Why Would I Write

  • Talking to Strangers

    A few weekends ago, I was tasked with approaching some strangers in a mall to get some answers for a survey. While it may seem like nothing to most people, I didn’t find it very easy to do. Fortunately, I wasn’t alone and had my colleague’s help to carry it out. While I had to work up the nerve the approach strangers to ask them the questions, she went in like a pro, approaching crowds left and right with no hesitation. It was interesting watching the immense skill gap between the both of us.
    I’m not physically incapable of talking to strangers, but I’m the kind of guy who dislikes being approached by strangers in public. Be it to sell me shit, talk about religion or beg for donations – I’ve never been in a situation where I’ve thought to myself, “I’m glad they came to me!” whenever it happens. For me to put myself in those shoes was immensely difficult.
    I’ve had jobs approaching strangers before – but that was as a promoter in a supermarket. Having a product to push and being in a controlled environment made it much easier. It also helped that people would be curious about the stand I was in front of. All I had with me in the mall was a notebook, pen and company name tag.
    Anyway, not much to say about that experience except that it was eye-opening for me. I guess we’re all proficient at different things in life, and I’m the kind of guy who’s more comfortable behind the scenes instead of out talking to people on the streets. But it’s a skill I’ll pick up one day, as it’s more beneficial to have than not.

  • The Mysterious Stranger

    It was somebody’s birthday party, I was outside by myself having a smoke. Out of nowhere, this guy sits down next to me and we start having a conversation. He was a lanky Asian dude in a Na’Vi hoodie, which was strange because it’s been a long time since I’ve seen anybody rock those bumblebee colors. But he seemed friendly enough and we had a nice conversation, with Dota being the icebreaker. Eventually the guy tells me his plight. He didn’t have a place to stay for the night and needed somewhere to rest. For some strange reason, I agreed to let him stay over at my place. I mean, nothing wrong with helping out a fellow Na’Vi fan right?
    Fast forward until the end of the night and we’re back at my place. Upon entering my room, he immediately sat down in front of my computer and turned it on. I’m not sure what he was doing on it, but he seemed very comfortable, knowing all my shortcuts and how to navigate around my system. I didn’t question him since it was pretty late and I was ready to sleep, so I left him in my room while I went to the toilet.
    While taking a shit, a thought crossed my mind – what if this guy was stealing all my passwords? Or planting some trojans on my computer? That worried me a bit, so I quickly finished my shit, cleaned up and went back to my room. When I stepped in, I saw my computer was still on, but the guy was nowhere to be found. He had vanished. I didn’t even hear the door open or close. I thought to myself, “fuck! He’s probably taken what he wanted.”
    The dream ended after that.

  • It’s great being an adult

    Today, a thought crossed my mind while I was having dinner and I saw a kid a few tables away having his meal with his family. He was the only child seated there, the rest of them were old-ass people chatting and eating. It’s great being an adult.

    Sure, these days it’s not too bad being a kid – everyone has got their own tablets and smartphones to keep themselves occupied during a boring dinner. But I remember when I was young, the countless times I had to follow my family out because I was too young to be left at home by myself.

    I’d sit down with the aunts and uncles, bored out of my mind, waiting for the adults to finish talking so I could go home to watch my favorite TV shows, read a book or play some video games.

    Now that I’m old enough, I’m able to decline invitations to dinners I don’t want to attend. If I do attend them, I can occasionally speak to adults or other people closer to my age. I can order a drink and enjoy some alcohol. I can pull out my phone to browse reddit, play games or watch videos on YouTube. When I feel like it, I can just walk out for a smoke. Assuming I drove to the venue by myself, I can make an early exit to do whatever I want. There’s really no expectation for me to be present (barring important occasions). Everyone’s an adult now – they know I have shit to do with my time as well (these days it’s leveling up my Battle Pass kek).

    I don’t miss being that kid who didn’t have a say in his parents’ social engagements. Being old does come with benefits. Now when I think of it, who wants to be young again? I mean, sure – nobody likes looking like an old fuck, but if you are an old fuck then what’s wrong with looking like one? I think I look my age these days, and I’m cool with that.

    It’s great being an adult.