10 More Ridiculously Random Questions

A writing challenge inspired by Linda Ng

When I first started on Medium, I wasn’t so big into writing challenges and writing prompts but the longer that I’ve been on the platform, the more appealing those have become that I write a large percentage of my stories around these now. Linda came up with a fun idea a while back to ask random questions.

I did that prompt sometime in November and now I have the responses for the second set of questions that she just released just in time for New Years' Day 2023. This will be my first story in 2023 and it will set a fun tone for the year in general as I want to start the year off differently than what I did in 2022.

1. After using something around the house, do you put it back immediately after use or leave it lying around? That’s a tough question to answer. It really depends on my energy level. For the most part, I try to put things back where they’re supposed to go but if I’m already low on energy and probably shouldn’t have tried to use the appliance or tool in the first place, then I’ll probably leave it for later. If it’s something that will get in the way, though, it will most certainly be put away immediately. I don’t want to trip over something and cause more pain for myself or my partner.
2. Do you squeeze toothpaste from the end or the middle? Is this a real question? I mean, doesn’t everyone know that you minimize your effort and maximize the result by squeezing from the end at all times? If you are squeezing from the middle, then you have to work twice as hard when you don’t have any more in that section of the toothpaste tube. Always start from the end and don’t stop squeezing from the end until you empty it and are ready to throw it away.
3. The million-dollar question — do you peel a banana from the handle or the bottom? Honestly, nobody cares how you peel a banana. But we are having fun, aren’t we? I know that there’s more than one way to peel a banana but if I can help it, I always peel it by pinching it from the top while holding the stem. You’re not supposed to tear it from the stem. I think that monkeys probably even know that tearing it from the stem is the wrong way to open it. Plus, that side is much tougher and harder to control when it does open. The bigger question is, how do I eat a banana? Lol, I can’t show that here. I might have to start an OnlyFans of just me eating bananas.
4. Do you leave dishes in the sink overnight? I mean, I have left dishes in the sink overnight. Do I like to? No, of course not. The dishes are easier to clean and finish when the food stains are still fresh. If I can help it, I will make sure to wash all dishes in the sink by hand, even the pots and pans, to make sure that no stuck-on stains and grease can stay on the dishes. I know that some people like to soak their dishes but that’s just lazy and I grew up in an Asian household so dishwashers were only used for storage for wet, clean dishes. We always did our dishes by hand with a sponge.
5. What was your best subject in school? I was a great student in school and excelled in many academic subjects. My favorites growing up were Mathematics, Geography, History, English, Foreign Language, Business, Accounting, and Music. I majored in Accounting first in college, then switched my major to Mathematics with a minor in Political Science. I also switched my major a few times between then but in related fields. I also took an interest in Psychology, Sociology, and the Physical Sciences in college as well. My varying interests in school and excelling at many subjects made it difficult for me to pin down a major at first.
6. How many instruments can you play? The only instrument I use on a regular basis is my singing voice. I’ve always wanted to master the piano but have only been able to successfully play by ear. I did take a piano class in high school and I know how to sight read but my hand-eye coordination makes that task with both hands a laborious one. Plus, I didn’t particularly like my piano teacher in high school. She was a racist white woman from Northern Florida that I had a tantrum with one day that led to me throwing a chair across the room and cursing her out for making a racist statement toward me. Anyway, I digress, and I just want to say that I probably would’ve mastered the piano at some point if not for that trauma. I would also like to learn the guitar but haven’t sat down long enough to master it. My partner knows how to play and could probably teach me.
7. Do you like or dislike music? I love music. I can listen to a range of genres. I like everything from rap to country to rock to pop. I have a good ear for music too. I judged singing contests when I was a karaoke DJ at a popular country bar in Sacramento many years ago. I listen to music in many different moods but mostly it helps me relax and destress. I really love lyrical music and also music with pleasing melodies and harmonies. I have tried to get into metal in recent years but because of the displeasing sounds that can arise from that, I tend to stay away from that genre for the most part unless I’m in a particular mood.
8. Do you like salty or sweet? This one is a tough question to answer. Surprisingly, I’m not a huge snack person and I usually associate both of these flavors with snack foods. In the main course, I’d say that salty is preferred over sweet unless we’re talking about something with fruit in it. I’ll finish this answer by saying that I definitely season my food and like seasoning so I’m probably leaning to the salty side even though my hypertension would also have me cut back on adding too much extra salt. Same with my diabetes and the sweet flavorings.
9. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? I’m mostly an introvert, but a social introvert. This means that I’m open to being social with most people to a degree. It does wear me down after a while and I do tend to take breaks, especially from groups of people. I’d rather be doing activities and hobbies that keep the action to myself, like playing video games, reading, or watching videos. I’m definitely not an antisocial person but I just need to plan my day and my other activities if I’m going to be hanging around other people.
10. What is your favorite fruit? I love fruit. It’s probably the only sweet thing that I’d eat on a regular basis. I’m going to list a couple of my favorite fruit here and show you the types of fruit that I eat regularly. I love apples, bananas, oranges, pears, peaches, blueberries, and strawberries. The ones that I buy at the store most often these days are bananas, oranges, apples, and blueberries. The others have to be in season for me to want them enough because of the prices. I can eat fruit every single day. I’d put it into smoothies, shakes, oatmeal, or yogurt and find every creative way to cram it into my daily nutrition.

So, there are the answers to the next ten questions that Linda had for us to write in response to.

Here is Linda Ng’s original writing challenge for this next set of questions.

Ann Christine Tabaka is the one I actually saw the new prompt from Linda Ng since Linda hadn’t tagged me in this new set of questions.

Tagging Adrienne Beaumont, Ginger Cook, Debra Groves Harman, MEd, Darren Weir, Christine Schoenwald, Drashti Shroff, Sally Prag, and anyone else who’d like to participate in the fun.