Me: "How do you tell a girl she's beautiful, other than saying "piao liang"?

{Silence}

{Confusion}

{Heated discussion with friend}

Brian: "We don't."

Me: "Um. So, you would just say "piao liang"? You don't have any other words?"

Brian: "No, I mean we just don't. We wouldn't actually tell our girlfriends to the face that she was beautiful. Chinese girls are shy. If we did, she would just get mad, thinking we were lying."

Helena: "I know it's raining. I can smell the lightning."

Candy: "Wow! Your hair is so beautiful! No, no, really. In China, putting your hair in a ponytail is more beautiful and professional than wearing your hair down. Down, you look like a student, like me."

Shepard: "Terrorism has gone up so much since I was a child. In the most recent attack, 100 people died. The government only reported that 30 had died.

My town used to be focused on development, expansion. Now, we only care about peace."