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>Bryan Sherman wrote:
>
>Why do I have to keep re-learning that one must choose their words
>carefully for an international audience... lol
>
>My favorite communication story occurred around 1990. I was on a short-term
>assignment in Japan for a company.
I hear ya, Bryan. I had the same thing happen when my wife and I vacationed
in China in 2005.
In each city that we visited, we had one guide and one driver. Our guide in
Xian was just the most charming young woman. She spoke English
exceptionally well, including perfect inflection and tone.
We got so comfortable speaking with her that we occasionally let loose with
a bit too much slang. So we would frequently be driving through the city,
having a conversation about a temple or the city's history, when the
conversation would abruptly stop.
After a while I recognized these pauses as our guide not comprehending the
slang we used or the joke I was attempting to make. So I would spend the
next several minutes recalling what the culprit word or phrase was, then
restating it more correctly.
As an aside, this was a lot more difficult than you might imagine.
Minutes later we were all laughing, that is until I looked up to see
vehicles driving in the sidewalk and causing me to ask what the Chinese word
was for "adult diaper".
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