satisfiedI was thinking, "I think I know what the problem is -- I know that in some Asian countries, the family name comes first and the personal name last, and she might have confused which was which. And she might not have a sense for what is a typical first name and last name for a European. But if I intervene, I will probably embarrass her. On the other hand, I will also potentially save her embarrassment at work and a second trip to the pharmacy."
So I said to her, "Excuse me, but I was wondering, are you sure the *last* name is Harriet and the *first* name is Lawson? Because to me, 'Harriet' sounds like a first name." She said "Yes, I'm sure." But then she thought about it a few seconds and asked the cashier to check under the name Lawson. Sure enough, the prescription was there.
