In China, Honesty Is the Best Policy

My Chinese friend Yuying was in my house yesterday, and she saw a framed picture of me in the Philippines on my desk.

She picked it up and said, "Wow, you look very charming in this picture!"

Before I could thank her for what I thought to be a compliment, she looked at me and innocuously added,

"You really don't care how you look here in the US, do you?"