Just Another Day

For some reason, it is extremely difficult for me to tell Chinese mums, "aunties" (maids) and kids apart. For one thing, the kids go to Gymboree with different people all the time. Sometimes they are with their mums, other times with their grand mums, and still other times they are with their "aunties."

When Chase and I went to visit the Chinese woman in our complex, it was the first time I had seen her. I have been trying to call her ever since to arrange a time for her to come to our apartment.

Long story short, I invited this woman , or someone I thought was the same woman, to come over tomorrow. Turns out - it is not the same woman. So I now have this random woman with her little boy coming over tomorrow to play. Seriously.

But wait, there's more. Let's not forget about the Chinese swimmer play date, which I set up for Saturday because I thought he was busy during the week. Well, he hears me talking to this random woman, who I have just invited over, and he tells the Gymboree woman who is acting as my interpreter that he didn't know there was a play date tomorrow, he thought it was Saturday. So then I have to explain that I thought he was busy, and of course he is invited tomorrow.

And then my Gymboree interpreter tells me that this random woman I've just invited is a really good friend of the woman who lives in my complex, and should she invite her to come along - to which I said, "oh yes, please do!"

So I have now become a hostess to a little gathering where nobody speaks English - and I am embarrassed to say I can't even tell my guests apart.