Can-You-Speak -ENGLISH?

This was the question I was asked this morning!

It was 6am. The alarm didn't go off. We had overslept and Ian was late to pick up a colleague from a hotel so while he jumped in the shower I called the hotel and this was how the conversation went...

Me: Good morning please can you tell me if there is a man named Simon waiting in reception to be collected?
Man: Errr say that again
Me: Can you tell me if there is a man waiting in your hotel reception to be collected?
Man: Errr what?
Me: Is there a man.called Simon.waiting.in.reception?
Man: Errrr can you speak English?
Me: (never at my most patient or best at 6am in the morning) I AM English, I am therefore speaking ENGLISH!

Now, Simon who was in fact waiting in reception to be collected had thankfully overheard and got the gist of the conversation and took the phone - thank goodness because I don't know where we would have gone from there!

In India I found it very hard to talk to Indians over the phone, I found their accents too thick and without being able to see their faces it was hard to decipher their words so I avoided talking on the phone unless I had someone nearby who could be my interpreter. I just hadn't imagined that the same thing would happen here! I think I'm going to have to work at 'tuning in' and remember to speak more slowly!

Apparently what I should have said was, 'Is there a guy in the lobby waiting to be picked up', and he would have known exactly what I meant!