This is from Fodors "Things overheard while traveling". While it wasn't really overheard it illustrates the usefulness of learning the language of the countries you visit:

"My husband and I visited Munich, Dachau, & Hohenschwangau. It was about 10 pm, and I was exhausted. We had stopped for dinner and there had been a waitress that spoke really good English. We couldn't find a hotel, so we went back to the restaurant to ask if she knew where one was. She was no longer there, so I decided to ask the bartender. I completely lost all of my German, and so I just took out a map of the town, said 'bitte?' (hotel) and made a 'sleeping' gesture (laid my head down on my hands to the side). The bartender cracked up and said Nein, Nein....and showed me his wedding band. I was so embarrassed I just left." -- experienced by Fodor's member HeatherH

This is a funny story, thanks for sharing

I can contribute by sharing my fair share of embarrassing stories. English is my second language. And the thing that I find the most difficult in it is pronunciation. I just cannot say some vowel/consonant combinations.

so here are my stories:
I asked a waiter in the restaurant to rape my food (mispronouncing wrap my food).
I ordered sea bath instead of sea bath :-) A very handsome waiter got very excited for a minute :-)
And I told my first boss that I put that shit on his table (instead of sheet of paper). Ever since that moment (passers by could hear the laughter coming from the building :-) I only say a peace of paper at work.

does anybody else have stories like this :-) Just wondering ;-)

hahaha, guys, your stories are sooo funny, I guess I better work really hard on my Italian

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"you can't please all people, but you can please yourself" the great philosopher NOURAN

Thanks! I like your citation about not being able to please all people but be able to please yourself. WELL SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ma se la lingua e' importante proviamo a parlare un po' piu' di Italiano, no ? Qui c'e' solo Villa che da solo ha scritto un trattato in Italiano.

Sai qual è il colmo per un travestito? - Non sapere cosa mettersi per carnevale!

Paolo, sono d'accordo, dobbiamo provare a parlare l'italiano. Ma il problema e' che non ci sono i posti interessanti in Italiano... allora come ti ho detto io rispondo ai posti che mi sembrano interessanti... La mia strategia e' cosi: vado sul forum e controllo nuovi messaggi. Li scelgo l'argomento che mi sembra interessante e rispondo... Non c'e' niente nuovo in italiano, allora non vado la' :-( Lo so che non e' giusta la mia strategia ma faccio cosi).

Allora, puoi mettere gli argomenti interessanti in Italiano per iniziare il dialogo???

Sono molto d'accordo la lingau e' molto importante ;-)

hahahahahaaaaaa .. what a situation you, Steve were in
and, the russian, i wonder how your boss's face was when you told him "that shit" hahahaa

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What is a friendship? A soul dwelling in two bodies

Ciao Falco!