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“If you can speak Mandarin and English, there are many job opportunities.”
“I’ve heard you speaking another language to some of the other passengers.”
“Oh, yes. Malay. My baby tongue. I only know those three languages enough to use at work. But I want to learn Korean.”
“Why Korean? Lots of Korean passengers?”
Arianna blushed again.
“What is it?”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“Come on! Tell me.”
Arianna happened to glance over when Elle had tomato bisque in her mouth. “I want to understand Korean song lyrics.”
Elle did her best to not choke on her food. “You listen to K-pop, I take it.”
“And I watch the dramas. They are the best in Asia.”
“What kind of subtitles?”
“Mandarin, English, there are whole teams of Malays who subtitle them too.” She shrugged. “The world is my oyster. I learned that phrase last month. How is it?”
Elle put down her spoon. “‘The world is my oyster?’”
“Yes. Did I use it correctly?”
“Like a native.”
Arianna grinned. “And now I have learned ‘jump ship.’” She pulled out her phone and punched something into her notes app. “I keep a record of the English phrases I learn. Mandarin speakers like to speak in proverbs, and English speakers like to talk in slang.”
“Which is harder to remember?”
“Oh, the English. Easily.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s my third language. I’ve known Mandarin since I was a kid.”
“Your third language, yet you’re so fluent.”
“Don’t you also know Mandarin?”
“Cha bu duo.”
Arianna laughed again. “Your accent isn’t so bad.”
“I hope not. I go whole meetings speaking in Mandarin and am very particular about my accent. I need people to understand me.”
“And I need passengers to understand my English. So? How is it? My English.”
“Perfect.”
“Aiya, no such thing.”
Elle dabbed the corners of her mouth with a cloth napkin. “With English, all we care about is that we can understand you and that you sound polite. I think most native English speakers are pretty forgiving.”
