Welcome! Welcome!

你要什么？
This is the first question that is asked when entering a store or approaching a counter to buy something. It directly translates as "You want what?" And in Chinese 'ni yao shenme' nee yow shenmeh with tones sounds particularly demanding. There's no 'How are you doing?', 'Can I help you?' or any of the other usual, just 'What do you want?'
I hate this question, and I'm pretty sure it's because I more or less believe in some form of basic etiquette. Whenever I hear 你要什么？ want to reply, "What do I want? Well, What I'd like is to not be demanded to answer a question when I'm giving you money. What I'd like is a little patience. But I don't say that. I just tell them what I want.
I realize this is just a cultural thing. That's just the language, but the direct translation is just terrible. Occasionally in western restaurants, or places a little more upscale you get a 欢迎(huanying)！欢迎！(Welcome! Welcome!) but that's pretty rare. I think that's one of the problems with people learning Chinese, you can't get over that you don't have to be nice. It's also why the Chinese are so agitating. They have their own formalities, but in terms of basic human interaction, there is much more courtesy in English.

Anyway, I was at the store today buying some stuff. I went to the checkout, and the checkout person got really excited to have a foreigner in line
“欢迎！欢迎！”（which I was pretty happy to get since it's so rare.)
Then the guy behind me said, "You don't have to say that, she can't understand you."
"Actually, I can understand."
The guy was kind of taken aback in shock. Then the women came to my defense, "See, of course she can understand me. 欢迎！欢迎 ！"
Alright, so I want you all to conduct a little experiment. The next time your in line behind an Asian, and the counter person says something like "Hi, how are you?", or "Can I help you?" or something like that, I want you to step in and say, "You don't have to say that, they can't understand you anyway."
If you survive, let me know how it went.

In other news the new revolution almost started this morning. My iPod went completely dead on me. Then I plugged it in and nothing happened, it didn't even show up on my desktop. About 10 websites later I finally got it up. I can't believe it, travels around the world for over two years and then starts dying on me when I need it the most.