Meeting A Foreign Tourist
By jaishankar
@Shivram59 (39577)
India
March 4, 2025 11:46am CST
Today I came across a foreigner tourist. I was talking to a friend when he entered a shop. When he came out; he smiled at me and said; Hello".
I replied to him ; " Hello".
He came to us and asked us about our town.
We continued talking; but my problem was that it was very difficult for me to understand his pronunciation. His was a perfect native pronunciation whereas I was speaking English with an Indian accent. Neithr he was understanding us; nor were we understanding him.
Finally I requested him in written to speak slowly so that we might understand him. He smiled and agreed.
Thereafter we talked for more than an hour.
We took him to a temple atop a hillock. He was watching how we were worshipping the God.
He,asked us many things about our faith and we answered his questions.
Then he wanted to visit our families. We took him to our homes. He met our parents; had a vegetarian dinner with us.
While he,was taking to our parents; I noticed neither of them understood each other though we were translating what he was saying in Hindi.
I asked him where he was from. He told us he was from the USA.
The next day he left for New Delhi.
This was the first time I met and talked to a foreign tourist.
But I'm sorry; we forgot to ask his name. He forgot to ask our names; too.
6 people like this
6 responses
@DaddyEvil (142978)
• United States
4 Mar
It's always interesting to meet and interact with someone from another country and it's usually hard to understand each other even if you're both from countries that speak the same language. Sometimes, even if you're from the same country it can be difficult to understand a different accent.
I once met a young lady from Queens. (That's a suburb of New York.) She talked a lot faster than I do and had an accent different from mine. It took a little while before we understood each other. As our conversation slowed down, I asked if she was from Queens because of her accent. She looked at another person in the group and asked if they had mentioned where they were from. He and I laughed and told her "no", I'd just guessed from their accents.
I've had less trouble understanding someone from England than I had talking with that young lady. 
I'm glad you were all able to understand each other in the end. 
I'm glad you were all able to understand each other in the end. 2 people like this
@vandana7 (101473)
• India
4 Mar
@DaddyEvil I practiced it, so many times, before sending it...I am very poor in English DE..
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (142978)
• United States
4 Mar
@Shivram59 You're very welcome.
@vandana7 told me she couldn't understand me when I called her on the phone. I understood her English with no problem. (To Pretty and I, vanny sounds just like us. )
We don't have different dialects of English here, just different accents and speed of the spoken language. After listening to someone with a different accent, I can usually understand them and shift my accent and speed of speech to match theirs so they understand me easier.
I feel silly only knowing English and some Spanish and some French... You all learn so much more than most Americans learn.
)
We don't have different dialects of English here, just different accents and speed of the spoken language. After listening to someone with a different accent, I can usually understand them and shift my accent and speed of speech to match theirs so they understand me easier.
I feel silly only knowing English and some Spanish and some French... You all learn so much more than most Americans learn. 3 people like this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
4 Mar
Thanks; my,friend; for responding. I can't understand the British or American accent. Three days back I was curiously watching the news,about Trump and Zelenski face off at the Oval office; but I ended up understanding nothing at all. I understood it when the anchor translated it in Hindi. That's the reason why I never watch English movies. It is,almost impossible for me to understand the dialogues.
My native language Hindi has many dialects; too. I can understand them. Here in India we have 22 languages. Of them I know only 3. I understand their dialects also. The least spoken language.is Sanskrit. And now I'm learning Sanskrit.
3 people like this
@sjvg1976 (42078)
• Delhi, India
5 Mar
@Shivram59 I would never take someone to home on the first day. I don't prefer to bring friends home unless he is a good friend.
Yes , accent matters. Sometimes I also don't understand what they say in English movies. I have to listen the dialogue twice or thrice to understand. It doesn't matter because English is not my native language
It doesn't matter because English is not my native language1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
5 Mar
@sjvg1976 He wanted to see our houses. We took him there and he even dined with us. My parents were happy to meet him though they don't know English.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
4 Mar
We met him at the market. He smiled at me and said; "Hello".Then he cane to us and we began talking. My parents were happy that we brought him home. We invited him to dine with us and he immediately agreed. He liked vegetarian dinner.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (75847)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
4 Mar
That can sometimes happen. At least he learned a lot.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
4 Mar
We learned a lot; too. He was from the USA and we are Indians. But after all we are human beings. Our emotions,are the same. We; however; forgot to ask his name.
@LeaPea2417 (37600)
• Toccoa, Georgia
4 Mar
That's so interesting. I'm glad you all had a chance to interact even though it was hard to understand each other.
2 people like this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
4 Mar
Thanks for responding. Initially it was really very difficult; but gradually it became easy. We had a nice time. He was very happy talking to my parents.He also liked vegetarian meal.
We all are human beings.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (89330)
• Bangalore, India
5 Mar
Oh! What a nice hospitality you provided him. I am sure that he would have appreciated your hospitality and went back with a very good impression of our country and our people.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
5 Mar
Thanks. I had not expected it. I was talking to my friend in the market. He entered a shop and when came out ; smiled at me saying saying "hello". We reciprocated and then he came to us.
He saw how we live; how we worship; how we eat and all that. But we forget to ask his name
We saw him off at the airport.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
6 Mar
@arunima25 WOW!! You both had been neighbors for a year; but you didn't register his name. Here I forgot to ask the name of the tourist. I did not take his phone number either.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (89330)
• Bangalore, India
6 Mar
@Shivram59 That's so nice of you.
About name, I had a similar incident. I had this neighbour in the US, a white youth who was young single father..we introduced each other on first day but I couldn't register his name. I asked him once again but didn't get it.And we stayed neighbours for a year or more, were very good friends, will talk and walk daily. But I felt too embarassed to ask his name and I never had a need to address him..i avoided that..
.1 person likes this
@lilacskies (9522)
• United States
4 Mar
It's always intriguing to me that people travel to foreign countries. I have never been out of the country before. What a nice interaction between you two.
1 person likes this
@Shivram59 (39577)
• India
4 Mar
I have also never been abroad. But visiting foreign countries is in my bucket lust. Whenever I have enough time and money; I would not let go the opportunity.
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (9522)
• United States
4 Mar
@Shivram59 Me too. I would like to travel someday!
1 person likes this
