3 Strikes and We're Out!

Tact (n) 1. skill in dealing with others, especially in delicate situations. 2. intuitive perception of the right thing to do or say. That was the definition of the word tact by the Pocket Oxford Dictionary.

Last Sunday, after attending the engagement party luncheon of our cousin, Olive and I went to visit a friend of my Mom's who just came out from the hospital. There was a brief feeling of weirdness as we visited "auntie" by ourselves. The usual scenario is that Mom would be there.

The following are some of the conversations we have during the visit:

Strike 1:
Auntie turned to me and asked "Well, are you?" (this is the polite way of the Chinese to ask whether you're pregnant or not)
Me: Me? I'm not the one who got married!
Auntie: Yes, yes, I know. So, are you?
Me: No, of course not!
Auntie: Why not?
Me, in thought balloon: Why is she being so mean?
Then it dawned upon me that she is asking if I am to follow Olive's footsteps and get married! Geez!

Chat some more.

Strike 2:
Auntie: Wait, let me just call my daughter in Davao.
Auntie calls and when her daughter came on line, she passed the phone to me!
Me, in thought balloon: Huh?

So, I talked to her daughter for a while, then when she asked about Olive, I passed the phone to Olive. Hehehe, I'm just as bad.

More small talk with Auntie while Olive's on the phone with the daughter.

Strike 3:
Auntie to me: You have such nice teeth (finally! something nice!), are those for real?

We ended our visit shortly after that.