Americans speak foreign languages!

Americans speak foreign languages!

When I moved to Europe, I only spoke English. I needed to learn other languages and learn I did. Many years after my initial move, I had settled in Switzerland. By this time I was fluent in German and French. 

On a beautiful winter's day, I was skiing with our three children, one of them between my legs. Standing in a long line, at the well-known station of Verbier, I was getting pushed around. Unaware of those around me I was chatting away with our children, in English of course. The man behind me started to move in and stand on my skis, pushing me and being rather rude. I gave him an annoyed look; my "hey back off mister" look. 

He noticed me and decided to start speaking about me with a loud and boisterous voice. He spoke of how ridiculous I was. He said,  "Who is this lady!” giving me a glance, “if she doesn't like our lines and can't handle her kids she should go home."  He believed as many have in the past that I did not understand a word he was saying. I let him continue speaking about me. As his friends were laughing and looking at me I turned to them and in perfectly fluent German said, "You should assume nothing about other people, especially not that they wouldn't understand every word that you are saying." I didn't need to say more. He bowed his head in shame and apologized. The whole line became silent as they looked at me with respect.

—Allison Ochs