Most behavior scientists believe that play during childhood is used to develop skills the individual will need in adult life. I fully agree and believe that Charades should be encoraged in all schools.
Yesterday was my first day in Brazil alone. I was surrounded by millions of other people but didn't have a tour guide or translator at my side, i.e. all hell broke lose.
I spent an exorbitant amount of time looking for a camera battery charger (mine was stolen at the hostel). Through my arduous search I found everyone to be very helpful and that the habit of
1) giving directions when one doesn't know how to get there
2) giving poor directions
is apparently an international phenonenon. Of course some of the directions were just poorly followed (on my part) but others were wrong in their own right.
Since my travels are pathetically meaningless without a camera. I resigned to buying a camera in the Brazilian shops and began comparing prices. We tend to ignore the extent of information that can be transfered with minimal verbalization. I amused many a shop keeper and though I always started in Portuguese, I tended to rely more on my years of dancing lessons rather than a sporadic week and a half of memorizing words. My favorite session was asking for cold medicine in the pharmacy. Three people stared at me leaning forward with mouths agape. When one figured out what I asked, the other two would tap their heads and congratulate the other with great praise and envy. I joke about charades but they were actually playing. That, as does any other interaction, ended with the little green book of words that I learn; everyone is charmingly thrilled to contribute to it.
Yesterday was intensely hot, I had a cold and I walked 8 hours straight but everything was rewarded. (Note it is correct that it was my second sickness and I got a cold in 40c=104f weather). A nice young man at the last place I priced cameras marched me all the way across the markets to a little both at which.... they had a universal charger! This creation is fantastic, "made in China" and inspired a gesture of making my heart beat and a kiss. The swamp of buying a camera was averted with $20 and the whole process entertained 5 people who were all taking special effort to help me.
Some notes on the efficiency of charades:
1) Approach young males first. They are always eager to help and don't seem to mind if it takes a long time.
2) Not speaking a language will not dissuade little boys on the street from playing pathetic, making puppy dog eyes, and trying to steal your necklace.
3) Charades only work when feeling well and fails when most important.
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