Sunday, May 21, 2006
A Game of Questions
Would you like to play the game of questions?
What did you say?
Do you think I'll fall for that again?
Whatever do you mean?
Didn't you plan to make me repeat myself?
Why would I ever do that?
Because you're a bastard.
Statement: 1-love. What were you babbling about?
Did I stutter?
Why don't we shift the topic to something more entertaining?
Like what?
How was work last week?
You mean I didn't tell you?
Tell me what?
Didn't I tell you about being the target of an ethnic slur?
Who was the target?
Who do you think?
Was it you?
Would I be telling you this story otherwise?
Was it you?
Repetition: One-all.
So what happened?
You know how I help at Underwood's homework zone?
You mean the after school homework program?
Haven't we discussed this before?
When would that be?
Must you distract from the main point of the conversation?
Why won't you just get to the point?
Did I say when this happened?
Was it last week?
When was the last half day?
Was it before that?
Does it matter?
Why won't you get to the point?!?
Repetition: Two-one
Was that really repetition?
Will you let me tell the story or not?
Won't you proceed?
So did you know very few kids do homework at the after-school homework program?
Why am I not surprised?
Must you be so cynical?
Aren't you normally the social critic?
Regardless of your comments, what do you think the kids do instead?
Don't they play games?
Do you know what kind of games?
Are they computer games?
Do kids have access to games on computers?
So what do they play instead?
Would you believe Uno?
You mean the card game?
What else could I mean?
How did this relate to ethnic slurs?
Would you believe the kids were bored with Uno?
How could they get bored with a dumbed-down version of Crazy eights?
How could they not?
So what did you do?
What would you have done in my place?
Did you provide an alternative?
Bingo!
Exclamation: Tie, Two-all. Game point.
Can you guess what game I taught them?
Did you teach them the game of questions?
How did you know?
Were they good at it?
What do you think?
Do they even know the difference between a question and a statement?
Shouldn't their English teachers explain such things?
Does it matter?
So how do you think the game ended up?
Did you win?
Who do you think won?
Were they frustrated after the first few rounds?
How would I know?
Well, how did they respond?
What would you do in their place?
Did they cry?
Would you cry?
Did they cuss you out?
Do you think cussing would really prove effective at riling me?
Aha...did they ask provocative questions?
So, did you finally start to make the connection?
So what did they ask you?
Would you believe comments on my appearance?
Such as?
"Why are your glasses crooked?"
Was that all?
"Why are you so ugly?"
You call that an insult?
How about "Why are you such a dirty Jew?"
What the hell?!?
Should I call the point on that rhetorical question and win the game?
Wouldn't that question you just asked also be rhetorical?
Why don't I just waive that call then?
So this kid actually called you a dirty Jew?
Why would I lie?
Do the students know you're Jewish?
Do you think I make a big deal about that?
Wouldn't that be a good way to build empathy with the students?
Are you joking?
About what?
We're talking about the same students, right? The ones who have interrupted class to ask me if I'm a Christian?
So what did you do after that unexpected encounter with anti-Semitism?
Can you imagine the temptation to take the kid to task?
So did you yell at him?
Do you enjoy poking beehives?
What do you mean?
Haven't you learned by now that any such yelling have only provoked a shouting match and made the situation worse?
So what else could you do?
Don't you realize yet how seriously I take the game of questions?
Are you telling me you kept playing?
And how do you think it ended?
You won the game cleanly, didn't you...without making one personal attack?
And then what happened?
Did you give the kid hell?
Well, have you ever heard of such tactics?
Chivalry aside, what did you tell the kid?
"Did you actually think you could get a rise out of me with an ethnic slur?"
And the kid's response?
Why was I so upset?
Any further ramifications or fallout?
Would you believe the kids are even more eager to play the game after the fact?
Are they allowed to use ethnic slurs?
Do you think I'll let that crap slide again?
So what happens if they do?
If they do what?
What happens if they use ethnic slurs in the course of the game?
Then they won't be coming to homework help sessions for a little while.
Statement!
Damn!
That's game, final score: 3-2. Care to play again?
What, right now?
If not now...when?
Maybe later?
Would you like to play the game of questions?
What did you say?
Do you think I'll fall for that again?
Whatever do you mean?
Didn't you plan to make me repeat myself?
Why would I ever do that?
Because you're a bastard.
Statement: 1-love. What were you babbling about?
Did I stutter?
Why don't we shift the topic to something more entertaining?
Like what?
How was work last week?
You mean I didn't tell you?
Tell me what?
Didn't I tell you about being the target of an ethnic slur?
Who was the target?
Who do you think?
Was it you?
Would I be telling you this story otherwise?
Was it you?
Repetition: One-all.
So what happened?
You know how I help at Underwood's homework zone?
You mean the after school homework program?
Haven't we discussed this before?
When would that be?
Must you distract from the main point of the conversation?
Why won't you just get to the point?
Did I say when this happened?
Was it last week?
When was the last half day?
Was it before that?
Does it matter?
Why won't you get to the point?!?
Repetition: Two-one
Was that really repetition?
Will you let me tell the story or not?
Won't you proceed?
So did you know very few kids do homework at the after-school homework program?
Why am I not surprised?
Must you be so cynical?
Aren't you normally the social critic?
Regardless of your comments, what do you think the kids do instead?
Don't they play games?
Do you know what kind of games?
Are they computer games?
Do kids have access to games on computers?
So what do they play instead?
Would you believe Uno?
You mean the card game?
What else could I mean?
How did this relate to ethnic slurs?
Would you believe the kids were bored with Uno?
How could they get bored with a dumbed-down version of Crazy eights?
How could they not?
So what did you do?
What would you have done in my place?
Did you provide an alternative?
Bingo!
Exclamation: Tie, Two-all. Game point.
Can you guess what game I taught them?
Did you teach them the game of questions?
How did you know?
Were they good at it?
What do you think?
Do they even know the difference between a question and a statement?
Shouldn't their English teachers explain such things?
Does it matter?
So how do you think the game ended up?
Did you win?
Who do you think won?
Were they frustrated after the first few rounds?
How would I know?
Well, how did they respond?
What would you do in their place?
Did they cry?
Would you cry?
Did they cuss you out?
Do you think cussing would really prove effective at riling me?
Aha...did they ask provocative questions?
So, did you finally start to make the connection?
So what did they ask you?
Would you believe comments on my appearance?
Such as?
"Why are your glasses crooked?"
Was that all?
"Why are you so ugly?"
You call that an insult?
How about "Why are you such a dirty Jew?"
What the hell?!?
Should I call the point on that rhetorical question and win the game?
Wouldn't that question you just asked also be rhetorical?
Why don't I just waive that call then?
So this kid actually called you a dirty Jew?
Why would I lie?
Do the students know you're Jewish?
Do you think I make a big deal about that?
Wouldn't that be a good way to build empathy with the students?
Are you joking?
About what?
We're talking about the same students, right? The ones who have interrupted class to ask me if I'm a Christian?
So what did you do after that unexpected encounter with anti-Semitism?
Can you imagine the temptation to take the kid to task?
So did you yell at him?
Do you enjoy poking beehives?
What do you mean?
Haven't you learned by now that any such yelling have only provoked a shouting match and made the situation worse?
So what else could you do?
Don't you realize yet how seriously I take the game of questions?
Are you telling me you kept playing?
And how do you think it ended?
You won the game cleanly, didn't you...without making one personal attack?
And then what happened?
Did you give the kid hell?
Well, have you ever heard of such tactics?
Chivalry aside, what did you tell the kid?
"Did you actually think you could get a rise out of me with an ethnic slur?"
And the kid's response?
Why was I so upset?
Any further ramifications or fallout?
Would you believe the kids are even more eager to play the game after the fact?
Are they allowed to use ethnic slurs?
Do you think I'll let that crap slide again?
So what happens if they do?
If they do what?
What happens if they use ethnic slurs in the course of the game?
Then they won't be coming to homework help sessions for a little while.
Statement!
Damn!
That's game, final score: 3-2. Care to play again?
What, right now?
If not now...when?
Maybe later?
