I had to go to a NYC government office today. That means you bring a book because you're gonna wait. Today's book is T'ai Chi Classics by Waysun Liao.

So I sit next to the staffer's desk. She glances at the book and nods appreciatively. We do what we have to do and she says goodbye and "Enjoy your book."

I ask, "You do T'ai Chi?"

She says, "No, my husband is Thai."

I say, "You know T'ai Chi isn't Thai, right?"

She says, "They're from the same place."

Having established once again that being sociable means letting myself be taught things that I know to be wrong, I just nodded and left.