We went with Canadian friends to a local Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant this week. The staff spoke only Vietnamese. We were seated at a "hot pot" table - the kind that has four hot pots, one in front of each person in which you cook your own food.
We wanted to order food like what those who just left two nearby tables had enjoyed. There was no way to communicate why this should be a problem. Fortunately a Chinese manager came over to the table. He did not speak English, but fortunately our friends were Chinese Canadians. After some time the conversation was translated for us. The two large tables were provided with special food for a special occasion. Apparently only certain foods were available. It would take too long to make something like that for us. So we went to another restuarant. Without our friends we might never have known why we could not order what was on the menu.
We had a church leadership meeting tonight. A friend called and asked if he could share a taxi with us. Our taxi driver couldn't quite understand why we were asking him to drive slowly along a major street, until we stopped for our friend. With little Vietnamese - and taxi drivers with little or no English - anything out of the ordinary (as in the restaurant) is impossible to explain, even with sign language.
Our friend wanted a ride because he was just feeling too tired to drive himself. Driving himself would have meant on his motorbike in heavy, very challenging rush hour Hanoi traffic. Not advised if very tired. It would have also meant riding home in the rain. On the way home he and we caught a ride with one of the few men in the church who has a company car and driver.
Occasionally I remember those days when Jan and I each had a car and drove ourselves everywhere. How simple that was. Was that less than 18 months ago?
We wanted to order food like what those who just left two nearby tables had enjoyed. There was no way to communicate why this should be a problem. Fortunately a Chinese manager came over to the table. He did not speak English, but fortunately our friends were Chinese Canadians. After some time the conversation was translated for us. The two large tables were provided with special food for a special occasion. Apparently only certain foods were available. It would take too long to make something like that for us. So we went to another restuarant. Without our friends we might never have known why we could not order what was on the menu.
We had a church leadership meeting tonight. A friend called and asked if he could share a taxi with us. Our taxi driver couldn't quite understand why we were asking him to drive slowly along a major street, until we stopped for our friend. With little Vietnamese - and taxi drivers with little or no English - anything out of the ordinary (as in the restaurant) is impossible to explain, even with sign language.
Our friend wanted a ride because he was just feeling too tired to drive himself. Driving himself would have meant on his motorbike in heavy, very challenging rush hour Hanoi traffic. Not advised if very tired. It would have also meant riding home in the rain. On the way home he and we caught a ride with one of the few men in the church who has a company car and driver.
Occasionally I remember those days when Jan and I each had a car and drove ourselves everywhere. How simple that was. Was that less than 18 months ago?
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