At the drugstore, the clerk asked me if I was getting thru. I said yes, which just proves that some small bits of the local vernacular are 'getting thru' to me.
Of course, the first couple times I was asked this question by a store clerk, I got the answer wrong. In this country, "Are you getting thru?" really means, for any of you non-Caribbean people out there, "Are you finding everything you need?". & even if you have just begun filling your cart with a long list of items, the answer to that question is still yes, I am getting thru.
But, like I said, the first time I got this question it was like this:
Clerk: "Are you getting thru, Miss?"
Me: "No, not yet."
& I am thinking to myself, jeez, I just walked into this store & this woman is already wondering if I am finished! Can't she see my cart is empty?
Now, since I have said "no", the clerk is waiting expectantly by my side to hear what help I need.
Meanwhile, I am thinking, what, is this woman going to stand next to me the whole time I am shopping? So I say, "That's okay, you don't have to stand here - I'll let you know if I need anything."
& now the poor clerk is probably thinking, this woman first said she was not getting thru, so I wait to see what I can do for her & then she sends me away. Must be a tourist! They never know what they want!
But, then you learn the lingo. Slowly. If you are paying attention. & you fit right in!
Well...
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