Earthquake

So, who felt the earthquake last night?

I was in bed and had just turned out the lights. I briefly contemplated turning on CNN to see if it was not a minor quake (I guessed 4.0; actually a 4.5 but the epicenter was a way away from me) but just one very far away, but was too lazy and instead went to sleep.

Earthquake

So, who felt the earthquake last night?

I was in bed and had just turned out the lights. I briefly contemplated turning on CNN to see if it was not a minor quake (I guessed 4.0; actually a 4.5 but the epicenter was a way away from me) but just one very far away, but was too lazy and instead went to sleep.

IBARW: two etiquette questions

1. Several Americans have posted about how much they hate having random white people greet them in non-English languages (presumed to be their native tongues), under the assumption that they must speak them. I've read comments before about how it's rude to attempt to speak [non-English language] to a person with a strong accent who is currently speaking to you in English.

Here's my question. In Los Angeles, there are a lot of neighborhoods and individual shops, restaurants, etc which are bilingual or in which English is not the primary language. If I, a white woman, am in such a shop, restaurant, bus, etc, in which I hear the people to whom I might speak speaking [some non-English language] and I have occasion to say some pleasantry or necessary phrase (ie, "Thank you," "How much is it?" etc), is it rude, polite, friendly, or neutral to do so in the language which everyone else is speaking?

I had been under the impression that it was polite or friendly to use the language you hear, but now I'm wondering if I've actually been offending people by doing so. I do know not to just randomly address Americans in non-English languages-- I'm referring to cases when I've heard them speaking in that language first. What do you all think, especially those of you who are not monolingual?

2. It is practically a joke that no one who lives in Los Angeles was born there. "Where are you from?" comes up in conversation all the time. Is there any good way to phrase this so it doesn't come across as "I am nosily inquiring about your racial heritage/I do not believe that people of your race might be from Minneapolis," but rather as the intended, "So, where did you live before you moved to LA, if you weren't born here?" (Which, phrased like that, does not sound very good.)

Or is that just too touchy of a question to ask unless I've know someone for a while?

Please do not comment to say anything along the lines of "damn those over-sensitive minorities!" This is a question about making sure that my actions match my intentions, not about how the recipients of my actions ought to feel.

IBARW: two etiquette questions

1. Several Americans have posted about how much they hate having random white people greet them in non-English languages (presumed to be their native tongues), under the assumption that they must speak them. I've read comments before about how it's rude to attempt to speak [non-English language] to a person with a strong accent who is currently speaking to you in English.

Here's my question. In Los Angeles, there are a lot of neighborhoods and individual shops, restaurants, etc which are bilingual or in which English is not the primary language. If I, a white woman, am in such a shop, restaurant, bus, etc, in which I hear the people to whom I might speak speaking [some non-English language] and I have occasion to say some pleasantry or necessary phrase (ie, "Thank you," "How much is it?" etc), is it rude, polite, friendly, or neutral to do so in the language which everyone else is speaking?

I had been under the impression that it was polite or friendly to use the language you hear, but now I'm wondering if I've actually been offending people by doing so. I do know not to just randomly address Americans in non-English languages-- I'm referring to cases when I've heard them speaking in that language first. What do you all think, especially those of you who are not monolingual?

2. It is practically a joke that no one who lives in Los Angeles was born there. "Where are you from?" comes up in conversation all the time. Is there any good way to phrase this so it doesn't come across as "I am nosily inquiring about your racial heritage/I do not believe that people of your race might be from Minneapolis," but rather as the intended, "So, where did you live before you moved to LA, if you weren't born here?" (Which, phrased like that, does not sound very good.)

Or is that just too touchy of a question to ask unless I've know someone for a while?

Please do not comment to say anything along the lines of "damn those over-sensitive minorities!" This is a question about making sure that my actions match my intentions, not about how the recipients of my actions ought to feel.