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Working in Tourism 1. When tourists nonchalantly expect to pay in a different currency. Then they get angry when you say the employee can't accept that currency or are completely shocked when the employee say they will get the change back in the correct currency. Example: Cashier: That will be $20 Tourist: *Hands me American Money* Cashier: Oh, you're paying American, so that will be $23 American and you will be getting Canadian change back Tourist: *With horrified/angry facial expression* why can't I get American back?! Cashier: Because we ARE in Canada, sir. Tourist: F*cking bullsh*t *mumble mumble mumble...* Is it really that surprising that Canada uses Canadian currency?! 2. When tourists ignore cautionary rules and signs and complain when they get hurt. This happens way too much to the point where I question why natural selection hasn't wiped out the human race. Example: There are signs everywhere reading DO NOT TOUCH OR FEED THE ANIMALS, THEY MAY BITE. But of course tourists try and pet the free range animals anyway. Tourist: *hysterical* The (insert animal here) bit my ten year old son! Employee: *looks at tiny scratch* Can I get you a bandaid? This is why I informed you not to touch the animals earlier and that is why we have signs everywhere. Tourist: He didn't touch it, it just attacked! In Employee's mind: I just watched you pick up your son and hold him out to touch the animal! I even yelled at you urgently to stop and you ignored me! GAHH! Employee: Ma'am, I saw you helping your son pet the animal, next time please take our signs seriously for your own safety and I hope your son is alright. Seriously people, the rules aren't there for kicks! Don't try and blame the attraction when you knowingly break the rules and get hurt! 3. When tourists are eating at a fast-food restaurant or cafe and they leave everything on the table and floor when they leave. It is the most frustrating thing when you serve people a large meal and then when you go to wipe down the table afterwards, you find picked apart hotdog and hotdog bun all over the floor, unused napkins all over the floor, crushed potato chips all over the chairs, full fountain drinks on the table and a large gathering of napkins, paper plates, leftover food and travel brochures all over the table....with no tip to say "thanks for cleaning this up". Do tourists not learn manners as children? 4. When tourists don't learn the road rules of the country they're visiting. It's super frustrating when you are at a stoplight and want to turn right but the person at the front of the line doesn't know that it is totally legal to turn right on a red light. Or when everyone is talking on their phone while driving and you hope that a cop pulls them over for being on a cellular device while driving because it really is really dangerous! 5. When an employee tells a tourist that they are closed and the tourist insists on buying something regardless. At closed attractions the tourist will say "that's ok, I'll be quick", or at restaurants the tourist says "that's ok, I'll just have (insert large food order here), or at shops the tourist will say "it's ok, I just want to buy this". No. Closed means closed, you can no longer get onto that attraction or purchase anything. Not even that pack of gum.
Generalizations and Beauty How many times do you see a “real talk” FaceBook post proclaiming “A real man is someone who…” or "a real fan would know...”? All the freaking time! Or how about the ever popular “You know you’ve found the one when…”? What is this generation’s obsession with generalizations?! Guilty. See what I just did? I just made a generalization about this generation of people. What I actually want to convey is: Why do I, so often, see generalizations being made? The fact is that everyone is different. C’mon, this is stuff you should have learned in kindergarten, perhaps using the metaphor of everyone being a unique snowflake. But I feel like many people need the reminder that no two people are exact mental and physical clones of each other. That stuff only exists in the two-dimensional, fictional, sci-fi universe. That being said, let’s examine a phrase that’s been irking me for some time now: “Everyone is beautiful” What. If this were true, that would mean that those yellow pee-covered snowflakes are beautiful, just like those blackish grey snowflakes that have been contaminated by months of car exhaust….hear me out. Some people say this in reference to inner beauty (i.e. the mind or the heart) while others use it to refer to physical beauty.
Human beings are all different. Thus we naturally argue, disagree, and ultimately make different decisions that come to comprise our unique and individual lives. When people make generalizations I often think “uneducated” or “ignorant”… despite the good intentions.
But let’s be respectful of the truth and carry with us the knowledge that to generalize is to create a fiction; and people who make generalizations should put those ideas towards writing fictional worlds and fictional people, because they don’t belong in the real world, they belong in fairy-tale land. I have a problem.
Don't worry, I'm not an alcoholic and I'm not addicted to drugs, sex or Kylie. My problem is (I think) that I repress my thoughts and emotions. Let me explain: Over the past two years I have been having monthly breakdowns where I cry uncontrollably and feel completely drained and defeated for several days at a time, only to feel completely okay and normal again the next week. Is this an panic attack? Maybe. But whatever you want to call it, my fiance may have figured out the cause of it. I repress my thoughts and emotions; I act how I think I ought to act (subconsciously) and as I quiet person, I often keep my thoughts to myself. I'm guessing that once a month or so, these repressed emotions erupt form me all at once - hence my breakdowns. My Experimental Solution: I've decided to start writing down my thoughts on paper. I wouldn't necessarily call this journaling since I'm not always writing about my experiences or my life, but just whatever is brewing in my mindscape. The theory is to purge all of my thoughts and emotions through pen scribbles rather than through tears. I'll try to post some of my writing on here, but some of it will be kept in my journal for myself. Baby steps. So expect some rants, short stories or uncategorizable bits of writing in the future on this blog. I will do my best to keep up with this - even with my history of never upholding personal goals. There's a first time for everything! |
WelcomeHey everyone, my name is Amy and this is my reading and writing blog. Look out for book reviews, hauls, recommendations and original writing! xo Archives
October 2016
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