Ike Sreeskandarajah

My dad and my friend Buskus started laughing so hard they were wiping tears from their eyes. The rest of the class seemed confused why their teacher was misidentifying a new South Asian student as being from Central America. It was very funny, especially for those of us who have to field a lot of those where are you from originally types of questions.

My dad and my friend Buskus started laughing so hard they were wiping tears from their eyes. The rest of the class seemed confused why their teacher was misidentifying a new South Asian student as being from Central America. It was very funny, especially for those of us who have to field a lot of those where are you from originally types of questions.

Anyone carefully observing my dad might notice he has a tell. Quick eyebrow raise and a big grin. I have the same tell, and people close to me know it. But apparently, that doesn't make it any less frustrating to live with. Early in our relationship, my now-wife Emma told me it was driving her crazy.

Anyone carefully observing my dad might notice he has a tell. Quick eyebrow raise and a big grin. I have the same tell, and people close to me know it. But apparently, that doesn't make it any less frustrating to live with. Early in our relationship, my now-wife Emma told me it was driving her crazy.

She didn't want to look over her shoulder to check for my tell or second-guess everything I was telling her. Like, do you really want to go to an info session on a timeshare in Juarez? Or, What do you mean the president says he will raise the black flag of ISIS over the White House? She told me to stop.

She didn't want to look over her shoulder to check for my tell or second-guess everything I was telling her. Like, do you really want to go to an info session on a timeshare in Juarez? Or, What do you mean the president says he will raise the black flag of ISIS over the White House? She told me to stop.

Neither of us remember the exact lie that drove her over the top, but she remembers the feeling very clearly.

Neither of us remember the exact lie that drove her over the top, but she remembers the feeling very clearly.

Emma compared it to this thing I did when I was 26 and had just moved into my own apartment. When I used to use my kitchen drawers for non-kitchen items. Which is not exactly a lie, but felt like waking up on the set of a surrealist play.

Emma compared it to this thing I did when I was 26 and had just moved into my own apartment. When I used to use my kitchen drawers for non-kitchen items. Which is not exactly a lie, but felt like waking up on the set of a surrealist play.

Emma didn't want to live in Wonderland. It's too crazy. Too hard to find the forks. If we were going to make plans together for the rest of our lives, she wanted straight answers. So I stopped lying to her. For years, I packed this part of me away and the dresser I ended up buying for my underwear. But now we have two kids and I've brought lying back into our house, especially with our oldest.

Emma didn't want to live in Wonderland. It's too crazy. Too hard to find the forks. If we were going to make plans together for the rest of our lives, she wanted straight answers. So I stopped lying to her. For years, I packed this part of me away and the dresser I ended up buying for my underwear. But now we have two kids and I've brought lying back into our house, especially with our oldest.

Leroy gets it. So far, he hasn't asked me to stop yet. Maybe you would like to try this in your own house. In fact, maybe it's a valuable lesson for your kids. Trains them to determine fact from fiction. It seems useful in our world.

Leroy gets it. So far, he hasn't asked me to stop yet. Maybe you would like to try this in your own house. In fact, maybe it's a valuable lesson for your kids. Trains them to determine fact from fiction. It seems useful in our world.