there is nothing that irks me more than when someone "acts" like they don't understand someone. my mom speaks little english. i mean, she gets by, but it's very broken and a challenge for her. but she tries very hard. ever since i was really little, i remember getting soooo angry when ppl act all irritated and frustrated at the fact that my mom's english isn't "perfect." they say things like "what did you say?" and "i can't understand you." but i'm sure if they took the effort to actually listen to her, it would have been crystal clear what she was saying. that anger got stirred up in me again, today at work. one of my coworkers has only been in the US for 3 years. he's married with two teen-age children, and is a well-educated, senior management-level korean. his english, tho not "perfect," is very good, and he has quite an extended vocabulary. but he has a heavy korean accent. today, i heard someone say in that same derogatory tone "i can't understand you." and i just kinda stopped what i was doing and had to take a minute not to go over there and scream at him for saying that. i don't even get this mad when someone calls me "oriental." that i just brush off and get over. this, for some reason, really really angers me. that people are so impatient and inconsiderate to not want to listen to someone who is trying very hard to grasp a whole new language very late in life. i'd like to see how well they speak korean after being thrown in korea for a few years. the only difference is that in korea, he would be encouraged and applauded for his efforts, not chastised for trying.