When in Rome, live as the Romans do

It all started when the phone began to ring.

Eager to help out at the office, I greeted the caller and asked how I could be of help. The man wanted details about his insurance, and I proceeded to help. However, halfway through my sentence he interrupted with, "Does anyone there speak spanish?"

He had an accent and he was hard to understand at times, but for the most part he knew english. "No, everyone here speaks english sir," I answered. "Well my wife only speaks spanish, and she needs someone to help her with her insurance. No one speaks spanish??" The caller proceeded to notify me what an outlandish thing it was that not one of the five people who work with me speak spanish.

This is not all, you see. In the single week I have worked, this situation has occured numerous times. Scheduling exams for patients is usually a simple and easy task, but one woman I was attempting to help didn't understand a stitch of english.

Getting her name, phone number, the name of her doctor and what insurance she has was nearly as excruciating as pulling teeth. Thank the Lord I knew bits and pieces such as nombre, and 1-10 in spanish. Otherwise this otherwise effortless task would have taken all day.

I was patient and kind, because I am generally a very considerate and sympathetic person. What set me off, however, was when I found out how long she's been living in The United States. No she wasn't here on vacation, and no she isn't just settling into a new life in America.

She's been living in the U.S. for nine years.

That, I believe, is laziness and ignorance at its finest. Someone has to be REALLY talented to avoid picking up morsels of a language in nearly a decade of living in that country. Even I can form a sentence or two in a second language and I've never stepped out of my home country.

I understand how people are proud of their heritage and nationality, but refusing to pick up the language of the land is not going to protect their identity. Refusal to adapt will only make life more challenging. And here I thought that's what they were trying to escape.

When guests visit the home of a friend or acquaintance, common sense and etiquette imply that you are to live under the rules of the generous host who has welcomed you into his residence. That means being gracious and accommodating. Eating when your host eats, sleeping where your host wants you to sleep, and acting as your host would like you to act.

The same can be said for immigrants. While in a foreign country, you must live the laws of the land (Or you'll promptly be thrown in jail. In some countries you may even be executed.) While refusing the dialect is not illegal, it is common courtesy to live as the country lives. "When in Rome, live as the Romans do."

For years my dad has studied up on Italian through books and apps, tapes and websites. To him it would be ludicrous to enter Europe without a basic knowledge of the speech. And I agree. If I were to ever settle down in France, Japan, Turkey, Bali, etc., I would promptly invest in some serious flash cards.

Often, natives do not accommodate ignorance. However, the U.S. is not just tolerating ignorance, but welcoming it. I don't agree with that. No more of that press one for english crap! Adapt to the country and the country will adapt to you.

There is no need to abandon your roots, but learn to find the beauty in your newfound home. Every country has unique qualities that are beautifully diverse. That's what makes our universe so beautiful. Find and embrace these differences. Don't reject them because they are different than your own.