Amusing...

I thought the challenge in finding one of those special tools to wash the outside of our windows would be my inability to speak the local language well. Boy was I wrong.

Here's how my quest went:

I walked into the first store and asked the lady, "Do you sell those special tools that you use to wash the windows? You know the ones that wash the inside and outside at the same time?

She looked at me absolutely dumbfounded and just didn't speak. (a good 5 seconds of awkward silence passed) I finally said, "do you know what I am talking about?" To which she replied, "we don't have them." I was pretty sure she had no idea what it was that I wanted anyway, so how would she know whether or not they sell them? So I decided I would look for myself. Unfortunately this store is not very stroller friendly and I decided to give up after walking down a couple of aisles and head to a store that I knew had more cleaning products.

Attempt #2:

Me: Do you have those special tools that you can use to wash the inside and outside of your windows?

The lady at the register: do you mean glass cleaner?

Me: No, you know those specials tools that have two parts that you can use to wash the inside and the outside of the windows?

Lady at Register: look in the back

At this point I was hopeful. She didn't say no, so that was a step in the right direction. I headed to the back and the other workers were pointing out different things that they were guessing I meant. On my own I spotted the tool I wanted and here is where it got difficult:

Me: oh this is it! how do you say this thing?

Worker lady: do you mean, how much is it?

Me: No, I mean how do you say it?

She then points to some characters on the box that I can't read. At this point I decide to ask the questions she seems dying for me to ask.

Me: so how much is it?

Lady: I don't know

We both look at the box and the label to see if there is a price

Me: So do you know how much it is?

Lady: hold on, I'll be back

After returning says: it doesn't have a price

me: it doesn't have a price?

Lady: No

Me: So can I buy it?

Lady: Ofcourse you can buy it but it doesn't have a price

Me: so how do I buy it?

Lady: come back later

Me: I walked kinda far to get here. Is there anyway you can find out the price?

Lady: silence

(I decided to change strategies at this point)

Me: Ok, who knows the price?

Lady: at lunch

Me: well, can you call them and ask?

Lady: hold on

(calling)

Lady: they don't know

(Calling another person who gives them a price that they think is too low)

Finally another lady in the store decides to just sell it to me at the "too low" price. I guess my persistence paid off.

Just when I thought I was starting to understand this culture, my quest to find a window wiper goes and blows all my illusions.