Traveling is such a treat, and while most of the countries of the world have English as its second language, you should never expect that they will do so for you. My husband and I love to travel to Bangkok and while this city is one of the top tourist destinations of all time, we still find ourselves every now and then playing charades with a cab driver or a store owner. So we resolved to learn a few basic phrases and words of Thai and I have to say that it’s served us well.
For one, it’s allowed me to haggle better, and also, people give out more information because they are comfortable speaking to us. Of course, we just catch a few familiar words when they speak very rapidly but together with our desire to see places, and their animated conversation, we can decipher what they mean, and we usually end up discovering something nice, something not mentioned in the travel books.
People will always react nicely to courtesy and trying to speak the local language in any place is the best sign of courtesy and respect. Go into a foreign town and speak in your native language without even trying to convey the message in the local dialect will make you look like a snob, and you might find it hard to get someone to help you. So don’t be afraid to be clumsy, to try on new words. Never mind that your accent is different. People will recognize your efforts and reward you with genuine hospitality.
