This time I had a Greek taxi driver who switched to English with me as soon as he found out where I was from. He spoke excellent English and I asked him where he had learned it.
"In France, driving a cab," he said. He'd been here for 25 years.
"Most of the drivers don't speak much English, though," I said.
"That is going to change," he said. "For the past few years, any new taxi driver has to pass an English exam to get his taxi license."
"Have you ever been to the States?" I asked.
"No, I am not interested in going there," he said. "I don't like how Americans care only about money."
Just goes to show you that Americans are not the only ones making assumptions about other countries without ever leaving US to find out for themselves. Sad, but true.
Posted by: Isabella | 20 November 2006 at 00:03
I agree with Isabella. I started noticing it on my yearly visits back home with my wife in the summer. None of my friends have ever visited the US, but they truly believe that they know everything about it. My wife tried many time to set things straight with them, but they kept arguing that she was wrong.
It makes me sad, I really thought that we were better than that.
Posted by: Remy | 20 November 2006 at 15:49
TV must be responsible for this I'm affraid.
Posted by: Flip | 20 November 2006 at 17:53