@buddha1too, I totally agree with Christina. As for misinterpreting things people say/write, it happens to all of us. I think in written communication it's even more frequent. We don't even have facial expressions or tone of voice to help with interpretation.

Sending you hugs. You know that I've always appreciated our PM conversations, too. It is a comfort to have someone who understands what it's like to live far from home. Speaking of this, living in a foreign land with language difficulties also exacerbates interpretations. Sometimes I'm sad that I can't be as funny around people as usual, that I often feel like a mute dummy, or that I struggle in other ways. Clearly when I speak English with non-native speakers they may not understand me fully. I imagine you "get" some of this, as well, from past experiences abroad.