To be annoyed that PILs want us to go to a holiday destination just because I can 'speak' the local language?

[Vixxxen]

PIL are obsessed that this year we must all go on holiday to a country that is a reasonable famous holiday destination in the summer. All good a part that the only reason why they want to go there in the first place is because I can speak the language. I am a native of other country who has the same language however a very different accent and dialect. Depending on the region where they book the place it can be very difficult for me to understand the locals.

I am telling them that the language doesn't matter, every member of the staff in these places will speak English and they should focus on the best value for money instead of just the language.

There are many nicer places out there IMO but they are obsessed in going to this country just so I can speak with the locals in their language and get "better deals" whatever it is.

There are other countries that are much more interesting to me tbh but I wouldn't mind going there where PILs want to, but the language pressure is putting me off.

The fact they decided on it and won't open their mind is putting me off too.

MIL just sent me a ling on FB and I wrote up a reply but didn't hit the send button as I don't want to be rude, but I am basically explaining the same things I am saying here, yet again.

And yes we will pay our share, so I want to have some say on the country not only location but they are not listening.

And yes they have been to a few different countries before and never had problems with people NOT speaking English, so why this now?

Unless you have a counter proposal of somewhere you'd prefer to go, and open negotiations on that basis, I think YABU as you say the language destination is a perfectly good holiday choice.

If you holiday with your ILs, then the destination once is surely not a be all and end all issue.

OP I feel your pain. I was 'invited' on holiday with a (long ago ex) boyfriend's family once because I spoke the language. Then they started calculating costs and were totally diddling me on the prices so I had a lucky escape and didn't go.

MIL also did the whole 'but you speak the lingo, tell that waiter to hurry up, and tell him to bring me more ice, and where are my tapas, you're supposed to get free tapas you know'. And got very huffy with me when I said I couldn't speak a language particular to one region.

If you do end up going there, one consolation is that PIL won't understand what you're actually saying. "Please could you accidentally trip and spill the drink on the lady to my left, gracias/merci/obrigado" (or whichever one it is).

Hahaha raspberry, my dauther would understand and tottaly grass me up. Greece and France are my top choices so tips are welcome sanity . No PIL are not paying for us, they just offered to research because they want what they want. We are paying our share.

Hearts Before the OP mentioned France I was going for Euro Dysney and French Canadian

I am thinking Spain and South American

Are you Welsh, and is it Patagonia?

Hahah at Patagonia.

I bet Spain and South America too. I had a friend from Venezuela and she struggled in Spain because they're too lispy and don't speak Spanish properly

I got a bollocking the other day for asking for a SA Spanish translation of a message I wanted to send to someone. I was told in no uncertain terms that Spanish is Spanish is Spanish. However SA friend has always told me that there is a huge difference.

So I didnt send the message in the end.

I could easily communicate with locals but I want to relax and enjoy myself too. Swtching languages all the time is mentally exhausting specially if I need to concentrate on the locals accents and slangs. And there are better holidays locations out there too.

Don't do it. I love my PILs and we get on really well, but one thing I'd never do again is go on holiday with them to a place where I speak the local language and they don't. They made no effort at all to retain information so I'd get

"Tricycle, what's that word?"
"Chicken."
[translates entire menu thus]
"Tricycle, what's that word?"
"It's chicken, just like it was five minutes ago. And at lunchtime. And yesterday..."

If we go away with them again it's to places where none of us speak the language!

Where you pressured into getting good deals and haggling trycicletops

Fortunately it wasn't that sort of country so it was confined to asking awkward questions about menus!

Don't do it! You'll be their own personal translator/ your guide/ slave for the whole entire holiday, will be hideous!

Where is your dh in all this? Why are you the only one trying to deal with the situation?

i'm dying to know which country/ language ...do tell!!

It is not that sort od country either trycicletops but apparently they are under the impression I can say some magic words...

My Dh goes with the flow and we haven't seriously discussed the holidays yet, but now that MIL is sending me links about accommodation I will talk to him about mine our choices...

I think I can guess the countries. I would not want to go with them if they continue.

Actually let's be honest going on holiday with anyone outside my nuclear family doesn't appeal (unless they were very independent).

Good luck!

Is it within former Yugoslavia? I hear the Slovenians can be a bit sniffy about "Serbo-Croat" and, sadly, there is the potential for even worse feeling elsewhere, amongst the former "neighbours . Close neighbours are not always friends, sadly.

Where?!

Are you from Montenegro and they want to go to Croatia?

Put your foot down with MIL.

And please put us all out of our misery.

Is it Portugal/Brazil?

I think you are Portuguese and they want to go to Brazil or vice-versa

ooops sorry, a quick search and I know where you want to go...

Tell your MIL that they do NOT do haggling there, besides the country is so damn poor you want to give them money - and yet it is cheap to eat out...

And the accent may indeed be an issue as I my mother is from that region and it can get slightly difficult. Although we grew up with soaps from your country so we understand some of the slang

ANYWAY, you are not being U and your MIL is being an arse and there are much better parts of that country than where she wants to go

And I am from that country and resent having to go there every year...

Put your foot down. If you go there, it won't be a holiday for you, as you'll end up being the unpaid help, for anything relating to language.

And get your DH on board by detailing very clearly the problems, ie, lack of haggling, dialect issues, etc that will mean it won't be the success your PILs imagine.

If PILs are concerned about being ripped off as tourists then they should realise that having a person in the group who can speak the language will not stop that happening.

Oh tiny you know what I mean. Please add my MIL on FB and tell her everything.