Gear: When you can't say it or mime it, point to it.

Product name: Me No Speak Language Companions

Made by: Me No Speak

Web Site: www.menospeak.com

From transportation glitches to dining disasters--and, yes, bathroom emergencies--Me No Speak books are the result of difficulties the authors faced when traveling in foreign countries with limited language skills.

It all started one night in a Chinese hotel room, over a steaming bowl of instant noodles on one of too many nights in a row. The book's creator, Cheryn Flanagan, sat there wondering how she could possibly get a train ticket or order food when no one in the entire town spoke English--she solved the issue with hand-drawn pictures and phrases she scribbled in her notebook, using them like flashcards to communicate with Chinese taxi drivers, hotel staff, store clerks, and waiters... and virtually solved her problems overnight.

The technique was so successful, she and her travel partner, Benjamin, returned home to San Francisco, founded Me No Speak, and designed the book they wished thy had. Cheryn and Benjamin believe travelers should attempt the language of their destination, but sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words, and can mean the difference between instant noodles and a decent meal.

Their series of passport-sized books focus on countries with hard-to-speak languages and non-Romanized alphabets. They currently offer titles for China, Japan, and Thailand, with more to come in the future.