Sitting at dinner after a day in Catalina, we found ourselves with three new dinner guests at our table. Three very Japanese ladies that had not been at our table before. We're not sure how they happened to join us for dinner for just that one night. And they couldn't tell us, either.
That didn't stop Elizabeth. Being Miss Outgoing, as she likes to title herself, she was determined to make them feel comfortable at our table. Make them feel included. And somehow she didn't seem to notice that they were not very sociable to us. She didn't notice that they didn't even say 'hello.'
"Hi! How are all of you?"
One lady smiled, one lady nodded.
"We're happy that you are joining us for dinner tonight," Elizabeth continued. "Where are you all from?"
"5:00," one lady managed to say.
"Oh, you eat at the earlier dinner. Why are you coming to the later dinner, tonight? Have you been sightseeing? Did you all go out to Catalina, today? Did you have fun?"
No answer.
"Did any of you go on the glass bottom boat? We rented a golf cart and toured the island... have you ever done that?"
A smile, a nod. And then lots of jabbering in Japanese.
Trying to rescue Elizabeth and not let the ladies across the table know, I said to Liz, "Remember that episode of 'I Love Lucy' where Lucy meets Ricky's mother for the first time and has no clue that she doesn't speak English???"
Liz nodded.
"Bingo!"
"Well. Okay, then. So... what's for dinner?"
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