(Teil 1 ist hier.)

H: Okay, So let me tell you about how to pay a compliment. My husband is trained so well that he can make appropriate sounds about a piece of clothing that I wear without looking at it. So I enter the room and I say how's that dress and he says, awesome. Still looking at his paper, and at 1 point I explained to him you first have to look, and then then you have to wait 2 seconds so I get the impression that you actually think about it and then you must say “looks good”.


N: But I don’t know if you want to look younger! You certainly don’t want to look like a spotty teenager! I would have to say “you look 39” only 39 is much too flat, 38 is much better. Oh, all words are so loaded with meaning and context I feel overwhelmed by this at the moment.


H: I also have a new sweater.


N: Yes, it's nice, very nice. It's very screen-friendly.


H: Yeah, I thought so, and people only know me in black and white stripes. So now I have blue and brown stripes, I’m a totally new person.


N: And they no longer think you're in jail!


H: Oh, this crazy person! I remember that at 1 point I explained to the client, my main client that I conference with I don't know, 3 times a week, and at 1 point I explained to her it's always a different sweater. I have many of those. and she knew because she saw little differences. I didn't want to look like this very poor and very scary person who wore the same sweater for 3 years.


N: Well, it might also be a very efficient person if you just have one set of clothing. But you have it multiple times.


H: But I wanted to make sure that they knew if they sat next to me I wouldn't be smelly.


N: Yeah, because now these days it's important to you what the people think. AnywayI've just come back from a corona test center. and for the first time in the whole pandemic I was in one which I think was maybe one of those money laundering places.


H: Oh, fantastic! How did you find out?


N: Well, I didn't find out, I just assume, I'm judgmental.


H: Okay, What led you to the assumption?


N: Well, first of all, I booked the appointment online but when I came there they did not have any “online” but I had to fill in a piece of paper, you know with a pen and handwriting, horrible. And there were youths loitering on the steps in front of the testing center. And actually those were the people doing the tests. So I just pushed through them to get inside, and they followed me, and I thought, Oh, what is going on now? Why are they following me? Are they going to rob me? But no, they were going to stick a swab inside my nose.


H: Was it professional, the sticking part?


N: Actually it was better than my last experience. Last time at the other place they only touched my nose hair or something. And I even got the result, I was afraid this would’nt work because I had to write down my email address and you know, my name is a bit difficult and my handwriting is a bit difficult, so I was not sure if I’d ever get the result but I did.


H: You can always use my name if you like. I have this very easy name that is one tenth of the amount of letters that your last name has.


N: Yes, and I always thinkI need this additional email address with a simple name just for those purposes. But then I forget immediately again, and they’re probably all taken, the easy email addresses. And I would have to decide on the name. I would like to find the perfect name for such an email address which works internationally. So no Karin with K or C or e or i.


H: I jused a name as my Starbucks name but it was only good for speaking: Anne.


N: Yes, that’s good in speaking but obviously does not work in writing. Sarah is difficult, too. Can be with or without H


H: Rose is easy!


N: Oh, yes and you can pronounce it differently depending on which country you are in and you can even say “like the flower”.


H: But rose@gmail.com is probably already taken.


N: I need to find out but I think so. I could add an easy number like 4711.