12/06/2025
Across my lifetime, I've experienced people speaking in other languages in front of me at cafes, in social situations, in work settings, and in salons. I understand my privilege in this society with its deep structural power imbalances. As such, I've only taken issue with being excluded from a conversation in front of me when I feel in my bones that what's being said in another language is discriminatory, abusive, for corrupt and fraudulent purposes, bullying, disrespectful, or it's being done to punch down.
So, recently, I was in an environment where all of a sudden, two people started speaking in another language the whole time. Their conversation was mostly none of my business, and I was trying to relax. I knew which language, but I don't understand more than two or three words or phrases in that language. But, I could understand, because of their tone, the way their auric colours changed in shape, hue, and danced around in conversation with each other. I could make out that mostly it was about what they needed to do next, a little bitching about other folks, and then some commentary about who was going to work on me, and why, etc.
So, at the end of the session, once the guy had taken over and finished with me, I smiled and then thanked him in their language with correct pronunciation that I have learned from a dear friend whose a native speaker of that language. I watched his face drop and he started telling off the other staff member in their language, and quite the argument between them ensued as I made my way to the counter at the front to pay and waited.
I've learned to say thank you in different languages, even if that's the only word that I know how to say.
20+ years ago, I watched two men in a call centre speak in another language I had not learned a word of to that point in time. But, I understood every single word they said, because it was like they were suddenly speaking English in front of me. One said to the other to stay logged on at work, and use the phones to call his family internationally. ( This used to be very expensive in the days before whatsapp and unlimited calls. ) He continued, saying to have long catch ups, as the company didn't pay enough, and that way they still benefited. And, that if anyone walked over to enquire, to make sure the computer screens were open on the subcontractor databse, and no one would know the difference.
So, at the conclusion of their discussion, I told them word for word what I heard, they strongly denied it, and gaslit me. 2 years afterwards in conversation, they boasted to me, admitting that's exactly what they had said and done at the time.
On another occasion, a client in the US wanted me to consult for their relative in Chile, via a conference call where my US client would translate what I said in English to their Chilean relative into Spanish and then translate what their relative said in Spanish back to English for me. At the time I didn't know Spanish at all. After the first 5 or 10 minutes, the translation was only required to take my English spoken word back into Spanish for their relative, as I understood their Spanish speaking relative, despite not actually understanding Spanish, a language I am now learnign, slowly. They were both lovely people.
I've called out a woman who once stood waiting to be served in a Cafe, screaming at the top of her lungs that "this is Australia, speak our language, which is English," all because she was upset that the barrista was trying to help customers who couldn't speak English with their order. I chimed in, challenging her on language, by saying" This is the Kulin Nation, and Wurrunjeri country, ma'am, do you speak Woi Wurrung?" The barrista got on with serving everyone, she huffed and puffed, but didnt quite blow her whole house down.
If you aren't a judgmental person, you're empathetic, and you welcome and embrace different cultures, different views, and understand drivers behind people's actions, and reactions, it's far easier to clearly hear people's hearts, understand, and call out BS happening in any language, and have empathy for people stuck in the power imbalances in society while doing so, because intent is a universal language.
Or, from my radio days, "Always assume the microphone is on."
Lots of love
πππππ
Jacquelene