All's well that ends well

[scroob]

YIKES! Scary situation . I was cleaning up my register area and heard a commotion. I turned around to see a woman speaking frantic spanish and a young girl bawling her eyes out. Not understanding spanish, I feared the worst. Fortunately, that was not the case. Another cust who understood the situation informed me that the young girl had merely misplaced her mother. I got on the intercom and the situation was resolved very shortly thereafter. I'm glad it worked out well for her, but what is someone who speaks english supposed to do in a situation where some older woman is speaking to him frantically in a foreign tongue and a kid is frantic too? I had just assumed that the kid was hurt, the worst case I could think of. I can live an entire life without that ever happening again.

[fireheart]

That's why-and I don't condone it fully-I make an effort to learn at least 1 or 2 phrases in various languages for emergency situations like those. I'm already studying French, but I'm trying to learn "How can I help you?" and "I'll get someone for you" in Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Greek and Arabic (most commmon groups I get coming through my line...we also have a huge Greek community somewhere in Australia)

[Chromatix]

Voinko auttaa?
Minä ostan joku sinua varten.

Just in case you ever need to say them in Finnish. :-) But Finns usually speak at least fair English.

But these words might be helpful if you encounter young children, who haven't learned anything other than Finnish yet: "Apua" is "help", and "Äiti" is "mother". They usually sound like they have three syllables (which is impressive for four letters).

[pacman]

Actually the "I'll get someone for you" isn't really used in Finland, it's more like "I called for help and it's coming" "Apua on soitettu ja se on tulossa" pronounced "Ah-poo-ah on soy-tet-too ya say on too-los-sah". But the "Can I help you" line is "Voinko auttaa?" pronounced something like VOYN-co OW-tah (Voy like in voyage and tah like in Utah). Isn't Finnish an interesting language?


Oh, and "apua" HAS three syllables a-pu-a. "Äiti" only has two. Äi-ti.