Those of you who've been reading my blog for a while know that I get to make a-just-about-twice-yearly trip to India. Though I don't enjoy the long flights, I do generally enjoy my visits - though my digestive tract may beg to differ from time to time.
I firmly believe that you've got to have a good sense of humor to travel internationally - particularly during those "lost in translation" moments. Either that or you'll drive yourself and those around you crazy.
My lost in translation moment on this trip came after I spilled nearly all of my mouthwash. For me, mouthwash is key in India. Spicy food + not being able to use tap water for toothbrushing means I use a lot of mouthwash. Unfortunately on my first night here I managed to spill most of the mouthwash I brought with me.
After briefly pondering how I'd get by without it, and if I could ask my driver to take me to buy some (where does one buy mouthwash in India - and how to tell the driver to go there?), I remembered that I'm staying in a fancy hotel. Fancy hotels have things like this on hand to help haphazard guests like myself. So I looked in the hotel guide, and sure enough "mouthwash" was listed in the "forgotten items we can provide you" section.
When I was headed out the next morning, I stopped by the front desk and asked for some mouthwash. The woman at the front desk looked puzzled by my request. So I repeated it (though not more slowly and loudly): "mouthwash, you know to rinse your mouth and help keep your breath fresh." I told her I needed it either tonight or tomorrow - I still had some of my own left that hadn't spilled. She nodded knowingly.
Back in my room later in the evening, the requested item arrived - proudly presented by one of the hotel staff. "Your breath freshener, mam." (and by the way, it's always "mam" - it sounds ok in an Indian accent)
Here's what he brought for me:
I firmly believe that you've got to have a good sense of humor to travel internationally - particularly during those "lost in translation" moments. Either that or you'll drive yourself and those around you crazy.
My lost in translation moment on this trip came after I spilled nearly all of my mouthwash. For me, mouthwash is key in India. Spicy food + not being able to use tap water for toothbrushing means I use a lot of mouthwash. Unfortunately on my first night here I managed to spill most of the mouthwash I brought with me.
After briefly pondering how I'd get by without it, and if I could ask my driver to take me to buy some (where does one buy mouthwash in India - and how to tell the driver to go there?), I remembered that I'm staying in a fancy hotel. Fancy hotels have things like this on hand to help haphazard guests like myself. So I looked in the hotel guide, and sure enough "mouthwash" was listed in the "forgotten items we can provide you" section.
When I was headed out the next morning, I stopped by the front desk and asked for some mouthwash. The woman at the front desk looked puzzled by my request. So I repeated it (though not more slowly and loudly): "mouthwash, you know to rinse your mouth and help keep your breath fresh." I told her I needed it either tonight or tomorrow - I still had some of my own left that hadn't spilled. She nodded knowingly.
Back in my room later in the evening, the requested item arrived - proudly presented by one of the hotel staff. "Your breath freshener, mam." (and by the way, it's always "mam" - it sounds ok in an Indian accent)
Here's what he brought for me:
The world's smallest box of tic tacs!
I've included my normal-sized nail polish to provide some scale.
There are seriously on ly about 7-8 tic tacs in this thing. And they're tropical cherry flavored - not what I'd consider the best breath freshener. It really made me laugh - particularly when I thought about the conversations that must have taken place, and all of the work they went through to bring these to me.
But still, I had no mouthwash, and now my supplies were dwindling dangerously low (not to make it too dramatic, or anything).
When I went to work the next day, I unintentionally left my pathetically empty bottle of mouthwash out on the bathroom counter. And what did I find when I arrived back?
Real mouthwash!
Thank goodness housekeeping understood.
Gives me an idea for tropical cherry flavoured mouthwash - yum!
ReplyDeleteI love this story :)
ReplyDeletelol im having these Tropical Cherry favored one right now as I type this.
ReplyDelete