at least they try, right?

Aside from Yoda, most people honor and respect the "good ol' college try." Many people see the work invested, and brush aside the perfectionist attitude to praise that effort. So many people today are angered over the immigration issues...who is and is not welcome and/or allowed, whether or not amnesty should be granted, whether we should declare English as our national language (because it is not specifically stated anywhere, as of yet). The list goes on. In the midst of the heated and ongoing debates here, on the news and being carried out in protests, restaurant kitchens, landscaping firms, and construction sites, I received a new notice from a business in my area. Complete with a menu. I give you,

E for Effort

"NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN is a traditional Chinese-Style Restaurant. NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN pays great attention to the general visitor's health. So, you can taste the legitimate Chinese-Style here. NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN requests in food choice aspect very high. For example: The meats, the seafood, the vegetables and so on. NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN uses the superior quality to achieve the low fat and the high textile fiber and to increase food nutrition.

NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN doesn't forget vegetarian diet! NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN uses the pure vegetables rapeseed oil regarding our food. Therefore, no matter you are the common visitor or the vegetarian, all can enjoy all delicacies food in NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN.

Good news! Our chefs have several years experience to provide the birthday party, the company party and so on. NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN provides different situation food and the drink. Above this new service, lets the general visitors have the different choices.

Remembered: Only NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN is able to provide you a legitimate Chinese-Style good food. Eliminates this, you can eat your health by the most beneficial price! No matter the Western-Style food or the snack, we all welcome you the presence. Can provide the good food for you, which is our being honored. In this, NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN thanks you the support and the presence!

NEIGHBOR'S KITCHEN wish all our customers have a health and prosperity new year."

I am so not poking fun. I love our neighborhood hole-in-the-wall Chinese places. When they see us walk through the door, they have actually moved other customers because we are regulars, and they usually only have 1 or 2 tables big enough for all 6 of us. It helps, I suppose, having linguist friends, I have taught my children to say "thank you" in Mandarin. The whole staff was tickled pink and they gathered 'round the table all at once to hear it. I understand the gist of the text, but it is so funny to hear their grammar creeping into our language. I guess that puzzle is what made me want to learn all the languages I could. We, as Americans, could actually learn more than one lanuguage and soften the barriers around us, instead of building ever longer, ever taller concrete walls to block out the things we don't understand.

Just a thought for today, Yoda: try not...or try your hardest; we all have to fit on this marble somehow.