Going public...

An example of when it pays to display your own foolishness:

Nga puh-gi junkee yu (I am learning to speak Tibetan). Nga dits dits hacoson (I only understand a little). The man who sits at our school gate made this discovery the other day.

I was coming back from buying cream cheese (an expensive splurge) at the tiny import market on the other side of town. I walked past the gate man and smiled and he said (in Tibetan) "where did you go?" Not slowing down much I said, a tad too confidently, (in Tibetan) "I'm fine thanks."

Two steps later I realized my mistake and with an eagerness to correct it that I'm sure was as surprising to the gate man and his cronies as my response had been I began to stammer out random Tibetan words that may or may not have meant "I was shopping." He, miraculously, seemed to understand and said (in Tibetan) "you were in Lhasa city."

Relieved that I had somehow communicated I, again a tad too confidently, responded (in Chinese) "correct," and then a second later again realizing my mistake, (in Tibetan) "yes."

Ah-mo! (woah!) puh-gi cagbodu! (Tibtean language is hard!) Nga lobtro yapomendu! (I am a bad student!) But hey at least I'm trying... and the payoff: my students were estactic to hear this story, and the gate man just giggles every time he sees me.