Breakfast or lunch conversation

[ldubs]

Hmm, If someone charges $1million per hour, they would only need to work a few hours then retire.  Sounds like a valid plan to me.  

[Hlitner]

11 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I believe that there are. However,Mafia is a fictionalized term which I have always felt is a slight to Italians.

Now that would make a great topic for dinner :).

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

59 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Well, pickpockets....

 

Yeah, if I 'fessed up to it, everyone would know how I can afford all that travel. 

[lenquixote66]

7 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

Now that would make a great topic for dinner :).

 

Hank

That is a great topic for discussion anywhere .Its a stereotype of a nationality. 

[lenquixote66]

23 minutes ago, ldubs said:

Hmm, If someone charges $1million per hour, they would only need to work a few hours then retire.  Sounds like a valid plan to me.  

If someone charged $1 million per hour ,would they really retire or would they desire to continue ?

[navybankerteacher]

3 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

If someone charged $1 million per hour ,would they really retire or would they desire to continue ?

It would really depend upon what it was that earned them that $1 million per hour, and how they felt about it.   If they enjoyed it, they’d keep at it —- otherwise, they would retire as soon as their accountants advised them they had enough set aside to live comfortably.

[ldubs]

8 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

If someone charged $1 million per hour ,would they really retire or would they desire to continue ?

 

I think I would put in at least one week.  haha.   

 

Truthfully, few would likely want to retire that soon. 

Edited October 11, 2019 by ldubs
oops

[clo]

54 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

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

LOL.  Yeah, right 🙂

[clo]

38 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

I believe that there are. However,Mafia is a fictionalized term which I have always felt is a slight to Italians.

Listen to Chuck Rosenberg's  podcast "The Oath" interview with Jim Comey on the mafia. Definitely not "fictionalized."  He even explained the US/ Italian connection.

 

[slidergirl]

According to my dear departed nanna-in-law from a suburb of Naples, there is definitely an Italian mob.  Origins in Sicily.  Listening to her back when, I swear there was some mafiosi somewhere in the family tree...

 

I travel solo, so I really do not like to dine with strangers.  I talk to strangers all day long at the hotel, so it would be like working on vacation to me.  

BUT, I would love to bring one of my new employees with me just to do my conversation.  He could talk about his time as being in the security forces for the Foreign Service.  Getting shot, killing children before they kill him, stopping child traffickers, favorite State Department officials, least favorite State Department officials... 

Edited October 11, 2019 by slidergirl

[ilikeanswers]

1 hour ago, lenquixote66 said:

I believe that there are. However,Mafia is a fictionalized term which I have always felt is a slight to Italians.

 

I agree all Italians shouldn't be judged by a few bad apples but the word Mafia is not a fictionalized term:

Etymology of Mafia

 

[clo]

Just now, ilikeanswers said:

 

I agree all Italians shouldn't be judged by a few bad apples but the word Mafia is not a fictionalized term:

Etymology of Mafia

 

That podcast I referenced is really, really good.  Check it out if you're interested.

[ilikeanswers]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

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

 

I suspect meth dealers would be constantly asked "so is your job just like Breaking Bad?"

[GUT2407]

I’d love to be able to pick pockets, met plenty of murderers not sure any who did it for money.

[crazyank]

7 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Outside of North America is it not considered proper to ask a stranger about their job. 

Where in the world did you ever get an idea like that? 

[Slugsta]

2 hours ago, crazyank said:

Where in the world did you ever get an idea like that? 

 

I wondered the same thing.

 

I agree that different cultures have different expectations but this particular one is new to me. However, I do remember someone here on CC posting that they had been asked intrusive, personal questions on their cruse. Things such as 'where are you from' and 'what is your job'. Clearly, their expectations were very different from mine!

[Floridiana]

8 hours ago, Hlitner said:

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."

 

I agree, asking about the job is not a good starter topic.  We stick with cruise/port related topics until we know people a bit better.

[ilikeanswers]

1 hour ago, Slugsta said:

I agree that different cultures have different expectations but this particular one is new to me. However, I do remember someone here on CC posting that they had been asked intrusive, personal questions on their cruse. Things such as 'where are you from' and 'what is your job'. Clearly, their expectations were very different from mine!

 

I did noticed that whenever I sat at a table with people from English speaking countries asking what you do for a living was one of the questions asked but when sitting with people of non English speaking backgrounds it was never brought up. To be honest it is not something I desire to know even after I have been asked the question. I always assume people on holiday don't want to think about work😜. 

[spookwife]

18 hours ago, GUT2407 said:

My sister was a tax collector we told people she was an ax murder so they wouldn’t think badly of us.

one of our table mates once was an IRS employee.  it took 3 days before she admitted it( everyone else at the table  had listed their employment status the first night)  she needn't have worried about comments from us, my SiL works for the NYS Tax department.    

[spookwife]

15 hours ago, DarrenM said:

Well if someone says they have done 150 just say ha 210.

 

Should shut them up.

Mr Spook is Ex Navy.  he just tells them  he has several thousand days at sea logged.

[K32682]

15 hours 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?

 

The people who have been on many cruises care.  It's a semi-status symbol on a cruise.  You may be an experienced traveler who has toured every corner of the globe but if it's your first cruise you may be regarded by some as a lesser form of humanity. 

[wowzz]

4 hours ago, crazyank said:

Where in the world did you ever get an idea like that? 

I agree - I certainly wouldn't ask a stranger at a dining table what his/her job is or was within the first 5 minutes. However, during the course of the evening, if relevant to the conversation, I would see no harm in asking "What line of work are you in?" Keeping it general is, I believe, more polite than asking out and out what their job is.  Asking a general question enables the answer to be as specific or as vague as the individual  is comfortable with.

 

[Hlitner]

Clo brought up an interesting issue in one of the earlier posts.  Pretty common table talk is about cruising and travel.  It is inevitable that somebody is going to ask, "how many cruises have you been on," or "is this your first cruise,"  or "how many times have you been on this line."  If you are relatively new cruiser, answering these questions is easy.  But the problem comes when a person has done a lot of cruises and does not want to appear to be boasting.  What to do.  DW and I will often try to avoid answering the question but many times folks then become more curious.  My standard answer has been to say "we don't remember how many cruises" and this obviously can cause its own problems.  And yes, that is an honest answer.  Personally I love meeting folks who have cruised a lot more then me because then I want to learn new things from them such as their favorite line, ship, itinerary, etc.  We have actually booked cruises based on what folks have told us about their own experience.  

 

But some folks have a tough time dealing with the issue (such as Clo) and see it as a turn-off.  It is really one of those no-win situations.  By  the way, shortly after we retired DW and I were on a RCI cruise and having cocktails with a group of new-found cruise friends.  One asked my wife, "what do you do?"  DW had been drinking at the time and without missing a beat replied, "I play!."  The line was great and got everyone laughing.  But we have never found a good line for the dreaded question, "how many cruises have you taken."

 

Hank

[DarrenM]

I have only ever asked once what a person did for their job, whilst on holiday. And we had only chatted for about 5 minutes.

 

He was a very big fella from Northern Ireland. His children were playing with mine.

 

He very reluctantly told me he was a civil servant.

 

Now being the inquisitive type, I wouldnt accept that response.

 

Over the next few days both families spent quite a bit of time together, and we had a few beers.

 

He eventually told me he was a very senior police officer working on the Irish Border, but had to keep it quiet as he was considered a target for terrorists. Fascinating guy, and a very interesting job, but I do wish I had never asked him.

 

Hence I dont go there now with folk.

[Hlitner]

9 minutes ago, wowzz said:

I agree - I certainly wouldn't ask a stranger at a dining table what his/her job is or was within the first 5 minutes. However, during the course of the evening, if relevant to the conversation, I would see no harm in asking "What line of work are you in?" Keeping it general is, I believe, more polite than asking out and out what their job is.  Asking a general question enables the answer to be as specific or as vague as the individual  is comfortable with.

 

I think you have expressed the general attitude of Europeans towards the work question.  But in the USA it is common to ask about one's work within seconds after meeting folks.  Many folks define strangers by their work and if you give the "wrong" answer you may be shunned. LOL.  I think the Europeans have it right.  It is also similar in Asia where it is generally considered rude to ask somebody about their work when you first meet.  If an Asian wants to deal with the work situation they will often hand you a business card, but may not ever talk about what is on that card.

 

Hank