Yaasan üntei yum be! (yah-sahn ieun-tay yoom beh)
Language: Mongolian
Meaning: That’s very expensive!
When I heard the alternator was going to be €355, I thought “that’s very expensive!” so I enlisted Dad’s help and acquired us an alternator at a mere £50 from a car parts recycler in Wales. Great work! But, on the road, we will probably not have as many options for finding ways around expense. Additionally, it’s hard to know what’s a reasonable price when you’re in a foreign place. Is $20 for a taxi from Tashkent to Samarkand a normal price? Who knows! But you’re always better off starting with “that’s very expensive.” The worst that happens is they say “that’s the price;” the best, they lower the price.