Not a travel maven
I am finding it really difficult to deal with being unable to speak with anyone here.
Say what you will for tourist traps destinations there’s a lot of comfort to be had in that tortured bit of your own language that the sales clerk coughs up before handing you the overpriced sandwich.
Trying to buy three pannini in a tiny shop in Andrate Italy today brought that home to me.
I found it very stressful when, after my carefully rehearsed Lonely Planet phrasebook phrase was met with something incomprehensible, I switched instinctually into French. Naturally the storekeeper thought I was nuts.
Irene, though was very kind, when the pannini arrived with ham instead of salami and there were none with cheese.
I hope I’ll get used to it. We’re here for eleven more days.
Now – where is that phrasebook?
June 5th, 2009 at 8:06 am
Next time, grab a podcast language lesson or a hundred. Helps to know what things you want to say should sound like. :-)
August 10th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I find that those travel guides are completely useless, best to have a look at what Derek said or go on babelfish.com