Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I also small talk with the regulars where I work, but I would never ask about their day, because I am not sure I want to know and perhaps it´s none of my business.
I would ask if I were in that line of work, if it appeared they were having a particularly good day.(It helps build rapport and loyalty $). Obviously if I were unsure of their mood or it was evident they were having a bad day I would not pursue it.
I also small talk with the regulars where I work, but I would never ask about their day, because I am not sure I want to know and perhaps it´s none of my business.
Well, if you're only asking co-workers, it's a safe bet that their day is going ok, because you can observe that. The only reason it wouldn't be "fine" or "ok" would be if there were some kind of crisis at home, or their partner had announced that morning s/he wanted a divorce, or something, or they just got a bad performance review from the boss.
Besides. no one takes questions like that seriously; everyone gives a standard answer, like "fine". It's like asking "how are you". No one really asks that wanting to know how someone truly is; it's just a social convention.
Well, if you're only asking co-workers, it's a safe bet that their day is going ok, because you can observe that. The only reason it wouldn't be "fine" or "ok" would be if there were some kind of crisis at home, or their partner had announced that morning s/he wanted a divorce, or something, or they just got a bad performance review from the boss.
Besides. no one takes questions like that seriously; everyone gives a standard answer, like "fine". It's like asking "how are you". No one really asks that wanting to know how someone truly is; it's just a social convention.
That is the case with Americans(sorry to say the niceness is usually extremely superficial in the US). In Portugal though they really do want to know and will listen for extended periods of time whether it's good or bad.
That is the case with Americans(sorry to say the niceness is usually extremely superficial in the US). In Portugal though they really do want to know and will listen for extended periods of time whether it's good or bad.
Fascinating. And kind of refreshing. But that must be time consuming, if they ask several people throughout the day, and stop to listen to lengthy answers.
Fascinating. And kind of refreshing. But that must be time consuming, if they ask several people throughout the day, and stop to listen to lengthy answers.
I have seen this multiple times in banks grocery stores etc.(yes it does slow things down but people are more connected and loyal) local people are quite tolerant of it and do not interrupt or get upset for waiting a few extra minutes.
I think he meant, "Have a nice day". A lot of store clerks say that, when the transaction is complete.
I think our new member-friend from Bulgaria is a bit enamored of the US. It's kind of cute, but some of his impressions or information is inaccurate. OP, did you say you have an American diploma? Have you lived in the US? It's confusing, the way you posted that.
Not everywhere in the US is friendly and casually chatty, as you imagine. Seattle, for example, is a lot like Bulgaria in that respect. California tends to be warm and friendly. In some towns and neighborhoods, people say "hello" or "hi" when passing on the sidewalk. And believe it or not, I've met Russians and people from the Baltic states who are remarkably outgoing and very interesting, in the US. I don't know if they're like that at home, I kind of doubt it. I've seen visitors from those countries chatting with store staff or post office staff, educating them on where they're from, and sharing about the special program of study or exchange program that brought them to the US.
Here on C-D, people from the South say the southern states are very friendly. It depends to some extent on the regional culture. But the "Have a nice day" thing seems to be fairly universal.
I realized that might be what the OP meant after I wrote my reply. I actually remember when "Have a nice day" came into usage in the 1970s, along with the smiley face. It was resisted at the time, and seemed fake to a lot of people, yet now it is a normal way of saying "goodbye" and about as genuine as the other expressions listed in this thread. *
I'm a native Southern Californian, and have always been warm and friendly to strangers, but one of the many things that I was frustrated with living there was the unfriendliness of most people. Nobody made eye contact, everybody was in a terrible hurry (myself included), and people were stressed and angry due to heavy traffic, crowds and long lines everywhere you went, etc., and this was before smart phones. I don't remember it being that way when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s. I think one of the reasons people seem friendlier here, to me, is that there are so few people that those things don't really exist here, so people aren't as stressed and have time to be friendlier - that's my experience anyway. The exception is that people never say "hello" or "hi" here when passing, and I've basically had to drop doing that, because people look at me like they are scared or something.
Here in Texas, we always ask, "How's it going?" to the grocery store check-out clerk, and bagger, and the guy getting the carts in the parking lot (if you make eye contact).
I realized that might be what the OP meant after I wrote my reply. I actually remember when "Have a nice day" came into usage in the 1970s, along with the smiley face. It was resisted at the time, and seemed fake to a lot of people, yet now it is a normal way of saying "goodbye" and about as genuine as the other expressions listed in this thread. *
I'm a native Southern Californian, and have always been warm and friendly to strangers, but one of the many things that I was frustrated with living there was the unfriendliness of most people. Nobody made eye contact, everybody was in a terrible hurry (myself included), and people were stressed and angry due to heavy traffic, crowds and long lines everywhere you went, etc., and this was before smart phones. I don't remember it being that way when I was growing up in the 60s and 70s. I think one of the reasons people seem friendlier here, to me, is that there are so few people that those things don't really exist here, so people aren't as stressed and have time to be friendlier - that's my experience anyway. The exception is that people never say "hello" or "hi" here when passing, and I've basically had to drop doing that, because people look at me like they are scared or something.
This makes a lot of sense. And I'm a fellow native Californian, so I know exactly what you mean. In fact, that friendly ethos survives in small pockets. I find Santa Cruz to be very friendly and unhurried, like Berkeley in the old days (parts of it still are that way). I think having a large local student population helps, if the town isn't too big. Sunny weather also helps, IMO, though Scotland is an exception. I've heard the Scots are very friendly.
This makes a lot of sense. And I'm a fellow native Californian, so I know exactly what you mean. In fact, that friendly ethos survives in small pockets. I find Santa Cruz to be very friendly and unhurried, like Berkeley in the old days (parts of it still are that way). I think having a large local student population helps, if the town isn't too big. Sunny weather also helps, IMO, though Scotland is an exception. I've heard the Scots are very friendly.
I agree with this in addition I do not notice the local people becoming annoyed with waiting in general in SC. They are also very tolerant of people smoking marijuana in public places(live and let live is my motto) and appear to be kinder to the large homeless population. I like the downtown and west cliff drive.
The one place I found where pretty much everybody was friendly and chatty was on hiking trails. People always stopped to tell you what was ahead if you were on the way in (and you would do the same for others), and just to talk about the area and hiking in general (and sometimes, just a break to catch their breath [me ]). Everybody there was doing something they loved, so that's understandable, but it was always an extra nice thing about hiking that didn't happen in my everyday environment.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
]). Everybody there was doing something they loved, so that's understandable, but it was always an extra nice thing about hiking that didn't happen in my everyday environment.
