Master Fortune-Telling on the Street

A 30ish year old guy standing in front of a table set up at a street market tried to hand me a pink flyer (in Taiwanese). I almost declined, but noted that the table was piled with a few books with Buddah's picture, and seated behind the table was a monk-y looking person. Being in need of our fortunes being told, we established that he spoke (a little) English and that the "Master" could tell our fortunes and he could translate for the master. Master was robed in purple, had a 3-day head stubble and a red dotted-forehead. Alex and I sat on the plastic stools across from Master. Our Translator had us write our names, which he slid over to Master so "she" (wow! it was a "she"!) could tell our future. Over a process that consumed a precious 45 minutes, we watched in silence as she bowed her head, closed her eyes and smiled. Sporadically, she slit her eyes open, jotted a few characters and closed her eyes again. When it was evident that she had completed that phase, Translator handed her 2 pink papers -- one with Alex's name he had written on it and one with mine. Master wrote columns of characters on each pink paper. When she finished, the laborious process of translation began. Translator would choose a cluster of characters and would confer with Master -- presumably to clarify his understanding so he could explain it to us. Launching into Alex's fortune, he reported that. Alex should use his heart and do things sincerely. His left side is weak - perhaps from a long plane ride. She told me that my left shoulder has a problem too - which she actually is right about. I am having some trouble with my rotator cuff. During the multiple conferences between Master and Translator to package each chunk of characters into a message, a small crowd gathered behind Alex and me. A woman who was involved with the chair massage enterprise at the next table came over to watch for a while. She leaned in and spoke discreetly to Alex and me in English and shared that she had lived in the US for a while - and her daughter is in medical school in New York. She asked, "You don't really believe this stuff, do you?", and then drifted back to the massages as the fortune-telling droned on. One guy, 30ish, consulted with Translator on his presentation parcels. The new guy, Alpha Translator, stepped up with better command of English and (thankfully) sped up the delivery. As our interest waned and our attention shifted to the next activity, we peppered him with questions. We asked about where to find an herbal medicine shop, a specific restaurant -- and other matters more pressing than our future fame and fortune, and our weak left sides. The new Alpha Translator helped us respectfully receive the wisdom of Master, while helping us to get up and go. As the fortune delivery finished and we stood to say thanks and goodbye, I complimented him on his English (and thought to myself - his tact, too). He said "I'm in international sales".