Two Days Out

Okay: I just answered the phone. Usually I only get wrong numbers and James, but I was able to discern the caller was trying to confirm my glamour shots appointment. It was clunky, but I was able to convey "My Chinese is bad. 4 o'clock Saturday. I can come. I will come. Sorry my Chinese is bad."

I think at first I said "4 o'clock Saturday morning," which caused momentary confusion and distress, but eventually I got it right (Saturday afternoon).

It's so gratifying to learn a language and be able to put it to practical use.

I don't expect the photographer will speak a lot of English. I've even heard it's more common for photographers to speak Japanese, since plenty of Japanese people come to Taiwan for pictures.

If nothing else, it should be interesting.

Everyone says it's important to practice making faces in front of the mirror ahead of time. I haven't really done that. But sometimes James will coach me when we're out at dinner or waiting for our order at the tea stand: "Pretend you're in a Sofia Coppola movie. I want to see intelligent, but lost." "Now I want to see getting a tooth pulled, without Novocaine." "Okay, make a face like you're at a funeral but you really have to fart."