of my life at the moment. Speaking of babysitting, though, Kennedy and I went to see that claymation pirate movie this morning. I remembered Anna Beth talking about it, but I couldn’t remember why until I heard one of the characters and realized it was Martin Freeman! Hugh Grant was also in it (it took me until the credits to figure that one out), and DAVID TENNANT! I was sooooo excited when I heard his voice coming from Charles Darwin! The actors pretty much made the movie for me, though the plot and stuff was actually pretty entertaining. I don’t usually like watching claymation stuff, but this one was really funny. So… now that I’ve exhausted that riveting topic… time for Question Tuesday!
Jill:
What seemingly mundane activity do you find incredibly relaxing or
exhilarating?
Well, one thing I really like is just typing. Not even the part where I come up with the words to type (that generally just lengthens the whole process and means there’s a lot of time when I’m just thinking). I actually like having something in front of me just to type out. Like, just now, I typed out your questions instead of copy-pasting them, just because I wanted to.
This question also makes me think back to AP Bio senior year when we talked about the basics of organic chemistry. I don’t remember exactly what we were doing, but Sanaa and I were doing a worksheet where we drew simple carbon chains or something from chemical formulas, and I remember us talking about how relaxing it was, just to sit there and do organic chemistry. Do you remember that, Sanaa? Of course, this was just very basic organic chemistry- I doubt we would have found it relaxing anymore if we’d gotten more in-depth in
the subject :P
Do you have any irrational fears?
Well, sure. Humans in general are not, in my opinion, very rational creatures. So I’d say you’d have a hard time finding anyone without some kind of irrational fear. For example, I got sick after I went to see the first Harry Potter movie with my family, so for awhile I was afraid that the movie, or the series, or something had caused me to get sick. Obviously I got over that, but I think it’s really funny to go back and think about all the misconceptions I had when I was little.
As far as a lasting irrational fear… I know I have some... but because you asked me this question I can’t think of any :/
When you see the word“home” what is the first image to come to mind?
This is hard to answer. When I read the question, the first thing I thought of was my room… because that’s where I was… I was going to try again later, but every time I look at this question I’m in my room. So, sorry. Nothing poignant or profound is coming to mind.
What would you want your patronus to be (Has someone already asked that
question?)
I don’t think I’ve been asked this question yet. Wasn’t I just saying recently that I hoped there’d be a quiz on this in Pottermore once it got to Prisoner of Azkaban?
Anyway, I think I’d want a cat. Umbridge may have had a cat patronus, which
doesn’t exactly make me want to have anything remotely associated with her, but McGonagall also did, so I think it balances out nicely. Plus I love kitties, so how could such a patronus do me wrong? :)
Should modern people apologize for the crimes committed in the past?
I don’t think so. It seems pretty ridiculous to me that people who had nothing to do with a crime, didn’t even exist when it was committed, and are only associated with said transgression by their relation to the culprits, would have any reason to apologize for the actions of their ancestors. Sure, we should recognize that whatever happened was wrong, and we should actively seek to prevent anything similar from happening again, but how would an apology have any meaning coming from people who are completely innocent of the offense to
individuals who are likewise detached from the situation?
Not including your house, what is your favorite place in our city?
Ummmmmmmmm. Campus?
What’s the strangest thing you believed as a child?
Bah! Once again, I know I thought a lot of strange things when I was little, but just because you asked nothing is coming to mind. It’s so irritating when this happens!
Why is silence often considered awkward?
I feel like part of it is related to people always having to be doing something. Like, no one seems to want to just sit and think anymore. So if there are other people around, they feel like they should be talking to them. And if the conversation falls into a lull, they feel like they have to fill it with something, no matter how pointless or repetitive, just to have something to
say. I also feel like that’s one way to tell when you’re really comfortable around a person: when a group of people can just sit in non-awkward silence together without feeling pressured to fill the void.
How different do you think life would be if clocks had never been invented? (or would it be different?)
Well, without clocks, we may have come up with a different way of telling time- like hourglasses or something- but I feel like things would be a lot more relaxed and less rushed than present-day life is. I mean, the main support of so many people’s fast-paced lifestyles is the fact that they have the exact time available to them, so they know exactly how long they have to be at work, exactly when they need to get up in the morning, exactly when they need to
leave to get somewhere on time. But if we didn’t have that, if we just had approximations of roughly what time of day it was based on how much time seemed to have passed, or where the sun was in the sky, a lot of that rush and pressure would disappear. Instead of, “Be at work by 8,” it would be more like, “I’ll expect you shortly after sunrise” or, “Come as soon as you wake up.” It would also be more difficult to come up with any kind of alarm clock (aside from
natural things, like sunrise and rooster crows), so you wouldn’t really be able to blame anyone for sleeping in too late- because what are they supposed to do about it?
What are some misconceptions that you think people you first meet have about
you?
Well, for one thing, I’m pretty sure most people who meet me (and don’t have any kind of context to go on- like me sitting in their class at school or going to vote or something) probably don’t guess that I’m 20 years old. Like, I’m pretty sure I don’t look 12 anymore, but someone guessed me at 14 when I went to camp last month. And even when they do have
context to go on, like when I’m helping with Middle School at church, I do wonder whether people are trying to figure out what that 8th grader is doing leading her peers in small group… But that one doesn’t really bother me. Really, I just think it’s funny when people find out how old I actually am, partially because they all have the same reaction- “well, you’re going to appreciate this a lot more when you get older. Just think, you’ll be in your 40s and still having people ask if you’re 20!”
Another thing I think people perceive about me is more my fault. I’m not very good at talking to people I don’t really know, so I tend to be pretty awkward in those kinds of situations… I feel like people probably finish a conversation with me and recognize that I’m not a big fan of unfamiliar social situations. But hopefully they don’t think it’s because I’m conceited or think
I’m better than them or anything. That would be unfortunate :/
What is the most recent good news you’ve received (large or small)?
That we have a man for our web series!
Which is stronger: actions or words? (Specifically referring to the sayings: “The Pen is mightier than the sword” but “Actions speak louder than words”)
Lol, that’s the funny thing about those little sayings- just about every one of them has a complement that says exactly the opposite. Personally, I think that if someone says one thing and does the opposite (without there being a reasonable explanation for the discrepancy), people are going to trust his actions more than his words (hence the “actions speak louder
than words”). Because it’s really easy to say something and create an image for yourself, but your actions are way more likely to show your true intentions and beliefs. At the same time, though, I’m the kind of person who needs words. Someone can do something, but no matter how clear the intent, I won’t be sure what it means unless the person also explains so I can be sure that our versions of the event match up. Because misconceptions are really common with
words, but they’re even easier to come across when people rely on body language or behaviors to get their message across. Obviously the words should match the actions, but ideally, both should be present to make sure that things are as they are said to be.
What are your thoughts on this picture? http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m77zsgLqoM1qz6f9yo1_500.jpg
I’m not sure what I think about this picture. I mean, I certainly
like the idea of just going to school forever and learning stuff. I like to
learn, and there are so many subjects I’d be excited to learn more about. But
what’s the point in learning all this stuff if you don’t have some goal in mind
of how you can use it? I’m not saying that every fact you learn in your life
ever should have a direct application later on- a lot of times the effects of
what you learn are much more subtle. But I do feel like a life spent just trying
to improve our own minds and expand our own views of the world is really…
pointless. Even selfish. Maybe everyone doesn’t need to “earn a living”in the
sense of having a 9-5 job they go to every day to put food on the table. But
everyone needs a purpose in life, a goal to strive toward, a way to try and make
her life mean something to someone other than herself. Learning is certainly
important, but it’s what we do with what we learn, more than what we learn,
that’s important.
What are your thoughts on this picture? http://www.funnycutepics.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/kitten-heart.jpg
Aaaaaaaawwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!
Would it matter to you if you found out you and your entire world was a figment of someone’s imagination?
Well… I mean, it kind of already is. We only exist because God created us. In a sense, we, and this whole universe, are just a figment of God’s imagination. And I’m pretty happy with that :)
Does Anna Beth still have commitment issues if she’s willing to marry a city? (see: AB’s obsession with London)
I’m gonna have to say yes. In fact, I’d say she’s willing to marry the city instead of a person becauseof her commitment issues- she’d rather be joined in matrimony with a place than actually commit to another person :P (love you, Amma Bef!)
At the movie theater, which armrest is yours?
Whichever one isn’t being used by someone I don’t know.
AB:
So if there was a guy… and you both obviously liked each other a lot but you weren’t officially dating, would you be bothered if he spontaneously kissed
you?
Well, I’d certainly rather he not kiss me until we were actually
dating. It’s cute in movies and all, but I don’t personally find it very
realistic. For one thing, in the movie you usually know that both people are
attracted to each other, but in real life you can’t really know that until
you’ve actually both discussed it- which generally leads to being in a
relationship. I mean, I’m sure if it happened, and everything did work out and
all, then it would be fine, and it’d be an adorable story to tell and all, I
just think it’d be better to talk first and kiss later.
Would you prefer to be asked before being kissed, even if you are dating the
guy?
I’d rather not be asked, actually. I feel like that just makes it weird. Personally, I think it would be better if he just surprised me. Assuming we were already dating. (see above answer)
How long would you personally like to wait before being kissed by a guy you’re dating? (just make something up if you don’t know- no cop-outs!)
K, well I’m not actually going to cop out, but I am going to point out that, having no experience with this, I can’t really say. I think I would want to wait at least a week or two, though, or as long as it took to feel like the relationship was more… established, I guess? Like, I’d want to get past that initial phase of questioning reality and wondering if this was actually happening to the point where I could actually feel like the relationship was real and could last.
Assuming it’s NOT a book by John Green, what is your first reaction when you read in the synopsis of a book that it is a “cancer book”? (Not that the words “cancer book” would be in the synopsis, but you know what I mean)
Yeah, cancer books (unless written by John Green) are not really my thing. Unless I’m purposely looking for a good cry, I would probably shy away.
What is your favorite Olympic sport?
I’ve never followed the Olympics particularly avidly, but I do like watching gymnastics and ice skating.
What do you think of the Olympic mascots this year?
The Olympics has mascots?
…K, just looked it up. You mean those Wenlock things? They look
pretty cute :) I didn’t bother to look that much into it though, so I have no
idea what they do or why they exist or anything. So… yeah, that’s about all I
think about that.
What was your favorite part of the Olympic Opening Ceremony?
I liked the part with the dreams/nightmares. Especially when Voldemort showed up!!! Though it was kind of disappointing when Mary Poppins showed up to save the day instead of, say, Harry Potter, or the Doctor. I have to admit to being a little biased, though, never having seen Mary Poppins before.
Why does Jill always ask such good questions?
Because she lives on the Internet.
What is the most creative name you’ve given to a toy/stuffed animal? What is the least creative name you’ve given to a toy/stuffed animal?
I feel like we’ve already discussed this a lot: I am not creative at naming things. I’m pretty sure I didn’t even name most of the stuffed animals I owned. Either they already had names (like all my teenie beanie babies) or I just gave them random names like Rachel and Jessica to suit whatever game I happened to be playing at the time.
Which is your favorite otter that looks like Benedict Cumberbatch?
Aww, the first one’s definitely the cutest! Look at his little paws!!!! http://dangerousminds.net/comments/otters_who_look_like_benedict_cumberbatch
How many books have you read so far this year and what was your favorite?
I don’t exactly count how many books I read in the year. Especially not when the year is over halfway over. But my favorite is definitely TFiOS!
If you were a Disney princess, what kind of animals would come when you started to sing?
Kitty cats, of course!
If your life could be summed up in a Keep Calm poster what would it say? Keep Calm and______
Read the book :)
So, I’ve been naming Question Tuesday favorites for awhile now, but I don’t really feel like there’s been much of a point to it… until now! For anyone interested, I’m going to offer an award to anyone who can rack up enough points! You get one point for each week you win favorite Question Asker, and if you get to 12 points, then you get to hijack Question Tuesday from me! This means that whatever Questions I get that week are yours to answer (on your
respective weekday) AND you get to pick a topic for me to discuss in lieu of
Question-answering. It’s up to you all if you’re interested, though-I’m
certainly not going to keep track of who has how many points. Several of you
have already done your own Question-sessions, and it’s not like I’m going to
stop you from doing that if you want to, I just thought it’d be fun to give you
a chance to be the resident Question-answerer for a week :)
So if you’re interested, keep track of your points (and put in an
effort to get more…) and let me know when you get enough! (Don’t just lie,
though- I’m going to make you cite all the dates that you allegedly won before
you can actually have your prize). Earning another point this week is Anna Beth!
Her Questions were fun, and I was kind of (jokingly) mean to her in one of
Jill’s Questions, so I thought I’d make it up to her… Have a good week,
everybody!
Love,
Sara