So some how, after work today I went with my Vietnamese friend to meet her friend at Sentosa who was visiting from Vietnam. Her friend's sister and one of their cousins was also there.

And amidst all the Vietnamese that was flying back and forth, I had a small bit of encouragement when noting that Mandarin suddenly doesn't sound super foreign anymore - at least when compared to listening to Vietnamese.

When going around Sentosa, I couldn't understand a word of their Vietnamese, but didn't feel as lost when I heard people around us shouting out short phrases in Mandarin like, "huh? No one's at home?" or "Sit in the back!"

I suddenly realized just how much more lost I'd probably feel in Vietnam compared to China or Taiwan. At least, hopefully there is a difference. I mean, at least I could try to force some conversation in Mandarin even if it's abysmal. But the same cannot be said for any other languages...

We'll see how accurate this theory is when I'm in transit in Beijing in three weeks time. Hopefully I won't be as lost as I was in Shanghai earlier this year.