Doolin Ireland, a Pub, and an Epic Translation Moment

Kristian, Dawn, and I looked at our iPhone screen and tried to keep from giggling. A German man had just called us cheap women. And surprisingly, we weren’t at all offended. In fact, we were pretty impressed with ourselves.

The evening had started about seven o’clock in Doolin, Ireland – a tiny village on the western shores of Ireland and home to the famous Cliffs of Moher. We were staying in a cottage hundreds of years old that was banked with stone walls…all for about twenty bucks a night. Hostels were wonderful.

In a town like Doolin, you didn’t give directions by highways, you gave them by cow pastures and lanes. So we were walking along a tiny dirt road, past the cows, and to the pub the innkeeper had been so enthusiastically telling us about. He was right.

We walked in the pub door and every essence of Ireland hit our senses. The place was packed. A three-piece band was playing in the corner, and neighbors were enthusiastically chatting at tables and lifting the occasional mug of all beverages Irish. This was what we were looking for – a true local pub.

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Before long, another couple from out of town sat at our table. By that time, we had finished up dinner and were enjoying the band. We, being from Oklahoma, felt the immediate need to smile and have trivial small talk. And that would have worked – had the couple not been from Germany.

We quickly went through all of the languages we knew: English? Nope. Spanish? Nope. Italian? Nope.

They went through all of the languages they knew: German? Nope. French? Nope.

Dang it.

We were preparing to launch into an epic version of Pictionary, when one of us remembered our translate app. (See the apps we use for travel). We waved the phone around in the air and worked to find a signal. And thus started one of the oddest and best conversations we’ve ever had. Things went into slow motion as we typed one sentence out at a time and passed the phone back and forth. We learned a bit about them – that they were visiting for the week and were with a tour group. We learned about their family and their vacation plans.

We also learned the translate app leaves something to be desired.

It turns out most translation devices translate pretty literally. I believe they were trying to tell us that were were lovely ladies having an adventure, but somewhere along the way the app turned it into what would have been a questionable comment in the US. We tried our best not to giggle and just nodded our heads. They nodded back enthusiastically.

We still to this day have no idea what they meant, but we know they meant it to be a compliment. And we have no idea how our thoughts were translated on that little app either.

What we learned? That people are the same everywhere. And if you put in a little work, you can get to know them. That you don’t have to have the same background, speech patterns, or histories to make a connection. That if you embrace the uncomfortable and the unknown, you will likely find a memorable adventure on the other side of it.

Also, I wish I would have gotten their information, and I really should learn some German.