Who exactly are you?

As part of the exercise for a course, we were paired up and one person was supposed to be asking questions. The "Askers" were pulled out of the room by the course instructor for briefing. When they returned, the course instructor set the games rule, one of which was to play to the spirit of the exercise and try to answer the questions going to be posed to us "askees" (simple I thought...), and the second, you cant answer the question with the same answer (or paraphrased).

My "asker" came back, leisurely with a cup of tea, and we settled to a corner of the room and started the exercise.

"Ok..who are you?"he started asking

I assumed that it was the opening question, so I replied matter of factly "I am Pauline"

"Ok..so your name is Pauline..So who are you?"

A small question mark kinda floated out of my head "Er..I am my mum's daughter?"

"Yeah..who exactly are you?"

"I am a girl?!"

"Yeah I can see that! But then who are you?"

And I rolled my eyes,wondering what kind of question technique was that supposed to be.

And it went on and on. The answers I threw out ranged from where I lived, my relations to people I know, what I like, what I dont like, re-asserting my validity as a human being and not someone from other space..blah blah...but the question never changed.

Until I was rolling my eyes and my "Asker" became fearful of his safety in case a punch fly his way. Yet I was quite boliao to have stuck by the game rule come to think of it..cos I continued to asnwer the question.

Suddenly at one juncture, I couldn't think of anything having pluck all worldly associations from my body. Thinking hard, I answered.."Actually I am quite confused.."

I am confused over who exactly I am. Having used all association, I am not exactly sure what am I other than how I exist in relation/relative to other things/persons.

It was getting a bit scary to have suddenly be confused about your own identity. Thankfully the exercise ended within a min or two after that juncture.

Anyway,the exercise was supposed to exemplify the purpose of deeper questioning instead of glossing over initial answers superficially. And somehow I think I will remember this exercise for reminding me to go for a more indepth search for my core.