To us, the beauty of the world and we in it, is diversity— different races, languages, culture, food, music. All of which, we want to explore. However, how’s a young lady from Imo state in Nigeria with no Dutch education supposed to explore the beautiful city and people of Amsterdam without holding back? The thought is both exciting and intimidating at the same time, we know. We’ve had our fair share of getting lost in translation.
We’re here to share our experience on how we travel to countries where we don’t speak the language and have the best time while at it.
First things first, we’re not afraid to make mistakes. It’s natural to mispronounce words and say something completely different than what we meant. Trust us, we’ve been there. But this can also be a great opportunity to learn and connect with locals. Imagine ordering food and ending up with something completely different because the server probably heard something else. But instead of getting upset, we laughed it off and the restaurant staff helped us order the right dish. It’s always a good laugh because it’s not as serious as we play it out in our heads. We found that locals were always happy to help us.
Secondly, non-verbal communication is key. We’d smile, nod and use gestures to deliver our message. You’ll be surprised at how much you can communicate without speaking a word. We once went hiking and couldn’t read the trail signs. We simply pointed to the map and the locals pointed us in the right direction. It was a wonderful feeling to connect with them without any language barriers.
Lastly, embrace the cultural differences. You’ll find that even the simplest things such as greeting people can be different from country to country. In some cultures, it’s customary to bow while in others, it’s a handshake or a hug. When we were in Thailand, we were greeted with a wai, a gesture where you place your hands together in front of your chest and bow. It felt awkward at first but we soon realized it was a beautiful way of showing respect and gratitude.
Traveling to a foreign country can be scary, especially if you don’t speak the language. But it can also be incredibly rewarding and exciting. Don’t let fear hold you back from experiencing new cultures and meeting amazing people. And don’t forget your Google translator app!
