Ordering Food Abroad

On my first night in Bangkok I went to a small restaurant near my hostel. The menu was in Thai. There were photos, but I didn't understand the words. The waiter didn't speak English or Indonesian.

I pointed at a photo of noodles. He asked something. I didn't understand, so I said yes. Big mistake. The noodles came with so much chili that my eyes filled with tears after one bite. The waiter laughed and brought me a glass of milk.

The next day I learned two Thai words: 'mai phet' — not spicy. They saved my week. Now I always learn five food words before I visit a new country. It's more useful than 'hello'.