If these were my (hypothetical) kids, I'd have no problem answering those kinds of things, but I was never too sure how to answer other people's kids.

You're me in that regard. Because parents may have so many different reactions, every answer may upset some - I don't think there is a right one answer to give.

Because parents may have so many different reactions, every answer may upset some - I don't think there is a right one answer to give.

There was one counselor who'd answer that sort of stuff, when the questions just wouldn't end, with, "Because that's the way HaShem made it." But her group was religious kids. Some of the bunks had non-Jewish kids, so that answer wouldn't go over too well with them.

There was one counselor who'd answer that sort of stuff with, "Because that's the way HaShem made it." But her group was religious kids.

I have a big problem with that sort of answer-that-doesn't-answer-anything.

I have a big problem with that sort of answer-that-doesn't-answer-anything.

Yeah. That one was usually reserved for when the kid had been asking questions in response to every answer for ten minutes on end.

There was a commercial here several months ago that had a kid asking 'why?' over and over again all throughout it - as realistic as it is, I don't think the commercial actually intended to make people as annoyed as it turned out to.

[Edit: each time I have to write something in English for work (an abstract to a conference poster, this time) I lose every aspect of English I have for anything else. I have no idea if the sentence above is clear or not. Maybe I lose my judgement, then. Or both.]

Your English is fine Nilly, I don't know why you're so paranoid about it -- you lose track of the odd verb or noun, but everyone here understands you, I'm sure.

Thanks for your good wishes too. Pictures soon.

Thanks, John. Whenever I lose my confidence in it, it means I have to write something in English for work and I have to construct the sentences so carefully, and they're being corrected and re-corrected so many dozens of times, that I have no sentences-construction or words-understanding abilities left.

The funny thing is, everybody here comes to me for proofreading whatever they have to write in English.

you lose track of the odd verb or noun

Now I'm imagining myself running around in the streets, chasing a bad-behaving word, demanding it returned to its proper place in the sentence, and the word, with little feet and arms and head, flees from me and doesn't want to look back. I think it wins, too, because I'm terribly out of shape.

Pictures! Yay!

I <heart> Nilly. That is all.

Now I'm imagining myself running around in the streets, chasing a bad-behaving word, demanding it returned to its proper place in the sentence, and the word, with little feet and arms and head, flees from me and doesn't want to look back.

There's a great Woody Allen short story which ends with the hero trapped in a Spanish dictionary, being chased by a hairy, many-legged intransitive verb. (He thought he was jumping into Madame Bovary; he'd been having an affair with Emma).

Again: congratulations John and Mrs. John. Or should that be Thuy and Mr. Thuy? Anyway: all the very best, and I'm looking forward to the pictures too!

Your English is often very elegant, Nilly! (And when it isn't, it's clear that there's somebody very intelligent trying to make sense out of a very tough language.)