Have You Gained Weight

Mark and Kim McPherson, two good friends of mine who left behind a comfortable lifestyle and went to the mission field in their mid-40s, recently told me about something they encountered while studying the local language.

They learned basic a basic greeting dialog (customary in their area) that went like this when translated in English:

“Hello, how are you? You look like you have gained weight.”

“Thank you! You also have gained weight since I last met you.”

Now obviously, you know you’re in a different culture when saying “you gained weight” is considered a polite greeting!