Foreigners say the strangest things...

I was thinking today about stupid things I've said over the years. Believe me. I have some doosies. It's not always a case of sticking my foot in my mouth... In some cases, it is related to my poor knowledge of the language around me. For example, one day our security guard asked me if I was planning to drive here. I proceeded to explain that my husband was out of the country and that our car was at my parents in law. He just smiled and nodded. Only after I had walked away did I fully understand the question he had asked...

More recently I have discovered that I have given some of the worst compliments ever since arriving in Mauritius. I am fortunate that my husband frequently has to translate them. Often times he takes my words and makes them sound much nicer... However, there are some situations in which you know that a compliment is required and you simply blank. You literally can't think of something good to say. It might be that you are still in shock. You can't believe that you actually ate whatever that was and that you haven't expelled it just as quickly as you swallowed it... It might be that your mouth is still so on fire from the chilies packed into the delectable dish that your mind simply can't cope and all you can do is wipe the tears from your eyes as you cough and scan the table for water. Or it might just be that you are surrounded by the socially awkward and you realize that the language and cultural barrier only amplify this problem, thus requiring something to be said. These events lead to compliments or comments like the following... "Did your mom teach you how to do that?!!!", "Everyone really has their own spin on fried chicken here.", "I've never experienced that texture before.", and my personal favorite, "I never knew you could do that to fish."

Hopefully these things all sound better when translated into French. :-) I guess I still have a lot to learn about cross-cultural living. Lesson 1. How to come up with sincere compliments that actually sound like compliments. If this lesson fails, then I need to work on Lesson 1.a. How to sound sincere when giving a false compliment.

If you are planning to travel here, don't worry. Most of the food is awesome. But if you are invited to someones home, keep an open mind, a sincere compliment in your mind and some antacids in the car.