Saturday, April 5, 2008

Lost in Translation

When I lived in Brazil I went to buy some eggs one time. I had been in country over a year and had been complemented on my ability to speak the language without an American accent. So I went to the poultry store and asked for a carton of eggs. The clerk had seen me walk in and looked at me as I asked. His response was something like "We have some chicken breast." I looked at him a second, and repeated my request. He looked around, fidgeted and said "We have some chicken breast." This happened a third time, with him backing away from the counter to produce said chicken breast. At this point, the cashier, who had apperently overheard the entire thing despite attending to her duties, informed the young man that I had asked for a carton of eggs and what was so hard to understand about that?
The young man had seen me, a white gingo looking guy, and assumed I would speak the local language poorly. He assumed he wouldn't be able to understand me and had convinced himself of as much before I even opened my mouth. I had done something similar one time. A van passed by playing loud music. My companion asked me what was said and I informed my companion I hadn't understood a single word. I wondered what language the music was in. He told me it was English. I listened again and indeed, it was an Elton John song, in English. I was expecting something else and was unprepared for a language I already spoke fluently.
I think we do that entirely too often. We decide before the event that we won't succeed, and then make it happen. I was reminded of this during the past week. I asked my father in law what he wanted from a fast food chain. He told me he wanted a burger with cheese. I asked if he'd like a combo, and he responded negatively. I asked Grace what she wanted, and expected "chicken" or "hamburger." Instead she answered with a word I'd never heard her utter. I asked her again and she repeated the same answer, playing with her toy like she expected me to understand her. When I asked my father in law what he had heard her say, he replied "combo?" By golly, that is exactly what she was saying. She wanted a combo. It was a really cute event. But serves to illustrate the point of setting expectations.
I hope we can all approach every situation with a positive mentality to understand, and the patience to make it happen.