Friday, April 3, 2009

Western stereotypes: Cooking my own dinner at six...

Remember the stereotype is that we foreigners were more mature and independent, were cooking our own dinner at six. I had a number of parents who wanted me to instill those values into their little children. I remember one in particular who whose father had watched too much cable.

I was talking to the father and watching the little boy out of the corner of my eye; he was six and continually banging his transformer toy against the corner of the TV.

"Look," said the father. "He needs to be taught to think for himself a little. I can't do it of course because i am Taiwanese - If he questions me i'll just whack him and tell him to listen to his father...We Taiwanese are more traditional ...Just no way."

"That is mighty honest of you," I replied. "Your contradictions keeps me in a salary."

"He won't do his homework, listen to his parents. Maybe, you can teach him to go shopping...cross the road...things like that."

"Sure. When I was six, I was cooking my own dinner, queuing at the post office to pay my bills, then driving into town to do jury service, " I said before then slowing down. "One thing at a time I think."

Six year old kids don’t make decisions for myself, and when they do, they are found dead by the side of the road shortly after.

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