We didn't get the day off work for the 4th of July (I know this is old news but look I'm a busy girl); but since I work for an American company, our administrators are compelled to be more generous with their purse-strings than most other Asian companies would allow. So we got a little happy hour that afternoon.
I had heard there were some dank parties at the American embassy, but I wasn't rich or fabulous enough to be invited. Yet.
Anyway, our department administrator lady brought us some refreshments: beer, brie, and crackers.
None of which were American products.
Then the boss announced we would be playing a game about US history and culture trivia.
Yes, a chance for the history buff in me to be recognized! I looked around the department. Who was I up against? A Canadian, a Filipino, a non-Ivy League graduate, and some rag-tag Chinese. Easy money.
What I thought would be a landslide victory turned out to be a comedy of errors.
We passed around a box of folded scraps of paper, each with a question printed on it.
Our department secretary started first. "Who is...Bobby Ruth?"
Next, a Chinese senior associate. "Who is...sexy is back?"
Around the circle went the box of questions.
"Who is Demi Moore's husband?"
"How many children do Brad and Angelina have?"
"Which is the biggest Disneyland?"
"What is America's biggest tragedy?"
Who had picked these questions?! More to the point--who had written these questions?! U.S. history and culture trivia, indeed.
Some of them were gimmees, like "How many stars are on the American flag?" and "What school was Facebook invented at?" (Well, a gimmee for me.)
When it was finally my turn, I thought I would definitely have it in the bag. Not only was I a bona-fide American and history buff, I regularly read US Weekly.
"How many home runs did 'Bobby Ruth' hit in his lifetime?"
Fuck! How was I supposed to know that? My reputation as a bona-fide American was discredited on my first attempt.
Around the circle went the box of questions.
"What are the three branches of government?"
"Who is the father of our country?"
"How many stripes are on the flag?"
"How many states are in the Union?"
My turn again. In college I used to volunteer as an instructor in part-time classes teaching U.S. citizenship exam question prep. No way I would mess up. This was child's play.
I unfolded my scrap of paper. "Who sang Uptown Girl, and who did he sing it to?"
Fuck! I always get the bad one.
I had heard there were some dank parties at the American embassy, but I wasn't rich or fabulous enough to be invited. Yet.
Anyway, our department administrator lady brought us some refreshments: beer, brie, and crackers.
None of which were American products.
Then the boss announced we would be playing a game about US history and culture trivia.
Yes, a chance for the history buff in me to be recognized! I looked around the department. Who was I up against? A Canadian, a Filipino, a non-Ivy League graduate, and some rag-tag Chinese. Easy money.
What I thought would be a landslide victory turned out to be a comedy of errors.
We passed around a box of folded scraps of paper, each with a question printed on it.
Our department secretary started first. "Who is...Bobby Ruth?"
Next, a Chinese senior associate. "Who is...sexy is back?"
Around the circle went the box of questions.
"Who is Demi Moore's husband?"
"How many children do Brad and Angelina have?"
"Which is the biggest Disneyland?"
"What is America's biggest tragedy?"
Who had picked these questions?! More to the point--who had written these questions?! U.S. history and culture trivia, indeed.
Some of them were gimmees, like "How many stars are on the American flag?" and "What school was Facebook invented at?" (Well, a gimmee for me.)
When it was finally my turn, I thought I would definitely have it in the bag. Not only was I a bona-fide American and history buff, I regularly read US Weekly.
"How many home runs did 'Bobby Ruth' hit in his lifetime?"
Fuck! How was I supposed to know that? My reputation as a bona-fide American was discredited on my first attempt.
Around the circle went the box of questions.
"What are the three branches of government?"
"Who is the father of our country?"
"How many stripes are on the flag?"
"How many states are in the Union?"
My turn again. In college I used to volunteer as an instructor in part-time classes teaching U.S. citizenship exam question prep. No way I would mess up. This was child's play.
I unfolded my scrap of paper. "Who sang Uptown Girl, and who did he sing it to?"
Fuck! I always get the bad one.
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