glumshoe:

noldork:

glumshoe:

I had a really amazing interaction a couple of hours ago. A little boy wandered over to me, wearing a shirt that I recognized from the drawing I did of Dipper Pines as a teenager: ‘Never Trust An Atom – They Make Up Everything!’ 

We talked for a few minutes about the difference between archaeology and paleontology. I taught him the word “coprolite”, and said that it was a way for scientists to talk about fossilized poop without laughing. Then he turned to me and asked, “Have you ever seen a girl with stuff all over her head?”
“You mean fabric?” I asked. “Like a hijab?”
“YES!” he said. “How did you know?”
“I know many hijabis,” I said. “I lived in Morocco for six months a few years ago. Lots of women wear them there, and I see many visitors wearing them here every day.”
“You do?! If you see one, let me know! I have something I want to say to a girl in a hijab.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, bracing myself for the possibility of an uncomfortable conversation about bigotry. 
The boy beamed. “As-salāmu ʿalaykum!“ 
I felt my shoulders relax. “Waʿalaykumu as-salām,” I said.

Apparently a boy in his class spoke Arabic, and this kid was fascinated by the language. We traded vocabulary and I told him a couple of funny stories about my translation failures while I was studying abroad. When his mother called him back, he stood up, held out his tiny hand, and shook mine politely. “It was very nice to meet you!” 

Half an hour later, I saw him again. He ran over to me and announced that he wanted to show me something. He then burst into song and serenaded me with a tuneless-but-adorable song in Arabic. His mother apologized for “annoying me” but I assured her that it was the highlight of my day.

how does ship attract wholesome children

Well, I interact with a lot of kids. Some are bound to be delights, while others… others punch me in the crotch without warning or provocation.