I love both of your stories. I'll add that it can also be fun with some pointing and nodding or shaking one's head.
Years ago I was tooling around China. A woman was giving me a slow, leisurely boat ride when I spotted a plant that grows in my neighborhood. I quickly pointed to it and then to me. She grinned and pointed back and that broke the language barrier. We continued floating by plants, pointing and nodding 'yes' or shaking the head 'no'. Universal language.
