Apartment Hunting

Yesterday, we found ourselves apartment hunting again. This time not for us, but for some friends. It is amazing the difference five months makes. Last time we did this, I could barely understand anything that was said, and the agents could understand nothing that I said. Yesterday, however, I carried on conversations and even did translating. (Amanda had the wife with her. I had the husband with me. We divide our efforts so that we could maximize the number of apartments we could see in one day.) I still can't believe that I can actually be understood in a foreign tongue! This morning the agent for the apartment that they really like called, I spoke with her and set up a meeting with the landlord for tomorrow. As happy as I am to be able to carry off these small feats with a smattering of success, I am also a realist. I am bowing out of serving as translator while they are negotiating the contract. Legalese is hard enough for me to understand in English. In Chinese, who knows what I would be agreeing to? - Frank 付伟国