Adventure #5027 - A Visit to the Big Hardware Store

In the US, it's Home Depot.
In Canada, it's Home Hardware.
Here, it's OBI.
In all three places, employees wear brightly colored bib aprons and take pride in being able to do any home repair job faster than they can say "do it yourself."

But, only in the US and Canada do the employees speak English. So, when I went to OBI for the first time a couple weeks ago, I knew I was in for another fun foreigner experience.

For Ella's birthday party (full of 2+ year olds), I needed to put up a fence where a only knee-high rail separated our backyard lawn from a concrete stairwell down to the building entrance. At work they told me "OBI takes care of all your hardware needs." (Or something like that)To set the scene right, I'll add I went to OBI directly from work. While most OBI customers are half-dressed in paint and plaster, I went in full suit and tie.

All I wanted was some fencing and hardware to fasten it.
I tried in broken Czech to explain my backyard needs.
I tried drawing pictures.
I tried charades. [It's not cool to act like a falling 2-year old while in suit and tie.]

Then I remembered the trusty blackberry: slovnik.seznam.cz
I translated fencing and showed the results to Aproned Guy.
Wow, that really, really puzzled him.
That added a few more minutes to my trip, but long story short...I got what I needed.

In the end, the kids were safer at the birthday party and I learned a few more words along the way.

-Jeff

p.s. Happy Anniversary to us - 6 years!!