It strikes me a little bit ironic that I seem to be frequently asked to either translate or to guide people around. I have no language skills. I don't know where I'm going. I have no sense of direction. Do people not realize this?
When we got back to hanoi from halong bay, I ended up leading a japanese girl through the city to her guesthouse. She didn't speak much english, and had no idea where she was going. It happened to be the same guesthouse that I'd been kicked out of a few days before, so I knew exactly where it was. It still scares me that she trusted me to get her there...
I also keep ending up as an interpreter between travellers and locals. While on Cat Ba, there were a couple of australians who were trying to ask the guesthouse owner where a good bar was. He had no idea what they were asking, so I explained. He then proceeded to give them the locations of several good bars. They had no idea what he was saying, so I explained. There may be a career in english - english translation for me... apparently the demand is higher than I realized.
5 votes 
