I received a very long email from a client in Japanese. The only non-Japanese characters showed a gmail address, so I assumed the client was leaving his job and was telling people where to reach him. Google Translate confirmed my assumption though the formality of the language contrasts sharply with what I’d see from a similar email from an American client. Reminder to keep things formal when dealing with Japanese people in business.
I received a request for proposal from a potential Brazilian client written all in Portuguese, which I can read OK, though my speaking and writing, and especially my understanding when someone talks to me, are pretty dismal. I thanked the guy in basic Portuguese then told him I’d write the rest in English. He got back to me and told me that he’d be writing back only in Portuguese. Thanks to Google Translate again.