Questions From a Stranger

Recently I met this guy, Tom. In his blog he wrote a list of questions that he would ask complete strangers if he had the chance. He's almost a stranger to me, so I'm going to answer these questions for him. Hopefully he doesn't end up thinking I'm an absolute loony and runs off scared.

What kinda music do you like? Why? Did you ever like any other sort? What do you think of the indie scene? What about the mainstream stuff? Is there any music you hate? What do you think of people who get off knowing about obscure bands?


When I was in Year 8, the Triple J One Night Stand was held in my town. Prior to this, I admit, with shame, that I was very much into mainstream music. My favourite bands were Simple Plan and Good Charlotte. However, after watching The Living End very intently, my world was turned around. I became an avid Triple J listener and haven't turned back since. I suppose now, I listen to Little Red, Birds of Tokyo, Sparkadia, Washington, Sia, Sally Seltmann, Jebediah, Vampire Weekend, British India, Angus and Julia Stone, Children Collide, Eskimo Joe... I could go through my entire iPod for you. Although I am guilty of liking a few random mainstream songs, I'm not really a fan. I find it sounds very similar and the lyrics have no real meaning to them a lot of the time. If I like a mainstream song it's probably because I like to dance to it, in which case I'm hardly listening to the music properly. I don't think there is any music I hate, although I'm not a fan of country, and I'm fussy with hip hop and rap. Also, I don't really like much "trance" or electronic music or whatever it's called. As for people who get off on knowing about obscure bands, I get a bit annoyed. Indie artists seem to be appearing a bit more often on mainstream radio lately, and there are people who will like the one song that always gets played, and think they're that band's "number one fan". I have met a few people like this, I don't know if there's a massive population of them or not. But it's almost like... Well, for example, I was friends with this girl. She always claimed she was so unique, such an individual. But the truth is, she was trying so hard to be unique, that she was just following the crowd in everything she did. I feel like this is almost like that. Maybe. Do you see where I'm coming from?

Do you watch TV? What about reading? Or do you play video games? Is the modern version of reading a novel playing video games? Or is the modern version of reading a novel reading a modern novel? Do you think people do it for the escapist element? Do you? Are you comfortable with that?


Yes, I do watch TV. But not as often as I used to. Now I tend to buy DVDs of TV shows and watch them. Mainly because here I don't have Austar like I did at home, and I don't seem to have much time to turn on the TV and watch it all night. However, when I do, it's usually the Big Bang Theory. My favourite TV shows would be Pushing Daises, Offspring, Dexter and Breaking Bad. So many that have been cancelled as well; Dead Like Me, Veronica Mars... I love reading, but I lost time for it during Year 12 and have found it increasingly difficult to get back into reading for leisure rather than study. If anyone were to write me a list of good books I would definitely look into it though. I also dabble in video games, mainly Pokemon, and The Sims. I also love the Wii, I just have this obsession with it. I'm addicted to Boom Blox. My favourite game would actually be the Ace Attorney series on the Nintendo DS. I'm a pretty amateur gamer, but I really enjoy a good game. I don't think this is the modern version of reading a novel though. I think reading is timeless, it should never be replaced. I think some people probably do do it for the escapist element, but not me, I just like to have a bit of fun.

Do you know your family history? Are you proud of it? Do you care at all?


I actually love hearing about my family history. My mother did some research into our family tree a few years back. Well, some very intense research. Although there are still some gaps, basically my family on my mother's side were from Germany, and arrived in Australia in the early 20th century I believe. There were also a few from the UK... My father's side are mainly from England, and one of his ancestors was actually a knight. That's something that I found really cool.

Do you have a life story? Or do you think events are just happening and they aren’t connected?


This is a really tough question I think, for me anyway. I feel like I have a life story to tell (although it may not be very interesting, just a lot of moving around), but I'm not sure if all of the events are connected or not. I think many of them are, but a few area just random happenings. I'm afraid my life story would be nothing more than going to lots of different primary schools, being bullied, with a few accomplishments thrown in here and there. 2010 was probably the most interesting year of my life; I surpassed my own expectations, achieved Year 12 results that I'm so proud of, lost friends, and made some, had a pretty tumultuous relationship... Overall, a great but stressful year. But is this really part of my life story? Is it connected to everything that happened before that? Who knows...

Do you believe in a god or the supernatural? Do you believe what you’d like to be true or what you think is true? If you do, why doesn’t everyone know?


This question is even trickier. I actually can't say that I believe in God or that I don't. I believe the term a friend of mine used was agnostic theism, although I am not sure of it's exact meaning... I am a very strong believer in evolution and in science, so it's easy for me to say that there is no evidence for God and creationism etc. But I don't want to say that. I believe there has to be something that we just can't explain. There has to be something more to this world than what we see and touch. Maybe it's God, maybe it's something else. I think maybe we all have a soul, because there has to be a lot more to what we are than just what is laid out in our genes, and this is coming from a biomed student. I just find it so hard to say that there is no higher power that we can't see and show evidence for it's existence. I don't know if any of that made sense, I hope you see what I'm getting at. So I suppose I believe what I think is true, but at the same time, I would like for all of this to be true. It would be nice if there was something that science couldn't explain. As for the supernatural, I don't really believe in aliens (but I do believe there must be life out in space, but it's probably just bacteria or something), I don't think I believe in demons or vampires or witchcraft or anything like that. But I find myself believing in ghosts a lot of the time. When I hear stories from people about how they swear they have been in a haunted house or seen a ghost, they tell the story with such passion that I can't say they're lying. Maybe there is an explanation for everything they have said, but I just can't decide whether ghosts exist or not.


Where’s the best place to have a date? Is a movie really a good place take a girl? Is it slutty for the girl to be the pursuer in the relationship. That is, the girl is the one who gets the guys phone number, asks him out etc..


I'd just like to say that I like dates. They seem to happen less and less often these days but I think it'd be so nice to be asked on a date. A date at the movies... Hmm, maybe not in the beginning of a relationship. If you're just getting to know someone there is no point in going to the movies, you can't talk to each other! Maybe after you have started going out, and you really really want to see a movie or something. I think I like to reserve movies for friend outings sometimes. So, a great place for a date for me, would probably be going out for tea, or for lunch, or even for a coffee somewhere. Then just going for a walk somewhere nice together and talking. I would like to say a perfect date would be a picnic somewhere pretty, but I'm not sure how many guys do this anymore, haha. I sure hope it's not slutty for the girl to be the pursuer in the relationship. I'm a bit shy, but if it came down to it I would pursue a guy I had an interest in. I know it's always a bit romantic to have the guy ask you out, and I would prefer this because I seem to have a fear of rejection. But I do not think it's slutty for a girl to ask a guy out, and especially not to ask for his phone number!

A guy and a girl are on a date. The night went rather well but after they leave *wherever they were* and walk down a dark alley *for some reason* they get held up by a guy demanding their money. What should the guy in the date do? Hand over his money or fight the other guy? What is the mugger had a knife? Or a gun?


I don't think fighting is very attractive, but more importantly, no one wants a date to end in tragedy. Losing your money is a lot less upsetting than being shot, stabbed or injured. If the guy I was on a date with tried to fight the mugger, I don't think I would swoon exactly. I would probably be even more scared.

When someone asks you how you are, what do you think of? What, to you, defines whether your life is going well or not? Having a boyfriend, good grades, good food, …?


I used to think someone with a good life had all of that. A boyfriend, excellent grades, etc. But now I see that I can be happy without those things. That's not to say I wouldn't like to be in a relationship or be getting HDs for everything, but just because I don't it doesn't mean my life isn't going well. In my opinion, if I feel happy regardless of those things, my life is going well. As long as you enjoy what you're doing with you life, and are healthy and have enough money to get by, your life is good. I get really annoyed when people say their life is horrible and worthless because they don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend etc, because there are people in this world who are much worse off than them. I know it gets pretty lonely without one, but we can survive. I think all of these just add that little bit of happiness to your life, which is great. But on the other hand, you could have a boyfriend and your life might not be going well, it might not be a good relationship. So you know, there are plenty of ways to look at this.

How do you define yourself? Is it your taste in music? Is it who your friends are, what you own, what your job is, what you study, …? Is it possible to not like who you are? Do you like who you are? If you don’t, would you do anything to change it?


I hate writing in those About Me sections on Facebook and other websites, because I feel like I can never accurately define myself in a few sentences. I think I'm defined by all of those things above, but at the same time, I'm not. Yes, I am definitely defined by what I study. Biology is my life. Not only am I studying Biomedical Science, but the ultimate goal is to be a doctor (didn't make it into undergraduate medicine). I really think that telling people what I study and want job I want in the future tells them a lot about who I am. I love science, I like to think I have a scientific mind and I actually want this to say who I am, because it gives me confidence in a way. I don't know if I can to be defined by who my friends are. I love my friends, but they are all so different, and I'm really different to them. And yeah, I think I can defined by my taste in music as well. I think it shows that I am an individual, a bit unique. I think it is definitely possible to not like who you are. I know this because I have felt it at various points in my life, but now, not so much. I like who I am, I'm proud of everything I've done and who I have become today. I used to think that if I could change anything about myself it would be to get rid of my glasses, but now I think they really make me who I am; distinguishable in a way? Haha. I just wouldn't be Karagh without them. So I don't think there is anything I would change at the moment. I'm pretty happy with who I am.

Well that took me a good hour and a bit, but it was actually pretty enjoyable. I hope you all, not just Tom, enjoy reading this and getting to know me a bit better.