Not speaking the languageis not be that much fun if you are not Bill Murray. That place can be a foreign country, an unknown avenue, or occasionally even your own house when a new lawn or cleaning team arrives.

How exactly does one communicate in such circumstances? You could attempt using your arms to state your position on each issue. But cultures are not always similar, situations differ and so even very expressive gestures do not always help. If you are a fast reader you can get yourself a mini-dictionary for situations of the kind. Unfortunately, a paper linguistic assistant can be not so fast to get by. Or you may opt for a more fascinating and convenient tool. Like having an electronic Spanish translator. A daunting task of interacting in a language unknown to you might be doable with the assistance of a palm sized electronic device! Read the rest of this entry »