she said you're smart but in a stupid way

i was never known as a stupid kid. overly shy, socially awkward maybe, but never stupid. i always got good grades, was always one of the kids who cheated by giving answers not taking, and i was known for this stuff. so it's a constant surprise when people who claim to know me as smart make remarks that could only mean that they see me as really really stupid.

for example, when shopping online, my mom felt the need to explain to me that a tunic is just a long shirt. you know, so i wouldnt think i was buying medieval clothing.

my uncle's wife was showing me something in a magazine. it said the word neighbor in arabic which she thought that she had to translate for me because there is no way that i would know what it meant with my limited knowledge of over 12 years studying arabic. then to make things worse, she went on to explain to me that a neighbor is a person who lives next to you. i mean, really?? i had no idea.

my cousin thought she had to explain what manageesh (flat bread with cheese or zaatar or something else on it) are to me and my sister. i've spent every summer of my life coming to saudi arabia. i lived here for three years. throughout that time, i have eaten manageesh a countless number of times. i think

i know what it is.

my other cousin thought i wouldnt know who amr diab was. you dont even have to be arab to know that.

my mom didnt think i would enjoy reading something because it had "big words" in it. umm... my vocabulary expanded beyond the three-letter words years ago.

there's plenty more examples, but those are the most recent.

on a different note, i went to google today and for some reason thought it had something to do with beauty and the beast. i got excited. it didnt. the 400th anniversary of gallileo's telescope could not have been any more of a letdown.

*Smart in a Stupid Way - Steven Strait