the Shoes!
Time for our Friday Funsy (45 minutes early!)
Have you ever had one of those moments when you learn that everybody doesn't do it the way your family does? I vividly remember in 6th grade finding out everyone doesn't get a toothbrush and toothpaste in his/her Christmas stocking. I was astounded.
Or have you ever assumed everyone knew something that you know because "it's just something everyone knows!"? Well, Tony and I have had that experience here. The same experience. Separately. Twice.
We meet new people all the time, and so we have spent the last 6 weeks (it seriously hasn't been 6 weeks?!) making small talk. A common question is- What brought you to Panama? We tell people that Tony's job transferred us here. (I can now say it without an attitude- it's progress people!) They then ask the obvious next question. "Whom does he work for?" (Side note to make my Dad happy: They usually say Who- I changed it to Whom. Dad is proud.) Our even more obvious answer, "Caterpillar." Their totally and completely obvious next question, "Oh- they make the shoes, right? "Yes.- what? The shoes?"
For the record, Caterpillar does, in fact, have a brand of shoes. This is a itty bitty little tiny part of their livelihood. The first time someone said this Tony called me completely amused because everyone knows that Caterpillar makes the big earth-moving machines. It got less amusing the next time. By the time I called to tell him it happened to me, Mr. Loyal to the Company had lost his cool. I'm sure the stress of culture shock didn't help the situation. "Someone tell these people that those machines out there expanding their stupid canal are Caterpillar machines." Um. Okay, dear. Will do! (and he doesn't really think the canal is stupid. Just a moment of frustration.)
So, people. Caterpillar makes big machines with fun names like "wheel skidder" and "track-type tractor." The shoes are neat for name recognition, but the accountants get upset when you say it's all about the shoes. But you already knew that, right?
Have you ever had one of those moments when you learn that everybody doesn't do it the way your family does? I vividly remember in 6th grade finding out everyone doesn't get a toothbrush and toothpaste in his/her Christmas stocking. I was astounded.
Or have you ever assumed everyone knew something that you know because "it's just something everyone knows!"? Well, Tony and I have had that experience here. The same experience. Separately. Twice.
We meet new people all the time, and so we have spent the last 6 weeks (it seriously hasn't been 6 weeks?!) making small talk. A common question is- What brought you to Panama? We tell people that Tony's job transferred us here. (I can now say it without an attitude- it's progress people!) They then ask the obvious next question. "Whom does he work for?" (Side note to make my Dad happy: They usually say Who- I changed it to Whom. Dad is proud.) Our even more obvious answer, "Caterpillar." Their totally and completely obvious next question, "Oh- they make the shoes, right? "Yes.- what? The shoes?"
For the record, Caterpillar does, in fact, have a brand of shoes. This is a itty bitty little tiny part of their livelihood. The first time someone said this Tony called me completely amused because everyone knows that Caterpillar makes the big earth-moving machines. It got less amusing the next time. By the time I called to tell him it happened to me, Mr. Loyal to the Company had lost his cool. I'm sure the stress of culture shock didn't help the situation. "Someone tell these people that those machines out there expanding their stupid canal are Caterpillar machines." Um. Okay, dear. Will do! (and he doesn't really think the canal is stupid. Just a moment of frustration.)
So, people. Caterpillar makes big machines with fun names like "wheel skidder" and "track-type tractor." The shoes are neat for name recognition, but the accountants get upset when you say it's all about the shoes. But you already knew that, right?
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