Let me just preface this review by saying that I love Ireland, I have lived in this country for four years (I am originally from Canada), and have always felt welcome and at home. But what has transgressed during my visit to this store has truly shocked me.
I walked into Déjà Vu to browse the store. I asked the shop assistant if she had any scarfs, as I had been looking for a scarf for quite some time. She said she only had one scarf at the moment but would be getting new scarfs in a few minutes. I said I was just going to get some groceries up the road but could come back on my way down. She said okay.
I returned to the store and saw that she had new scarfs on the counter that she was showing to two other women. I walked into the store to look at the scarfs as well when one of the customers turned to me and said, "Ni hao". I was shocked by this address as I was in Ireland, not China, and have never been thus addressed in my entire life. (Also, I am not Chinese.) The shop assistant then promptly proceeded to say to me, "would you mind giving me ten minutes?" I said, "sure, no worries," thinking that she meant she would assist me in a few minutes once she was free. But feeling her eyes on me, I then proceeded to ask, "oh, do you want me to leave?" She replied, "yes." Well, I can tell you this. I can give you more than ten minutes. Because based on the treatment I received, I will not be coming back. read more