by So I had totally forgotten these question of the day montly things by spiffikins at https://spiffikins.dreamwidth.org/1251745.html that I was in the habit of posting my answers to last year *headdesk*
This set I was supposed to post last October! Better late than never…? … yah.
October
1. What Rites of Passage Have You Participated In?
I count going to a vocational or business school or some such or university after the basic education and getting a degree to be one, so that’s sure one, twice!
I can’t think of other ones.
2. Will Humans Live on Mars In Our Lifetime?
Within my lifetime (I’m 50)? Nope.
3. Do/Did You Ever Hang Out at the Mall?
Nope. My friends and I always conducted our business and then went somewhere more quiet and/or interesting.
4. Do You Unknowingly Submit to Peer Pressure?
Yes.
5. Is Breakfast Really the Most Important Meal of the Day?
Health authorities say it is, but I’m not convinced… I’ve always had problems eating in the morning; I’m just not hungry and have no appetite before midday.
6. What Public Behavior Annoys You Most?
Screaming infants or people watching videos on loud speakers on their phones/talking via loud speakers on their phones in the bus. It’s a toss up which annoys me the most at any given day.
7. What Superpower Do You Wish You Had?
Zap from one place to another in an blink of an eye at my will.
8. What’s Special About Your Hometown?
It is the oldest town in Finland! The founding year of Turku is considered to be 1229 when the bishopric/episcopal seat for Finland was created in Turku. The community grew into a town in the decades following, and was officially made a town in 1280-1290 or so. I think it’s cool living in a town so old!
9. How Materialistic Are You?
I’m quite materialistic in many senses, maybe not in all the most common ones though. I’m poor and have been my entire adult life except for a few stretches of longer contract temp work, so I have personal experience on how important money is, and even more importantly, how the lack of money narrows possibilities and choices you have in regards to literally everything. Not to mention the chronic stress and worry lack of money causes.
So I’m quite materialistic in the sense that I know and experience that buying things you want, or need, actually can make you happy, at least up to a certain point. But I have zero interest in owning designer clothing or bags or anything; I just want to have enough money to buy everything I need when I need it and be able to save some money for later needs.
No matter what anyone says about money not making happiness. That’s complete and utter bullshit.
10. Should the Private Lives of Famous People Be Off Limits?
I don’t care. I don’t read gossip magazines and I’m not interested in celeb’s private lives. I guess maybe it depends on why they are famous? Did they seek fame and continously participate in things keep them in the news? Or did it come as a byproduct of what they did, maybe because they’re very good at it? In any case, I think the person’s people in their life should be left alone completely, whether that’s their children, spouses, family members etc. – unless those relations seek publicity themselves.
11. What Are Your Opinions on Cosmetic Surgery?
I’m all for reconstructive cosmetic surgery such as cleft lip or breast cancer related cosmetic surgery, or surgery that fixes problems that causes pain or impairs normal function such as breast reduction.
But if it’s done purely for appearance reasons for fun, that I don’t support.
12. What Habits Do You Have, and Have You Ever Tried to Change Them?
I have a habit that I don’t drink coffee which is very much not understood here in Finland! I think it tastes awful. I have tried to get myself used to it, but it just doesn’t take, so I’m resigned to the fact that I have to keep turnig down coffee (and tea! I don’t drink tea either) and ask for water or juice in every event ever for the whole of my life. Two decades ago, there often was never anything but coffee and tea on offer, and the host would have to go fetch water/juice specially. But nowadays, usually there’s one or the other or soft drinks on offer in addition to coffee or tea!
13. Does Keeping a Messy Desk Make People More Creative?
I donno! I used to have what looked like a very messy desk to outsiders but I actually knew exactly where each paper was and there was only about an A3 sized free space on my desk at any given time. I was very creative at that time, and had no problems whatsoever with my school work or anything.
But in about my early 40s, the piles of stuff on my desk started to bother me. I really like a very clean desk now, ideally it’d be always so but realities of things I need easy access – to because I use them every day or every other day – being what they are, and my own nature which finds it very frustrating to be putting away and taking out every day the very same things, I’ve ended up with mostly a clean, tidy desk but with a handul of things that live on it because I get mad if I have physically put it in every evening and then take it out again every morning. And there’s one tiny pile of watercolors and water color papers, too. So now mostly tidy, with a little bit of chaos! It works pretty well, I find.
14. Does Reading a Book Count More Than Listening to One?
Yes, to me it does. It’s a completely different experience, and I’ve never liked listening – not radio, not books. But it’s still better than not reading at all.
15. Are You a Novelty-Seeker?
If I had the money, I’d be trying out new tech things all the time but other than that, nope, not really.
16. How Strong Is Your Sense of Smell?
I donno. Never really thought about it. It’s never been a problem, at least.
17. Are There Topics That Should Be Off Limits to Comedy?
Recent tragedies.
Serious illness POVs that the comedian hasn’t experienced themselves.
18. What Animal Are You Most Like?
Donno. Don’t care.
19. What Magazines Do You Read, and How Do You Read Them?
Regularly only Yhteishyvä and Pirkka – the free-to-members magazines published by the two grocery store chains here. Always paper magazines, but they also have websites and I search those for previously published baking recipes often.
Some random Science/Computer/Homemaker etc. magazines when given as a freebie when they happen my way. Mostly paper magazines, sometimes a digital version. Depends on the freebie.
I don’t subscribe to any pay magazines. Sometimes I request a subscription as a birthday gift or something. The last several times it’s been a newspaper I’ve requested. rather than a magazine.
Sometimes I also borrow magazines from the library, but not regularly.
20. Would You Like to Live in Another Country?
Not really. It’d be too difficult and too much of a mess and probably not even possible because I can’t work and so I can’t support myself. And there are my serious chronic illnesses and my other lesser ailments that’d I’d have to figure out to get on-going treatment and regular check-ups for in the new country. Way too difficult in my situation, and impossible considering my current situation.
21. What’s the Coolest Thing You’ve Ever Seen in a Museum?
Natural History Museum in London: the gigantic dinosaur skeleton that we saw there in 1998.
Also, when I was about 8 years old or there abouts, we went on a holiday to Moscow. I don’t have a clear memory of the trip, but I remember this one exhibition in a museum – it was of the 1812 war between Napolean and Russia. A scene of a Napoleonic battlefield had been built into a round room, where the stairs came up in the middle of the round room and you were surrounded by the scene. At the front were mannequins dressed as soldiers, statues of horses, riders, sand, grass, dying solders etc. and an entire battlefield had been painted on the wall at the back and you couldn’t tell where the physical scene turned into a painting. You were in the middle of the round room, surrounded by the battlefield and you felt like you were actually there in the middle of it. That was very cool and the first time I realized how interesting a museum could be! I’ve no idea what museum that was, I asked later and Mom doesn’t remember the thing at all.
Also in that 1998 trip to Natural History Museum in London, they had many scenes of prehistoric life using that same technique – physical at the front, painting at the back and you couldn’t tell where one ended and the other started. Very cool!
22. Are You a Good Listener?
Yes.
23. Do We Still Need Libraries?
We’ll always need libraries.
24. How Do You Celebrate Your Birthday?
Just by having my Mom and her SO over for a coffee, cake and hot sandwiches, or a fruit salad or whatever I think up. I don’t like parties, and prefer to have one or two persons over at a time. We’re not fussy about the day anymore, either! Like for my 50th, the actual day was Friday but we decided to do it on the following Sunday.
25. When Have You Failed? What Did You Learn From It?
I feel like I’ve sort of failed at life, if judged by typical norms. I don’t have a job, I’m poor, I’m chronically ill and haven’t been able take full control of my symptoms like a “good dutiful worker bee”.
Patience. That’s what I’ve learned. And to find meaning in other things than being gainfully employed.
26. What Activities Make You Feel Most Alive?
Dunno about alive… I don’t ever feel too terribly alive, I’m too fatigued for that. I guess being creative brings me the closest, especially painting.
27. Where, and How, Do You Watch Movies?
Home, at my couch, on my laptop.
28. What Is Your Favorite Street?
… do people have a favorite street..? I sure don’t.
29. When Do You Remember Learning a New Word?
Between English being my 3rd language and medical stuff, I learn a new word every week, most weeks! Sometimes everyday! I like it!
30. Is Amazon Becoming Too Powerful?
Becoming? It’s already been too powerful for far too long!
31. Will You Be Wearing a Halloween Costume This Year?
Nothing. I don’t do Halloween and it’s not a native thing to Finland, so I do absolutely nothing.
