The Clearing

After ordering breakfast at Panera this morning, I am asked for my name, as is customary, so that they can announce it when the food is ready. I say, "M O" (after years of name/spelling mangling experiences I have settled on this relatively painless compromise), to which the woman's response is "how do you spell that?". I'm perplexed and tell her that that is how it is spelt.

A few minutes later, guy at the bar makes eye contact and asks "Ahmed?", a charge that I vehemently deny. I think about it a few seconds, go back over to him and ask him to repeat the name. And, lo and behold, it's Ahmed again! With no likely Ahmeds around I'm beginning to put two and two together here. I ask him what is in the bag and he confirms that it is what I had ordered. My irritation shows, he's grinning a little apologetically, I'm saying "Ahmed? How did it become Ahmed? Maybe I look like an Ahmed...". 7 years of trying to improve my enunciation and these guys across the counter still can't understand what I'm saying! I think I'll ask the chap to pick a random name for me next time round.

Labels: Rants, Reflections on life