Chinese translations

As you know, anytime that two different cultures try to communicate, there are bound to be problems getting your point across. While Dan and I can kind of mannage using "Spanglish" there is no such thing with Chinese. Many of the hotel staff speak a bit of English, but that doesn't always help. Lots of hand gestures and very simple language is needed, and still doesn't always work. Even the guides we have, who speak very good English, don't always understand what we are trying to say. Dan had to try to describe the term "redneck" to our guide. That was quite fun. -Becca
We had an interesting communication issue just a few hours ago, when the phone rang at 3:04am, and it was the Swimming Pool calling. Now, I quickly surmised that the pool had not gained the ability of cognition, speech, ability to dial and pigeon Chinese-English talk in the few hours since I left the pool, but that was about all I was processing when awakened from a dead sleep. After several questions and answers back and forth, the hotel employee at the pool wanted to let me know that when we visited the pool earlier, my 'guest' was going to be charged to my room. She didn't understand that my visitor was my wife, and asked me to call the assistant manager. Not remembering that inflection and sarcasm with another language might not come through, I said, "Right Nooooow?", and she said, "Yes, thank you, thank you, Good Night," and hung up the phone. Righto, I'll fumble for glasses, find the right key on the overly-complicated computer pad that controls all lights in a relatively random method with instructions in 90% Simplified Chinese, and get a light on to make a phone call at 3:08 in the morning to someone who I know won't understand me. Good plan! So, I called the front desk, several interchanges of words until they understood I was asking for the manager. The manager wants to come on, and wonders what's wrong with my room. I tried to explain, and she said, "You want to go for swim now? Pool is closed. You no swim." No, no, no, the swimming pool (again anthropomorphicising) asked me to call you because my wife joined me at the pool. I could hear the embarrassment come over the phone as she said, "Oh, I know why, no problem, never mind, so sorry, good night," click. So Becca and I are laughing at 3:15 in the morning in our room about how bizarre that was, and I've been wide-awake ever since. Ahh the joys of communications in a foreign country. By the way, in case you can't read the picture, that's a package of "SMIZZLE STICKS". Apparently Snoop Dogg has been here, packaging coffee stir sticks with the full Schmizzle. Peace out.