"I read somewhere..."

[zeitghost]

Not surprising when India has over a billion people, there as some Northern European countries have less people in them than London.

I was told on one contract by an Indian colleague they had to speak in English to each other as even the dialect of Hindi was different.

Perzactly my point.

[VectraMan]

I was quite amused when my Indian colleague related the tale of the time he met another Indian gentleman on the street & after trying one or two Indian languages, they found their only common language was English.

I had a colleague who had Punjabi as his native language and he said he had relatives that spoke Hindi, but even though he spoke some Hindi they'd end up talking to each other in English as that was easier.

We're so lucky that English became the international language.

[darmstadt]

At client site we foreigners have been banned from speaking German because it makes our Swiss and German colleagues ears hurt.

I've done a few projects in Switzerland and I remember one where the contact guy was from Serbia and spoke good German and English. In the meeting were German Swiss and the other guys were from Ticino (Tessiner Swiss who speak a version of Italian) so the meeting had to be held in English as none of the Swiss could understand each other. When the Serb guy and me wanted to discuss something important without the others knowing what we were talking about, then Hoch Deutsch was used as none of them could understand that!

[NotAllThere]

I was quite amused when my Indian colleague related the tale of the time he met another Indian gentleman on the street & after trying one or two Indian languages, they found their only common language was English.

I've seen that happen with people from different parts of Switzerland. Even some German speakers, if they have widely different dialects (such as one being from Basel the other being from Chur), prefer to communicate with each other in English.

Yeah maybe you stop being a guest when you properly go native and genuinely integrate and embrace where you live?...

A guest in your home is someone you invite because you want to share your assets with them (e.g. a dinner party) or help them (putting someone up in your spare room). Many foreign workers aren't guests - they're in the country because the country needs them. For the latter, being referred to as a guest is rather insulting, implying some kind of debt to the "host".

As a foreigner, bitching about the country's customs or laws is a bit off regardless, but integration is a two way thing.

I like Switzerland and have some Swiss friends, but it's majorly hard work. The Swiss barely integrate with each other! Someone from the next village is a foreigner - they talk funny.

[darmstadt]

No just pouring scorn on UK people like you, now try and think of something original...

if only it were just me but it isn't is it?

Reading comprehension problems?

[DodgyAgent]

No just pouring scorn on UK people like you, now try and think of something original...

if only it were just me but it isn't is it?

[darmstadt]

Anyway know any good bars in Cologne?

Yep...

Severinsviertel (*), although quite a few don't open until 22:00. Friesenviertel and this area: Ausgehen am Ring - Köln - Stadtspiel - Stadtverführer - Stadtspiele-Verlag

Actually most of Köln is good which is why it has the reputation of the best nightlife in Germany...

(' Viertel menas quarter which means area...)

[darmstadt]

And you also spend much of sad sorry existing pouring scorn on the UK

No just pouring scorn on UK people like you, now try and think of something original...

[darmstadt]

Btw, where did all the :nazi::nazi::nazi: dissappear to after 1945?

Nein, nein, ve are Englander! Not Nazi! :nazi::nazi::nazi:

FTFY

[Kraut]

Assuming you're German, why wouldn't we understand? We had to sort your country out after Adolf's Adventures in Europe, 1936 to 1945.

Btw, where did all the :nazi::nazi::nazi: dissappear to after 1945?

Nein, nein, ve are Germanz! Not Nazi! :nazi::nazi::nazi:

Not sure what you are trying to say, but it sure wasn't my country. I'm not that old. Thank's for sorting out anyway