Language

Traveling to a country like Nepal exercises your language skills. You are constantly forced to simplify thoughts so as to be understood. It's also a great lesson in connotation. A shopkeeper, while selling me a tapestry kept telling me "takes too much work." What he actually means is 'a lot of work'. When does someone understand 'very close' and not get 'far away'. Learned how to tell what someone is trying to say is a challenge. Chouying's "I question it" actually means "I asked him." "What do you weigh?" is unintelligible but " How heavy are you" mostly makes sense. It's like learning a different language. You spend enough time with someone you get to know their personal erroneous phrases. Chembal ends every other sentence with "Isn't it." I still correct my shopkeeper buddy on "too much work". Understanding the intended meaning behind words is extremely important. Countless times I heard "Oh you where fat before, now you are less fat." They mean it as a compliment so I take it as one. If an American guy said that to me I'd slap him. Theres another lesson in there somewhere. Different situations, different expectations?