#TTOT Round-Up: Language In Travel

Every Tuesday it's Travel Talk on Twitter! Follow the #TTOT tag to see what all the commotion and Tweets are about! There are two sessions to join, one at GMT 9:30am and the other at GMT 9:30pm.

This week's #TTOT topic of "Language in Travel" drew in 3,400 tweets mentioning #TTOT, reaching over 240,000 followers and creating 16,680,000 impressions!

Here's the round-up of this week's #TTOT:

Q1. What's the MOST important word or phrase to learn when visiting a foreign country? (submitted by YucatanHolidays) 

• bridaltravelguy: Over 18? 
• katyabroad: Just knowing hello, please and thank you will do a lot to endear you to the locals! 
• kerrinsheldon: "Two beers, please"
• MiddleSeatView: "I do not speak ______" - always helpful
• myTravelingLens: If you start off with a genuine smile, almost any word that comes out after will be sweeter  

Smiles always break the ice

Q2. What was your first memorable encounter with a foreign language? (submitted by RunawayJuno)

• glampacker: When I was 7. I thought when people got old they stopped speaking English and spoke Chinese like my grandparents
• Inga_Ros: I was 2 1/2yrs old when I had just moved to Kuwait and suddenly EVERYONE (except my parents) spoke a different language
• JustTravelous: I grew up speaking two German dialects and standard German. That was really confusing sometimes    
• Nomad_Student: First OMG-I'm-speaking-another-language! moment was arriving @ CDG, starving, & ordering a baguette w/brie @ age 15. Best meal ever!

Q3. What's the most interesting sign/label you've seen n a foreign language? (submitted via HotelPRGuy)

• hjortur: This is a sign here in Hafnarfjordur where I live, the elf capital of the world

• aldakalda: Fave sign, for donkey rides in Turkey: "Would you like to ride on your own ass?" 
• worldswaiting: "Please take advantage of the chambermaid" in Hong Kong  
• foodieintl: I like signs in "English"

• tifany74: At a Spanish thermal bath, I saw a sign in English for "Heated Poo." 
• JustTravelous: I love this sign found in Thailand, Koh Phi Phi

Q4. What's your best pantomime when language barriers are too difficult to overcome abroad? (submitted by conniehum)

• tranquilotravel: The downward-fist pump-plunger diarrhea sign
• LifeOutofaSuitc: Anyone else have to look up what pantomime meant? Oh, only me? Awesome...
• travelingted: I tried to give the international sign for where's bathroom at a bar. The bartender gave me a marijuana menu 
• EbroApartments: I remember me and the Catalan waiter making various animal sounds and pointing at parts of our bodies
• thetripchicks: Clicking my tongue and rubbing thumb with first two fingers together for 'that's too expensive'

The universal sign for "It's too loud in this room"

Q5. Most embarrassing mistake you've made in another language? What were you TRYING to say? (submitted by alannafree)

• corduroy08: Using google translator turned 'Hello mate' to 'Let's have sex'
• kerrinsheldon: In Chinese,I was trying to say "I understand your question"(wenti). I said "I understand your body"(shenti)
• conniehum: "Thanks" in Turkish sounds a lot like "testicular" and let's just say I've made that mistake!
• traveldudes: A friend wanted to order 5 cold beer in Khmer and hit the wrong tone and ordered 5 old women 
• crozul: In Egypt we wanted a buy a shawl ~ he brought us a camel instead 

Is this camel the color you wanted, miss?

And there you have it, "Language in Travel!"

Next weeks #TTOT topic is: "Non Tourist Travel" submitted by trekkingnut. Submit your questions here! And don't forget to tune into #TTOT every Tuesday at 9:30am and 9:30pm GMT!

As always, a HUGE travel community thank you to our #TTOT hosts and organizers: traveldudes, roniweiss, toddwassel, traveldesigned, insidetravellab, WildJunket, tbloggersunite and mobilelawyer!

Have you got anything to add?

© Connie Hum 2011