You get asked all kinds of questions from all kinds of people working in the hotelling business. 90% of the questions have obvious answers that people could figure out in less time than it took them to ask it in the first place. If only they actually realized that just because you pay for a hotel room, doesn't mean you automatically have people doing ALL your thinking. 9% of the questions are the same as each other, and are what you can expect from people staying at a hotel. Tell me how to find my way to this and that, how much is your currency exchange rates and can I exchange here, is it possible, can I, would you etc. etc. It's standard, and you just set your brain on standby and let the conversation unfold by itself when these bright stars roll around.
But once in a blue moon you get that rare breed of guests. That diamond in the ro... no not really a diamond. Just.. a rock in the rough. A guest that takes you by surprise by asking a question you hadn't anticipated in a million years. Today, one such guest visited my hotel, and I just so happened to be the lucky guy she asked. The question? Steady on now, friend. Let me give you some more back story first. Do read on!
Yes ok. So I had you click a link to read the rest of the story. So what, big deal, you wanna fight about it? The funny part is, I don't have anything more to say. Goodbyeokjustkidding. Oh.. so you do actually want to hear this story? Right then! Kids, pull up nice and close, get the popped corn and the chilled coke, cause it's story time.
So this woman must've been in her 60s, and from some far away country. Perhaps Russia. She was in the process of buying postcards, and she made casual conversation with my colleague after which she turned to me, and landed the following question on me:
"Wat meenz pleeze... hreckler"
I was dumbfounded. Heckler. I confirmed with her, and she asked her friend. Yes, she had indeed asked me what the english word, heckler, meant. I racked my brain for a moment, both in order for me to process this question, but also to comprehend how she could possibly have come into a situation that required understanding of the word heckler. Off the top of my head, a heckler is a person in the audience of eg. a stand up comedy routine or perhaps a play at a theater, who shouts stuff to the actors or presenters on stage, in order to come off as a funny person themselves, or in order to vex the performer. Turns out, I was close.
I try to explain this to her, but she doesn't get that it's a negative thing to be a heckler. She ends up thinking it is a member of the audience who is really a performer, and who is part of the act, but who other members of the audience don't know about. I leave her thinking this is what heckler really means, because I had tried 3 times to explain it's proper meaning to her, and she wouldn't comprehend. I'm not gonna lie to you and say I'm a busy man, but in all honesty, who the hell wants to use 10 minutes of their already dull and boring life, explaining pointless words to people who will never use them again. If you're thinking you might, please give me your number, and I'll let the guests give you a ring when they need to get 'asslantern' explained, kthxbai.
