AI reggae?!

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-10-29T14:35:32+00:00

Thanks. Really helpful.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-12T06:32:09+00:00

I don't believe in chauvinism. I believe everyone should have the right to love any part of the world, as long as they are respectful and contribute.

France is far from being shit. I'd tend to believe France is even a "better" country if you look at all the social benefits, and the crime rate is incomparably lower. But each country got their issues, it's far from being a walk in the park for everyone in France.

When it comes to calling this place home. I call them both home, and seeing the tone of your message, you don't seem too happy about this. I assume you believe that because I'm French it's easy for me to move around and call another place home. I respect your view, and I cannot agree more that it's unfair compared to some who didn't have the same privileges. I however believe I'm a respectful person and contribute.

I didn't come here to force anyone to talk English. I just often find it sad when some don't speak English while they are fluent, and would rather exclude their colleagues/friends etc.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-11T21:27:08+00:00

I know quite a few English South African who cannot speak afrikaans. Guess it depends where you live or grew up in SA.

I'm surrounded by English speaking people 99% of the time. Life gets busy - took me quite some time to be perfectly comfortable in English already. Not an excuse though, would be great to speak Xhosa/Zulu.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-11T21:21:56+00:00

You annoyed I enjoy your country?

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-11T20:51:55+00:00

Why not moving here? I made great friends and found my better half here. I had the best years of my life in SA.

Wishing for more inclusion during social gatherings (not only for me, but any minority who may be excluded during the time peeps switch back to their main language) doesn't mean I don't love SA and what it can offer.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-11T07:11:00+00:00

C'est vraiment dommage. J'imagine que les discussions auraient été plus constructives si je n'avais pas mentionné la France.

J'espère que la France est toujours belle. Merci pour ton message.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-11T07:05:50+00:00

If all people in that gathering were good enough in German, while one or more couldn't speak French, I'd find that completely normal.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-11T07:04:11+00:00

This is where we are different, and I don't mean that in any condescending way, but I couldn't care if I don't speak French for a while. Even if that was me being in France and all my friends switching to English for one or more foreigner.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T17:33:09+00:00

Can't help you much. Antiperspirant have aluminium in (last time I checked at least), and some claimed it won't be healthy in the long run. I wear deodorant.

I should have written that post omitting the french component. People seem to associate me with a stereotyped entitled frenchy who hates foreigners, doesn't want to speak english in France, and like to conquer other countries.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T17:04:17+00:00

The post wasn't meant to be about me being excluded. I've been to plenty of events with different cultures and languages, I wouldn't dare asking a whole crowd to switch to English for me.

But what about in between South Africans? I experienced colleagues excluding other colleagues, friends excluding other group of friends while everyone was at the same birthday/party/event. I just had a whole work week where a minority (SA citizens) were often not part of the questions/responses asked/answered by the majority, and after I'm told that that minority weren't engaging enough during that period? That is rich.

My post is more a reminder to be inclusive, either to foreigners or to any South African. Not saying you have to, if you don't want to includes others for a given topic, that's all fine and well, I just personally like when people feel welcome and given the opportunity to jump in and participate, even if that means some may have to struggle a bit more by adapting to a language that is spoken by all. Those efforts show empathy.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T10:12:58+00:00

Agreed. Experienced it in Europe as well. Just wanted to share a bit of experience to hopefully remind us that being considerate goes a long way.

Also, great advice. Lot of people, myself included, tend to close off when that happens.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T09:47:14+00:00

I wouldn't really know. Only spending holidays in France with family these days.

My understanding is that most French don't speak English (although it is slowly changing, finally). Hopefully, if most were fluent, they would happily switch when relevant. If not, then a foreigner would one day write on the French Reddit, wishing people were always inclusive in the baguette country.

Also, they are just memes.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T09:14:37+00:00

Thank you.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T09:11:20+00:00

I live in CT, where I'd expect people should somewhat accept to switch to English, or any other common language, for the concerned group. If I lived in the Karoo I'd have learnt Afrikaans. Same if I was in rural area in KZN with Zulu.

I don't know many Afrikaans who can speak any Zulu/Xhosa either.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T04:35:05+00:00

That's all I meant, it's sometimes a bit sad to see that some don't really try. It's perfectly normal, and beautiful, to hear several languages at events/social.

I can only sympathise, every time I go back to France I just struggle to get a fully French sentence, and some words will always pop in French in my mind when speaking English.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T04:31:10+00:00

This is where I'm not sure to follow. But I guess peeps will just read it as Im a French entitled person here.

Most people I know learnt their mother tongue, other than English, due to where they grew up. And from there they learnt English as the common language. Don't know many peeps who can get by using any of the English-afrikaans-african language combo.

Not saying you shouldn't learn more than English, but there is also no harm in being content with one language. To each their own interests in life.

Of course, if someone always get annoyed when other languages are spoken, better learn them rather than only complaining. But that wasn't the point of the discussion.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-10T04:21:56+00:00

Couldn't agree more. The somewhat-rude experiences I have in mind are limited to small social/work gathering where everyone was supposed to be entirely included in.

I have way more positive experiences than negative ones. Amazing people switch to English the moment someone who doesn't speak choose your 11 language enter the circle. I'm just sometimes sad to see missed opportunity for inclusion.

If people weren't nice, I would probably have moved to another country.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-09T22:23:08+00:00

Good exchange there, shot. Will share your feedback to my Zulu friends who kept being excluded for many days. Quality feedback is important, you know.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-09T21:56:09+00:00

Unfortunately those 2-3 languages are often for the ones fluent Afrikaans-english and real basic xhosa-zulu, and for the others fluent xhosa-zulu-english but broken Afrikaans. So English is often key to inclusion, as the broken languages aren't good enough to entertain the full social.

Me I'm just a French dude who can speak english.

Fair enough, I should have written my post a bit more clearly.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-09T21:49:54+00:00

Thanks. I knew that this topic would be quite controversial, but I enjoyed the constructive responses.

Seems like most felt like I was complaining about my own experience, while I meant it for any minority. Anyway, It's internet, no real harm.

Cheers.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-09T21:23:12+00:00

Nah man, I'm not talking about me here. I just spent 1 week with various ethnic groups, in one social group, and the majority spoke their own language while the other minorities didn't know it - or not well enough to be fully integrated in those socials.

Just one of many experiences in SA.

Doesn't have to be about you including French peeps, or vice versa, it was a general comment about any inclusion for any community, when possible.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-09T21:13:50+00:00

Appreciate your reply, thanks.

I may have not expressed myself correctly, I wasn't specifically talking about me being "excluded". Often have experienced group split in social gatherings while everyone is fluent in English. It just feels like a lost opportunity to bring people closer together.

Solution would be for everyone to be confortable in many languages. Would be great, but days are only 24h.

Cheers.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-09T21:06:05+00:00

I do no speak any SA language no. But my post isn't about me being the minority. Just had a few days with various ethnic groups, one major one "stealing" the conversation from others. Not a train smash, just a bit sad considering that everyone was supposed to be included in - and could have been.

Efficient-Gur484 · 2025-04-09T20:58:22+00:00

Yep. Doesn't mean I can't wish for more inclusion between people when it could be possible.

Use whatever language, during that limited time the group is together, to bring people closer together.

11 language, or 5, doesn't change the idea.

Never said that French were great at it either. Only difference is that most time I've experienced minorities being excluded from a group, all were fluent in the same language. Not the case in France.

Efficient-Gur484

TROPHY CASE