The People You Work With

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your question is, how much of a snob are they?
How enlightened are they? I don't know how to quantify this for myself, probably not very.
How educated? I have an associate's degree.
How worldly? I have never left North America, so practically not at all.
Are they familiar with quasi exotic things? Again, how to quantify this?

I thought bouillabaisse was a meat dish - I think I was confusing it with beef bourguignon? I've never had either. I grew up eating simple foods. Like, my mom poured a jar of spaghetti sauce in Minute rice and told us it was spanish rice.

But, I don't think there's anything wrong with being unenlightened, minimally educated, unworldly and unfamiliar with exotic things. I think the important thing is to be open to learning. I read a lot, ask a lot of questions, try at least half the things I'm offered (food-wise), and that's fine.

I never saw an artichoke until I was 22. My dad told us people who liked guacamole were 'showing off'

I didn't know brussel sprouts came on a vine until my 30's, and don't think I saw an avocado until my 30's either. All our vegetables came frozen in a bag from the frozen foods section and got microwaved until they were soggy and limp. I'm still figuring out how to cook vegetables in the oven and on the stove in ways I like.

They grow on a stalk, not a vine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

As a NYer who now lives in SF, I understand what that PP meant. People in SF don't know what a good bagel tastes like, let alone what a bialy is. Sometimes if I'm tired or angry, people literally can not understand words I say. Jokes only NYers would get, are irrelevant in SF.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your question is, how much of a snob are they?
How enlightened are they? I don't know how to quantify this for myself, probably not very.
How educated? I have an associate's degree.
How worldly? I have never left North America, so practically not at all.
Are they familiar with quasi exotic things? Again, how to quantify this?

I thought bouillabaisse was a meat dish - I think I was confusing it with beef bourguignon? I've never had either. I grew up eating simple foods. Like, my mom poured a jar of spaghetti sauce in Minute rice and told us it was spanish rice.

But, I don't think there's anything wrong with being unenlightened, minimally educated, unworldly and unfamiliar with exotic things. I think the important thing is to be open to learning. I read a lot, ask a lot of questions, try at least half the things I'm offered (food-wise), and that's fine.

I never saw an artichoke until I was 22. My dad told us people who liked guacamole were 'showing off'

I didn't know brussel sprouts came on a vine until my 30's, and don't think I saw an avocado until my 30's either. All our vegetables came frozen in a bag from the frozen foods section and got microwaved until they were soggy and limp. I'm still figuring out how to cook vegetables in the oven and on the stove in ways I like.

They grow on a stalk, not a vine.

Thanks! I can picture what I saw at a farmer's market but was using vine and stalk interchangeably.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

Paris is a great example. Nothing against Paris but no, it's not relevant to my life. I don't know the neighborhoods, or the big office buildings or restaurants, or the transit system or the parks. Not knowing those things doesn't make me uncultured, it just means the focus of my life is elsewhere. Ditto for NYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

Paris is a great example. Nothing against Paris but no, it's not relevant to my life. I don't know the neighborhoods, or the big office buildings or restaurants, or the transit system or the parks. Not knowing those things doesn't make me uncultured, it just means the focus of my life is elsewhere. Ditto for NYC.

Fine, but that DOES make you uncultured. Especially because you don't even have the slightest curiosity about it. Being cultured means being well versed in a vast array of things and being able to have a conversation about them whether they are relevant to your day-to-day or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

As a NYer who now lives in SF, I understand what that PP meant. People in SF don't know what a good bagel tastes like, let alone what a bialy is. Sometimes if I'm tired or angry, people literally can not understand words I say. Jokes only NYers would get, are irrelevant in SF.

A Montreal bagel beats a NY bagel any day.

[Anonymous]

I work with 100% Indians and Asians so no, I doubt any of them would know or care about bouillabaisse. I feel like you are trying to imply your coworkers are trashy/basic/lower class.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't matter to me if my coworkers know about Bouillabaisse. Work is a place I go to make money, not socialize.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

They won't know Boudin sourdough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

Paris is a great example. Nothing against Paris but no, it's not relevant to my life. I don't know the neighborhoods, or the big office buildings or restaurants, or the transit system or the parks. Not knowing those things doesn't make me uncultured, it just means the focus of my life is elsewhere. Ditto for NYC.

Fine, but that DOES make you uncultured. Especially because you don't even have the slightest curiosity about it. Being cultured means being well versed in a vast array of things and being able to have a conversation about them whether they are relevant to your day-to-day or not.

What's your favorite borscht recipe? Chicken lips? Taco? Poutine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn't matter to me if my coworkers know about Bouillabaisse. Work is a place I go to make money, not socialize.

Agree. Unless you work in the food industry (not fast food), then I don't see how knowing about Bouillabaisse is relevant to any workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So your question is, how much of a snob are they?
How enlightened are they? I don't know how to quantify this for myself, probably not very.
How educated? I have an associate's degree.
How worldly? I have never left North America, so practically not at all.
Are they familiar with quasi exotic things? Again, how to quantify this?

I thought bouillabaisse was a meat dish - I think I was confusing it with beef bourguignon? I've never had either. I grew up eating simple foods. Like, my mom poured a jar of spaghetti sauce in Minute rice and told us it was spanish rice.

But, I don't think there's anything wrong with being unenlightened, minimally educated, unworldly and unfamiliar with exotic things. I think the important thing is to be open to learning. I read a lot, ask a lot of questions, try at least half the things I'm offered (food-wise), and that's fine.

I never saw an artichoke until I was 22. My dad told us people who liked guacamole were 'showing off'

I didn't know brussel sprouts came on a vine until my 30's, and don't think I saw an avocado until my 30's either. All our vegetables came frozen in a bag from the frozen foods section and got microwaved until they were soggy and limp. I'm still figuring out how to cook vegetables in the oven and on the stove in ways I like.

They grow on a stalk, not a vine.

I just learned this right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

Paris is a great example. Nothing against Paris but no, it's not relevant to my life. I don't know the neighborhoods, or the big office buildings or restaurants, or the transit system or the parks. Not knowing those things doesn't make me uncultured, it just means the focus of my life is elsewhere. Ditto for NYC.

Fine, but that DOES make you uncultured. Especially because you don't even have the slightest curiosity about it. Being cultured means being well versed in a vast array of things and being able to have a conversation about them whether they are relevant to your day-to-day or not.

But I am conversant in a vast array of things, including many you're unlikely to know about. I'm just not familiar with a specific thing that you've decided matters, the way OP decided bouillabaisse is the thing that determines sophistication.

And I'd be curious about your life in Paris if I were speaking to you, but I'd be engaged because it matters to you and we're talking, not because Paris is objectively important.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How enlightened are they? How educated? How worldly? I'm struggling to find the right word, but are they familiar with quasi exotic things?

We were all just talking about Christmas being two weeks away and how it has snuck up on us. Somebody said 'what's your meal going to be this year'? The new guy said Bouillabaisse. Literally three quarters of my office didn't know what it was.

And then I realized I was working with people way less cultured than myself.

You must be super old to try and make a troll post using a French recipe as a cultural touch point.

I'm 43. And honestly I think of Bouillabaisse as more of a west coast thing than a French thing.

I'm 45 from the west coast and have never had bouillabaisse. I was vaguely aware it was a soup.

People have different cultural touchstones, it doesn't make them "uncultured." Right now I work with a lot of people from NYC. I have had to learn about it, as I know very little. Growing up in the SF Bay Area I can promise you very few people there know or care about NYC and many have never been: no one thinks it's relevant. I'm sure we'd come across as uncultured to someone who does care.

What does this even mean? Relevant to what? It’s the largest city in America. Is Paris “relevant?” Is Tokyo? Nairobi?

Paris is a great example. Nothing against Paris but no, it's not relevant to my life. I don't know the neighborhoods, or the big office buildings or restaurants, or the transit system or the parks. Not knowing those things doesn't make me uncultured, it just means the focus of my life is elsewhere. Ditto for NYC.

Fine, but that DOES make you uncultured. Especially because you don't even have the slightest curiosity about it. Being cultured means being well versed in a vast array of things and being able to have a conversation about them whether they are relevant to your day-to-day or not.

What's your favorite borscht recipe? Chicken lips? Taco? Poutine?

You missed the point entirely.