SCARY Gifts to Coworkers (from My Husband)
My husband has lived in the US for 12 years. Now, he used to do LOTS of embarrassing, sometimes dangerous, things due to not being from here. For example, has your husband ever WALKED through a drive-thru bank ATM or McDonald’s drive-thru? Mine has. And it freaked people out big-time. Has your husband ever asked a manager at a company to help him fill out a job application for a position at that company? No? Oh, mine has. This is only the beginning.
That said, he’s come a long way. Mostly he acts like any other guy (I mean, like any other guy who’s a little odd). But every once in a while, he reverts back to his original self and does stuff that would be considered very normal in his country and very…um puzzling, to put it mildly…in ours.
A few such “incidents” have happened when he has a manager he really gets along with. When their project together ends, my husband feels the need to give the manager a GIFT. That’s a little embarrassing.
But do you want to know what’s really embarrassing? The gift he chooses. It’s always the same gift.
See, he wants to give something of value (despite that I beg him to avoid giving any gift, but especially an expensive gift). And what does everyone from my husband’s country consider the most wonderful, valuable gift on earth? Why, of course, a SWORD from his country, don’t you know?
Yes, so, what I’m trying to say is this: When my husband finishes a project with a manager he really gets along with well, he gives the guy a SWORD. A REAL one. As in, a sword in a sheath. That’s silver.
He did this rather recently. I am happy to say that, while humiliating, it didn’t cause me to unravel completely. I have learned to accept that my husband does weird things. That’s just the way it is.
Also, there’s kind of a silver lining to this gray cloud. While I would probably cringe myself into a coma if I were present while my husband was presenting the sword, it’s actually kind of FUN to imagine the guy fake liking a SWORD. And to imagine my husband’s oblivious, IMMENSE pride and HUGE smile as he presents such a wonderful gift to a guy he really respects.
July 29th, 2008 at 9:32 am
It could be worse. He could give them something *personal* and weird. Like boxers that match the movies theme for example. THAT would be embarrassing. A sword is merely a bit eccentric.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:44 am
HA HA!!! Miss Thystle, you have an excellent point. Yes, a sword is so much better than boxers!
I could potentially see him doing something like that (giving something personal, but not realizing it, and WIERD)…so really in the scheme of things, a sword is fine. he he
July 29th, 2008 at 9:37 pm
Holly, I like the sword idea, seriously.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
A sword for a gift– puurrrfffect!! I wonder why MY husband hasn’t thought of gifting me with a sword. I’ve gotten hay knives, hoof picks and pocket knives. I need a sword! lol **snicker… maybe he HAS given me a sword… ** laughing my a$$ off here!
July 30th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Hi Noemi,
Oh, do you mean you like the idea of *giving* or *receiving* a sword?
If by chance you would like to receive one, for your next birthday, for example, that can easily be arranged:)
heheheheh.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:35 pm
LOL Holly, that would actually be great!
I was telling my husband about the sword-giving and he said “BUT that is really cool!”
LOL, I didn’t expect anything else.
August 3rd, 2008 at 5:10 am
Now I’m really curious as to your husband’s country of origin.
And I’m thinking that it’s surprising that there are no workplace bans on weapons.
August 3rd, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Hi Kristin, you bring up two excellent points.
Workplace weapons ban, GOOD ONE. I am going to use that as “ammunition” (sorry, but good pun, no?) the next time I see this gift stuff coming on. I will find the weapons policy in his handbook and highlight it. If he’s afraid of getting fired, perhaps he’ll avoid doing this in the future.
I am very tempted to list my husband’s country of origin…But because it’s so small, if ONE person from his country saw this blog, everyone in the entire country would immediately be informed about it…That would be bad. His country isn’t as modern as um…most countries. HAHAHAHAHAH. So funny.
August 5th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
Geesh, I’m getting an inappropriate Borat image now, sorry.