Categories: words, life, translation
Date: 25 August 2008 15:43:58
On the theme of losing it...
As you know, I am at my desk today (see below as to why) and so have answered the phone to a couple of clients. As politely as I could, I told them that today is a Feiertag in England (and Wales but not Scotland) and so I am officially not here.
One conversation went like this:
Client: what are you celebrating?
Me: Well, nothing really...it's not connected to a Saint's day or Church festival... we just have the day off. [General reluctance on my part to get involved in a discussion as to what exactly is a *bank* holiday... especially as it applies to almost every area of business - except mine, apparently.]
Client: That's interesting. Is it your national day?
Me: Ah no. We don't have a national day - although this is currently a matter of some debate.
Client: No national day??
Me: No. We've never had one and now it's a bit complicated to agree on when it would be, what we would be celebrating and what "Britishness" is anyway....
Client [laughing]: You could perhaps celebrate when you allowed Ireland its independence.
Me: Hmmm. I think I could see a few problems with that idea. And we would end up with rather a lot of holidays if we celebrated everyone else's independence days.... we had rather a lot of colonies at one point.
Client:[light goes on] This is very true.
Me: So it's just a general holiday - and I'm not really working ....although I am, in fact, but that's nearly as complicated to explain as the concept of a holiday which is not a holy day.... and the fact that we don't have a national day.....
*******
And all this reminded me of the time when I was once in the USA. Conversation with an 18-year old American on July 4th:
Him: Do you celebrate July 4?
Me: No, we don't celebrate your independence day.
Him: But EVERYONE celebrates independence day.
Me: Well, we don't. Think about it for a moment, Matt. Exactly who are you celebrating your independence from?
Him: Errrr..... [light] Ahhhhhh....
Me: Exactly.
And now gentle reader, I must get back to the cocoa beans used in a particular chocolate bar which is square and sporty - the deadline loometh.