The Le-ers don't even ma-er, or do they?

It

Do you sell "seever"?

At a baking goods store:

Young Chinese man: Do you sell "seever"?
Cashier: What is that?
Young Chinese man: To sieve.
Cashier: It's outside, over there (pointing in the direction of the shelf outside the store).
Me: Sieve, not "seever".

Young man and his mother proceed out of the store to the said shelf, out of earshot.

Cashier: This one isn't so bad. Sometimes the customer says something we don't understand and get scolded in the process. Indians are the worst! We don't understand what they say and ask politely for them to repeat.
Me: Sometimes their intonation ...
Cashier: Indian accent! So difficult to understand! And they won't admit it!
Living in a multi-racial and multi--cultural society has its joys and pains, more joys than pains. Varied accents and interpretations of English words can be a source of laughter or anger, jokes or misunderstandings. Sometimes we just have to think a little convoluted to figure out what the other person is trying to say (and hopefully not embarrass him while doing so).

Language is fun and essential to human communication. Communicate to be understood across cultures. Do try to use the correct word(s) and grammar. Most importantly, have fun in the process!

Happy language learning!