If I could only learn one additional language, and I wanted to travel the world, what language would serve me best other than English or Spanish?
Be open, humble, friendly, listen more than you talk. Try and learn a bit about the country you’re in, not to have opinions about it, but to better understand the people you meet. Happy travels!
my neuro-divergence sometimes causes people to think that i’m an asshole and if i can’t speak the local language to explain that; i won’t be able to explain away the autism induced faux pas that i created and that can sometimes lead to sticky situations.
Ah. Maybe work up a few phrases explaining your situation ahead of the trip?
Learning the local word for sorry is really handy! I feel you, my partner and I struggle with the same sometimes. Most people everywhere are patient and polite, and want you to love their country!
in latin america they were nice to the white passing americans like me that i was traveling with at the time and not so much to me because my words said that i was was sorry, but things like my facial expression; or body language; or intonation said otherwise and i can’t imagine how similar situations would work out if i didn’t even have the words.
also that and other related experiences over the decades teaches me that the benefit of the doubt comes rare once i’ve committed that faux pas and the local version of “sorry” by itself doesn’t work well if they’re angry about the perceived transgression.
