How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #4
"What number that bus, Linbaba? Quickly, tell it."
"Just a second." I hesitated, peering out of the half-open window of the taxi and trying to read the curlicue numbers on the front of a red, double-decker bus that had stopped opposite us momentarily. "It's, ah, it's a one-zero-four, isn't it?"
"Very, very fine! You have learn your Hindi numbers so nicely." (1.3.4-6)
It might be hard to learn German, French, or Spanish, not to mention something like Latin. But just try picking up Hindi, where even the letters and numbers are different. No faking your way by pronouncing words you don't know the meaning of; here you have to learn a whole new alphabet.
Quote #5
"Tourists are not allowed here, or to any of the other people-markets, but I have told him that you are not one of those tourist fellows. I have told him that you have learned the Marathi language. He does not believe me. That is our problem only. He doesn't believe any foreigner will speak Marathi. You must for that reason speak it a little Marathi for him. You will see. He will allow us inside." (1.3.106)
Okay, let's get this straight. Lin is a tourist. Prabaker is his guide. They're going on a tour of the "dark side" of Bombay, including to the slave market. So why isn't Lin considered a tourist? Well, because he's gone the extra mile and learned not only Hindi, but also the super-local language of Marathi. It's like knowing a secret password.
Quote #6
"I love the English language, because so much of it is French."
"Touché," I grinned, "as we say in English." (1.4.35-36)
Think Didier's off his rocker? Well, au contraire and c'est la vie; the old Frenchman is right. English doesn't only borrow French phrases like "Touché." About one third of English words come from the language.