When I was new to this country
Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:45 am
When I was new to this country, I used to translate everything literally from Somali/Swahili into English.
I got a job in a small company with only 12 employees. So we all used to come to the break room at the same time. When people asked me what did you do on the weekend, I used to tell them. My boyfriends took me to the restaurants or to mall of America. They used to be surprised and asked me how many boyfriends do you have? my response used to be I have many of them but only 3 of them are here and they are very nice. One of them would be like, wait a minute, are they all your boyfriends and all of you go out together? my response will be like, they are so busy. I call all of them only the one who has time will come and take me around. With those statements, they thought I am qawmuluud. Normally, when someone comes from Africa, its normal for boys to touch each other's hands or kind of tab each other on the shoulder. That is what I did to some of them and they were so offended and thought I was trying to shukaansi them. So they reported me to the supervisor of touching them. The supervisor was so uncomfortable and did not know how to pull the whole conversation. He told me, Man, I know you are knew to this country but not everyone like the samething. Some men do not like a touch from another man. I would appreciate if you keep your hands to yourself. I like you and I want to you to work here but stop telling people how you went out with your boyfriends etc. I did not understand what the big deal is with that. I told him but Craig and Nick tells us how they go out with their friends all the time. What is wrong with me saying? He was like they said they went out with their friends but you go out with your boyfriends. I was still confused and asked him what the difference is. He was like, one of them means you are in a love relationship but for them, they are just friends. I asked him I did not say girls I said boys. How can boys have a relationship? that is so awful. He started to get confused and asked me what I think boyfriends means. I told him it means boys who are your friends or relatives. He started laughing and told me what it actually means. I told him even talking to you two men kissing is making me sick and vomit. I am a muslim and we do not have those sickness. The supervisor told everyone and it became the laugh of the centuries.
Upto now, I don't understand why girls call each other girlfriends but men cannot call each other boyfriends.
I got a job in a small company with only 12 employees. So we all used to come to the break room at the same time. When people asked me what did you do on the weekend, I used to tell them. My boyfriends took me to the restaurants or to mall of America. They used to be surprised and asked me how many boyfriends do you have? my response used to be I have many of them but only 3 of them are here and they are very nice. One of them would be like, wait a minute, are they all your boyfriends and all of you go out together? my response will be like, they are so busy. I call all of them only the one who has time will come and take me around. With those statements, they thought I am qawmuluud. Normally, when someone comes from Africa, its normal for boys to touch each other's hands or kind of tab each other on the shoulder. That is what I did to some of them and they were so offended and thought I was trying to shukaansi them. So they reported me to the supervisor of touching them. The supervisor was so uncomfortable and did not know how to pull the whole conversation. He told me, Man, I know you are knew to this country but not everyone like the samething. Some men do not like a touch from another man. I would appreciate if you keep your hands to yourself. I like you and I want to you to work here but stop telling people how you went out with your boyfriends etc. I did not understand what the big deal is with that. I told him but Craig and Nick tells us how they go out with their friends all the time. What is wrong with me saying? He was like they said they went out with their friends but you go out with your boyfriends. I was still confused and asked him what the difference is. He was like, one of them means you are in a love relationship but for them, they are just friends. I asked him I did not say girls I said boys. How can boys have a relationship? that is so awful. He started to get confused and asked me what I think boyfriends means. I told him it means boys who are your friends or relatives. He started laughing and told me what it actually means. I told him even talking to you two men kissing is making me sick and vomit. I am a muslim and we do not have those sickness. The supervisor told everyone and it became the laugh of the centuries.
Upto now, I don't understand why girls call each other girlfriends but men cannot call each other boyfriends.
no one talks like that.