Globalization all up in my face

Yesterday we ate dinner at "Ni Ni's." That's James' grandma. She's in her 80s but Yeye (that's grandpa) is 92! He can't remember much and mostly sits in his chair and smiles.

After we finished our squid and ground pork, the real adults retired to the living room and James' and I chatted in the kitchen with Amina, his grandparents' Indonesian maid. She's been living with them for four months now, helping take care of Yeye.

Amina is 23. She told us she's from Jakarta. We found out she's Muslim earlier in the week when she wouldn't join us for lunch because of Ramadan. Oh yeah, and she's married, honeymooned in Bali, she said.

So naturally, she asked James and I if we were married. When we glanced sideways at eachother and threw up a little bit in our mouths, she asked if we at least had an arrangement to get married.

"No......nope, sure don't" followed by awkward smiles.

"Oh, no need!" she said in Chinese and laughed - which I thought was very diplomatic.

It occured to me afterward that James and I were two Americans in Taiwan mingling with an Indonesian. James translated for me since the bulk of my Chinese is still "What is that?" and "I'm too hot." All of the conversation took place in Chinese, although Chineses isn't a primary language for any of us.

I think that's cool.