Today, the quarantine is lifted, and the Ukrainians are back to life as usual. I am back to a version of life as usual. Because the schools are really behind, I'm not quite sure when I'll actually be back in the classrooms. I did, however, need to trek out to the bus station to buy my ticket to Dnipropetrovsk for Thanksgiving.
I will never ever yell (and if I can help it, I won't even get obviously frustrated) at any international who is trying his or her hardest to speak English. It's mean.
My Russian is continuing to improve, but it's still rocky. I have to be totally in the zone at all speaking moments. In the bus station, there was a lot of reverberating noise and the microphone-speaker thing between the cashier and me was VERY garbly. I did really well for the first part. I told her I wanted one ticket to Dnipropetrovsk for Thursday morning. She clarified which city, which day, and then she said something else that came out garbled and distorted. I asked her for clarification. She yelled it very loudly to me, attracting the attention or almost everyone. When I told her that I didn't understand, she threw up her hands, growled (or at least, that's what it sounded like), and I thought she wasn't going to give me a ticket. Another customer stepped up to ask her a question at that moment, and she yelled at him. I felt so horrible; the poor guy had no idea that she was so touchy already. We finally figured out that she was trying to clarify the date I was asking for, and she gave me my ticket. Of course, I asked for the 9:00 am ticket, and she gave me the 6:10 am ticket. Spiteful? Maybe.
I was super grumbly about the whole experience until I was on the way home. I realized that there's a good possibility that she was already having a wretched day before the inept American came along. Who knows what's going on in her life? I decided to spend the time praying for her, and miraculously, my bad attitude dissipated. Amazing.
I am still a little bummed about the 6:10 am bus departure time...
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3 comments:
So sorry that she was rude, but so glad you "caught on" and used the opportunity to pray for her. Remember what I usually say about departure/arrival differences - it's no coincidence. She unknowingly helped you "be on time" for another Divine appointment!
I think you did exactly what you needed to with the experience. Pray for her!
Shoot...I get that kind of treatment when I try to order things in English. I have to pretend that it's not my first language so I don't look quite as foolish.
But, I have to agree with what Mamichka said; you never know who it is that God wanted you to sit next to or to not sit next to. More often than not, He chooses to bless believers and non-believers alike through other believers. When it works, it's called a miracle.
Have a good Thanksgiving.
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