"One-job-too-long-is"

It's a funny thing, to complain when you're not happy with a service. In a language that you don't speak well. And nor does the person to whom you're complaining.

Yesterday Edwin and I brought a couple of pairs of trousers to a Turkish tailor to have them shortened.

Edwin and the man discussed the pick-up time and I heard "dinsdag middag", meaning "Tuesday midday". So I trot along to the tailor today at 2pm today thinking that the pants will be ready. But they aren't. The tailor and I both consult the docket which bears the words "dinsdag middag." He shrugs, looks around for a bit more, then asks me to come back in 20 minutes and I good-naturedly say that's all fine.

After 40 minutes I return to the tailor to try on the now-shortened trousers. Trouser #1, fine, a bit long, but with heels should be okay. Trouser #2, hmm, isn't one leg longer than the other? By a centimeter? Surely not! Please not! Because if the legs aren't even then that means that I have to ... I have to ... complain. Nooooo, please god noooo!

Jane: Australian accented dutch I-think-maybe-one-job*-too-long-is-but-not-sure. Check-please-Mr.
Tailor: Turkish accented dutch blah blah blhaa;a; aljd;a jslkj (as he tries to pin my trousers at the back of the waist and reduce the length of the rear crotch ... what is a rear crotch? ... oh yeah, bum).
Jane: Australian accented dutch No-um-not-so-sure-what-do-you? Job. Job-long-not-same.
Tailor: Turkish accented dutch Been*?
Jane: Australian accented dutch Oh-ja-leg. Leg-long-too-much.
Tailor: Turkish accented dutch a;lkj a ablaha' al;kja l;kasjd f (Checking occurs.) a;a l;jk balah lkj. (I figure he says "Come back tomorrow midday").
Jane: Australian accented dutch Ok-yes. Thank-you. See-you-midday. Tomorrow.

It turns out that yesterday Edwin had agreed verbally with the man that I would come in after 3pm today, even though it wasn't noted anywhere on any docket ... their copy or mine.

In a way this is a criticism of my comprehension. But it was a positive, new experience to be forced to speak Dutch, as my tailor friend had no English. Sure, I sounded yoda-ish but it was good to test out some words in something vaguely forming a sentence, in a live situation, despite being off the mark (I mean really, leg Vs job?). I will get more confidence as each day and as each transaction (or complaint, however misguided) goes by.

Pic: Jane trying out her "runway" catwalk walk
* baan = job been = leg; easy mistake to make, eh? I have since found out that "pijp" is the word for trouser leg. Boy I must've confused that Turkish dude really badly.