| Author | Message | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2307 Registered: 4-2010 |
Recently, I was in Florida for a week. While in the airport on my way there, three people came up to me and asked me a question in Spanish. It confused me the first time, but it didn't take me long to understand why. In the airport on the way home, it happened again, although only once. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens once or twice every few days in the near future. The question is, why did they ask me a question in Spanish? | ||
| Markobr (Markobr)
New member Username: Markobr Post Number: 846 Registered: 5-2009 |
Is Spanish your first languege? The first language of those asking? Do those asking the question working for the airport? For an airline? Some other business located at the airport? A business they do or work for at the airport as well as otherwise (e.g. taxi drivers)? Government? Are they passengers? Did all of them ask essentially the same question? Did they ask other people, too? If so: Always in Spanish? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2319 Registered: 4-2010 |
Is Spanish your first languege? No The first language of those asking? Probably Do those asking the question working for the airport? No For an airline? No Some other business located at the airport? No A business they do or work for at the airport as well as otherwise (e.g. taxi drivers)? No Government? No Are they passengers? Yes Did all of them ask essentially the same question? I think so... Did they ask other people, too? No If so: Always in Spanish? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 3356 Registered: 5-2003 |
Did you appear to speak Spanish? Did you look Hispanic? Is what you were wearing relevant? Under other circumstances, could the same thing have happened with people speaking in French, or other languages? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2332 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did you appear to speak Spanish? Yes Did you look Hispanic? Yes Is what you were wearing relevant? Yes Under other circumstances, could the same thing have happened with people speaking in French, or other languages? Yes | ||
| Mattiel (Mattiel)
New member Username: Mattiel Post Number: 97 Registered: 6-2005 |
Long-distance shot... were you wearing a sombrero? And so people thought you'd be Mexican? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2350 Registered: 4-2010 |
Long-distance shot... were you wearing a sombrero? No And so people thought you'd be Mexican? No | ||
| Ohlala8 (Ohlala8)
New member Username: Ohlala8 Post Number: 838 Registered: 6-2009 |
What you were wearing... clothing? footwear? a hat? gloves? scarf? jewelry? something in your hair? a (presumably temporary) tattoo? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2354 Registered: 4-2010 |
What you were wearing... clothing? This footwear? a hat? gloves? scarf? jewelry? something in your hair? a (presumably temporary) tattoo? But none of these | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 111 Registered: 6-2010 |
Could this happen at any time of year, given that you were wearing the same clothing? Were you wearing traditionally "Hispanic" clothing (like, again, a sombrero)? Did it have writing on it? in Spanish? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2358 Registered: 4-2010 |
Could this happen at any time of year, given that you were wearing the same clothing? Yes Were you wearing traditionally "Hispanic" clothing (like, again, a sombrero)? No, with a tiny ish Did it have writing on it? Yes in Spanish? No, with a tiny ish | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2359 Registered: 4-2010 |
CLARIFICATION: "Could this happen at any time of year, given that you were wearing the same clothing?" is Yes, but it would be most likely to happen in the summer. | ||
| Ohlala8 (Ohlala8)
New member Username: Ohlala8 Post Number: 842 Registered: 6-2009 |
Clothing= shirt? shorts? pants? belt? jacket? Did it have writing on it? A picture of something? A design? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2361 Registered: 4-2010 |
Clothing= shirt? This shorts? pants? belt? jacket? No to rest Did it have writing on it? Yes A picture of something? Yes, with svv of "picture" A design? Yes, with svv of "design" | ||
| Galfisk (Galfisk)
New member Username: Galfisk Post Number: 2657 Registered: 9-2009 |
Was there a relevant symbol on it? Or pattern? Was the writing in English? did it mean something in Spanish as well? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2388 Registered: 4-2010 |
Was there a relevant symbol on it? Yes Or pattern? Also yes Was the writing in English? Yes did it mean something in Spanish as well? Well, part of it did... | ||
| Ohlala8 (Ohlala8)
New member Username: Ohlala8 Post Number: 847 Registered: 6-2009 |
Shirt=t-shirt? Was it red? orange? yellow? green? blue? indigo? violet? black? white? brown? pink? Did you get it at an event? On a vacation? Just in a store? Did it have a brand name? A slogan? A joke or quippy message? A picture of a person or character? A specific, familiar object (like the Sears Tower or the Beatles white album)? A generic object (like a cassette tape)? An icon (like a brand logo or a traffic sign)? The part that meant something in Spanish... was it Spanish that is part of common English parlance? Like ole? adios? muchacho? mi casa su casa? (I took French, that's about all the Spanish I use) Or did it mean something completely different in English? | ||
| Ohlala8 (Ohlala8)
New member Username: Ohlala8 Post Number: 848 Registered: 6-2009 |
Randomly: Something to do with the World Cup or the Olympics? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2394 Registered: 4-2010 |
Shirt=t-shirt? Yes, with a tiny ish Was it red? Mostly this... orange? yellow? green? blue? indigo? violet? black? white? ...and partially this. brown? pink? Did you get it at an event? Yes, with svv of "event" On a vacation? Yope Just in a store? No Did it have a brand name? A slogan? A joke or quippy message? A picture of a person or character? A specific, familiar object (like the Sears Tower or the Beatles white album)? A generic object (like a cassette tape)? An icon (like a brand logo or a traffic sign)? Yope to this; No to rest. The part that meant something in Spanish... was it Spanish that is part of common English parlance? Yope Like ole? adios? muchacho? mi casa su casa? None of these (I took French, that's about all the Spanish I use) So did I, and that's pretty much all the Spanish I know. Or did it mean something completely different in English? No Randomly: Something to do with the World Cup This-ish. Great guess! or the Olympics? | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 144 Registered: 6-2010 |
Were you wearing a shirt with "Espanha" on it, and they thought you were supporting Spain in the World Cup? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2426 Registered: 4-2010 |
Were you wearing a shirt with "Espanha" on it, No, but VERY OTRT and they thought you were supporting Spain in the World Cup? No, tiny FA | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 147 Registered: 6-2010 |
Did this happen after Spain won the World Cup? During the game? Before? Were you wearing a shirt of some team in the World Cup? : Uruguay? Chile? Argentina? Mexico? Paraguay? Some other Espanophone country? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2434 Registered: 4-2010 |
Did this happen after Spain won the World Cup? During the game? Before? First time: before. Second time: after. Irrelevant, though. Were you wearing a shirt of some team in the World Cup? No! : Uruguay? Chile? Argentina? Mexico? Paraguay? Some other Espanophone country? But Yes! | ||
| Fermat1601 (Fermat1601)
New member Username: Fermat1601 Post Number: 150 Registered: 6-2010 |
A Spain shirt but not a World Cup shirt? Is it a Latin American country? If so: Bolivia? Peru? Ecuador? Colombia? Venezuela? Suriname? Guyana? Panama? El Salvador? Belize? Nicaragua? Guatemala? Costa Rica? Cuba? (Is there a list for these?) | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 2437 Registered: 4-2010 |
A Spain shirt No but not a World Cup shirt? A soccer jersey Is it a Latin American country? If so: Bolivia? Peru? This Ecuador? Colombia? Venezuela? Suriname? Guyana? Panama? El Salvador? Belize? Nicaragua? Guatemala? Costa Rica? Cuba? (Is there a list for these?) If not, you just made one - looks nice! And in any case, we have enough for the **********SPOILER********** Flashback to April, just after I discovered the LTPF but just before I joined: For 10 days, I went on a mission trip to Peru with a team of people from my church. While there, the people we were working with's daughter's husband (I think) got us a discounted deal for personalized Peru soccer jerseys. A bunch of us, including myself, bought one. Now, this is a really nice shirt, and it's lightweight - ideal for the hot summer we've been having. So I wore it for the airport trip down to Florida. While in the airport, three separate people saw me wearing this jersey, and assumed I was from Peru. (I'm short and I tan easily, so I apparently can pass for Hispanic, even though I'm not, and I don't speak Spanish.) Each of them came up to me, pointed at my shirt, and asked a question in Spanish - I think they asked if I was from Peru, although as I said before, I don't speak Spanish, so I'm not sure what they said. Each time, I briefly explained that I don't speak Spanish, and where I got the shirt. This happened again in the airport on the return trip (and also in the hotel, right as we checked out - that one was one of the staff!), and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens a few more times while I'm wearing the shirt. Nice job to everyone who worked on this, and Fermat for the solve. |
