Lost in Translation 3

In the summer of 2019, I went to China to teach as I had done for over a decade in Europe. Just like when I first went to Germany, I spoke none of the language. Unlike when I went to Germany, I had no desire to learn to speak Chinese. I just wasn't that interested in starting over with a third language. 

One day while in China, I went to a local grocery store to buy some sweets. I saw a package at the check-out stand which resembled a box of cigarettes. Upon closer inspection I determined that it was, in fact, a box of condoms. The maker of the product was Durex. No harm. Interesting box as opposed to what I normally see in the US. I bought my sweets and moved on.

That reminded me of my first week in Germany when I went to a grocery store to buy some toothpaste. I ended up with a tube of denture cream instead. They both came in tubes. Both had a picture of a tooth on them. However, if you've ever tried to brush your teeth with denture cream you know that there is definite harm. 

Sometimes learning just a bit of the local language isn't so bad.