a weird tag...

Actually I'd seen this "5 weird things meme" on some other blogs, and had idly wondered how I would respond...

... after all...

You Are 40% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

... well, thanx to SnglGuy who tagged me recently, I'm getting a chance to actually provide examples of my weirdness....

So, after quite a bit of introspection, here are 5 weird things about myself:

1. When I get hooked on something, i REALLY get hooked on something!
   ...Some might even say obsessed...
   A good example is my discovering a book/author like Michael Connely, then going on to devour every book he's ever produced, from the beginning, in chronological order. Another example would be Piers Anthony's Xanth series. And sudoku. And in tv-land? Babylon 5, definitely! Oh, and Angel (reading the episode guides for the entire 5 seasons cos I just *had* to know what was going to happen!?). And to a lesser extent, Buffy the Vampire Slayer too, but that's just because I wanted to see the series that had spawned Angel. Really! :p And how about playing The Sims, Sim City, euchre / canasta / spades / gin / etc on Yahoo!Games for hours on end, sometimes heading for work without having slept a wink all night? And the feeling of immense satisfaction at finally getting my Sim (Ken Coniff) to Superstar status? Oh, I could go on...
   
   
2. I actually practice "safety first", it's more than just a stupid slogan to me.
   Examples:
   • If there is a pedestrian bridge, I will use that instead of jaywalking, even if there are no vehicles on the road (after all, a car or motorcycle could pull out of nowhere and run you down! And the fact that there *is* a pedestrian bridge indicates a jaywalker-unfriendly area!).
     
   • Similarly, if I *do* jaywalk, I cross in a straight line, following the shortest route across the road, unlike so many who cross diagonally so that when they get to the other side, they are that bit "closer" to their destination (my immediate focus is to cross the road first, in as little time as possible - to reduce "exposure" to the road & traffic).
     
   • I put the seat belt on as soon as I sit in a car (it's still a struggle to remember when I'm in the back seat, tho), and will not allow my passenger to go without strapping in either (after all, you can have fatal crashes thru windscreens at speeds as low as 20mph!).
   Plenty more examples, couldn't be bothered to list them down. Are you wondering why I am so anal about this? Well, I believe that there are so many events that happen that are beyond our control, so the little control we do have over things like our own safety, we should exercise such control diligently. Then, if something were to happen, we can then make attributions to luck, fate, God, etc. Otherwise, well, most of the time, we're usually partly to blame, eh?
   
   
3. I am perfectly happy to go for days on end without human contact.
   No need for tv or 'puter either. Curling up with a good book is great. Or just letting my mind wander, or focus on a topic and exploring my thoughts on that subject. Writing down my thoughts - or free writing. I think too many people surround themselves with noise and clutter and other people, maybe because they don't want to be alone with their thoughts? Me, I welcome the alone time :-)
   
   
4. I walk around oblivious to my surroundings
   Oh no worries, if I am in a place like a parking lot hading towards/from my car, then I *am* paying attention to things around me. But if I am just heading somewhere usual, and am thinking about stuff, chances are I won't see/hear anyone calling out to me unless they step right in front of me, or tap me on the shoulder or something. And even then, it will take me a few seconds to recognise them, cos I'd actually need to get my eyes re-focused on them instead of "out there." I've actually had people get mad at me cos I'd seem to be looking right at them when actually I'm looking THROUGH them focusing on nothing in particular. I think this habit got developed early in my life, where I resolutely ignored cat-calls and mouse-squeaks by firiggin youth with nothing better to do than friggin pick on me cos I friggin looked different than the usual friggin Malay(sian).
   
   
5. I write extremely effective complaint letters
   The key is the intent (or niat, if you will). My letters, while sometimes strongly-worded, are still worded in such a way that they provide feedback for improvement, not as a means to vent my frustration. I believe most people don't get anywhere because they are emotional, incoherent and offensive when lodging complaints. And how can I claim that they are effective? I can only recall two cases where I've not received a response: one a producer of a local Malay(sian) traditional medicine who maybe just didn't see the point I was making; and two the friggin oinker lawyers I vented about in April/May last year. Apart from that, I've always received a response, usually profusely apologetic and appreciative of my feedback. And the bonus? "Tokens of appreciation" like a free Hard Rock Cafe @ Universal Studios t-shirt, RM40 meal vouchers from Nando's, RM60 petrol/gas vouchers from ExxonMobil, a pewter desk clock from my bank, and others.

I'm sure there are plenty more examples, but they are just not wanting to be shared wth the world right now. Or, in the case of attempting to describe my sense of humor - no way to do it justice in one paragraph!

And now.... hmmmmmmm..... who to tag, who to tag...... well, I think I won't tag anyone specific, just ALL MY READERS! muaahaahaahaha!

Kidding.

Anyone of my readers who do wanna take a crack at it, knock yourself out, then drop a link in the comments section, k?

And thanx again SnglGuy for the tag - it was fun :-)