Love without language barrier

A friend recently came to me asking for advice on love. Not that she needs any. She's blond, busty, and speaks just enough Chinese to make locals and expats alike go gaga.

In any case, her problem is that she met a new guy. She met an expat who is handsome, gentlemanly, and interesting to talk to. Orinteresting to half talk, half gesture to, more precisely. Her quandary is that the only common language she shares with her man is Mandarin. She can get around Beijing fine with her Chinese chops, but he's just starting a four-month language crash course.

Their first few weeks together were fun, full of light-hearted babble and exploratory walks around the city. Shopping together and eating out also don't require a serious Chinese lexicon.