lost in translation

a few weeks ago i was trying to buy fireworks.
i wanted them for our Christmas party.
so i asked where to find fireworks, and my friend told me New Market.
I went to New Market, but they didn't have them there (they only have them seasonally, and this is not firework season). I was told i had to go to Boro Bazar (Big Market).

So i started asking taxi driver's to take me to boro bazar....and they asked me where in boro bazar (it's a big area geographically)...and i said i didn't know where. but that i wanted to buy....well, this is where the trouble started. i didn't know the word for firework.

so i started to explain them, "the things that you light on fire, and then they explode with lots of colors" "the things that everybody lights at Diwali" and finally i just decided to say "bomb" (cause that's what all the folks around here call them).

I finally get a taxi to take me. He says he doesn't know where to buy bombs in Boro bazar. I just told him to take me to boro bazar and let me down, and i'll find the store by myself. After sitting in the car for awhile, this is the conversation we had....

Driver: I didn't know you could buy bombs at boro bazar.
Me: Oh, you can buy whatever you want at boro bazar.
Driver: But i didn't know you could buy bombs. i just learned that from you, today.
Me: really, you can get anything there.

(Pause)

Driver: but good people don't buy bombs.
Me: what?! EVERYBODY buys bombs at Diwali.
Driver: But bombs hurt people, they kill people.
Me: Oh, what, no. that's not the type of bomb i want to buy. I just want to buy the fun ones that kids play with at diwali.

and now, from time to time...when i need a little laugh...i just say to myself, "but good people don't buy bombs" 

so i decided to text upendra and find out what the word for "firework" was...cause if i was going to wander around a market looking for them, it clearly wasn't a good idea to ask for bombs. who know...maybe you can buy real bombs at boro bazar too.

so after wandering around for awhile, i finally found my fireworks. they were at this store:

Geeta Stores
Sellers of all paper products, and fireworks
(cracked me up)

i thought about taking a picture...but i didn't