Wednesday, September 17, 2008

family comedy hour

At the breakfast table this morning:

Dad: there were a lot of orientals1 at the gym this morning.
Mum: you should tell her
Dad: no, YOU should tell her
maisnon: ??
LB1: What's funny is that you BOTH immediately know what you mean, riffing off of the gym thing.2
Mum: did you call and leave a message yesterday?
maisnon: Yes, when I was getting ready to head to the airport.
Dad: Well, when I came home from the gym, Mom said there was a message
Mum: .... I said some Chinese lady had left a message. In Chinese!
Dad: I listened to it and said, "No, that's [maisnon]!"
maisnon: WHA?! How in the world could I have sounded like I was speaking Chinese?

[entire family troops to answering machine]

maisnon (in recording): Hi, it's me. I'm leaving for the airport now. I'll see you in DEPARTURES at 8!











1 Nice, Dad, nice.
2 I suppose this is what happens when you've been married for nearly 40 years.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hilarious... I expect nothing less from them.

Anonymous said...

Don't cringe, but my dad still says Red Indian.

Anonymous said...

Ahh, home sweet home.

I just spent 1 week solid with my parents, in the hospital. Nothing like a grumpy patient father to really push the edges.

It didn't help that most of the staff assumed my dad didn't understand English and spoke loudly at him.

maisnon said...

maitri: Wow, that is good!


wakot: I've definitely seen that before: (1) you're not white/are an immigrant, therefore you must not speak English, (2) if I speak loudly that will miraculously result in language skills I assume you do not have.