Lost in translation.
This is now the third group in a row that has come from abroad: French then Austrian and now Poles.
I have some understanding of French, having done it at school. Whilst “la plume de ma tante” is next to no use whatsoever, I can pick up a good bit of the gist from a conversation they are having amongst themselves.
Austrian I know less of. I can just about make out the gist of what they are saying and some words are familiar. Pointing at a bottle and saying “luft” is easy enough to grasp.. even I have flown Lufthansa. Their English was of a conversational standard so things rattled along quite well.
Polish however is completely impenetrable to me. I have never been there, studied the language in any capacity or even had a significant number of Poles on the boat so as to have at least picked up the basics. I now know “schock” or something similar is jump but that is all. I have forgotten what “wait” is already, despite numerous reminders.
So what’s my point?
Well it’s not the worry of them in the water. I learned a while back that the folk coming from abroad tend to be very competent: only the more capable diver would invest the time, effort and money coming all this way and the poles are no exception. They are hindered by the lack of gear a meagre baggage allowance on a plane permits but they are good divers and obviously used to the conditions. My guess is that the Baltic would be significantly harder to dive than here.
No, the problem lies in trying to convey some of the subtleties and nuances that make life easier. They struggled on day one at the bottom of the ladder trying to take their fins off (as they would back home, I guess)and three of them had done the same thing before I could explain they could leave them on.
Swimming towards the boat when they are getting picked up: again it was several days before I had them persuaded it was unnecessary.
Likewise, the loo blocked and I was mad. They thought I was mad at them for blocking it but I was mad for a different reason: I had replaced half the plumbing over the winter to prevent blockages so to have a problem in the section that remained unaltered was the final straw. It was far from their fault but to convey that fact tactfully when wrestling a 4ft pipe full of shite is not just too easy.
It is easy to say “don’t” and “no” but the spirit that those kind of draconian orders sets is at odds with the spirit you want to project with people on holiday. I want them to do what they are told, if only because it will make their diving more enjoyable, without the prissy bossiness that “do this” and “don’t do that” evokes. I am not here to boss and order, that’s not how I would want to be treated and so not how I treat others, but without the subtleties of language conversation simplifies into a series of doos and don’ts.
Hopefully we have found some sort of middle ground so that they have enjoyed the week whilst remaining safe. I hope so as would hate to think they have come all this way to be less than impressed by Scapa.
Anyway, after a 6am start, we are now sat above the KPW almost ready to dive. Only one diver remains in bed. And he’s from Gateshead.
