Dear Elaine, one letter began, the days seem to fly by. I can scarcely believe it three months since we last saw one another. The lady I am staying with speaks very little English. We have been having the funniest conversations in which I believe neither really understands the other. You will be relieved to know I have also now learnt enough Chinese to ask directions. This is, as you can imagine, comforting knowledge, the only slight hiccup being I can’t quite understand their answers yet! But I smile and thank them of course, and go in the direction they point. Anyway, I have high hopes that my studying will pay off and soon have me involved in deeply intellectual discussions regarding grocery shopping, weather and perhaps even Tibetan monasteries…