Q&A

I realized the other day that there are many things that I often leave out of conversation because people don't ask. For example, I have had many conversations with a teacher at Fremont who lives in Palo Alto, but I've never mentioned that I currently live and have grown up in Palo Alto. (She hasn't asked)

There are other times when the question is very vague, so I would give a generalized, utterly unhelpful answer because a detailed, honest answer would take too long. An example would be "How has STEP been?"

So, for you, my dears, an open Q&A, an experiment of sorts... ask and I shall answer honestly. You can even do the whole "ooo.... I'm so mysteeeerious I shall ask anonymously" thing.* Nothing is taboo, but you have to know what to ask.


---
* although if you want to do that, better do it soon, for I shall be friend-locking this in a day or two.

small things

it's too easy to make assumptions, to just categorize someone based on some little factoid. And yet I can't help doing it, just as others can't help doing it. I guess it's because this assumption being true is probable. If I hear that someone like anime, I would make the assumption that they know of Naruto. But then there's all these other assumptions that can be made. For example, I generally assume that if someone is white, they have had an open home life where they call their parents by their first names, they had an allowance system that gave them >$10/week, they grew up with not-fish pets, they know how to eat with knife and fork, and they know how to talk to strangers.

What is it that irks me so much? I guess it's when one's understanding of a person just stops at that. And when they do, I do, too. I stop giving more information. It's like "since you prefer to assume these things and aren't willing to go further... you will never get another opportunity. Not from me, at least." Objectively, that's really not the best way to approach these things. I should take it upon myself to offer more. But I don't. Should I?

I am, of course, oh so guilty of this. "So you're from SoCal, eh?" Or my casual "white people" comments. What questions can I ask to find out more about something I don't know at all? It's technically all right to ask about a minority culture, because it's "exotic", but how do I approach all those other distinctions?