Thursday, January 31, 2008

Phraselator

As I am cleaning up in the kitchen I am listening to NPR and there is an interesting story on a device called the Phraselator. LA Police are using them to spout off commands in other languages...I just need one to go to the grocery store and when I interact with my children' s teachers! For I think a mere $2500 I could score one!
Just yesterday I was at the grocery store and the cashier struck up a conversation with me...very unusual since they always seem to be in a hurry. Anyway, she is scanning my items, asking where I come from, why am I in Austria, what do I do for a living and so far I am able to respond back in German. She is scanning my items, I am throwing them back in the cart (as you bag your own groceries here) and she says something that I don't understand. I graciously nod, smile and act like I know what she is saying. She repeats her phrase again. I nod and smile again. She then proceeded to stand up, lean over the scanner and take the milk out of my cart and ring it up. She was trying to tell me that she hadn't rung it up yet!
Thankfully we both laughed! Which is something I have learned to appreciate in situations such as these. If you take yourself and the mistakes you make too seriously, you really could get down!

Still, I think one of these little Phraselator thingies might be worth investing in:)

3 comments:

Unknown said...

OK, su nopayfurensiemilch?

Joe and Amy said...

Remember, how many mistakes will you make in language learning? One million! I could never tell if that was encouraging or frustrating! I'm glad that you were able to laugh!

tam.my said...

stacey that is not so bad!you should hear me here when I try to tell the dad or the kid what I want! I speak more with my hands then with my mouth and I also just smile and do if I can understand everything what they are saying.and don't forget my mums "erotic fruits"