i was reading this article in today's straits times supplement dl (digital life) about a woman's unpleasant experience with the use of the global positioning system gadget. she had wanted to look for a food joint in jalan sehala in kuala lumpur and was frustrated because it led her to many places. she blamed the software for not being able to locate the actual place.
it reminded me of a joke my daughter told me. this person was visiting malaysia and her parents at home (in some other country) had told her that she should let them know where she was staying when she reached the place. they advised her that in malaysia the word for road is 'jalan' and so she should look for a 'jalan something' which would be the name of the road. soon, she wrote to her parents telling them, yes, that she was staying at a hotel in 'jalan sehala'.
'jalan sehala' is the malay word for 'one way street'. so, if you key in 'jalan sehala' in your personal navigation device, i am sure you will be going around in circles.
it helps to know a little malay. for that matter, it helps to know a little of the language of the place you are visiting. if you are a chinese, it also helps if you know some dialects, especially your own.
