a good example of how you can find rude people who are American also. The entire staff, and I mean from the check in to the maids, American and foreign, were polite and courteous BUT I had an issue with a petulant, snippy American teenage lifeguard.
But it can be a challange trying to understand what they are saying. There was a barker at one of the games and I stood there for a few minutes trying to understand what she was saying. I could've stood there for an hour and I still wouldn't understand what she was saying. Some of the accents are so heavy. I just smile and say I don't understand what they are saying and walk away..with a smile on my face.
I remember some years ago the workers were from Ireland, Scotland and England. The girls from Ireland were all heavy smokers. Talk about heavy accents and trying to understand what they were saying!!:eek: The English were the worst!;) :D You would think they would take the time to learn English!:D
**SPOILER IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH**
The above paragraph was said in jest. Relax.;)
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 08:34
#4
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 11:18
#5
BoardwalkBum;24023 wrote:
Why are so many foreigners working in Ocean City every summer----This is a very big turn off when you have to repeat yourself or ask them to repeat themselves several times. I just don't understand why these jobs aren't going to U.S. students first.
You are going to offend someone no matter how you approach the subject.....it's better left untouched. I would say many people don't care much for the foreign workers while many others feel that Ocean City couldn't run without them. :D Kind of a 50/50 thing.
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 14:14
#6
We've never had a problem with rudeness or attitude and in fact, the people we've dealt with from the Eastern European Countries have always been extremey courteous. I'll admit, I've been a little slow in understanding with the accents but we've never had too much trouble except this past summer at Frontier Town in the little icecream shop, that what rather frustrating. Last summer, my sons and I were at Dough Roller and had a chance to converse with the server who was from Bosnia. She gave us a bit of insight into why she was there. They make more money in a summer in OC than they can make in a year back home. She was a Business Major and this was her last year because she was graduating. They apparently get in on Student Visas (My assumption). She loved coming to the US to work and wanted to live there permantly, she was really heartbroken about how her country had been destroyed during the civils wars. She also shared that she roomed with about a dozen other people and couldn't wait to get back for some privacy. She also worked at Philips from the early Am to around 1400 and then at the Dough Roller until 01:00am.
We've also had alot of interaction with forgeign workers at Trimpers and have had the same pleasant results. I'm far from politically correct but we've always found these student workers to be pleasant. Our problems have come some of the spoiled rotten American college kids.
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 16:00
#7
Not all of these young people are from the Russian states. I think most Americans are ill informed about what has happened in Bosnia and that area. Downright barbaric behavior. So you can feel for the ones that comes from that area and what we consider minimum wage they probably think they are making a small fortune. What we consider rude or indifferent behavior may be accepted behavior in their own country. Unfortunately the time doesn't always allow us to get to know them. You're on vacation and on the move. I remember last year we had a server at a breakfast buffet and we were the only ones there. Our server (from Bulgaria) didn't want to leave our table. We chatted with her until the hostess came along and gave her a "Get back to your work" look. I think she appreciated the fact that we were treating her like a person and not like "Oh look, someone from another country, let's give her a fake smile." :D
I wonder how American young people behave and are treated in the former eastern block nations?
I've posted this before but I do notice that the females tend to be more cold towards children and the guys seem to be very friendly. Just an observation. Yea, that sounds like a blanket statement but that's what I've noticed since I have small children and observed how other children are treated. I'm sure someone has seen a foreign female being nice to a child but that's what I've seen.
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 19:39
#8
I have never had a problem with any of these foreign students. This past year we had many as servers in restaurants and such. All of them were most polite and hard-working. The only time I had to repeat myself was one night at Dumser's, but big deal, sometimes an American from further south will not always understand this Northerner's accent.
Mon, 08/27/2007 - 21:40
#9
Tue, 08/28/2007 - 11:39
#10
I agree with Bulmer. We have met lots of servers from Bosnia in OC, and they have it pretty bad over there right now. Some actually save every nickle & dime they make over here so they can "help out their family" back home. Also, I agree with a post that was written last year when this topic was covered; sometimes the foreign server may seem rude because they are trying to process what we have just said into their language, and then are thinking about the correct wording to respond to us. I don't think they are being rude, just seriously concentrating on the conversation/dialect. We took the time to get to know one of our servers at Coconut's this summer, and he turned out to be the nicest guy. He really seemed to enjoy talking to our table about why he was here, how much he loved the US, and spoke about his country. We had several female servers from Russia as well, also Germany, and they were all very sweet & polite if you just gave them a chance & a little patience. ;) There are lots of souvenier shops & T-Shirt stores that employ foreigners as well. I have not personally encountered a rude employee in one of these stores, but I know there are customers that have. Sometimes, they can seem a little pushy in trying to sell you a t-shirt plus the decal. But then again, maybe they are just trying to do their job. :)
Why are so many foreigners working in Ocean City every summer----This is a very big turn off when you have to repeat yourself or ask them to repeat themselves several times. I just don't understand why these jobs aren't going to U.S. students first.