Communication Boundaries

Alright, I have to mention my telephone card predicament because I am so frustrated by it.

Over the past year, my experience with people from other countries has led to the conclusion that one of the most valuable assets for any individual is the ability to communicate effectively across language barriers. A prime example of the value of communicating across language barriers and my own inability to communicate effectively occurred in Dusseldorf where I purchased the wrong telephone card.

The first day we were here in Germany, we were in a small store with two cash registers, and we were all seeking to by the same telephone card. I went to the other cash register, and they gave me the wrong card. I leave no blame to the girl working the register and blame my self for this blunder. I was never able to use the card and completely wasted the five Euros because I couldn't communicate to the cashier what exactly I wanted. The situation was even further exacerbated when I attempted to use the card (ineffectively, I couldn't read the German directions) and had to purchase another card (only to leave it on the hotel desk in Dusseldorf after using only eight minutes). I am so frustrated by my situation and am reluctant to purchase another card. I would like to call some of my family back home, but I may just wait and talk to them when I get back to the US.

This experience really made wish that I was bilingual and that I had spent more time to learn basic German before I came. I hope that in the future I can devote more time to learning another language and expanding my communcative abilities... I think that I should start with German.