The other thread on PIA reminded me of this.
Back in 1997, I needed to go back to Pakistan and my passport needed to be renewed. I could not go to NYC personally due to school and work so I printed out the form from Pakistani Consulate web site and sent it along with money order and the expired passport to PC.
Days passed by and I did not receive my renewed passport. So I called the consulate to inquire the status. A Pakistani clerk there picked up the phone, replied Wa’slaam very politely to Salaam and listened to my inquiry patiently. He checked his register and told me that they had received my package and the paper work was done on their end so there may be some delay in their mailing department. We were talking in Urdu all this time. He asked me to hold and forward my call to the mail room in PC. I thanked him and waited.
Upon connection, the mail room incharge picked up the phone. This time, I did not receive a Wa’Salaam. I simply received ‘what do you want?’ in English in heavy, Pakistani accent (nothing wrong with that until what happened next).
I started stating my inquiry. She inturrepted me harshly and asked when did I send the package. I started speaking again, and she barked right in the middle, interrupting me again and saying ‘Speak in English’.
Wow, I was silent for few moments. Her rude behaviour, ill manners, and complete incompetency to talk politely did not bother me as much as her sentence ‘Speak in English’.
Here I was calling the consulate of my home country, speaking the national language and I was told that I cannot communicate in the official language of the very country that the consulate represents?
Few days later, I got my renewed passport back in the mail. As I had the intentions initially, I completely let go of the urges to call her back and saying “Thank you so much, I got my passport in the mail… and BTW, you are a f****** b****”.
Considering her attitude, I thought she might even take the expression rather complimetarily.