Things I don't have the heart to tell my Dominican family:

- I keep closing the window in our room because it smells weird outside, not because I'm afraid of mosquitoes coming through the screen.
- No, I actually didn't understand a word you just said.
- The way you feel about peanut butter (it's okay but you don't wouldn't want it everyday) is the way I feel about avocado.
- When you rinse that clean spoon off, you're actually putting it in contaminated water.
- That's not ripe; that's brown.
- I'm 21.  I'll probably survive alright if I'm alone for a little bit.
- When I'm not with you, I cross the street by myself.

I love my host family, but I figure some things just aren't worth fighting, especially being at a linguistic disadvantage.