The Challenge of International Relations

Talk about presidents doing (or not doing, as the case may be) diplomacy. How do you conduct a new friendship (possible "relationship") with someone whose primary (secondary, tertiary...) language isn't English?

Singlesnet is *clearly* an international forum, but then again, profiles are un-verified, so a lot of folks from foreign lands will represent themselves in their profiles as living in various U.S. locations. Case in point: Ghana, Africa (Iowa, USA). Yes, I know - another Ghanan Paul? Africa is the latest hotbed of scams, you know - well, I'll let you know. :)

Trouble with this one is, English is a good trick. I'm learning to keep it very simple, but still, it's hard, and I can't help but be reminded of my deaf days. I identify with my contact - she's struggling to understand me, and respond appropriately, just as I struggle to understand hearing folks when they talk to me a mile a minute. Parallels are everywhere.

Different culture too. Apparently, in Ghana, when a man talks to a woman, that's it - they might as well get hitched next week. :) Needless to say, I'm keeping very tight boundaries on this one. ;)

Pleasant thing, in many ways, ;), but very young for me, in more ways than one. I'm in the mode of "friend for far away oppressed, lonely person who's needing outside contact so she can muster up the courage to take the reigns of her own life." I can be that, and that only, no problem.

The language thing is a doozie though. Same for all of us. I am what I fear. How about that?