(no subject)

1000 words on Earth Park.

(no subject)

Whilst in the US I was sent on a mission to find a very specific pair of socks, visiting several stores in a mall in my ultimately unsuccessful quest. In each store, I was assisted by someone friendly and helpful, but was rather thrown by one chap talking on the phone to a friend as he sold me something (other than the socks), and a lady chewing gum while we talked. This would be unusual here in Oz - even unprofessional and rude. But because I saw a dozen sales people in a row, I got the impression that they weren't being rude at all, that this was quite normal, and they'd have been surprised and confused if I was offended. I'm always fascinated by the differences in culture between Australia, the US, and the UK, but have I got the wrong idea here?

(ETA: Mind you, surely it's rude in the US as well as here for a hotel receptionist to avoid eye contact, keep a blank face, and mumble? That was such an odd experience last year that I was almost frightened by it.)