Weird, Weirder, Weirdest

Oddball, Strange, Crackpot, Bizarre, Eccentric, Whimsical, Unconventional, Weird.

Those are some adjectives that conjure up when I meet characters - in this portal or the real world - who are, so to speak, larger-than-life.

After such meetings, the usual refrain that would likely come up is, interchangeably, "He's weird", "How weird", and "Weirdo!" Depending on the person in question, our relation to him and the nuances of intonation, these comments are meant to be endearing, or ridiculing.

More often than not, I reserve these terms of endearment to my dearest of friends due to this simple fact: Birds of same feather flock together! Hah!

Yes, I'm as weird as they come. At least, that's what been ingrained in my head since the formative years of my childhood. When your childhood is filled with antics involving, amongst others, foodstuff concocted from washing detergent and cheese, and hair-cutting service courtesy of a neighbour's kid, it's VERY telling how weird you're going to end up later in life.

So when an esteemed blogger, Kak Teh tagged me to list out my weird traits, I'm spoilt for choice. Aside from the innate problem of telling my right from my left (like Kak Teh) and the adroitness to squeeze my nose in for a record 10 seconds, I've narrowed down these 6:

But before I do just that, let me state the rules again:
RULES: People who are tagged should write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

1) I have this acute problem identifying which animals are mammals when they are water-based or look 'potentially' marsupial-like. Yes, inspite of a college degree, I've yet able to confidently distinguish which verterbrates are mammals in origin. This problem is also perpetuated by having a husband whose avid interest in documentaries creates a vicious cycle of ignorance. And why not? When you possess a walking animal-expert, it's far too easy to just ask him "Is it a mammal?" "Mammal ke?" Unfortunately, every man has his limits (in patience) and he has since given me the lowdown on the characteristics of a mammal. But I guess, old habits die hard...

One of my biggest confusions concerns the opossum following this explanation: Not all opossums are marsupials but all of them are mammals. Huh? So, what about racoons then? They look 'somewhat' marsupial. Or how about this one: All whales are mammals except for the whale shark, which is actually a misnomer. Yeah, tell me about it...

2) Unlike my twin's fixation on shoes, I love clothes to bits! I'd buy them racks after racks, up to the point where they have singlehandedly filled up the apartment! This is largely due to my highly sentimental nature which compels me not to throw (almost) anything away. In turn, I owe this deep preoccupation with clothes partly to my being a 'late bloomer' in terms of physique and self-confidence.

On the flip side, as much as I am vain and obsessed about clothes, I rarely spend enough time sprucing up my hair. Those who know me - relatives and close friends - are quick to comment (or berate) on the dishevelled quality of my wavy locks. Hey, I can only concentrate on ONE thing at a time!

3) This might come as a surprise to some but I confess I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to reading books or any genre of literature, for that matter. I seldom read them. Once in a blue moon, if I'm lucky. Coming from a person who is fond of writing must be in itself an oddity, or if I may, an irony. Yet, I solely blame it on SAS (short attention span), causing me to flit and fly from one project to another. For instance, while typing this blog, I'm also YMing and have opened two other noteworthy 'windows' on the Internet. I do envy those who are well-versed on the literary front and as a consequence, I aspire to work harder (or sit tighter) to read great masterpieces. But for now, I profess a strong inclination towards essays, short stories and articles. On that note, perhaps I should buy the much touted collection of short stories called Fragile Things by übercool writer, Neil Gaiman. That is, if I don't get sidetracked by other projects or tasks like clothes-shopping!

4) I have the propensity of making LISTS for everything and for any occasions!!! Apart from the commonplace grocery/shopping lists, I do up lists to assess the pros and cons of certain scenarios. Like when I was offered a new job, what are the upside and downside to either stay put or start afresh in greener pastures. Or, the time when I had to decide if I was ready to take the plunge ;) . Nowadays, I have limited my affinity to lists for shopping and providing a checklist for travelling.

5) Blame it on the stars! My tendency to shoot blunders from my mouth is only matched by the inability to take cognizance of the listener's change in facial expression or body language. Don't get me wrong. It's never a malicious intent to spew out those blunt remarks. It's borne out of curiousity. Plainly speaking, it's just inherent, this foot-in-the-mouth disease (FITM). My mother can in fact vouch for that. My earliest childhood memory of this mouth boo-boo revolves on this bride, sitting on her ornately-decorated dais (or 'pelamin'), to which I said out loud "Kenapa pengantin tu tak cakap, dia bisu ke?" ("How come the bride is so quiet, is she a mute?") Luckily, the bride didn't flinch at all but my mom hastily ferried me out of the crowded living room.

On the other hand, I am also a shy by nature when it comes to meeting strangers. Some people might sadly construe it as aloofness. Yet, when I do warm up to new people, I might commit the mortal sin of FITM-ing. It's Catch-22 (hey, I managed to read this one!), I know.

6) And last but not least, I have this distinct ability to cry and then laugh in an average span of 30 seconds. Or in some bizarre cases, 10 seconds! You might say I'm whacked out or you could say I don't dwell on my sadness for a long time. Actually, neither is right. When the sniffles come about, I am usually with someone close - physically or telephonically - who is quite resourceful in cheering me up. That, or my SAS mind would already flutter to other more sanguine topics like travel plans, fashion tips or interesting articles. Or, when all else fails, I will be high on coffee-caffeine! Weeee!

There you have it - 6 weird things you should bear in mind when you see me in person. But like any other books that you readers are resolute to read this year, don't ever judge a book's content by its cover! ;)

For my next 6 victims, err I mean, participants, I'm tagging the other Tita, Ina, Rizby, newbie Agah, Kak Adib, and my significant other. (As a relative newcomer to the blog realm, I have a rather exhaustible list of contacts)

Now I have to go back preparing for Sadia's first birthday party tomorrow. This is a new territory for us first-time parents, so wish us luck!!!

note: Cathy's comic was taken from here.