Question Re Proper Island Greeting

[PA Girl]

I find folks are folks, and it doesn't matter where you go.

Yeah me too.

This thread made me remember the time (Feb 2008) I walked into the car rental and said "good morning" and waited what I thought was an island-appropriate amount of time and the woman behind the counter said to me "what? get on with it? what do you want?"

For some reason, her response made me giggle, which annoyed her. We didn't get off to a great start.

[Lex]

Guy Benjamin has written some about the place and the importance of formal greetings in West Indian culture. One point he makes is that just greeting someone appropriately isn't necessarily going to make them want to be my friend. What it will do is let them know that I was raised properly.

[Gromit]

Mr. Benjamin is a very wise man.

[sailorgirl]

Guy Benjamin has written some about the place and the importance of formal greetings in West Indian culture. One point he makes is that just greeting someone appropriately isn't necessarily going to make them want to be my friend. What it will do is let them know that I was raised properly.

Thanks, so when I receive a tepid response, even after following all the protocol, I can then conclude that the other person was not raised properly?

[pipanale]

This reminds me to restart the "Islandification" of our daughter. Living in NC since she was 3, she's got no problem with "Hey" as a greeting. In fact, I've adopted it too much to my chagrin. I pissed some people off at work in NJ once saying Hey instead of Hi. I had to explain that Hey isn't "Hey You!", it's just Hey

Bottom line...she may be cute, but "Hey" ain't gonna cut it. I have to learn her to say Good Morning.

Though...I always forget Good Night. Just because it sounds so "Turn off the lights now...it's bed time". I say Good Evening...even though I know it's not quite right.

[Cruzan Chris]

Correct me if i am wrong Brotha's & Sista's , but I always start with "Good Day"...try it and see what happens...works for me..

Cruzan Chris

[DaveS007]

It takes me a day or two to get into flip/flop mode. You know, when your headed to the north shore beaches and notice that 25mph seems fast. I was standing in line at Sheila's one afternoon at lunch time. I was 4th in line at the moment, in a line of 10 or 11 taxi drivers, chillin or limin as you say. When it became my turn I noticed that she was taking orders from behind me. You know, when natives talk to each other in english and we mainlanders cannot understand them. Anyway, she continued to serve all those waiting behind me, everyone was getting what I believe was snapper, or sea trout. after the 5/6 behind me got served I smiled my best flip/flop mood smile and asked for lunch with sides. She handed it over and I gave her my $12. I looked down and she had given me Trigger fish. Earlier in the week I had gone fishing and the Charter Captain cautioned us against keeping the Barracuda as well as the Trigger fish we caught. Evidently Trigger fish eat such that they pick up bacteria and that makes them not good for human consumption... "not that it will kill ya, but I wouldn't eat it" he says, good enough for me. So I say pleasantly to Sheila; "trigger fish?" and she looks at me with that "uh oh" look, knowing that perhaps I know something that a tourist shouldn't know and she just got caught. She turns half way away from me and without a look in my eye says; "ummm mmm". I notice 10 or 12 taxi drivers looking my way, walk to the trash can and deposit the entire lunch in the can. Set my shoulders back with my head held high, I flash a little smile and w/o looking back walk on.

Good day/Good morning/Good night, whatever... It's my island too.

[Drumbiker]

Sorry Folks, but I've got to chime in. This subject is the one "turn off" I have in what I consider to be the most beautiful place on Earth.

I don't kiss ass. Not at home, not at work, not in personal life and especially not in business. In particular I do not expect to have to kiss ass in a place where I am spending my money for your gain. I will respect you no matter what you are doing; collecting garbage, waiting tables, cleaning restrooms, filling potholes in the road. I don't care what it is, I will initially treat you well and with respect and I hope for the same in return. I've held every job from dishwasher, to a management executive, and understand the value of every person.

There are no longer sugar plantations on St. John. It appears that tourism is the main source of income. Without tourism I would have to assume that poverty would overtake the USVI's. The natives in tourist areas of Mexico, The Dominican Republic, The Bahamas, St. Maarten, etc. understand and appreciate this arrangement. Native St. Johnians it seems (for the most part), in my experience, do not.

I can't think of a worse feeling than being in a store, trying to spend your hard earned money and hoping to come up with the right combination of words and attitude to win the approval of the person that is supposed to be serving you as part of their condition of employment. Ridiculous, no matter what the culture.

I wish I could work in an environment where all of the customers were happy to be in the place they were, smiling most of the time and surrounded by the beauty of a place like St. John. How hard would it be to work with customers like that?

Instead, while standing at the meat counter, waiting to spend $7.99 a pound for lunch meat, you have to concern yourself with the proper way to say hello and hope for a reply. Some things would be better with a little change.

[sherban]

Let's all just try to get along....we are all in this together.

When you run into a grump, try to kill 'em with a smile...take the high road!

Peace

[cptnkirk]

Drumbiker just said it for me. This subject comes up allot and I have always thought St John in general has the least friendly locals out of the islands I've been to. Glad to hear many have the same feelings. Our first time I was caught off guard by it. Had read all about the good whatever stuff and used it. Really didn't seem to help that much.

Now I like to think I'm a pretty friendly guy so from now on I'm greeting my normal way followed by my big smile. If it don't work so be it, at least I'm being myself and it will feel like it, maybe they will sense that. I don't know and guess I really don't care all that much I'm there for the beaches, a friendlier demeanor would be a nice extra. I get greeted in different ways every day at home and as long as it's friendly it works for me. If someone came up to me and smiled and said hello in some langauge I didn't understand I would still return the gesture with a smile. Nuff said.

[swoop]

I'm with you Drumbiker...people act like your visiting Mars and you need to know how to communicate in a different language....I've traveled all over the world and I just try to be nice. If that's not good enough, too bad....

I don't get caught up in the "Good Morning/Afternoon" BS...If a simple "hello, may I have...." is offensive, then tough $@##^ the clerk will just have to get over it. It would seem that no matter how polite you are, some natives just are repulsed that we are there..

[swoop]

I'm with you Drumbiker...people act like your visiting Mars and you need to know how to communicate in a different language....I've traveled all over the world and I just try to be nice. If that's not good enough, too bad....

I don't get caught up in the "Good Morning/Afternoon" BS...If a simple "hello, may I have...." is offensive, then tough $@##^ the clerk will just have to get over it. It would seem that no matter how polite you are, some natives just are repulsed that we are there..

[augie]

I don't find any harm in greeting folks with "Good Morning". etc...

I've pretty much brought that habit back home with me after our first visit to STJ.

As has been pointed out, it's no magic wand - a surly person won't likely change just because they're greeted in a manner that's traditional where they live. Would you expect a jerk where you live to be nice to a stranger just because they said "hello", "hi", "hey", or "howdy"?

But why risk offending the person that just may be the most helpful person on the island by not doing something as simple and harmless as greeting them in the manner that is considered to be polite in their culture?

[Connie]

I agree with Drum, but the one thing that REALLY bothers me is the attitude you get even before you try to give the proper greeting.

It's like you're invisible, some Islanders won't even look at you. They'll shuffle around, doing something else, talking to friends or co-workers, whatever. I do believe this is on purpose. I know they have seen me waiting for help. Trying to make eye contact and then saying "Good Morning", getting no greeting back and just a lack of caring about anything.

I understand about "Island Time", but the rudeness is unnecessary. I'm going out of my way to do the proper thing.

I have met many great people on the Islands, but that just really pisses me off.

[sherban]

This reminds me to restart the "Islandification" of our daughter. Living in NC since she was 3, she's got no problem with "Hey" as a greeting. In fact, I've adopted it too much to my chagrin. I pissed some people off at work in NJ once saying Hey instead of Hi. I had to explain that Hey isn't "Hey You!", it's just Hey.

Pip- I hear ya. I've been down South for about 25 years now and "hey" means hello and/or hi in our language...nothing to be ashamed of... that is the culture here....but if people say good morning, howdy, hi, hello, Bonjour, Hola.....I get it too.

It's all good! Ya'll have a great day!