September 26, 2010
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My Little Brother Was an Idiot*
*I mean that in the most caring way possible.
Let me share with you all a funny/sad story about my little brother. A few years ago he was still in middle school and I was in my senior year of college. I had been away from home for almost two years at this point due to college and as a result I had not been keeping track of how he was doing in school. My mom, on the other hand, did take notice of what was going on and called me up one day to explain the situation. She told me that my brother was getting Ds (!!!) on his report card, which as you know is one of the deadliest sins in a typical Asian family. Anyway, she made it clear that I needed to intervene ASAP or else she was going to hurt him real bad (again, in the most caring way possible).
What he looked like then, which was also around the time he started growing his Bieber hairI came home and began talking to my brother about what he was doing in school. I wanted to get a gauge of what I had to work with, so when he told me he was studying social studies, specifically about the United States, I began asking him some simple questions related to that subject. Well, questions I thought were simple enough. This was basically our conversation. Let me note, he was responding to my questions seriously.
Me: Who was George Washington?
Him: *Thinks* Isn’t he on the penny? No wait, didn’t he chop wood? Oh, he discovered America!
Me: …He was the 1st president of the United States.
Him: Oh, right.Me: Okay, here’s another one. I know you went over this in class already. What is the capital of the United States?
Him: *Thinks* Is it…America?
Me: …No. This is getting really embarrassing. Go look it up online and come back with the answer.(A couple minutes later)
Him: I got it! It’s Baltimore, D.C.!
Me: *Fighting off the urge to slap him* It’s Washington, D.C. WASHINGTON. Please, PLEASE answer this next question correctly! How many states are in the United States?
Him: There are…50.
Me: Actually, yes! Good job!I was starting to gain back my faith in him, so I asked him this one last question. I probably shouldn’t have pushed my luck.
Me: Here’s an easy one. Can you name me just ONE state?
Him: *Thinks* …. ….. ….er, India?
Me: -_-
Him: Canada?
Me: -___-
Him: No, Mexico is one, right?
Me: -______-
Him: Um…America?
Me: *Falls on ground, anime face fault style*Alright, you get the point. I most certainly had some work to do.
In case you’re wondering, he’s much better now. I spent the next year or so intensively working with him on his academics, making sure he spent ample time studying and making sure he was visiting the library often. I am happy to say he is currently getting As and Bs, mostly As, on his classwork. Most importantly, I think he now believes he’s an intelligent boy, something I don’t think he saw himself as before.
He sure has come a long way since that dumbfounded conversation!
Comments (123)
Awww, excellent. I’m so glad he has a brother like you to watch over him and mentor him.
I hope he keeps up his good performance in school! :]
Oh my goodness…you’re not actually serious are you? Canada a state?
Well you’ve done good!
Reminds me of my cousin Jacob..he’s exactly the same way as your little brother but I think as I already did..that your little brother and my cousin are smart, it’s just that they don’t apply themselves. I’m happy to report my cousin is only failing one class which is english and that’s understandable as he had to have speech therapy most of his life because he couldn’t talk too well. That I understand, but my cousin is real smart in math. I envy him for that reason lol But yeah your little brother is cute! Reminds me of my little brother because he was growing a Justin Bieber hairstyle too..haha
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh, man. Good to know he’s doing much better
Um. Wow. No, India is not a state in America… oi. (Yes, I can see why this would be a “mortal sin” in your Asian family.) Glad you turned the young whipper-snapper around!
Your little brother is surrounded by blessings, two of which are a Mother who loves him dearly and a Big Bro who really cares.
You and your little bro and your wonderful mother are a beautiful example of what a FAMILY means in the community!
God bless you for responding promptly when your mom called on you. And good for your little bro for having enough respect for you and Mom to cooperate!
What a blessing you are in your home and what a great example to other big brothers!
David
HAHAHHAA. That is so good. I love it.
Reminds me of how I was just explaining how to add/subtract negative numbers to my brother over the phone a few days ago.
lol he said Canada as a state?? hahaha funny little guy.
Canada?! lol
He should be careful about that one.
There’s still time for him to work up his grades. Kids have a phase at times, no worries. =)
LOL
Poor kid. He’s lucky to have a great big brother.
I was in that same situation except my brother right now is now getting Bs and Cs.
Hahaha, wow, and I thought my kid brother was the worst. Except, he’s still dumb even today. So I guess it averages out.
Was he just not paying attention in class or something?
But you’ve done a great job! Great big brother =)
Oh yeah, you definitely needed to quiz him on his basic elementary knowledge. Thinking that Canada or Mexico was a state and India??
If you’d never intervened there would’ve been a chance he’d end up on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno’s segement ‘Jay Walking‘.
Aww, that’s awesome! Good job, big brother
@B2yan_C - @eomona - @webofsimplicity - Hopefully he keeps it up! Or else *waves fist*
@NiShaCoRnEr - I can honestly say those answers came out of his mouth.
@Hinase - At one point he was failing gym. GYM! Ahh…yeah, seems like a lot of kids like growing their hair like Bieber.
@Passionflwr86 - whipper-snapper haha. Wow have not heard anyone really use that phrase!
@Grampa_David - Thanks. Yeah, I ended up in a very father-like role for that year. I was designated by my parents to give him whatever punishment was necessary.
@bluehoursky - How old is your brother?
@Keeko1 - @eternal_relevance - Haha I love how the Canadians took major notice to this mistake.
@JesyCole - perhaps =)
@sonychak - It’s progress. My brother was getting those grades for a little bit too. It’s only now his grades have gotten to mostly As/Bs level.
@x_onholiday - haha how old is he? Mine is 15 now
@SerenaDante - I think that was partly it. It was too distracted or something. He also had the tendency to play too much games/watching tv instead of studying.
@bluepillorredpill - Oh no the horror! Not the Jaywalking segment!!
I had a mental image of you face-palm slapping yourself. Anyhow, i’m glad your little brother has improved in school!
LOL that’s sooo cute
good job, big brother. glad yer lil bro has improved!
I wish I had a big brother like that too. All I have is a bossy (but loving) older sister! lol
Oh, and I like the way you put it..My little brother WAS an idiot. haha
wow ditch the emo hair cut and pick up a history book! whip him into shape man!
@Roadlesstaken - He’s actually 14. So not that far off, haha. Mine more leans towards common sense idiocy. He has been in so much trouble because he doesn’t understand how to not be offensive all the time.
wow, he looks like YOU with bieber hair!
poor guy..but what an awesome older brother you are! awww. glad he is doing better.
LOL at the state question. XD It’s good that he has such an awesome and caring big brother.
By the way…you should probably suggest that he get rid of that Bieber hairstyle…hahah >.>
hahahaha wow!
well at least he’s doing good now
@Roadlesstaken - So was my cousin..hahha and also Art. how do you fail art..i don’t know..
lol, it’s good you got him interested in learning. it’s harder for asian parents to help their kids with social studies hw and stuff because they never learned those things growing up! we’re usually the first generation going through school here..
Your brother is so lucky to have a supportive big brother like you!!
I llike his bieber hair. This reminds me of a clip I’ve seen (it’s on youtube) of why aussie thinks americans are dumb. =P
lol too funny
That made my night
your brother is halarious I wish I had a little bro
I’m glad he has a brother like you
thats cute. they teach us this consistently though out school. did he not pay attention in any of his US history classes?
but then again…boring topics do make you not wanna pay attention.
oh man…I could not stop laughing!
You are such a good brother
Also, your brother was adorable in middle school! Minus the Bieber haircut, but, you know, I’ll let that slide. hahha! I’m glad to hear that he’s doing much better now though!
@AlfieNgoSYOU - I think I did one of those as I recalled this story
@Babieboo_Annie - Haha, would you say she takes care of you though?
@Agent_Eric - I already convince him to get his hair cut a month ago. Yes!
@x_onholiday - Ah common sense idiocy. My brother still go through that issue, but he uses his humor to get himself out of a lot trouble haha.
@getyourownsandwich - Take that back!! XP
@YouTOme - @believe10 - Thanks, glad he is too
@dUhGrL - Already way ahead of you! He cut it last month.
@hodtos - That is true. Plus, they’re usually working so they don’t have time to enforce studying.
@Got_Claws - Oh boy, I’m sure there’s a lot of dumb American people clips out there.
@hollywoodfever91 - they can be enjoyable at times =)
@firetyger - thanks, glad I have him too
@jeannie_dot_com - True, but still that’s some basic knowledge there he should have at least taken better guesses at!
@a_drunken_cellist - Pretty sad conversation there huh?
@lilxwunxnxluv - Don’t worry, he doesn’t have it anymore. Yes!
Wow, he knew less about America than some of my elementary students…in South Korea.
@Roadlesstaken - He’s 12, just starting 7th grade.
Ohh man. I’m the middle child with two brothers, and your post reminds me of a conversation that happened like this.
younger bro: There’s a country called Uk?
older bro: What are you talking about?
younger bro: Go back. (going back to a previous website)
older bro: UNITED KINGDOM!!!
younger bro: …O, I wasn’t thinking
older bro: THAT’S WHY YOU FAILED WORLD HISTORY!!
lol
x_X
LOL. Blame it on the bieber hair. haha
damn. good job alex! u should be proud of yourself also!
wow,. Canada a state?!? MEXICO, i can see where he’s getting that one from, but CANADA?!? nuu wayz. We gotz too much pride for that
But he still has that Bieber haircut. Your next mission is to get him a proper haircut.
Now that he isn’t an idiot anymore I can rofl
@mycontinuity - doesn’t surprise me there
@DrAgoNTorrent_265 - Wait, there’s a country called Uk??? j/k =)
@oxyGENE_08 - It’s one of the many things at fault haha
@pasaway4eva - I’m glad he listens to me!
@ordinary_gir1 - you’re like the third/fourth Canadian Xangan that has been offended by that haha
@beowulf222 - mission accomplished, a month ago!
@Daniella_Aalyiah_Li - Oh he still is, just not that bad =P
@Roadlesstaken - mean!
awww. what are big brothers for anyway.
The reason he believes he’s intelligent now is because although you were exasperated over his failure, he could see that his big brother was genuinely helping him & cared about his academic progress. When kids see how interested mentors are to see them succeed without completely condemning then, they’ll pick themselves up & will want to prove to you that they won’t let you down…I loved reading this story & you’re a greatly dedicated brother which is hard to find!
The little guy’s lucky.
*aww* that’s cuteee ~ I had to coach my brother to do the same… which was hard since our age difference was only a little over a year and he really didn’t think of me as an ‘older’ sibling that could give him instructions.
He’s a cutie! Isn’t it nice that we all grow up eventually. He’s lucky to have you in his life to help him. Congrat’s to him on the good improvement and good grades!
my sister thought “diamond jubilee” was a reference to the Queen’s bosoms… I died laughing lol
your little brother is sooooooooooooooooooo CUTE!
although he was a little..mehhh on academics but at least he’s doing better now!!!
All because of you. Your one smart tutor.
Well, my brother’s in middle school right now and I’m in high school & I had ALMOST the same situation with him. He was starting to get stupid grades and I asked him stuff on that too. He knew the states and capital question, but he didn’t know who George Washington was. Recently, when I went to a store with him and saw People Magazine, (there was Taylor Swift, Obama family, and Brangelina on it) I asked him who the president of US is. He said Obama, and I pointed at the picture and asked who these people were. & He was like ………? Yeah, I wanted to slap myself. This is what happens when all they do is face the computer and CoD. -___-
Awww. You’re a good bro. There’s nothing worse than getting a tap on the noggin for academic failures. I’m sure he’s thankful you came to his rescue. Some of us just need inspiration. ^^
lmao! Too cute. Glad you two have eachother to rely on. And thanks for sharing.
awwwwwwwwwwww this is too cute! well, now that it’s in the past, of course. hehe at least, he’ll have a funny story to tell his future grandchildren…right??
wish I had a big bro like you,
actually I do, but I just don’t put him into use. hahahha
good job though, you’re a good one
you fixed him up great. Don’t forget to remind him that chicks dig intelligent guys.
Your brother is actually pretty cool. =)
Now, I thought the worst sin in an Asian family was getting a B. Anything less than that is unimaginable, isn’t it? Ha ha…
“I am happy to say he is currently getting As and Bs, mostly As, on his classwork”
so you are happy that he is getting BS from someone?
ha ha. adorable.
That’s really nice of you to do, hahaha… and your brother is farkin’ adorable, hahaha.
Name a country that begins with the letter U.
I’ve seen a lot of kids fool adults making them believe they are not knowing something when they really do. Are you sure you didn’t have the wool thrown over your eyes?
The really sad thing is…you had to do this.
I know most teachers are underpaid and unappreciated, but that kind of stuff should never slip through the cracks.
Kudos to you man. Well done.
improvement is always good
I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself from laughing.
I understand that “deadliest sin” in an asian family. I’ve come to think that one wouldn’t be a normal asian if this case wasn’t present. In any case, I’m happy brother is receiving excellent markings.
LOL @ anime style
Wow i live in the same house as my kid brother (im 26, he’s 13) but because of college/work i hardly saw him growing up. my mom worked hard to raise him, he spent a number of years in private schooling. his grades dropping meant… non-perfectness LOL, i’m Bangladeshi, southasian, it’s the same deal man lol but for me i was a straight A student til high school even with all the video games. i hardly tolerate his stupidity b/c asides from having a pair of parents (our rents are divorced) he has everything he needs/wants. so i just drill him, not about content, but about life n stuff, give him a wake up call. it tends to work. if not that then no internet/computer. also being broke kinda helps b/c he knows i can’t fix stuff anymore. so he has to clean the machine out before it dies again. when it dies he has to make his own money or no computer/internet at home.
his grades went up n stuff, but he still sticks to negligence, stupidity and gaming lol it may be a growing pain as he delves deeper into his teenage years. but i wont tolerate that either lol
i guess i should be grateful he didn’t stoop to your brother’s level, no offense LOL but he will still feel like an idiot b/c of peers, speech problems, and other stuff. he doesn’t seem to get despite how young he is he has to live his life, he has to be proactive. video games and computer usage can fit in that, but it can’t be everything. he’s supposed to be ready to conquer the SSHAT, the specialized high school entrance exam, he’s got tutor-age n everythin goin on. i had none of those, just waltzed in and out. so he has a lot to live up to. also our eldest brother is like… the total opposite. so he can see for himself what kind of actions lead to where and that judging by his own reactions, behavior, etc. he is not really preparing himself for the best life, not even socially. he is beginning to see everything is connected and i think that’s also important. some of my friends are married, some are just doing their own thing, but amongst all the Muslim friends they are very friendly, homely, and no matter the age they remain a student. so when he sees this stuff he also gets an idea of what can be up ahead. learning never stops but if you stunt it early you’ll want no part of it later and instead may end up like my utterly jobless older brother.
somehow though… self…introspective… seems to be beyond him lol *shakes head*
lol
@hilaw - To beat up on the little ones! (Was that the answer?)
@tanya_suresh - Thanks for the compliments! Idk, I always just saw it as my duty to make sure he makes it out alright in the world.
@babixling - I guess it helps I’m 9 years older so I have a bit more authority over my little brother
@mz_d0rkabl3 - Wait…isn’t it?? j/k
@donna_salome - I gave him a push. In the end, it was pretty much up to him to put in the work.
@xchinkylaydee - you should ask him who he think is the vice president! I wonder if he’ll know.
@LonerKat - I think at that point even he was annoyed he was failing classes, including gym of all things!
@hyunj09 - He’ll have that and many, many more I believe!
@cookiemonsterrrrrrrrr - Start taking advantage of him!
@cognney - I will certainly remind him that
@Southeast_Beauty - He gets it all from me. ALL. =P
@christao408 - B is frown upon. Anything less than a B is horrid!
@maniacsicko - Getting BS from someone?
@nimbusthedragon - Want me to set you two up? j/k
@identity786 - more and more distractions doesn’t help!
@theHealthRabbit - Ukraine! Hmm, what other countries start with U…
@NightlyDreams - I’m pretty good at telling when he’s trying to joke around, and sadly this was not one of those occasions. I think deep inside he knew the answers, just needed to study up to remember.
@Bricker59 - I was just watching the news and the person was suggesting they need to be paid as much as engineers for what they do. I wonder if that will ever happen in my lifetime? Teachers deserve it.
@Himeki - how would your family punish you if you received a grade less than a B?
eww! Do I really have such a bad rep, lol?
@Roadlesstaken - my parents would start taking away my privileges, but I couldn’t let that happen.
@versatil - Yeah, at such a young age kids don’t really think too much about their future, so it’s good that we’re there to remind them of the importance. You know, it’s awesome how doing better at school has given him a self-confidence boost as well. He’s a much more sociable person now than he was before. Still playing games, but he knows when he gotta stop and do his work.
Wow 13 years difference between you two. You beat me by 4 years!
@nimbusthedragon - hey, us Chan guys are quality!
@Roadlesstaken - I never indicated otherwise. It’s just that whole, pesky I’M NOT A PEDOPHILE thing. Jeez. WHATASHAME
Sadly, there are way too many cases of this stupidity. I’m glad to hear he’s doing better. I think I just made it sound like he had a disease or something.
That’s hilarious.
LOL
@The_League_of_Proper_Musicians - haha kinda, but that’s okay.
nice. u r a good brother! ^^
Don’t blame him too much. The public school system really sucks these days. I had to teach my own children proper grammar, spelling, hand writing, and even some history because the teachers themselves were so weak on those subjects. Your brother is LUCKY he has you to fill in his serious education gaps!
@Ampbreia - To an extent I can’t blame him. When you fail gym though you have to wonder haha
@Roadlesstaken - yah he’s literally half my age for now haha interesting how that ratio will never be the same. i turn 27 in dec, him 14 in jan. so it’ll be my last month of overtaking him by more than 2x. the year after it’ll be my last month as 2x. ah how they grow… and how i dont. LOL
one thing i told him is i remember at the beginning of high school they said the next 4 years would just go by. he was like 1 year old at the time u know. forget the next 4 years, the next 12 years just flew by. and he’s only 13! and I was only 13-14 at that time! crazy.
You’re a great big bro!
Poor guy. Hopefully he was just having a Jessica Simpson moment.
I love the way things work out in “a typical Asian family.”
haha..
thats so nice of you to teach your little brother. my older brother never taught me anything useful…. he only taught me how to play games that my parents would disapprove of. when i ask him for homework help… he would be just as clueless as me even though he already took that course :/
he’s so lucky D:
It was the Bieber hair. It was sucking his IQ points out.
@Roadlesstaken - Lol. Yes, of course. Bossy as she may be, she gets the job of a big sis done. =)
haha nice job helping your brother!
I didn’t have much of a push back then, definitely was a slacker especially towards the end of the semester. -__- lol
haha, bieber hair XD your little brother is cute. he has a very good and wise big brother that’s got his back. i also love how your mom went to you for help. she sounds sweet.
HAHAHHAHAHAH <3 “INDIA”
Reminds me of a time way back when I played a question game on my siblings, I had asked my siblings, who the president of the U.S. was and my little sister blurted out with “Dick Cheney”…I forgot who was in office at that time but it sure wasn’t Mr. Cheney. LOL. I also asked them what the nation’s mascot was and they didn’t even know what the word mascot was. Unforgettable memories I tell you.
Haha your brother sounds like a funny kid. I’m glad he is doing better in school now! I am sure he probably keeps you on your toes!
@ItIsAllGravy - He had it for a while. Still occasionally pops in here and there haha
@Mizlilaznduckie - how much older is he than you?
@Mangonese - I think you might be on to something!
@H0Eass - Hey at least you turn out okay…right?
@wyrdkismet - I think because she knew my dad and her couldn’t help my brother out academically, so I needed to fill that role
@imgoingto____FLY_x - I have noooo idea why, of all things, he said that first.
@HeartLUST - Well, I suppose Dick Chaney would be a bit closer to the right answer than some other guesses!
@AmyC0987 - I’m starting to not have to worry about him. I just need to remind him that he should continue pushing himself, not try to settle for less.
Haha. Most awesome kid ever is what he is.
You think maybe he was trying to fit in with the kids who thought it was funny to answer questions wrong?
@Roadlesstaken - I doubt it.
For some reason, I didn’t find this funny. But you clarified somewhere that he doesn’t concentrate much on his studies, so thank goodness. (I thought the public education system had gone to the dogs!)
Anyway, as many people have said before, he’s lucky to have a brother like you.
oh younger siblings. How sometimes you really want to beat them to a bloody pulp. >_> I’ve had to go through similar problems with my younger brother. We’re still struggling but we’re doing much better. In my family there is no room for failure. Absolutely none! I was the oldest and I set the bar. The next one after me is ranked 9 out of 500 kids in his graduating class this year but he’s quickly climbing the ranks. My youngest sister (4th kid) takes after me in school work, though common sense needs some work. So you’d think the third one would be kicking butt too but he just doesn’t seem to care. So we have to drag him through his school work, kicking and screaming. He’s got it in his head that since his older brother has it so easy then he’s stupid in comparison. He doesn’t get that most people on this planet are stupid in comparison to him. (he’s in the top 2% of the planet…when it comes to his IQ) I understand his discouragement. Oh well…one more year of dragging him through and then we’ll have college to tackle. >_<
@johnny_hopkins - one day, he’ll be the most awesome person ever, like me! Right, right?
@the_rocking_of_socks - He does that sometimes, but I generally know when he’s joking or not. He was not joking then.
@christykim - So you found it more sad than anything? Yeah, don’t blame you at all haha
@ALovingAdversary - Gotta love family pressure! If you had to choose, would you rather not be the oldest? I probably wouldn’t change it.
@Roadlesstaken - I wouldn’t change it. Though it gets tough sometimes.
@Roadlesstaken - my brothers four years older than me, but sometimes its like hes a younger brother just because of the way he acts.
@Roadlesstaken - Of course not, Sir Chan. Like me is what he’ll be. I just accidentally rhymed. That alone solidifies my awesomeness.
awwwwwwwwwwww he is so adorable XD
i would have laughed at his answers though no offence
aww he is lucky to have an awesome big bro.
@itsayanav - It’s alright, I would laugh too if it wasn’t so sad he didn’t know haha
How do you motivate your brother? Do you have any secret techniques? threats? explanations of how the world works? I have a sister who’s been in college for 8 years and two days ago, I overheard her tell Mom,”yay, tomorrow’s Sunday. I get to lay in bed ALL day!” And that is literally what she did, except she did watch some tv and fixed her own meals.
@Roadlesstaken - no comment. bahaha
Wooh! Go big brother Alex!!
Not gonna lie though. I fell off my chair laughing reading that convo…