Lost in Translation

Story 1

We all know what a tortilla is, right? You think so, anyway. We’ve had tortilla chips, nachos, and tacos. But that’s with the Mexican tortilla. Elsewhere, like Spain, Colombia, and other countries, a tortilla is like an omelet. So when my Mother emigrated here and was out to lunch with her friends, she ordered a tortilla.
“Anything else, Miss?”
“No, that’s sufficient.”
“Are you sure Miss?”
“Of course.”You can believe her surprise when the waiter returned with a plate with one single solitary tortilla. Introduction to Mexican Tortilla 101!

Story 2

My Aunt lived in a house in Mexico that also served as a store and a shaved ice vendor. I was visiting her as a child once, and I was helping out. A kid surrounded by slushies??? Like a dream! Loving this vacation. And it was very simple. If someone ordered “raspa de fresa,” (strawberry slushie) you shave some ice, pour strawberry flavor on it, and calculate the pesos. This was happening for a while until some kid younger than me wanted “una raspa de chile” (chili slushie). What the… well, he kept insisting, and I asked my Aunt. She shaved some ice, put a little lemon, and finally, get this - sprinkled the top with chili powder. Remember, this is summer vacation. In Mexico. How Mexican can you be to eat chili powder on shaved ice in the desert!??!

Story 3

Someone very near and dear to me was living and working in China before moving to the States. She was working for an American company and had to do a presentation, trying to convince them on how they can market anything. She used the example of trying to sell a well-known product, but with a twist. She was using a visual of a can of Coca-Cola and stating that even if it were pink, they should be able to sell it. All the while, everyone in the room was snickering and holding their laughter in. These were high level execs, too. It wasn’t until later, after the meeting, that someone told her she was pronouncing “Coke” wrong; she kept referring to “pink cock.” Terribly embarrassing, but hey, she closed the deal!

Story 4

A good friend of mine was working for Motorola and was in China some years ago where he found himself hungry in his hotel room. He ordered room service, received the order, but found out he was missing something. He called back down, requested what was missing, and they returned a little while later. He thought it was fancy the way they gave it to him, thanked the person, and then returned to his food. Wrong order again. He called them again, tried to explain, but they couldn’t understand well. The manager went to his room, and my friend tried to explain that he was asking for “chopsticks,” not “chopped steak.” LOL!