Re: CHAT: "Mister" (WAS: Re: New Lang: Igassik)

Steg Belsky wrote:

>On Tue, 24 Oct 2000 20:22:15 -0400 Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...> writes:
>
>> I'm stunned!  I can't even bring myself to calling former high
>> school
>> teachers with whom I had a good friendship by their first name.  The
>> most informal address I can bring myself to is forms like Mr. J.
>-
>
>I don't do that either.  I just keep on calling them what they said to
>call them when they were my teacher, whether that was firstname,
>lastname, or title (ex. "Doc", "Mar", "Señora").  It all seems to depend
>on how they started off the beginning of the class, as "hi, i'm _____" or
>"hi, i'm [insert title here] ______".
Its also a very cultural thing. I was brought up in the Philippines were
it was custumary to call strangers, and elders by their title followed
by their last name if known. It was extremely rude not to do so.

But when I moved here to Denmark, its the complete opposite. Some people
in fact appear to be offended when called Sir or Madame. I'm often told that
before 1968, it was much like the Philippines. But after '68, it became
customary to call everyone by their first name. Even children born around
this period began calling their parents by their first name. The whole idea
I think was based on some (perhaps socialistic) notion that we are all equal
so there was no need for titles. Of course, the older generation never liked
this. Fortunately for them, the terms "Mom" and "Dad" is making a come-back
now among the children of those people who have once called their own parents
by the first name. I often hear Danes today ask, "What's wrong with the good
ol' word 'Mom' or 'Dad'?". Yet, the so-called '68-flipper's in Danish have
still left their mark in Danish society today. People still prefer to be
called by their first name by complete strangers. Teachers and professors
are always called by their first name too. I even think that it might be
considered offensive not to do so. When I first moved here, and I forgot about
this, I always got a "who-do-you-think-I-am" kind of look by the teacher I was
addressing.

-kristian- 8)