# If only I had a better command of the language.



## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Yesterday I went shopping, first time for over 2 weeks. Monday, hopefully a slack day.
5 tills were open :grin2: I had a trolley full as you can imagine and I had my freezer bag and shopping box as usual.
There I am packing things away and a voice behind me said, in German of course, Pack that when you´re outside.
I kept my back to him otherwise he might have dropped dead if I´d have looked at him.
Guess what I did instead, I took a very long time packing stuff, making sure it was all neat and tidy >
When I did turn to look he had about 3 things in his trolly and the idiot had decided to come behind me when the till next door had others with just a few items and was moving very quickly. 
If I´d have thought out what to say to him I could have said in his language, "Your lucky my husband is not with me because you'd still be waiting in half an hours time".
Had he have been there before the cashier started putting my stuff through I would have invited him to go in front.


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

In the UK when in either Lidl's or Aldi you are expected to pack your shopping on the shelf away from the tills. 

In any of the other supermarkets they don't seem to bother, the checkout girls/lads in Tesco and Morrisons always ask "Do you need help in packing".


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Some people have a sense or urgency Jan and some don't. We can't all be the same. 
But checkouts can get some people aggravated the same as fuelling up or sticking to the speed limits.
The French are great. If your behind them you don't exist.

Ray.


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

I was in B&Q’s yesterday. 
The mum and son team in front of me insisted on paying for their goods in loose change and spent half an hour counting out the payment.
I smartly changed lanes when they lost count and had to start again!


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Spacerunner said:


> I was in B&Q's yesterday.
> The mum and son team in front of me insisted on paying for their goods in loose change and spent half an hour counting out the payment.
> I smartly changed lanes when they lost count and had to start again!


Very sensible. I'm not double packing over €100.00 worth of groceries for anyone. 
Never had to pack any shopping away from the till in any shop Drew, that sounds rather senseless to me.


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## Dougaitken (Aug 14, 2009)

Hi Jan

The other day I was in Aldi and got to a till just as they opened it. I had 4 small bags of frozen food and the Couple in front had a very full Trolley which he was slowly loading onto the Belt.

His Wife / Partner turned to me and said " Is that all you have " and I said Yes. She said well you go before us. I said thank you and moved to the Till. Before her Husband/ partner had finished loading the belt I had been served, paid and left. All the time I was there, less than a minute, he was muttering I should wait in line like everyone else whilst giving his Wife /Partner grief for offering that I go ahead. 

What a lovely chap. Guess if he had been German :surprise: he could be a relative of the Chap behind you. Inconsiderate Pratt.

Doug


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

One of the "advantages" of the Blue Badge scheme here in France is that you get an extra card both are credit card sized and identical, one goes in the (provided) holder on the windscreen and the other in your wallet.

Then, if you get to the till displaying the disabled / pregnant sign you can show the card and go to the front of the queue - obviously not if that is half way through someone else's shopping, but before someone starts, even if there is a long queue.

I HATE using it, being a Brit gives you that holding back attitude, but when I have needed to use it (and not just 'cos I want to get out faster) due to severe foot pain, I have always found the French to be perfectly willing to move aside. Admittedly the Brits in the queue are often far from happy, but they frequently get silenced by others without me saying a thing....

It is a system that has it's merits - in the U.K. such queues have no similar concessions.... you just stand and wait and wait and wait..... or, I have been known to go to a supervisor, explained my problems and have been checked out at the customer service desk.....


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Thankfully the supermarkets here in this part of Normandy rarely have queues at the checkouts (only post offices). So two customers is a lot and even then they will allow you through if like me you start juggling your one item.

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You cannot juggle on item Ray, that is throwing it up and catching it


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

That's what he does, it's perfectly OK with an orange, but the large bag of dog food does give him some problems......😆


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

It's just an 'Attention Getter' guys.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Maybe Jan,
You’d talk to me

Or maybe not 

Which is fine 

I don’t hold lines up 

It’s an English thing 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Whats the difference between putting the shopping into the trolley or putting it into my box, which is in the trolley, it takes the same amount of time.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well obviously he did 

So what to say?

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Well I´d say he was an ignorant B.
Many times when I have a lot of shopping I invite people to go in front if they only have a few bits and would have done the same for him had he been there before I was packing them away. He had 4 other checkouts to choose from.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

JanHank said:


> Whats the difference between putting the shopping into the trolley or putting it into my box, which is in the trolley, it takes the same amount of time.


There is no use applying logic to such a situation - it is inappropriate 🤣


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

Penquin said:


> There is no use applying logic to such a situation - it is inappropriate 🤣


Discount supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl have packing shelves at the back for you to pack stuff away...............have you noticed them ???

Not a problem putting all your stuff into a box.............it is people who have 3 different bags for chilled,frozen and others and proceed to sort stuff into

the respective bags with one hand whilst on the phone.................whilst the partner stands watching and waiting to pay.

To them it's all about me me me..................and sod it if others are waiting................in fact I haven't even noticed them............it's all about me.


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

No shelves for packing here.
I'm organised at the checkout, fridge and frozen go on the conveyor first and go in my big 20 year old Tesco freezer bag:grin2: then comes heavy stuff in jars bottles or tins, then the light stuff, salad and vegetables to go on the top of the box so's not to get damaged. :laugh:

This bloke wanted me to pack it when I got outside to my car, wonderful if it's tissing down with rain.😡


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

Is it a man thing? Chris, the most easy going of characters, get arsey, at checkouts. He watches what they are doing in front and frets about their speed or otherwise in packing. He moans about people who do not have their purse out and ready at the exact second the last item is scanned. Just like with training a dog I have started to think of ways to distract him from watching people! He would have exploded the other day when there was just one checkout open at Lidl and I was about ninth in the queue. I felt like advising couples to get in the queue and send one half round the shop.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

JanHank said:


> No shelves for packing here.
> I'm organised at the checkout, fridge and frozen go on the conveyor first and go in my big 20 year old Tesco freezer bag:grin2: then comes heavy stuff in jars bottles or tins, then the light stuff, salad and vegetables to go on the top of the box so's not to get damaged. :laugh:
> 
> This bloke wanted me to pack it when I got outside to my car, wonderful if it's tissing down with rain.😡


Excato how I do it, it's common sense, glad you have some gerty my love :kiss::kiss: >>


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Is it?

I’ve no idea 

Of course pudsey would 

Your champion

Me I just pack beyond the tills 

And I’ve packed in France, germany and who knows where 

And always I’ve let those who have less go before 
Why not

At 75 I’m not anxious to meet my maker 

Let those meet first 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

aldra said:


> Is it?
> 
> I've no idea
> 
> ...


Oh for heavens sake Sandra, I have said at least 3 times, had he have been there before the cashier started and I had noticed him of course 
I would have invited him to go in front as I always do. Stop trying to make an argument.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Me an argument ?
Never
Although I love a disagreement 

Sandra


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## Drew (May 30, 2005)

Hook Line Sinker & Welly Boots come to mind.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

aldra said:


> Is it?
> 
> I've no idea
> 
> ...


I heard my name  

To be honest, I organise things putting them on the conveyor belt, then ditto into the trolley, I bag up at the car as I/we usually forget to bring the bags in, but we usually get held up by some dimwit who never thought about paying for their stuff, can't find the 'exact change' forget their PIN etc :roll:


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

aldra said:


> Me an argument ?
> Never
> Although I love a disagreement
> 
> Sandra


So you're back then


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

aldra said:


> Maybe Jan,
> You'd talk to me
> 
> Or maybe not
> ...


Ha!! She's back! And it is officially still Lent I believe. She missed us!!! :wink2:


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## HermanHymer (Dec 5, 2008)

Well there's a new me in town. Been to the cardiologist this week. (Nice bit of chump steak he was too.) My heart is in ticketyboo working order. But it does have a (harmless) extra beat so it gives me a few palpitations sometimes. I wanted to check it out because travel insurance wont pay for cardiac events after age 70.

Well on the subject of g.o.m.'s and stress I am reading a book on a meeting to discuss the meaning of Joy in terms of discussions between the Arch (Desmond Tutu to you) and the Dalai Lama (with Douglas Abrams). An interesting evaluation of definitions and interpretations between the Christian faith and Buddhism.

Bottom line. No-one is going to mess with my unbridled joy and zest for life. Not even the grumpy old man at the Forex teller in my bank this morning. Instead of shouting over his shoulder or waiting an hour and a half in the queue I politely asked him if I could say 5 words to the teller. No, he shouts at me. I've been waiting 18 months for these documents (from Home Affairs I suspect). I just "smiled and waved". How sad to be so full of angst so close to Easter.

"The Book of Joy" - how do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering? Two people who are qualified to answer this burning question. ISBN 978-1-786-33044-4. 
Try these for size this Easter even if you're not religious - the Eight Pillars of Joy:
Qualities of the Mind - perspective, humility, humour, acceptance.
Qualities of the Heart - forgiveness, gratitude, compassion and generosity.:smile2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

?????? Sorry Viv you talk in riddles...……………… at least for me.

Ray.


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

HermanHymer said:


> Try these for size this Easter even if you're not religious - the Eight Pillars of Joy:
> Qualities of the Mind - perspective, humility, humour, acceptance.
> Qualities of the Heart - forgiveness, gratitude, compassion and generosity.:smile2:


Oh does that mean I have to just stand in the queue and patiently wait whilst they pack everything properly and are then surprised that they actually have to PAY for everything.

What ????? even in France where they then decide to write out a cheque.....................no wonder that HE had to die for so many people


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Well if 'he' did die for so many people, it didn't change anything.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Ray, maybe not for you 

But for many 

Come on life goes on

And I didn’t have you down as a know it all 

You decided it wasn’t for you

But did you decide after sharing your earlier beliefs with others ,is wasn’t for them either?

Happy Easter 

Sandra


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

raynipper said:


> Well if 'he' did die for so many people, it didn't change anything.
> 
> Ray.


Can't really comment as I wasn't there at the time, but I think it may be a case of writers license in the book.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

How can 'it' continue to be defended in the light of so many deaths and suffering based on religious beliefs? 

Ray.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Oddly this start tonight, I'd give it a look but we don't get that channel.

https://www.tvguide.co.uk/detail/3227796/149366191/the-story-of-god-with-morgan-freeman

https://www.tvguide.co.uk/detail/3227673/149374976/jesus-his-life


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well you would wouldn’t you, Kev 

Andofcourse writers licence comes into it 

But at least this time you are not saving “others “ from me 

How’s the armer , polished I hope 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

raynipper said:


> How can 'it' continue to be defended in the light of so many deaths and suffering based on religious beliefs?
> 
> Ray.


Did you forget man ?

Of course we want divine intervention , but proved , intervening at the time we decide

We also want freedom

We want to grow , think, develop

The gifts we are given

If I were God I'd be trembling

But the question I'd ask God

is.......

Sandra


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

You assume too much Sandra, I am a roman candle, but I don't swallow all I here in the bible, or on here, we were given brains to work things out for ourselves, those who choose to believe are lucky but faith can only take you so far.

I am convinced that the bible and other religious books were there simply to control the masses, back then if simple folk heard the same thing often enough it became doctrine, and if the bible is so accurate, how come there are so many version, we get other religions as other clever people thought Hmm here's a clever way to live the good life, and control people.


As for "God" what's he done lately.


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## Webby1 (Mar 11, 2012)

Now we've just visited Chartres Cathedral today for Easter Sunday...............all very nice but 

doesn't alter my views on religion.


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

I am always staggered at how many have swallowed it hook line and sinker on total hearsay.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Pudsey_Bear said:


> You assume too much Sandra, I am a roman candle, but I don't swallow all I here in the bible, or on here, we were given brains to work things out for ourselves, those who choose to believe are lucky but faith can only take you so far.
> 
> I am convinced that the bible and other religious books were there simply to control the masses, back then if simple folk heard the same thing often enough it became doctrine, and if the bible is so accurate, how come there are so many version, we get other religions as other clever people thought Hmm here's a clever way to live the good life, and control people.
> 
> As for "God" what's he done lately.


What do I assume

Nothing

I only believe the journey that took me to Israel was special

Did it give me wealth ?

Well no it didn't

It took me on a journey of poverty

And brought me back after long years to comfortable

But I hope what I believe is worth while

But never would I wish to others to believe

That's their choice

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well you know me 

I am what I am 

Happy Easter 

For all my faults 

Hell, I love you all

And you don’t need to share my beliefs

Why would you 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Does it really matter Ray
You swallowed it hook line and sinker 

Once 
Chill remember why 

Me well what can I say
I met God 

Well what I felt was God 

And I fell in love 

But not so much in love

That I don’t give him grief

Every day

Sandra


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