After the first few months of culture shock had begun to fade, night markets, Starbucks, and “my” local nail salon went from being frightening places, to opportunities to learn. Taxis were a particular favorite, since the driver is essentially forced to talk to you until the entire journey is over. One of my preferred activities was to make people laugh. As my listening skills improved, I was quickly able to use some of the sayings my students had taught me as well as the odd local joke on my unsuspecting audience.