You Catch More Flies with Sugar Than With...

I am considering myself a city southern girl....I'm definitely a New Yorker to the core (you know fast-talking, always in a rush, blunt), but my young adult years in the South has taught me the little sweet spin can get you the world if you smile, and bat your lashes. The UAE has sent me for a spin and left me on my arse! Sometimes the sugar can get you where you need to be (like when I was lost in the small town trying to make it to my hotel in the next town over and discovered I was at the wrong bus stop, but the bus driver got me closer to where I needed to be and wouldn't let me pay the fare), but other times you get taken advantage of (like in the shopping malls: miss, don't you see this line here?! Your purchase is NOT more important than mine! OR while waiting for your taxi in 111 degree heat on the main road and being yelled at in Arabic, cars slowing down whistling or "offering a ride", headlights flashing.....yea you get the picture).

I've been doing my best to sit back and observe, but sometimes we are kinesthetic learners, right? Yea, I've had quite a few situations occur, some personal, some professional, and then just with passersby. 

Effective, succinct communication is what I'm working on. I like to tell elaborate stories--paint the full picture for you down to the weather, what I was wearing, which way the wind was blowing--here, all of those details get lost in translation. Personally that seems to happen as well. I noticed a weird.....vibe between myself and a close friend, and before it gets blown out of proportion (been down that road before), I wanted to address it and figure out what was going on. Upon vague dialogue, I was told I was snappy lately. Just like I like to tell elaborate stories, sometimes I need those told to me. I wasn't given what I needed, but decided to make more of a conscious effort of my replies and my tone. But I believe in any relationship both parties should be working toward a common goal. Let's just say we're not on the same page...I'll keep working at it!

Catching more flies with sugar than....
One class is just off the chain! I learn some Arabic terms from a better class...use them on the terrible class. A few students are excited and astonished that I know a few things, they want to teach me more. They see I am taking time to learn their language, they calm down. Sugar: learning the language Shhh: Yelling at them. We're actually going to the Bubble Gum Activity that was supposed to be done last week, tomorrow!