Tag: memories

I have been studying Japanese for a few years now. Haven’t had too much progress. The rate of acquiring new kanji 漢字 and vocabulary is low, but the progress is steady and I’m slowly learning more. Meanwhile, I have a friend who got really good at Chinese, even got his master’s degree at it. I’m impressed he got so well into this totally different culture and language. So last week, to renew our bonds, we had a Chinese night out with him and another friend.

We had some food and beer at a Chinese restaurant that he is working for. Surprisingly, another of my old acquaintances was working there as a waitress. It kinda made me feel sad and nostalgic, that I’ve hung around with like a 1000 different people in the past, and now I don’t even remember their names anymore.

My half Chinese friend told us some stuff about Chinese culture – explained that the way you know someone is a real Chinese person is that they are spitting, farting and burping loudly in public. He added jokingly that this was exactly why he got into Chinese culture – because he felt that you should be able to do these things freely.

To finish off the meal, we had some shots of Chinese rice vodka. The guys warned me it would be horrible but I thought it was nothing too bad, so we continued the evening by going to a bar in town that actually specialized in that Chinese rice liquor and got some more shots of it there. I initially thought it was weird we have enough money in our small town that a bar as specific as that can function, but the place was actually extremely nice so I ended up getting why it can stay in business.

Finally we went to my place, it was sort of my house warming event for them since I moved a few months back. On the way, the half Chinese guy farted loudly, which confirmed that he is a real half Chinese person.

My whole life revolves around video games, so of course when we arrived here I instantly whipped out some controllers and put on Puyo Puyo Tetris. That game is a sort of a tradition for me, every time someone comes over I gotta play it with them. I win every time and feel ashamed that I put them through that, but traditions must be continued.

I felt like the half Chinese guy was not all that impressed with my videogameyness, but the other guy kinda saw the appeal in it. Overall it made me rethink my life for a moment – should my whole identity consist only of games or should I rather do something else with my time? But that thought faded soon.

I think that the best format to write blog posts is to end it with a surprise, a punch line. Otherwise it ends up feeling like the ending is abrupt, the post unfinished. But I didn’t manage it this time. So therefore, to make this more of an educational article than an entertaining one, I’ll give you, the reader, some more insight into Chinese culture – here is an illustrative picture of the booze mentioned before:

Years fly by so fast. The past gets forgotten. But the thoughts and actions of those times – which might be gone from your memories – will keep holding an effect on you, on all around you, regardless if you are aware of it or not. So, in order to widen my awareness of reality and reconnect with my past self, I am once again reviewing an old blog post from my old blog, from almost the same date as today, but from 17 years ago.

In the following, bold text will be kept as it was in the original post, but items that have changed since then will be in italic.

1. Copy and Paste into your blog
2. BOLD anything true
3. Leave plain anything untrue

75 Questions

001. I miss somebody right now.
002. I watch more tv than I used to.
003. I love olives.
004. I love sleeping.
005. I own lots of books.
006. I wear glasses or contact lenses.
007. I like to play video games.
008. I’ve tried marijuana.
009. I’ve watched a porn movie
010. I have been in a threesome.
011. I have been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.
012. I believe honesty is the best policy.
013. I have acne free skin.
014. I like and respect Michael Jackson.
015. I curse frequently.
016. I have changed a lot mentally over the last year.
017. I have a hobby.
018. I’ve been told I have a nice butt.
019. I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.
020. I’ve never broken anyone else’s bones.
022. I have a secret that I am ashamed to reveal.
023. I love rain.
024. I’m paranoid at times.
025. I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost, and scar-free.
026. I need money right now.
027. I love sushi.
028. I talk really, really fast sometimes.
029. I have fresh breath when i wake up.
030. I have semi-long hair.
031. I have lost money at a casino.
032. I have at least one brother and/or sister.
033. I was born in a country outside Australia.
034. I shave my legs.
035. I have a twin.
037. I couldn’t survive without Caller I.D.
038. I like the way I look.
039. I have lied to a good friend in the past 6 months.
040. I know how to do cornrows.
041. I am usually pessimistic.
042. I have mood swings.
043. I think prostitution should be legalized.
044. I think Britney Spears is pretty/hot.
045. I have cheated on a significant other.
046. I have a hidden talent.
047. I’m always hyper no matter how much sugar I have. (Almost anyway)
048. I think that I’m popular.
049. I am currently single.
050. I have kissed someone of the same sex.
052. I practically live in sweatpants or PJ pants.
053. I love to shop.
054. I would rather shop than eat.
055. I would classify myself as ghetto.
056. I’m bourgie and have worn a sweater tied around my shoulders.
057. I’m obsessed with my blog!
058. I don’t hate anyone.
059. I’m a pretty good dancer.
060. I don’t think Mike Tyson raped Desiree Washington
061. I’m completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.
062. I have a mobile phone.
063. I watch MTV on a daily basis.
065. I have passed out drunk in the past 6 months.
067. I have never been in a real relationship before.
068. I’ve rejected someone before.
069. I currently have a crush on someone.
070. I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life.
071. I want to have children in the future.
072. I have changed a diaper before.
073. I’ve had the cops called on me before.
074. I bite my nails.
075. I’m not allergic to anything deadly.

The age of the Internet is weird. So much stuff that you do leaves a permanent mark on some server somewhere. And then someone will make a Youtube video about it. Which will make it even more permanent. At least that’s what happened to me.

The video was about my video game character. I am a star now. He tried to copy my build and kinda failed at it.

My previous bit of permanent Internet fame was when I got a high result in a Magic the Gathering tournament. It will forever show up when you google for me.

I hope I will live long enough to find more weird bits of success like that.

I just remembered how I arm wrestled some average girl at a music festival 10+ years ago and lost. Since then I’ve gained 40 pounds and went to the gym a bit. I wonder if we had a rematch now, would I win?

I really love books. You can find some amazing ideas reading them. Some of those ideas will completely change your whole being, leave an impact until you die. But let’s face it, a lot of books, especially non-fiction ones, could easily present all of their ideas with way less text, maybe as a blog post or an article.

I just remembered a funny thing that happened to me recently. And while I was thinking about it, I realized I could use the strategy that actual writers use, and extend that small memory with a bunch of filler text until it becomes literature. And that is precisely what you are reading at the moment.

So. Most of us have had this happen. You go to a shop, buy cigarettes or a beer and the cashier asks for your ID. Even though you are like 35. I understand that, better safe than sorry. Also, nowadays people wear masks so it is even harder to be sure of who you are dealing with. I also wear glasses and I love to wear a hood, which cover my natural looks even more.

Those kinds of misjudgments due to covered heads and faces can get even weirder. Recently, I was walking down the street, wearing my long winter coat with the hood on. And some guy basically catcalled me in Russian. He then walked up to me, said like “Oh. Not a girl.”, and left. I found the whole encounter funny. Did that dude think that girls normally are 190cm (6’3″) tall? I guess it might have ended up not being funny had I been an actual girl. So I feel sorry for women who have to go through that shit on a regular basis.