Lost in Meaty Translation

:( poor dad

I agree…poor dad! Having had to try to order in restaurants in countries where I had a limited command of the language, I can totally relate to this story…. :(

I feel so bad for him. :( That is so terrible.

the part about him hanging his head in shame and ordering a hamburger is so cute yet sad :(

:( so sad!

Awwww, poor dad. ):
I hope he got his steak!

oh no!!! hahahahhahahhahaha

Wait. Think about it. The cruel-ass son or daughter was there to transcribe events but didn't bother to help out by translating “rare/medium/well done”? Oh right, cuz then it wouldn't be funny and you can't submit it to FOB blog.

This was a BAD post! Shame on the submitter!

:( this was so sad. poor dad. he tried. we love you, fobby dad.

it was the submitter's friend, though. and they said the friend and his parents don't speak english. so it's not the submitter's fault, that person was not there.

aw, please tell me you took those poor people back to sizzler and got them american steaks!

Seriously. How hard can it be? Without no previous knowledge of Chinese I managed ordering proper stuff after having lived in Taiwan for a week. Pointing and repeating goes a long way.

so cute!

okay, the waitress isn't going to bring out a rare, medium, and well-done steak and point to each one and let him choose, and it's usually not written on a menu so it's not like he could've just pointed to a random one. Way to be a conceited jerk.

This is sad… and not funny. I wish we knew whether or not he got his steak.

My point is that YOU make it work. If you want womething you go out and get it. If you never make the effort you're stuck with the hamburger for the rest of your life. It's your choice. If that makes me conceited, well then I'm happy to be that.

I can go to virtually any country, pick out a street cart, and order what I want.
Steak is very different however, and it is very embarrassing when you're just sitting there and you don't know how to order.
I highly doubt you could sit there and order a proper Chinese meal with fan, cai, and soup within a week. That's equivalent to ordering a steak here.
You would need to be immersed in the culture for at least about a month.
The thing with many Asians who live in America is that it's not easy, nor is it feasible sometimes to immerse themselves in the culture. It's probably a very difficult experience, and one that I think everyone should go through, but takes a certain level of bravery.
Not everyone has that and I don't think it's wrong for mocking those who don't.

I agree that it can be hard and I apologize that what I wrote sounded a bit harsh. But the way it was written in the post ” However, they’ve always desperately wanted to try eating an American steak.” indicates that they have been trying for a while. Be creative. Bring a dictionary to the restaurant. Draw pictures. But maybe that's just the way I do things. I'm not mocking them, I'm just saying they need to make the effort. It just struck me though that they would lose face that way. It's hard to be Asian.

Are you kidding me? Stop trying to sound intelligent by attempting to interpret the poster's words. You obviously don't UNDERSTAND the situation going on because you've never truly experienced what the dad is going through. Just accept it and move on. Stop trying to “teach” by offering your own advice because it's not the same damn thing. Like, seriously? Can you imagine a 50 year old man drawing pictures of a steak to explain his order? It's humiliating sometimes, especially because the dad is NOT a tourist, as you were.

And as for my comment: poor daddy. Hopefully he got his steak! :)

He already apologized, and he already said that it has occurred to him that he would lose face. What more do you want?

…Don't most waiters ask about the way you want your hamburger cooked as well?

I think this is fake. WTF does his parents do for jobs? Work solely with a Chinese-speaking population? I mean, yeah, my parents have college degrees from the US and still have a pretty thick accent. But there's no way they can't order a steak.

If true, then their son is a waste of oxygen. So many times I've had to friggin' proof-read and edit my parent's lengthy written stuff, it just comes with the territory. Much less a simple translating of “How well cooked do you want your steak?”

Okay, I literally laughed out loud at this. :o) Poor dad! At least he tried, right?

Now you interpreted my words. Who said I was a tourist? I was writing about the situation when I first moved to Taiwan.

And with those words let's conclude this discussion :)

I posted this. My friend AND his parents don't speak English, so he wasn't able to help out his dad either. And his dad was finally able to try a steak later. The end.

I know this is over…but i totally understand the dad. I was in Brazil – I learnt the basics of portugese from the guide book. I tried to order this dish, after i proudly said what i wanted which the waitress understood, she then asked me similar follow up questions and I did not understand what she was saying. It was embarrassing when the waitress thought trying to SHOUT the words to me impatiently and repeatedly would help me understand. Thankfully finally there was nice guy who came and help. Anyways glad he got his steak in the end! =)

poor dad!! did he ever get his steak???

P.S. Most restaurants ask you how you'd like your burger cooked as well…so I don't understand how the dad was THAT incapable…unless he only eats burgers from McDonald's, that is.

P.S. Most restaurants ask you how you'd like your burger cooked as well…so I don't understand how the dad was THAT incapable…unless he only eats burgers from McDonald's, that is.

This is too sad!! It breaks my heart </3

Ugh…it happens to my pop too so he literally forces his missus or me to order for him…what ticks me off is when I ask him what he wants and he does not want to make a scene of losing face because he does not speak the language and says, “whatever.”

Oh yes, and those free ESL classes in community colleges nearby are worthless or he has not been able to learn enough to get by…

this is so fake. i saw this on a Korea comedian show long time ago… dont fake the funk

I think this practice is more common on some areas. Most of my life, wait staff never asked me that but it's more common now that I'm in Texas.

OHHHHH D; how sad

fobby parents so cute

i legitimately laughed out loud.

:(

poor him .. he tried soo hard!

LOL!. but why didn’t you help him?