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 Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:30 am Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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Hi
Morning
How are you doing
You look good
Good day
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edison_chen_e_c
I'm here quite often ;-)
Joined: 23 Jul 2007
Posts: 206
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| Wed Sep 05, 2007 14:57 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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Hello,
How about giving them your best smile? Put on a friendly face, and people will come to you.
Or bring them sweets and cakes to the office. It can be a good conversation starter or to get to know people around you.
I never tried it but one time, when I was working very late, around 11 p.m. and there was only me and another collegue (who sits very near to me but never spoke to me; most Japanese men are shy) left in the department.
Well, we finally started our friendship when he gave a load of food to me. I was very hungry I was shaking. Maybe he saw that. He first gave me a bunch of grapes and when I ate all of it, he asked me "Do you want more?" He looked sincerely worried so I unashamedly said yes, he went to look more food in the refrigerator for me!
Since then, we become friends.
You might want to try food as a conversation starter!
_________________
"Suara rakyat suara keramat." -Anwar Ibrahim. |
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NinaZara
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 1031
Location: Japan
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| Wed Sep 05, 2007 16:26 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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Hi Hung Nguyen Thi
I agree with Nina that food often helps more than just hunger. 
You could also try to make a point of asking your colleagues open-ended questions (rather than yes/no questions). An open-ended question generally begins with words such as how, when, where, why, who, which.
You should not try to begin a conversation with the words "Good day". A typical meaning and usage of "Good day" is similar to "Goodbye" (except in Australia).
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Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
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Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 7836
Location: USA
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| Wed Sep 05, 2007 16:30 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| Food is always a good idea! As we say in Spanish: "El amor entra por el est?mago" (literally: 'Love enters through the stomach'). |
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Conchita
Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 2702
Location: Madrid, Spain
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| Wed Sep 05, 2007 16:44 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| Yankee wrote: | You should not try to begin a conversation with the words "Good day". A typical meaning and usage of "Good day" is similar to "Goodbye" (except in Australia).
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The same applies to 'Good night'. Spanish ESL students often make this mistake, as in their language the phrase means both 'good evening' and 'good night', i.e. it is used to say 'hello' or 'goodbye' after dark. |
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Conchita
Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 2702
Location: Madrid, Spain
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| Wed Sep 05, 2007 16:57 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| Conchita wrote: | | Food is always a good idea! As we say in Spanish: "El amor entra por el est?mago" (literally: 'Love enters through the stomach'). |
Basically, the same expression also exists in English (and is very well known on this side of the pond):
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach".
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_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
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Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 7836
Location: USA
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| Wed Sep 05, 2007 18:10 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| Yankee wrote: | The way to a man's heart is through his stomach".
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Absolutely! I've always agreed with that saying. But isn't it a pity not many men realise that the same holds true for a woman's heart? |
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Conchita
Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 2702
Location: Madrid, Spain
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| Wed Sep 05, 2007 18:16 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| Conchita wrote: | | But isn't it a pity not many men realise that the same holds true for a woman's heart? |
Definitely! 
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_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English |
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Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 7836
Location: USA
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 Pamela
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 14 Mar 2006
Posts: 1234
Location: RF
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| Thu Sep 06, 2007 15:11 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| Yankee wrote: | | Conchita wrote: | | But isn't it a pity not many men realise that the same holds true for a woman's heart? |
Definitely!
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How true. I now have a soft spot for the fellow.
There is also another collegue who is always giving me vegetables. He likes farming and he even brought me to his small farm before.
Today he just gave me a plastic of tomatoes. He gave me cabbages and tomatoes last week, I blurted "I love tomatoes!" so today he brought me more tomatoes. Big ones. He gave me a big bag of potatoes before the cabbages, and I haven't eaten them.
So, he received a little more attention from me. When I returned from Malaysia recently, I secretly gave him a big bag of all sorts of food from Malaysia.
What a nice old man.
_________________
"Suara rakyat suara keramat." -Anwar Ibrahim. |
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NinaZara
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 1031
Location: Japan
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| Thu Sep 06, 2007 15:19 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| Yankee wrote: | Basically, the same expression also exists in English (and is very well known on this side of the pond):
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Hi, Amy
What do you mean by "the pond" ? The Atlantic ocean?
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Alex
How much upchuck would a woodchuck upchuck if a woodchuck could upchuck ?
(a guy from Russia) |
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lost_soul
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 15 Sep 2006
Posts: 1808
Location: South Park, Colorado, USA
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| Thu Sep 06, 2007 16:19 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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| NinaZara wrote: | | There is also another collegue who is always giving me vegetables. |
Beware of rotten vegetables! See the following thread and you'll know what I mean:
Rotten vegetables to get the attention of a boy? |
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Conchita
Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005
Posts: 2702
Location: Madrid, Spain
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| Thu Sep 06, 2007 16:37 pm Everyday conversation with colleage at office? |
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Don't worry, Conchita. All the vegetables are fresh!
And that was one funny thread. I find it very hard to believe. I never had crush on boys, only teachers. And so, I asked a lot of questions, and I made sure I ace their subjects.
I once had a severe crush on my Physics professor, he was explaning my question on the white board and he said, "Don't stare at me, look at the elephant." He was using an elephant as a load, because I didn't understand him the first time when he used a buffalo.
That was so embarrasing because I think he knew! My friends were giggling and saying, "Look at how red her face!" I think he heard that. For God's sake, my face was always red around him.
In a way, I am like your daughter,painfully shy around men I am interested in, but I can't help myself approaching them!
_________________
"Suara rakyat suara keramat." -Anwar Ibrahim. |
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NinaZara
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 04 Jan 2007
Posts: 1031
Location: Japan
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Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 16 Apr 2006
Posts: 7836
Location: USA
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| How about this sentence? (By 1996, the United States population exceeded...) | Expression: "Pass it down." |
