I found you could ask them almost any question. You get a big pause. Then you ask again with a bit more clarification. Big pause, he/she talks to Aunty about what kind of curry they want for lunch. Ask again. Big pause, then a big "Ahhh. Over there." Etc.
Could never figure out if some are really thick or just pulling your wire. I did always love the chin jerk to indicate a direction. Rude to point, of course. And forget about north, south...