There is a huge department store right outside of our hotel that Yvette and I wandered to. We've deduced we are staying in a non-touristy area, and absolutely no one speaks English here. We're wandering around the department store (HUGE!!! 6 floors, think Macey's in NYC minus the au bon pain) and we happen upon A BEAUTY PARLOR!!!
Of course we go running right in because the universal language of pedicures can be understood by all, right? After a few minutes of pathetically attempting to talk with these girls, we gave up and headed back to the hotel. As we were walking back, wishing that David (our tour guide) had provided us a beauty dictionary, we remembered that we made a little friend while blogging here earlier in the business center that spoke pretty good English. Aha!! We came in and asked her how to say a few key phrases.
She was so sweet and excited to help and wrote them down in Chinese and English for us. When she realized that we were going to take it to someone, she got out the "nice paper" with the hotel logo on it :) We thanked her and headed up to our room to change shoes. A few minutes later, we heard a little knock at the door. It was our friend Ivy, from the business center. She came up to tell us that she gave us the wrong word for pedicure and we "taught her a new word." She scribbled out what she wrote before, and proudly replaced it with the correct word for "pedicure" in Chinese. Lots of smiles and giggles all around and she seemed awfully excited to be helpful.
Back at the department store, we were still having trouble communicating with the beauticians and out pops the head of this lovely Australlian lady who lives here and speaks decent Mandarin. After all of this, she explains they don't do pedicures but we could get a massage for 100 yuan. (About $17 USD for all you comparison spa shoppers out there.) Faster than we could say Nee How, Vettie and I were all set up in our respective "parlors" and got all 24 hours of traveling kinks worked out.
Another glowing little moment was on the walk back to the hotel, a small group of school children spotted Yvette's tall blonde cute American self (and AS I PREDICTED!!) were infatuated. A tiny little girl started to look very excited and smiled proudly saying "Hello!!" so thrilled to try out her English on an American. She was adorable.
We have found the people here to be so warm and welcoming and willing to help us find our way. The language barrier is SIGNIFICANT but even across the world, a smile and a little laughing is understood by all. :)
Lots of love.
PS, Pictures still not working here so you'll have to stay tuned until we find an internet cafe. :)
2 comments:
Did they know Blake Facer at the massage place? ha ha
We actually got a discount when we mentioned his name.
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