I understand that the younger members of your family don't speak English. But that doesn't give you the right to sit behind me and my family and disturb our watching of the show by your providing a running translation of the movie in Yiddish. And since the majority of the movie deals with Darwin and the evolution of species on the Galapagos islands, why did you even bother coming to watch the film if you're going to ignore the main point and not translate the important parts of the film?
2. To the man who asked me to watch his kid while he went into the bathroom:
Just because I'm wearing a white shirt, kippah, slacks and have four days' growth on my face and chin does not mean that your child is safe with me. How could you possibly think of leaving your child with a stranger, even if only for a minute? Just because I'm Jewish as you are doesn't mean that I couldn't be a psychotic murderer or kidnapper. (For the record, I'm not!) Consider yourself lucky that it was me and that your kid was there when you got back.
3. To my son (S1):
Let me get this straight - we go to the American Museum of Natural History. We see all sorts of interesting stuff ranging from animals on the African savannah to artifacts of ancient cultures in Africa, to huge totem poles from the Pacific Northwest Native American cultures, and when we get to the gift shop, you buy books on what? Wizards and dragons???
Why on earth does a museum even have books on wizards and dragons???
The Wolf
11 comments:
Ah, memories.
I think the mueseums sell those books because kids want to buy them...
We went to a park, and took a bunch of bikes with us. While we were playing with the kids on the jungle gym, a few Hassidic kids decided to appropriate our bikes. I was somewhat relieved when the parents started over to their kids, thinking they would tell their children not to play with stuff that wasn't there, but instead, the parents pushed the kids all around the park on our bikes. I didn't really mind much, it was just sort of surprising.
"Just because I'm Jewish as you are doesn't mean that I couldn't be a psychotic murderer or kidnapper."
I once saw a chassidishe shul that had the passcode for the lock pasted on the door--in Yiddish. I guess they figured that no one who can read Yiddish would rob the place.
all fine and good but if you don't politely ask these individuals to stop their unacceptable behavior -movies, bikes etc. they certainly have no reason to believe they've done anything wrong.
Actually, my wife and I did ask them to stop their chatter multiple times.
The most annoying moment was when the mother leaned over to one of the other siblings and asked them "are they [the other children] enjoying the show?"
GRRR!!
I didn't think about the person with the baby until afterwards.
The Wolf
Your son sounds like my kinda guy. Sure you don't want to send him to WITS?
Did you see my report of the Field Museum in Chicago?
Actually, the real clincher when it came to those nice people behind us was when she followed up the "Are you enjoying the show" line with "..make sure you translate every word!"
I turned to her and said "How could we be enjoying the show, when we can't hear a thing!"
I was wondering what would be the bigger Chilul Hashem, they're acting as they did, or if I had gone over to the Museum officials and asked to have them removed for "disturbing the peace"?
How could you possibly think of leaving your child with a stranger, even if only for a minute?
Same thing once happened to me in a NJ Turnpike rest stop. A Chasidic guy asked me watch his 5-year-old daughter outside the men's bathroom. I don't think she spoke English. I tried to talk to her, but she just stared at me accusatorily, so I gave up. I wondered whether this guy would leave his kid with any person wearing a yarmulke, or whether I exuded some special "trustworthiness". I doubt it. I just don't think he had any concept of what kind of things can happen to little kids.
If ya can't just a yid who can you trust. besides its not just the kippa it's the honest expression on your face and the soft warm eyes that show you're an erliche yid.
A karov of mine (leshem shelom bayit I'm not specifying) once bought a mood ring at a museum gift shop. I agree with you--this stuff sends a wrong message.
I'm hoping Sheesh was joking.
I think the kids who borrowed your bikes and the parent who asked you to watch the kid are both coming from the same place. They feel a sense of community where kindness and trustworthiness are what keeps people together. Why should you mind if they ride around on your bikes a little bit? And why shouldn't s/he trust you to watch the kid for a minute? s/he would hire you to babysit in their own home without batting an eyelash. It's the yeshiva mentality, I'm sure you once had it but then lost it in the 'real' world. I am also in the 'real' world and I understand your discomfort but I find their way refreshing. I think it's nice people like that exist even if I'm not one of them.
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