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Breakfast or lunch conversation

lenquixote66

By lenquixote66,
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ldubs

ldubs

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, mom says said:

Well, if it's breakfast,  they are unlikely to get an answer. Anybody who knows me knows better than to talk to me before I've had my breakfast and had time to properly wake up. 

 

Any other time- sure I'll answer them. And why would I lie? The answer may be boring, but it's not my purpose in life to provide  entertainment.

 

I hope you sit with only folks who know you at breakfast.  

 

Otherwise, I agree.  I see no reason to say other than the truth so such questions.   

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ldubs

ldubs

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, XBGuy said:

Number of cruises?

 

It's weird.  That is the question that I always fudge on.  I have no idea why, but my standard answer has become, "A dozen, or so."

 

You know if you held a gun to my head I could not give an accurate answer to the number of cruises.  We just lost count.   

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ducklite

ducklite

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Posted
1 hour ago, clo said:

We were turned off to cruising after doing a few (HAL and the like) cause it seemed like all people wanted to talk about was how many cruises they'd been on.  Who cares?


I"m more interested in the places they have been that are a little more "off the beaten path."  Those I'd like to hear about.

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clo

clo

Posted
Posted
58 minutes ago, ducklite said:


I"m more interested in the places they have been that are a little more "off the beaten path."  Those I'd like to hear about.

Totes 🙂  I'm more likely to lead with "do you travel a good bit?" And then "what was the best?"  "wild and crazy?"  etc.

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clo

clo

Posted
Posted
26 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

I want to know about you.

Bob says I can find out more about someone in 20 minutes than he can in 20 years.  I find the human beast endlessly fascinating.  Welll,maybe not all of them )

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George C

George C

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, XBGuy said:

Number of cruises?

 

It's weird.  That is the question that I always fudge on.  I have no idea why, but my standard answer has become, "A dozen, or so."

Smone much younger asked me a decade ago and I had about 50 , she had lots of questions, like talking to pinnacle on rccl who have way more than me, love talking about nyc where I grew up. Love listening to others and there stories. 

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted

We tend to ask (and answer) the usual start-up questions of where are you from?  Other subjects we like with strangers related to cruising, travel, ports, etc.  Outside of North America is it not considered proper to ask a stranger about their job.  We have been friends with Europeans for years before we ever talked about past careers.  We have often been surprised, when chatting with new found European friends, how quickly they want to talk about US Politics.  My counter is to talk about European politics (I try to keep up on the subject) which often gets a comment like "I never met an American who knew anything about our politics."   I am convinced that many of our younger generation has no idea how to socialize with people, face to face!  They are great when it comes to texting and social media, but face to face with strangers is a skill they lack.  This is often covered up by sticking with a tight circle of friends or dining at 2 tops.  We often here on CC (and in person) from folks who say they always prefer 2-tops will talk about bad experiences dining with strangers.  Yes, it has happened to us...probably 4 or 5 times in over 1200 nights on cruise ships.  But most of the time we have met interesting folks from all over the world and some have become long term friends.  When we think of our favorite cruises (out of far more then 100) it is usually the one's where we have met fantastic folks at dinner.

 

So here is the thing.  When posters ask about "what to talk about at dinner tables" I know that these are folks I would not want to have at my table.  The best tablemates know how to feel out their dinner companions and find appropriate topics for the table.  It is a skill that might be lost to many younger folks (and some in our own generation).   DW has a slightly different theory,  She figures that those who ask to share large tables (we prefer open dining) are generally going to be fun people or they would not want to share large tables :).  Perhaps she has a good point.  I do not knock those who prefer 2 tops because they want a quiet romantic dinner (DW and I even do this from time to time) but simply wonder how many folks avoid being with strangers because they no longer have a clue how to make conversation.  I guess if they all had working cell phones the entire table could text each other :):  But actually sit across from a stranger and talk?  No way!

 

Hank

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JimnKaren

JimnKaren

Posted
Posted

As long as Karen is not with me, I have a tendency to create scenarios. She calls it slinging BS, I like to think that I could take it to the stage and make some big buck$.

 

Once the word gets out on me, rarely do others want to engage in conversation with me. That's OK, as long as the bartenders will chat with me.

 

Jim

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ilikeanswers

ilikeanswers

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

but I have no idea why some people don’t want to say where they live or what they do for a job.

 

Because some jobs do garner a lot of questions and comments and having to answer them again and again becomes really tedious. When I am on holiday I want a break from work not in depth conversation about my job. 

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clo

clo

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Because some jobs do garner a lot of questions and comments and having to answer them again and again becomes really tedious. When I am on holiday I want a break from work not in depth conversation about my job. 

I had a physician friend who would get ask for advice while at social events.  His reply was "please step into the next room and take off all your clothes so I can properly examine you."  LOL

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GUT2407

GUT2407

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, ilikeanswers said:

 

Because some jobs do garner a lot of questions and comments and having to answer them again and again becomes really tedious. When I am on holiday I want a break from work not in depth conversation about my job. 

I am often asked for professional advice, I give them a card and tell them to call me when I get home so I can give it professionally for their protection in case it is wrong

 

oh and my hourly rate is $600.

 

Unless I like them, then I help. I have given advice to a few people I’ve met here on CC for no charge, but only a couple.

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted

GUT wonders why some folks do not want to talk about their job?  As I explained, in much of the world asking or talking about one's work with strangers is considered rude (or almost rude).  Different cultures have different mores and this is just one.  Not all parts of the world think folks should be defined by their work.  Jobs do become an OK topic once you get to know somebody, but it is just not a "opener" just like most folks do not talk about their "religion."   

 

On our recent Seabourn cruise (first time on this relatively upscale line) we had a lot of fun with some conversation.  The people we met on Seabourn were very down to earth and many had a great sense of humor.  When somebody asked me what I did my quick response was that I was the garbage collector.  Another guy (Buddy) who was truly a funny mad overheard me and quickly said that he thought all the garbage collectors cruised on Princess!  It was a funny moment.  Perhaps the next time somebody asks me about work I will explain I am a retired hit man!  or maybe that I used to clean Septic Tanks.   We made a couple of good friends on that 14 day Seabourn cruise and are meeting them in Florence, Italy (for dinner) in a couple of weeks.  The funny thing is we know where they live, about some of their friends, their travel, etc.  But I have no idea what either of them did for a living.  Although we spent many hours with this couple (on the ship and in some ports) we never talked about our careers before retirement.  It just wasn't important as we had too much else to chat and laugh about.

 

Hank

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Hlitner "Live from...." Rare

Hlitner

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

I am often asked for professional advice, I give them a card and tell them to call me when I get home so I can give it professionally for their protection in case it is wrong

 

oh and my hourly rate is $600.

 

Unless I like them, then I help. I have given advice to a few people I’ve met here on CC for no charge, but only a couple.

Would that be in Aussie dollars?  🙂

 

Hank

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ldubs

ldubs

Posted
Posted
28 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Well, pickpockets, meth dealers, Mafia hit men and others in like fields might be reluctant to go into details.

 

4 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

We all know there is no such thing as the mafia ,therefore that is not part of the equation.

 

But the real question is are there hit men?  Lol. 

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