growing up nerdy

While buying movie tickets today, I overheard the following conversation between Nerd Boy (about 13 years old I suppose) and Ticket Lady.

Nerd Boy: “Megamind”, ticket for 1.
Ticket Lady: ticket for 1? *Stare*
Nerd Boy: Er, yes. Ticket for 1.

Really brings back memories of me buying a young nerd and watching movies alone. I felt embarrassed for Nerd Boy, having to watch a movie alone. He must have no friends, I thought. Yet at the same time I felt excited for him, that he would discover the freedom the joy of one’s company, once he got over the initial awkwardness and loneliness.

As a young nerd, I had no social skills so I had no friends. And when I did develop some social skills, I still had no friends because no one shared my interests. I was a dance nerd and I LOVED dance movies, but I watched many of them alone because no one seemed to like them or at least no one seemed to like watching them with me.

I cheered secretly for Nerd Boy because he would be enjoying something he liked, and realizing he did not need company to enjoy it with.

Maybe other tweens his age probably thought animated films are childish and nobody wanted to watch “Megamind” with him. But hey, I just turned 23 and the only movies I’ve watched in the cinemas this year have been animated films. And I intend for it to stay that way.

So go conquer the world nerd boy! Even if it means to conquer it alone. And with time I hope you make friends, and make friends who share some of your interests. I did.

It’s true I never did find friends who enjoyed reading encyclopaedias like I did, but I did meet some who liked math jokes and finally learnt how to solve the Rubik’s cube from some others. I still have to go to the Science Centre alone, but at least I have a couple of people to call when I want to go to the museum.

That’s why it drives me nuts when the cool kids call themselves nerds. Those wannabes. They’d never know what it feels like to be socially awkward, to have such specific interests and possibly never find anyone to share them with. But then, those cool wannabe nerds would never feel the rush of finally being able to discuss why Lego is so important to the engineering field or why Grant Imahara is so awesome.

it is teacher’s day

just received the best teacher’s day gift ever from a very observant student!

this phrase belongs to me

nerds of a feather google together – theshortchinese

hur hur. i crack myself up sometimes.

finish your rice

totally laughed.

Two Videos

During my BC (before Christ) years, Two Princes by Spin Doctors was one of my favourite songs.

Now, I’ve found that two of my favourite childhood shows – Sesame St and Bill Nye the Science Guy, did covers (parodies? what is the right word?) of that song. How cool is that?

“It’s been nearly 3 minutes and i´m completely starving.”

i don’t think nigahiga is very funny. not sure why. strange because he is asian + youtube comedianne + uses mac which usually means that i like (you know like happyslip, wongfu, kevjumba etc…).

but then once in a while, got magic.

oh and hello su fern’s friends!

If you slip into the water, only to be sinking in despair

A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have. Partly it has great practical value. You can wrap it around you for warmth as you bound across the cold moons of Jaglan Beta; you can lie on it on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, inhaling the heady sea vapors; you can sleep under it beneath the stars which shine so redly on the desert world of Kakrafoon; use it to sail a miniraft down the slow heavy River Moth; wet it for use in hand-to-hand-combat; wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal (such a mind-boggingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you); you can wave your towel in emergencies as a distress signal, and of course dry yourself off with it if it still seems to be clean enough.

- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Getting extra attention from someone who’s generally nice is flattering. Sitting under the laserlike niceness focus of someone who’s usually oblivious is actually pretty unnerving.

Some people fall apart over nothing because they refuse to be a part of something. – TF Tenney

Remember this, the next time you feel left out of something or that people don’t care. If we want to feel a part of something, then it’s our responsibility to make the first move, and keep at it.