How do you talk to someone who can't understand you? (Updated! I can speak nepalese!)
Last edited Mon Oct 19, 2015, 08:32 PM - Edit history (1)
There is a buddhist monk who comes into my coffee shop on a regular basis. He is older, and has an extremely hoarse voice. It is quite literally imossible to understand a thing he says; I don't even recognize fragments of a language. I think his body has been damaged by something.
I don't think he understands us, either. We communicate about prices using our fingers, and that's about it.
He always seems so sad when he comes in here. I imagine he has been through a lot. He looks for someone to talk to. I think he's pretty lonely.
So I want to talk to him. I would love to put a smile on his face. There's a small drum that we have in the shop, and he likes to pick it up and play with it. I think he would love one of his own. Does anyone know how to make a small drum?
I am considering pulling up a map of the world, and showing him where I come from, and asking him where he is from.
I'm also thinking about bringing in a whiteboard to communicate with him through pictures.
He needs someone.
Any ideas?
Edit: so he was sitting there, and I decided to just sit down with him and talk to him. I showed him a map of the world and we talked about where he came from and where I come from. Then I asked him about his prayer beads, and I kinda understood his answer. He's from slightly west or east of nepal from somewhere slightly different. His name is Llama something, but I don't really know how to write it. We shared some tea and then went on a walk to go feed some birds with bagel crumbs. I now know how to say water, moving, rain, tree, flower, and bird in Nepali...or another language, because he told me he spoke a different one but I don't know what it is. I learned both words for water and moving, and for rain, but I only kinda have an idea which is which.
We'll be meeting tomorrow to enjoy each other's company some more. Kinda fun to not have a clue what the other person is saying most of the time 
= new reply since forum marked as read
you could try placing your hands on your heart and then point towards him. Then if you're comfortable enough perhaps touch his shoulder.
If you are able to develop a rapport with this "exchange", you might point to yourself and say "english", and then point to him - hoping he will provide his nationality. If you are successful, you now have the impetus to learn a new language...
Too, I like your white board & map ideas...
Oh, the irony! 
For now, I made a fool of myself waving my arms and cawing in front of a bunch of high school football players 
Judgement? Yes.
Do I care? Not in the slightest 
where I was in a perfectly ghastly, bedbug-infested hotel, though the circumstances were funny.
The toilet backed up and I went down to the woman at the front desk. I mimed taking my pants down (while leaving them on, garbageheads ) and sitting on the loo, then stood up and made plunger motions. She laughed and got the point immediately. And unplugged the toilet with a plunger.
Though it must be said the Chinese notion of toilet paper is a little strange. Little packets of tissue like this, albeit without the bear.
