31-50

Back to this again!

31. Quote the nicest thing anyone has ever said about you.
Over the summer, one of the senior bosses was someone I felt a bond with. I enjoyed talking to him and we certainly bonded (he sanctioned my wine drinking and treated me like an adult). He's gay so there wasn't anything questionable there, it was just two kindred spirits of sorts. On my last day at work, I gave out thank you notes and went around saying goodbyes and had a great conversation with him. Later, his secretary (whom I also got along with) sent me an email letting me know that he mentioned something about how "it's because of people like [me] that I see hope for the future". That is hands-down the nicest compliment I've ever received.

32. Are you afraid of the dark?  Why or why not?
Not unless you count being home alone at night being afraid of the dark. That's when every bump and thud makes me paranoid and anxiously awaiting the return of my roommates.

33. Describe the longest amount of time you have ever been away from home.
College. Unless you count it as a home. Which I sometimes do.

34. Write about a recent adventure or travels.
(See previous posts about visit to F).

35. Who did you idolize growing up?
I'm not even sure. I don't think there were specific people - perhaps an actress, perhaps Britney - but it was more about ideals and beliefs.

36. Name a celebrity or famous person you wish would take you out on a date.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt. If he's actually gay, he would still be a great friend to have. If we're including friend dates, probably also Jennifer Lawrence/ Emma Stone.

37. Describe your daily routine when you get out of bed in the morning.
I used to be a lot better at waking up to my alarm instantly, but now I snooze it at least once or twice. I check my phone for notifications and tweets and messages, roll out of bed with some kind of enthusiasm. Then I usually go on my computer and waste time until I have to get to class, when I rush around brushing teeth, eating, packing up.

38. What was the longest amount of time you have spent waiting on line for something?  What was it, and was it worth the wait?
I don't really like waiting in lines, and I can't remember many incidents where I've done so. I suppose waiting for the 7th Harry Potter book with brother (so worth it) and waiting for a music concert with friends (also pretty worth it).

39. Name one thing you have always been good at doing.
Reading. 

40. What is your favourite season, and why?
Monsoon - it was a big deal in the city I grew up in, the whole city would pause as the first rush of fresh rain would come in. It would seem to wash the city of all the dirt and grime, leaving behind only happy people (and sometimes floods).

41. What was the title of the last book you read?
The Fault in Our Stars by John Greene. Young adult certainly, but also with unexpectedly poignant moments and sentences that drew memories from me.

42. List your biggest regrets.
Nothing really. I just realized this! No big regrets, apart from maybe not doing as well on an interview as I would have liked or not working hard enough for classes. This isn't a big regret or an isolated incident though, just a mild general regret.

43. Have you ever seen a ghost?
No.

44. Describe your note-taking style and habits.
I actually don't like taking my notes on a computer, even though it would be a lot more convenient. Once I'm on my computer, I'm sucked into a vortex of unproductivity, and lose focus on class. Also, my computer battery doesn't work too well and my charger isn't too long, so it makes very little sense to take it to class anyway. I have notebooks for each class (or multi-subject notebooks depending on my schedule), and I take copious notes but try to not just write down everything on the slide. I also have this weird urge to conserve space, which leaves me with awkward spaces at the ends of my notebooks each term where there is too little space to reuse them but too much to just throw away.

45. Do you believe that we are all here for a reason?  What might the reason be?
I don't know if we are all here for a reason, but I don't think it matters too much if we aren't. What matters is that we are here, and that we should live to our fullest capacities, while trying to continue to exist (despite ageing population, global warming, and other ways we destroy ourselves and the planet).

46. What comes to mind when someone uses the phrase prolonging the magic?
Trying too hard to make something last beyond what it's meant to. That's a little depressing, but it is what I thought of.

47. Have you ever done something just to feel the danger, or to feel alive?
I'm just not that type of person. I do things because they seem like fun and not too risky, but I've never done something just to remind myself that I'm alive. Little moments where I stop to observe and appreciate the world around me (usually while walking somewhere alone) are far more effective in this respect than anything else. I have always wanted to skydive though.

48. What is your favourite cliché?
I can't think of one. I like tropes - like musical dissonance (peaceful music while chaos rages), or bromances, but those aren't quite the same. I think I don't like them very much because I recognize the complexities of life and the lack of applicability of clichés to many situations. I think time as a great healer, though, is probably one of the more accurate ones I've found.

49. What are all your thoughts on God?
I might have answered this before - I have none in particular. I enjoy all the stories of different religions, yet I think of them more as stories. I grew up with an attitude that the gods were kind of like friendly relatives, and I think that might have continued. I enjoy celebrating many festivals, and have no issue with praying to satisfy the people I love (parents etc.). I feel a sense of falseness when doing so though. Still, I don't really have any objection to those that believe, since there could very well be something out there. I do think of them a little bit as not having explored their facts enough.

50. How do rainy days make you feel?
The first rains always bring a sense of magic and happiness. In places without a monsoon season, the rain represents more of an inconvenience, but I enjoy stepping out in it when properly clad (in jacket, boots, umbrella). The rain outside my window on a dark night or even a gloomy afternoon while I'm staying in is one of the most wonderful feelings, reinforcing my hermit tendencies by reminding me how happy I am to be safe and warm and indoors.