I had changed my schedule for my last Thursday of work to accomodate my plans to meet up with some friends before I left for Toronto. I started at 10, had lunch at 12 and finished at 4. So by the time noon rolled around, I knew it was time for lunch, which I wasn't used to considering my usual lunch breaks were at 4PM.
I put myself on break, took off my headset, grabbed my lunchbag and walked out to have my lunch outside by the picnic tables. I walked out to find a dozen unfamiliar faces--as I had never left the office unless I was on break--and approached them with a smile on my face. There were two full tables on the left and an empty one on the right. I decided to join the table with one empty spot so I approached them with a smile and kindly asked, "You don't mind if I join you, do you?".
To that, the man opposite me with a full head of graying hair replied, "only if you keep quiet".
Taken aback, I let out a nervous laugh thinking it was a joke. I was already sitting down when I realized he wasn't joking. This was damn awkward. WTF. Seriously, what the F? I don't think I had ever been more uncomfortable than at that table. My 15 minute breaks that usually feel like 15 seconds was now starting to feel like 15 hours. The man was speaking to the rest of the table in his hardcore quebecois accent in french. I would occassionally try smiling at the man or the woman but they both blankly glared at me in return. I turned away looking at the clouds wondering what on Earth was up their butts. I finished my lunch as quickly as I could and stood up, "enjoy your lunch", I said as I walked off.
I was still in shock.
I came back to my desk and told my supervisor of my traumatizing experience with the quebecois French. I am a quebecoise, born and raised in Quebec, speak fluent French, and have never in my 20 years experienced discrimination like that. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise considering Marois' victory in the provincial elections. Lindsay--my supervisor--had a laugh at my experience. He told me to fill up my bathtub with water and salt. And to sit in it.
Just as he finished this, Neil--a coworker of mine--was walking out for his lunchbreak and responded to a joke to another fellow co-worker with, "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me".
And Lindsay nodded to that.
I put myself on break, took off my headset, grabbed my lunchbag and walked out to have my lunch outside by the picnic tables. I walked out to find a dozen unfamiliar faces--as I had never left the office unless I was on break--and approached them with a smile on my face. There were two full tables on the left and an empty one on the right. I decided to join the table with one empty spot so I approached them with a smile and kindly asked, "You don't mind if I join you, do you?".
To that, the man opposite me with a full head of graying hair replied, "only if you keep quiet".
Taken aback, I let out a nervous laugh thinking it was a joke. I was already sitting down when I realized he wasn't joking. This was damn awkward. WTF. Seriously, what the F? I don't think I had ever been more uncomfortable than at that table. My 15 minute breaks that usually feel like 15 seconds was now starting to feel like 15 hours. The man was speaking to the rest of the table in his hardcore quebecois accent in french. I would occassionally try smiling at the man or the woman but they both blankly glared at me in return. I turned away looking at the clouds wondering what on Earth was up their butts. I finished my lunch as quickly as I could and stood up, "enjoy your lunch", I said as I walked off.
I was still in shock.
I came back to my desk and told my supervisor of my traumatizing experience with the quebecois French. I am a quebecoise, born and raised in Quebec, speak fluent French, and have never in my 20 years experienced discrimination like that. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise considering Marois' victory in the provincial elections. Lindsay--my supervisor--had a laugh at my experience. He told me to fill up my bathtub with water and salt. And to sit in it.
Just as he finished this, Neil--a coworker of mine--was walking out for his lunchbreak and responded to a joke to another fellow co-worker with, "Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me".
And Lindsay nodded to that.
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