FAVORITE CONVERSATION TO DATE

The following exchange took place in my class today.  We are learning about countries.  It is between me and one of my students whom I really like named Yumi.  She is probably around 10 years old.

Yumi: Teacher what country are you from?

Me: I am from the USA.

Yumi: Oh, not Canada.

Me: No, the USA.

Yumi: Oh, I thought Canada.

Me: Nope, USA.

Yumi: No, Canada.

Me: No, USA.  Not Canada.

Yumi: Oh, so you should diet.  You are fat.

Me (laughing): What?

Yumi: You are from America so you are fat so need diet.

Me: Is everyone from America fat?

Yumi: Yes, there is so much food so just eat, eat, eat.  So you are fat.

Me (still laughing): Is everyone from Canada fat.

Yumi: No, no, no teacher.  Canada very big, but just one person.

Me: Canada is a big country, but not very many people live there?

Yumi: Yes.

(a few minutes later after sort of changing the subject)

Yumi:  Teacher are you Ms or Mrs?

Me: Ms.

Yumi: So you don't have wife...I mean you don't have husband?

Me: No.

Yumi: Do you have boyfriend?

(it is actually the second time I have been asked by a student if I am married or not, or if I had a boyfriend...the first time the girl told me I could marry her dad.)

Me: No.

Yumi:  I think no one like you because you are fat.

Me (while laughing): Yumi, that really isn't a very nice thing to say.

I'm still trying to understand if it is a good thing that she first thought I was from Canada because apparently Canadians aren't fat...only Americans.  So maybe it is a good thing that she didn't call me fat until she found out I was from the USA?