I went to the dentist today. My regular dentist is Filipino but he was absent today so the banter shared over my immobile body, mouth agape, brought new meaning to the phrase gossip at the water cooler. I’m so used to listening to the two Filipinos on either side of me talk about all things Filipino. I mean, yeah, I can relate but usually I don’t care. But today, listening to the the Indian dentist talk to the Filipino dental assistant was truly a gift. They talked about everything from geography to economics to culture and even religion! There I was, laying slightly uncomfortable upon the plastic covered dentist chair, a point that intersected a cross-cultural exchange of thoughts, experiences…lives. I couldn’t help but chuckle at the this interaction considering how minutely it may or may not have affected the rest of their day.