Monday, April 27, 2015

I've noticed some of the Haitians I know get unreasonably angry (from an American perspective) if you ask them to repeat themselves (just generally). Is there any way to deal with this? It's pretty frustrating.

Hmmm... this could be subjective :)
Some people do get frustrated, upset and then overly excited if they're not getting their point across.

If this happens because of language barrier such as you're not understanding what they're saying fully, they might worry that they sound unintelligent, that you're talking down to them or that you know how to speak their language better than them (which is, of course, not the case). Be sure to tell them that you're still learning their language and that some words are unfamiliar to you.
Dakò :)
Haitian Creole ↔ English Reference, Look up Haitian Creole and English Words

2 comments:

  1. No, I'm talking about the ones who speak english fluently. If they think I ask them something more than once (even if they aren't repeating themselves) they get really angry. And then I get angry. Maybe I just need to find some better Haitians... It's not like all Haitians do this, it's just if a Haitian I know gets irritated with me it's probably for making them repeat themselves, or repeating myself. Happens much more with Haitians than fellow Americans. Especially ones that spent more of their formative years in Haiti.

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    Replies
    1. yeah.... it happens often.
      It's pure impatience.
      If you've ever been to some of the Haitians outdoor markets in Haiti, and also downtown, you'll even see more of that. ...it's push and shove, impatience, quick temper, and hastiness.
      Just maintain your cool demeanor, maybe they'll get the idea :)

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