> Or when I'm expected to help somebody who doesn't speak English.

It's a good skill to have, being able to communicate with people who can't 
speak English that well.  Even though it just seems like common sense that 
you need to speak slower and clearer, and try not to use any unusual words 
or difficult sentence constructs, it's surprising how many people just don't 
get it and carry on talking completely normally when the other person 
obviously doesn't have a clue.

> Sure. You try explaining these things in a way that doesn't sound like 
> you're just inventing excuses.

Umm, "I agree completely 100% with you, I have proposed it to management 
several times, but they said they just don't have the money".

> And our site manager is just a moron.

You said that a lot of people there have PhDs? They can't all be completely 
stupid!

>> And what happened then after you explained to him the situation? And what 
>> did he reply when you asked him why nobody consulted you first?
>
> He said "oh" and wandered off.

So you asked to meet with him later to discuss what to do with the useless 
equipment he just ordered to be installed and how to make sure it doesn't 
happen again?  Seems to me that's what the IT guy should be doing.

> To this day, that room still isn't live. But then, it seems it's become a 
> store room anyway, so...

So what are you planning to do with the stuff in that room?  What's the plan 
IT guy?

> Certainly the idea of being stranded all alone in a country where I can't 
> even tell what people are saying to me is rather intimidating.

"Sorry I don't understand" let's them know the situation, even if they don't 
understand English.  It also helps to just learn a handful of common words 
from the place you are visiting, just things like thanks, please, hello, bye 
etc.  Also remember that most people are friendly are are happy to see a 
foreign person, there's no need to be intimidated.  I find it best to always 
print out the home page of the place you are staying in the local language, 
so that you can just show that to the taxi driver or someone at a train 
station etc.

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