OT: Best johnny foreigner's to work with?

gtvlusso

Ugh - busy week:

So far this week, I have had to deal with critical issues from:

Americans
Philippinos
Germans
Austrians
Canadians
Indians

But who are the easiest to work with? Your thoughts?

notsoblue

gtvlusso wrote:

Ugh - busy week:

So far this week, I have had to deal with critical issues from:

Americans
Philippinos
Germans
Austrians
Canadians
Indians

But who are the easiest to work with? Your thoughts?

Best: The Dutch.
Worst: South Africans.

drays

ahh, a spot of casual racism for a Friday morning...

CXXC

notsoblue wrote:

Best: The Dutch.
Worst: South Africans.

interesting statement given the demographics

SimonAH

Oi, I am a Johnny Foreigner, ye who styleth yourself after an Italian car.....

notsoblue

CXXC wrote:

notsoblue wrote:

Best: The Dutch.
Worst: South Africans.

interesting statement given the demographics

Yeah, kinda tongue in cheek there.

gtvlusso

SimonAH wrote:

Oi, I am a Johnny Foreigner, ye who styleth yourself after an Italian car.....

Very - true - got the monica trying to sell said gtv lusso (used the name as an e-mail address for the sales pitch of said car - it stuck!) -

I am Johnny Foreigner myself - being Irish, @drays, don't really see the racism? Just asking a question about who is easiest to work with....IYHO?

Of course, I will always say The Irish are easiest to work with!

Clever Pun

drays wrote:

ahh, a spot of casual racism for a Friday morning...

^

SimonAH

gtvlusso wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

Oi, I am a Johnny Foreigner, ye who styleth yourself after an Italian car.....

Very - true - got the monica trying to sell said gtv lusso (used the name as an e-mail address for the sales pitch of said car - it stuck!) -

I am Johnny Foreigner myself - being Irish, @drays, don't really see the racism? Just asking a question about who is easiest to work with....IYHO?

Of course, I will always say The Irish are easiest to work with!

Ha, I'm a half Estonian, half English, US resident alien living in Wales. Technically I think that makes me a minority of one. I could play the racist card over buying a cup of coffee (is it cos I is black?)

As it happens I'm working with an Irishman right now, loud fecker he is too.

lost_in_thought

Hmmmm, I don't think it's really racism - working with different cultures is an important part of international business.

Stereotypes do exist, and you shouldn't tar everyone from Italy with the 'workshy' brush, for example, but they don't come from nowhere, and avoiding them for fear of being racist is just a bit silly. I'm sure you've all heard about 'This is Essex'? Well, not everyone from Essex is like that, but there's certainly a higher-than-average concentration.

I personally like working with Americans, they go at the same frantic pace as I'm used to, whereas I find the more relaxed approach taken by Italians very frustrating. The dutch are very chilled and quite unflappable, but this, while pleasant, can also be frustrating. The French are good too, although they occasionally annoy me... mostly by saying 'bien de faire votre connaissance' or similar to my male colleagues, and 'enchanté' to me!

I should be flattered, I'm sure, but I'm generally in charge!

Oh and the Finns! I LOVE them - they're brilliant! They're always so chipper, and once you understand their funny little ways they're absolutely fantastic to work with!

vorsprung

gtvlusso wrote:

Ugh - busy week:

So far this week, I have had to deal with critical issues from:

Americans
Philippinos
Germans
Austrians
Canadians
Indians

But who are the easiest to work with? Your thoughts?

The most difficult to deal with are those chaps from Bristol

The thick accent, the dope smoking, the liking of obscure musical styles. A big problem

drays

gtvlusso wrote:

I am Johnny Foreigner myself - being Irish, @drays, don't really see the racism? Just asking a question about who is easiest to work with....IYHO?

Fair play! Probably the Aussies.

CiB

My chum over in the Project Office over the other end of the building. Indian [say it in the style of the Goodnes Gracious Me team], and quite divine she is too.

drays

CiB wrote:

My chum over in the Project Office over the other end of the building. Indian say it [in the style of the Goodnes Gracious Me team], and quite divine she is too.

BiggerBoat

...and nobody mentions the Japanese? Every single fax/email "TOP URGENT!!! TOP URGENT!! you must sell us (insert product here)." "But we don't sell that product." "TOP TOP URGENT!! you must sell us (insert same product here)." "But we don't sell that product", at which point it get repeated until my head explodes.

Clever Pun

BiggerBoat wrote:

...and nobody mentions the Japanese? Every single fax/email "TOP URGENT!!! TOP URGENT!! you must sell us (insert product here)." "But we don't sell that product." "TOP TOP URGENT!! you must sell us (insert same product here)." "But we don't sell that product", at which point it get repeated until my head explodes.

Goldman Sachs are far worse.. I think they've invented new levels of super double urgent

DonDaddyD

I'm sure you've all heard about 'This is Essex'? Well, not everyone from Essex is like that, but there's certainly a higher-than-average concentration.

Yes you are!

I've seen the Facebook weekend photo's. Fake bewbs, lippy, high heels, glitter on the chest, fake 'summer orange' tan. Going to Faces Night Club and hanging out in Loughton.

Anyway back to the thread....

I don't like Indians, South Africans, South Americans and Australians. Is Gay a race? Americans think it is, don't like them either. I can stomach English people but only because I've lived with you for so long. I love the Irish though. Polish so so, the woman are fit. Female southern Irish accent = bom chika wah wah.

Edit... OH you mean who you don't like dealing with at work... I like everyone, I'm paid to work with everyone.

Clever Pun

lost_in_thought wrote:

Hmmmm, I don't think it's really racism - working with different cultures is an important part of international business.

trying not to open a can of worms here but...

If I were to say: women can be tricky to work with as they talk about riding the cotton pony or have nice long holidays with babies. Not all of them, some are amazing to work with etc.

That wouldn't be sexist?

gtvlusso

DonDaddyD wrote:

I'm sure you've all heard about 'This is Essex'? Well, not everyone from Essex is like that, but there's certainly a higher-than-average concentration.

Yes you are!

I've seen the Facebook weekend photo's. Fake bewbs, lippy, high heels, glitter on the chest, fake 'summer orange' tan. Going to Faces Night Club and hanging out in Loughton.

Anyway back to the thread....

I don't like Indians, South Africans, South Americans and Australians. Is Gay a race? Americans think it is, don't like them either. I can stomach English people but only because I've lived with you for so long. I love the Irish though. Polish so so, the woman are fit. Female southern Irish accent = bom chika wah wah.



Edit... OH you mean who you don't like dealing with at work... I like everyone, I'm paid to work with everyone.

LMAO :-) :-)

@LiT - yes, I love the Finns, work for a Finnish company - they have such a dark sense of humour!

Finbar Saunders

drays wrote:

ahh, a spot of casual racism for a Friday morning...

It's not racism as it's not based on race. Those are nationalities that could be of various races. Unless, of course, you assume all English and Irish are white, all Philipinos and Indians are asian etc. I'm not sure what it is....nationalism doesn't sound right.

drays

Finbar Saunders wrote:

drays wrote:

ahh, a spot of casual racism for a Friday morning...

It's not racism as it's not based on race. Those are nationalities that could be of various races. Unless, of course, you assume all English and Irish are white, all Philipinos and Indians are asian etc. I'm not sure what it is....nationalism doesn't sound right.

Meh

bartimaeus

lost_in_thought wrote:

...once you understand their funny little ways they're absolutely fantastic to work with!

I find this is usually true... it's the understanding their funny little ways that is the hard part.

Americans usually tell you that a project can be done - even if it cannot. They often feel a bit left out as they don't come down the pub at lunchtime.
The French pretend they don't really care whether a project gets done- but then get on and do it. They always come down the pub at lunchtime.
The Germans let you know that the project is important, that they are fully in control of the situation, and provide regular status. They too come down the pub at lunchtime.
The Italians tell you they have already finished the project, which is why they are free to come down the pub at lunchtime.
The Indians usually tell you they can do the project... but won't tell you how it is going, and they won't ask for help.
The Japanese usually say 'yes' to mean 'yes' as well as 'maybe'... while 'maybe' means a definite 'no'. I suspect that the Japanese have no word for 'no' to avoid giving offence. This can make it diffiult to find out what is going on.
The English and Australians are usually fine, unless there is a cricket match on - then whoever is winning spends all day highlighting the latest score.

I'm not sure I have any broad brush stereotypes for the Dutch and Scandinavians, but I have always found them great fun to work with.

Life would be very dull indeed if we were all the same.

BigJimmyB

Not liking people from a given country isn't racism.

It's Xenophobia.

Hatred of certain races is racism.

Jay dubbleU

New Zealanders - more fun and more laid back tha Aussies

Canadians - steak and egg breakfasts but beware of the folk music

Anonymous

Jay dubbleU wrote:

New Zealanders - more fun and more laid back tha Aussies

Until you ask what part of Australia they come from. Never understood why Kiwis get so annoyed when you think they're Ozzy.

I asked one kiwi I worked with once, he likened it to me being mistaken for French. The difference is French and English speak different languages. Ozzys and Kiwis sound exactly the same, how are we supposed to tell the difference?

rjsterry

lost_in_thought wrote:

Oh and the Finns! I LOVE them - they're brilliant! They're always so chipper, and once you understand their funny little ways they're absolutely fantastic to work with!

Is that a nationality you are referring to or a new type of small furry pet?

Some of the Polish contractors I work with have a work ethic bordering on insanity. One in particular works crazy hours (7am start 6pm finish or later if working to a deadline, 7 days a week) and seems to survive entirely on coffee, Red Bull and cigarettes.

lost_in_thought

Clever Pun wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Hmmmm, I don't think it's really racism - working with different cultures is an important part of international business.

trying not to open a can of worms here but...

If I were to say: women can be tricky to work with as they talk about riding the cotton pony or have nice long holidays with babies. Not all of them, some are amazing to work with etc.

That wouldn't be sexist?

Not in my book, but that's my book. Others may disagree.

Maybe it's that I'm not a girly girl, but I generally find women more difficult to work with than men. My current boss is an exception, but she and I have decided we are in fact the same person.

Although, I should add, I have no idea what 'riding the cotton pony' means.

wgwarburton

RichardSwt wrote:

Jay dubbleU wrote:

New Zealanders - more fun and more laid back tha Aussies

Until you ask what part of Australia they come from. Never understood why Kiwis get so annoyed when you think they're Ozzy.

I asked one kiwi I worked with once, he likened it to me being mistaken for French. The difference is French and English speak different languages. Ozzys and Kiwis sound exactly the same, how are we supposed to tell the difference?

That's a poor comparison. Try asking a Scot which part of England he's from or a Canadian which part of the USA.

If you're from England/USA/Australia it's really hard to understand the problem... because you don't really see that there is one; after all, why would anyone be offended to be thought of as one of you?

This is, of course, part of the problem....

Cheers,
W.

Stuey01

lost_in_thought wrote:

Although, I should add, I have no idea what 'riding the cotton pony' means.

Really?

How about:

Got the painter's in
Rag Week
On the blob

lost_in_thought

Stuey01 wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Although, I should add, I have no idea what 'riding the cotton pony' means.

Really?

How about:

Got the painter's in
Rag Week
On the blob

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

lost_in_thought

BigJimmyB wrote:

Not liking people from a given country isn't racism.

It's Xenophobia.

Hatred of certain races is racism.

Nope, Xenophobia is a fear of foreigners, and foreign or strange things.

Racism is discrimination on grounds of race.