Is the Universal Language actually...Miming?

What is it about communicating to a foreign language speaker that makes us turn into people with a 2-year old vocabulary in our OWN language and apparently become instantly hard of hearing? For the record - I am the foreign speaker in this instance as I live in a country that speaks Dutch and I do not.

I respond to this challenge by speaking in broken English, made up words and at top volume - and preferably just keep repeating the same thing over and over when they look at you like you're nuts. IT NO WORKY! ME COLD! BRRRRRR!!! NO WORKY!!! This type of communication usually is accompanied by a series of erratic hand gestures and arm waving so you can appropriately demonstrate the urgency of your point, whatever it may be.

My latest experience with this dummed down form of communication came today. My attempt to tell the plumber that my boiler is out and I have no heat or hot water came in the form of pantomime/charades-style acting of me shivering. I thought this would accurately convey - "I'm cold, how about you look at the heat source?" Seemingly my shivering and shaking conveyed to this man that either I had fleas or was suffering from epilepsy given the awestruck looks he was giving me and his slow but steady backing away. hmmm. Not the result I wanted.

Amazing how otherwise very smart and self-reliant individuals turn into complete idiots boiling down communication to nothing short of a serious of grunts and hand movements!

As for me and my hot water problem...i'm on meds for the shaking and the plumber is flea-bombing my house.