What's unique about you?

[NEPA]

You also clearly know Russian! I think my favorite part is "tak byila, tak est, i tak bydet vsegda!" (sorry, i'm bad with transliteration of cyrillic)

Fun fact: the current Russian national anthem uses the melody commissioned by Stalin and some of the lyrics. Up until Putin took office, a different anthem was used. And Putin thinks he can convince the West that he's trying to be somewhat democratic ... HA.

I'm afraid I don't know much Russian, but I do have one other fun fact: the guy Stalin had write the original lyrics (Sergey Mikhalkov) was, at something like 90 years old, commissioned to write the new lyrics when they brought back Alexandrov's original music in 2000.

[JustChill]

that's true, I was going to mention that the same person wrote both the original USSR anthem and the new one for RF.

[melusine]

Well, I'm 100% Russian (nationality, not necessarily ethnicity-wise but anyway) and our anthem is one of my least favorite for a combination of reasons- tho i'm not a big fan of anthems in general, or any other para-military nationalistic manifestation of patriotic sentimentalism.. lol

But to add to the random fun fact discussion (sorry for the digression): Sergey Mikhalkov is also the father (or grandfather, i have a sudden doubt..) of actor/director Nikita Mikhalkov whom you may know from Burnt by the sun- a movie about the stalin purges which won the Academy Award forf best Intl film in the nineties..

[MidTNHistoryhopeful]

I am a Park Ranger at a historic site and have worked in professional Cultural Resource Management for 4 years. I am also a semi-professional guitarist in Nashville, TN (mostly studio work, some live).

[Strangefox]

I have synesthesia too! I love being able to see colors of letters and texture of words.

I have very good imagination. Sometimes it's great but it can be also terrible because when I imagine something bad happening, that's like it is really happening and for a moment or two I totally believe it. So I try not to do that

Every night I see great dreams. That is why I love sleeping

On the other hand, when I am nervous, I see very bad nightmares. I saw nightmares almost every night during the two month when I was finishing my applications. But now it's over, thank God.

Oh, and I sometimes write poetry. In my mother tongue, not in English. I have even had several poems published.

I can speak several languages, not all of them very well, but I keep improving because I study every day. Learning foreign languages is my main hobby.

I am cool with snakes and mice but I am terribly afraid of spiders!!

[Zouzax]

When I was little, I was obsessed with numbers. I used to read the phone book, literally. My favorite part was the section in the back that listed all the zipcodes in New York State. I would write them down in a little marble notebook & try to memorize them. I also taught myself high school math, because my big sister was learning it & I thought she might want a tutor. I still remember trying to learn the rules of algebra. I loved that textbook.

I taught myself French at this age, too. Not because I was curious about language, but because I was planning to run away from my family, and figured that Paris was the best place to do that. My dad thought it was cute & would drive me to the local teacher's supply store so that I could buy workbooks. I still know French to this day.

I graduated college a year early because I thought I wanted a huge life change. I got a business degree, moved to New York & started working for two of the biggest luxury fashion companies in the world (I can be VERY convincing). Three years later, I realized I was living a nightmare. It was 'The Devil Wears Prada", before the movie came out.

I left my job on February 14, 2007. I left for lunch & never came back. It was a blizzard that day. I decided to do some much needed work on my psychological & emotional health before making anymore life decisions. I had serious problems since high school, including clinical depression, obsessive disorder, and sometimes delusions (I used to think people could hear my thoughts). My family never got me help, because in my culture, seeking help for mental issues is taboo. I had to grow up & make the decision on my own.

During this path of self-discovery, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I volunteered at a local hospital & started taking science classes at a local college. It was nothing I expected it to be. It was absolutely depressing. I knew my life would never involve working in a hospital.

I soon found linguistics, and realized my love of languages. I remembered that since I was young (see above), I've always wanted to live in Europe. I knew this was my chance. I also knew my family wouldn't support it. So, I bought my plane ticket 4 days before my flight. Everyone was shocked, including me.

I came to Turkey with 6 suitcases, a cat, and nowhere to live. I went to a hotel that was in the center of the city. I remember that first night in the hotel. My cat was looking at me, her stare full of anger & questioning. I stared out the window, saw the lights of the Bosphorous & the mosques and the houses all on top of each other, and I thought to myself "What the hell did I just do?"

The next 2 years are a book in itself. Ive learned more about myself & others than I ever wouldve learned if I didnt take the leap. I think by now my cat has forgiven me, too.

Sometimes I think things happen for a reason. Maybe there's a reason that the catalyst for everything didn't happen until I was 24. I can now happily say I'm a (semi) normal individual, and I truly know I'm on the right path. If any of you aren't sure what you're doing with your life, feel like you're not normal, think you're too old & need to have a direction --- Ive been there!!!! And I think I've been through all of this just so I can let everyone know, it WILL be alright, and one day, you WILL find your way .

[Strangefox]

When I was little, I was obsessed with numbers. I used to read the phone book, literally. My favorite part was the section in the back that listed all the zipcodes in New York State. I would write them down in a little marble notebook & try to memorize them. I also taught myself high school math, because my big sister was learning it & I thought she might want a tutor. I still remember trying to learn the rules of algebra. I loved that textbook.

I taught myself French at this age, too. Not because I was curious about language, but because I was planning to run away from my family, and figured that Paris was the best place to do that. My dad thought it was cute & would drive me to the local teacher's supply store so that I could buy workbooks. I still know French to this day.

I graduated college a year early because I thought I wanted a huge life change. I got a business degree, moved to New York & started working for two of the biggest luxury fashion companies in the world (I can be VERY convincing). Three years later, I realized I was living a nightmare. It was 'The Devil Wears Prada", before the movie came out.

I left my job on February 14, 2007. I left for lunch & never came back. It was a blizzard that day. I decided to do some much needed work on my psychological & emotional health before making anymore life decisions. I had serious problems since high school, including clinical depression, obsessive disorder, and sometimes delusions (I used to think people could hear my thoughts). My family never got me help, because in my culture, seeking help for mental issues is taboo. I had to grow up & make the decision on my own.

During this path of self-discovery, I thought I wanted to be a doctor. I volunteered at a local hospital & started taking science classes at a local college. It was nothing I expected it to be. It was absolutely depressing. I knew my life would never involve working in a hospital.

I soon found linguistics, and realized my love of languages. I remembered that since I was young (see above), I've always wanted to live in Europe. I knew this was my chance. I also knew my family wouldn't support it. So, I bought my plane ticket 4 days before my flight. Everyone was shocked, including me.

I came to Turkey with 6 suitcases, a cat, and nowhere to live. I went to a hotel that was in the center of the city. I remember that first night in the hotel. My cat was looking at me, her stare full of anger & questioning. I stared out the window, saw the lights of the Bosphorous & the mosques and the houses all on top of each other, and I thought to myself "What the hell did I just do?"

The next 2 years are a book in itself. Ive learned more about myself & others than I ever wouldve learned if I didnt take the leap. I think by now my cat has forgiven me, too.

Sometimes I think things happen for a reason. Maybe there's a reason that the catalyst for everything didn't happen until I was 24. I can now happily say I'm a (semi) normal individual, and I truly know I'm on the right path. If any of you aren't sure what you're doing with your life, feel like you're not normal, think you're too old & need to have a direction --- Ive been there!!!! And I think I've been through all of this just so I can let everyone know, it WILL be alright, and one day, you WILL find your way .

That is a great story! Thank you for telling it, Zouzax!

[DrFaustus666]

Wow, so many interesting stories, abilities, talents, quirks.

I share some with several posters. I got my face bashed up in an auto accident when I was boy, but the surgeons were very good, nobody even notices the scars unless I point them out. I was a profesional musician (trombonist) for a several years, but never made enough money to support myself fully. I wanted to learn five foreign languages but only learned one well enough to converse in.

But the thing that makes me (semi)unique on this forum is that I'm OLD. I'm 58 yrs old, and will soon turn 59. UGH.

[GK Chesterton]

I feel strongly about politics and I support the [local sports team]!

[wanderlust07]

meh. I feel like everything about me is pretty dull, but:

I like to geocache, which means (for the muggles among us) that I use multimillion dollar satellites to find tupperware in the woods. I use the same handle for caching, but haven't logged anything I've found since an OR storm did its best to kill me last spring (we bushed it out a couple days late but beat SAR to the trail head...other than a lingering dislike of the smell of oatmeal, I guess I'm fully recovered). I did miss the first day of my teaching apprenticeship and several other classes, but meh. So it goes, I guess.

I like to indulge in really hokey cult scifi (think Doctor Who, Star Trek--except Enterprise, which all true trekkies should deny ever happened--, late night B movies, etc) when stressed out or writing papers.

I bake all my bread from scratch, detest loud noises (frequent migraines), and once got into a drunken snowball fight with a professor (in my defense, we were in Austria, and he started it and likely doesn't remember it).

I have a twin brother, and we have almost nothing in common. Perhaps a dislike of people who ask "do you have a psychic connection??" et al. I once forgot it was his birthday (I'm just that talented...)

I used to hate Dickens, and am applying as a Victorianist...my, how time flies.

I think that's enough to have fully outed myself to anyone from my current school who's on here

Edited December 16, 2010 by wanderlust07

[Strangefox]

except Enterprise, which all true trekkies should deny ever happened

Why is that? I am just curious I am not a Star Trek fan but I am going to study some aspects of television and I know what a great cultual impact Star Trek has had. So just wondering.

By the way, I like your signature

Perhaps I need to add that I am not an American so Star Trek is not a part of MY culture. But I am very interested in American culture, especially popular, hence the question. And I have not seen Enterprise. I know that it was cancelled, though.

Edited December 16, 2010 by Strangefox

[wanderlust07]

@Strangefox:

Now see, you've opened Pandora's box. There's an opposing camp out there who claim Enterprise got stronger as it went--perhaps they are right. I should add that I slogged through the first two seasons (roughly) before quitting, so I might not be the best person to answer. My top reasons:

In spite of my attempts to be a good St. Louisan (Bakula's hometown) and LOVING Quantum Leap (one of his most famous roles), I just could not dig Scott Bakula in that role. I don't know what it was, but it was some combination of Kirk-esque inability to deliver lines smoothly and maybe Archer's pet beagle.

Because it was set before TOS but produced significantly later, it had to do some really awkward finagling in order to square things with the universe's timeline and where tech/reality actually *went* post-60s. It didn't always do a good job of keeping canon consistent (this is a problem with Trek, generally, and we are usually forgiving, but I think it was more prevalent or widespread as ENT tried to launch).

MPREG. I just...I will follow trek fandom to the depths of hell, but don't ever, EVER make that canon. *twitch* I say this as a queer theorist, who's generally down with gender-bending. I don't know why, but it's a thing for me. Added to that--lots of awkward romantic entanglements....

The temporal cold war had some promise, but trek generally has an annoying tendency to hit the magic reset button, wherein the powers that be erase all the consequences of everything that just happened, and a war in time just seemed to INVITE that (see the latest movie, the final episode of Voyager). I think it just failed to live up to its hype, and a lot of fans were hoping for more closure after VOY, which they never got and so were dissatisfied already (VOY made the mistake of switching from story arc to episodic plots and lost a lot of its following). Perhaps, like a good field, it just needed to lie fallow for a while... For a show that was ostensibly returning to trek's roots, there was just a general sense that the franchise had overwhelmingly lost touch with its fans.

[Strangefox]

@Strangefox:

Now see, you've opened Pandora's box. There's an opposing camp out there who claim Enterprise got stronger as it went--perhaps they are right. I should add that I slogged through the first two seasons (roughly) before quitting, so I might not be the best person to answer. My top reasons:

In spite of my attempts to be a good St. Louisan (Bakula's hometown) and LOVING Quantum Leap (one of his most famous roles), I just could not dig Scott Bakula in that role. I don't know what it was, but it was some combination of Kirk-esque inability to deliver lines smoothly and maybe Archer's pet beagle.

Because it was set before TOS but produced significantly later, it had to do some really awkward finagling in order to square things with the universe's timeline and where tech/reality actually *went* post-60s. It didn't always do a good job of keeping canon consistent (this is a problem with Trek, generally, and we are usually forgiving, but I think it was more prevalent or widespread as ENT tried to launch).

MPREG. I just...I will follow trek fandom to the depths of hell, but don't ever, EVER make that canon. *twitch* I say this as a queer theorist, who's generally down with gender-bending. I don't know why, but it's a thing for me. Added to that--lots of awkward romantic entanglements....

The temporal cold war had some promise, but trek generally has an annoying tendency to hit the magic reset button, wherein the powers that be erase all the consequences of everything that just happened, and a war in time just seemed to INVITE that (see the latest movie, the final episode of Voyager). I think it just failed to live up to its hype, and a lot of fans were hoping for more closure after VOY, which they never got and so were dissatisfied already (VOY made the mistake of switching from story arc to episodic plots and lost a lot of its following). Perhaps, like a good field, it just needed to lie fallow for a while... For a show that was ostensibly returning to trek's roots, there was just a general sense that the franchise had overwhelmingly lost touch with its fans.

Thank you very much for the detailed explanation! Very interesting

[Bukharan]

@Zouzax, this is hugely inspirational! Thank you so much for sharing your story!

Edited December 17, 2010 by Bukharan

[howlinforever]

I have a metal rod that spans the length of my spine. My posture is wonderful and everyone always thinks I'm attentive and interested (little do they know...).

I always love big cats and brains... unique? meh, why not?

[TheDude]

I really don't stink at guitar

I play solo jazz gigs for fun sometimes.

I can throw a curveball

[Zouzax]

@strangefox, @bukharan: thanks guys!! after I wrote it, I almost didn't post it ... thought it was too much for this forum. thanks for the positive responses

[Ludwig von Dracula]

Wow, what an interesting thread! I must say that I'm jealous of the synaesthesiasts out there too. How many of you also have perfect pitch? (That's what I really want, I guess.)

I made cheese from scratch in my kitchen two weeks ago.

I play the mandolin and banjo badly, as well as a few other things.

My parents are both legally blind so I became the family chauffeur at 16. I also accidentally destroyed two of the family vehicles in my teen years.

I could spend an entire day looking at maps and atlases for fun.

I am fascinated by the Amish and Hutterites and sometimes consider becoming one.

I love singing barbershop and gospel quartet music.

I'm more than a foot taller than my wife. Yes, we are a mixed-race couple (walking stereotype perhaps?).

I love to read science fiction, fantasy, comics, and even some respectable literature, and own at least two thousand books.

I'm browsing gradcafe and tvtropes instead of working on my final paper, which is due in less than a week. (Maybe I'm moving out of the realm of unique now?)

[yeahgradschool!]

This has been a fun thread to read! I'll add a few things to the list.

I had an extreme phobia of socks when I was young. I refused to wear them, to touch them, to have anything to do with them. Even today, if I have to wear socks, I will only wear specific kinds. Fortunately, I've been living in a tropical country for the past year and a half and didn't even bother bringing any with me when I moved. Just writing this is making me a little queasy.

I have never vomited. Ever. (And yes, I sometimes drink heavily.)

I used to be so fascinated with time travel that I decided to major in Mathematical Physics. Throughout my first two years of undergrad, I continued to tell myself that someday soon they would start teaching us about time travel. It never happened. I eventually switched majors my Junior year.

I killed four scorpions in my bedroom last week alone.

I made a rainwater catchment system for myself this past year because I had a skin allergy to the water in my community (living in a third-world country at the moment ha).

I LOVE MUSICALS! Listening to the Glee soundtrack right now. Maybe that's not so unique, but thought I'd put it out there anyway.

[theflash7269]

I made it to the Hollywood round of American Idol, but dropped out because I didn't want to derail my college plans

[Strangefox]

I had an extreme phobia of socks when I was young. I refused to wear them, to touch them, to have anything to do with them. Even today, if I have to wear socks, I will only wear specific kinds. Fortunately, I've been living in a tropical country for the past year and a half and didn't even bother bringing any with me when I moved. Just writing this is making me a little queasy.

That's an unusual phobia!

When I was young I had a phobia of darkness. I cound not sleep without light! Even now I prefer to have a little lamp on at night

Oh, and another (not particularly unique but rare, I guess) thing about me is that I don't like alcohol. I just don't understand how people can get a kick out of wine or beer, let alone champagne! I've been drunk only once in my life and I did that on purpose because I was really miserable that day. It did help, but only for about a couple of hours.

I don't like tea and coffee. I drink tea mostly in cafes or at my friends' and I almost never drink coffee - may be a couple of times a year. My favourite drinks are juice and water (cold, no sparkles)

[yeahgradschool!]

<br />That's an unusual phobia! <br />When I was young I had a phobia of darkness. I cound not sleep without light! Even now I prefer to have a little lamp on at night <img src='http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br /><br />Oh, and another (not particularly unique but rare, I guess) thing about me is that I don't like alcohol. I just don't understand how people can get a kick out of wine or beer, let alone champagne! I've been drunk only once in my life and I did that on purpose because I was really miserable that day. It did help, but only for about a couple of hours.<br />I don't like tea and coffee. I drink tea mostly in cafes or at my friends' and I almost never drink coffee - may be a couple of times a year. My favourite drinks are juice and water (cold, no sparkles)   <img src='http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /><br />

<br /><br /><br />

I don't like coffee either!! I feel awkward telling people I don't drink it. I have only ever had it once; it was one of those free iced coffee days at dunkin donuts so I figured if I was going to try it, it might as well be free! I got some super flavored one and put tons of sugar in it. I got about halfway through before I had to toss it. Then I had the shakes all day! It was an awful feeling. Never again!!

[crayolacat]

In this crowd what I feel is unique about me is that I am OLD, LOL. I've lived plan B (never applied to graduate school before) and now I'm trying for that elusive plan A.

Hmmm... I have two house rabbits. They live in my bedroom and use a litterbox. If you want to see my previous rabbit being rabbit-y I put up a video:

[LJK]

I join the ranks of people who don't like coffee, but I also don't like soda, beer, and champagne. I don't like carbonation. What I find really funny is people who know I don't like one of these and know that it is about the carbonation somehow don't put it together that I wouldn't like the others. It is so awkward to not want any celebratory champagne... hopefully my future department won't mind celebrating my *knock on wood* successful defense with some other type of wine... or maybe I will request tequila shots

On a completely separate note, I am one of a self selected group of people who have watched *all* of Star Trek, all of the TV shows, all of the movies. Even the extremely horrible cartoon with the original cast. And I did it during a period of 6 months. Actually I started right around this time last year as finals ended. I replaced my Star Trek obsession with applications (well after watching all of The X-files too). I wonder where my somewhat obsessive personality will lead me next? Maybe I will do nothing but research?? Wouldn't that be useful.

[TheDude]

Ludwig,

I have relative pitch. One of my friends in music school had perfect pitch and he thought it was a curse because nothing is ever really "in tune."