Originally Posted by
hserus
Chances are they'll speak enough english as long as you speak slowly and clearly.
The chain of places I was staying in used Nepali migrants (most probably illegal) who barely even spoke Hindi... but yeah, the good thing about sharing an apt with others is that there's usually someone on hand to translate.
As for power surges .. jeez, I could tell you stories about laptops being fried in three to four star joints in India (and near escapes from fried laptops, power outlets that spark when you plug your laptop in, etc, in five star places).
Most offices and 5-stars have pretty heavy-duty surge protection and backup generators etc, but yes, it definitely pays to immediately disconnect any devices after the power goes out...!