.Language Barrier Nightmares

Travelling outside the country is always an item in our family bucket list. In fact, China is the target country since 2018 but only in 2019 when our request was finally granted .

We reached Beijing late in the afternoon and was fetched by a local Chinese guy. Never in my wildest dream that we would encounter difficulties along the way since we have planned this trip for a long time. Hotel reservations and tour are arranged and paid .

The driver dropped us at the gate where 5 or more condominiums were inside. The driver quickly took off without even telling us which building is our place to stay. The temperature was dropping and it was already dark. We asked people who came around and realized nobody understood English language! We were totally lost and after whispering a prayer an angel came to help us through.

We knocked on the door of that 11th floor condo and a lady opened the door and quickly slammed the door when we said Hello! After numerous attempt, we went downstairs frustrated. She does not speak or understood English. This time, on a white cemented benches in the park just outside the condo, we silently bended our knees  to seek help from above. Tears started to fall as I began to see my kids shivering from cold..the temperature was already -3 C when I glanced at my phone.

It was amazing to see how your prayers got answered! Walking few kilometres on the streets of Beijing, I saw  Chinese characters on the sign board and noticed a drawing of a bed. It must be a lodging house I said to myself.
By this time my two sons got themselves the alternative site for Chinese translation site...not the google or any Microsoft sites since it is blocked in this side of the globe.
After a quick exchange of phone messages from English to Chinese and vice versa, we finally landed on a well lighted Motel where people were so accommodating and friendly. That ended our language barrier nightmare!

The Great Wall

The trip to China was the most memorable outside the country experience.
 In a place where the people and places are new and most of all the language is extremely difficult to understand, we saw the mighty hand of the Lord leading us in so many ways.