A good friend of mine, Carlos, is from Puerto Rico, and he has a lot to say about communication between people from different cultures, but he cannot say it to his wife. You see Carlos' wife is from Japan. In Carlos and Sung Yee's home the volume of their voices talking with each other is almost undetectable: She speaks almost no English and he speaks even less Japanese.

Japanese women take a passive role, even when walking in the street they are not supposed to engage in eye contact. So, when Carlos is talking to a friend, she stays out of the conversation. Her feelings are a mystery or a privilege for her husband only. Carlos on the other hand has a Caribbean rate of speech that is impressive, and his hand gestures and body movements are something to see.

It can be very interesting at their house. Watching how they get through life makes one appreciate the value of language. For example, Sung is the electronic equipment technician in the house, and when something goes wrong with the PC or the TV Carlos brings Sung by the hand, makes a sad face, and without hesitation, Sung goes to work. If Carlos wants to show her something dangerous he makes an explosion noise with his mouth or uses the universal head movement indicating "no."

Does love conquer all? I started thinking about my friends and it occurred to me that exotic combinations of mates and cultures are increasingly common. With the realities of a global economy and community, more than ever our neighbors are not always like us. I myself do not live in my hometown, nor in my country of birth, and I am not alone. And who is to say whom you will fall in love with? Yes, communications today are incredibly sophisticated from a technological perspective, but communication between the world's cultures and languages still seems to have a few rough spots . . . if you go by Carlos and Sung Yee's experience.