Keeping in theme with Abby’s article, one handy tool to make sure you know where you’re going is the ever-simple pen and paper.
Keep the slimmest pocket-sized notebook handy for when you’re at the Metro/RER station, trying to buy train tickets, or when you absolutely, positively need directions and the only person you can communicate with alternates between made-up sign language and wry laughter. If you know the bare basics of the language, but for some reason suffer a mental short-circuit or can’t find the precise word you need, remember, the language barrier needn’t be an obstacle. It can be a starting point.
On getting directions: don’t write down every single thing the person says (though, considering this is a case of not knowing the language, you probably wouldn’t be able to anyway). Note down only the very specifics—a street name, for example, or a museum as a landmark. Use arrows to depict when to turn left or right, or to keep going straight on. Then show this to the person to make sure you’ve got it right.
If their eyes light up and they nod rapidly, you’re all set. Conversely, if something got lost in translation, they’ll be able to point to your list of directions at once, and at exactly the part that went wrong. Thank the person profusely, shower him or her with smiles, and go on your way with merry confidence.
Note that I said to use arrows for left and right. You certainly may use L and R to depict the terms, of course, but if you do, you’d better be sure that the other person knows what they mean. Don’t assume that they do without verbal confirmation. It’d be just your luck if they happen to use R to say “straight on” or “coffeehouse.” Also, keep in mind that you don’t want to get both of you confused—one person is already enough! You can fill in L or R above the arrows afterwards if you want, but at the time, stick with simple symbols to ensure you don’t end up on the other side of town in some seedy neighborhood.
At European train stations, if you’re buying intercity or long-distance-travel tickets: write down the arrival and departure time in military time, i.e. the 24-hour system. 5:00pm beomces 17:00, midnight becomes 00:00. Show what you’ve written to the person behind the counter for confirmation. Europe goes by the 24-hour system, and you don’t want to end up taking the wrong train, or worse, wait around for a train that’s never going to arrive.
Likewise, this applies if you’re from the British time and date system and are crossing over to the US. You’ll have to mentally recalculate the clock into the 12-hour mode. Here’s a story related to us by an American woman teaching Sociology in a Malaysian college. At one point she was to return to the motherland, just for a little while in order to conduct a meeting at a US university. This appointment was made at least six months in advance, and confirmed several times by fax (e-mail connections aren’t necessarily reliable in Malaysia).
When she finally boarded the plane and arrived in the US, all primed and expectant, the academics blinked at her. “What are you doing here?” they asked, perplexed.
“What do you mean?” she said. “We’re supposed to have the meeting!”
Much confusion erupted, until finally they took out their faxes to consult. Unthinking, both had used numeric dates each time they hadconfirmed the appointment: 04/12/98. The woman, going by the Malaysian (and consequently the British) date system—dd/mm/yy—read that to be the 4th of December. The university administrators, however, were going by the American date system—mm/dd/yy. They had thought it to mean April the 12th.
Since then, she’s always spelt out the month, no matter what system she’s using, and I’ve learned to do the same. 12 April or December 4, at least there can be no confusion about that!
We had a good laugh hearing her tell the story, though I’m sure with what the organizers had scheduled for the meeting, they probably didn’t think it was so funny at the time. The woman was wry enough to acknowledge that despite having been born and bred in the US—long enough to have grown children there, even—she had adapted to Malaysia’s timeline so well that she’d thoroughly forgotten the different systems used.
But like I said, miscommunication doesn’t have to be a barrier. It’s a starting point—and usually to a good story, at the very least.
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