nathan chow:

(not from peer pressure, but from teacher pressure, since all my teachers and profs on facebook did it..)

1. My ethnicity is Chinese, my country is America. I was born in California, raised in New Jersey. My high school was mostly Black and underprivileged, my college is mostly White and well-off. My favorite films and music are Scandinavian, my way of life is Latino. But I am first and foremost a human.

2. Because I was used to my high school’s demographics, I’ve always felt that at BU I’ve related better to the poor and underprivileged minority students than to the well-off kids.

3. I’m immune to fads and pop culture. I never watch TV, I don’t pretend I read the news, and I don’t care what the talk of the town is. I don’t live under a rock. I live in my own world.

4. Sometimes I have hearing problems in my left ear. Other than to two friends, this is the first time I’ve told that to anyone outside my family. It’s because asking “What?” more than three times is the only way I ever feel like a failure, especially when I pride myself on being a listener. Now that you all know, just pretend you didn’t. The last thing I need is everyone speaking too loudly.

5. I hate impromptu speaking and still need improvement on it, but I love writing speeches, practicing them, and delivering them.

6. When it comes to one-on-one interactions, I’m more of an asker and gentle listener, but when it comes to big groups and parties, I’m guilty of being an attention whore who does anything for entertainment’s sake. People who have seen me in only one type of social setting get surprised how different I can be in another.

7. I share way too many qualities of both extraverts and introverts. I’m still not sure what I am. I’m undoubtedly a people-person and a spontaneous instigator of social events, but I also cherish time going places on my own, as well as spending some Friday nights alone in a bookstore.

8. In elementary school, I was placed in Speech Therapy and ESL (English as a Second Language) classes for half a decade. Then in high school, I won nearly every English award, but I almost failed the state standardized writing test. In college, the paper I was most doubtful about eventually won the COM Memoir Contest, where I was one of 4 out of 400 to read it to the next semester’s COM201 students. To this day, 3 strangers have stopped me on the street to thank me for writing it. But the paper I loved the most had “rather poor writing style” as the very first comment scribbled on the back. Writing is the most subjective thing ever.. but it’s part of why I love it.

9. In high school, I had a perfect 800 score on the highest level SAT II Math test and on the AP Calculus BC test even when I drew a smiley face for one of the 3 word problems. Everyone thought I would pursue a career in math, but I never said that. I just let them babble about me if they didn’t really want to learn about me. I like college because no one has any assumptions about me built on years of “knowing” me.

10. I don’t get offended, disgusted, or embarrassed by anything. I think they’re signs of weakness. I also think there are no taboo topics for conversation. I love open people.

11. I read too many academic books on my own, as well as too many of the interesting and “recommended” paperback books my teachers mention briefly in lecture—but I only skim the required textbooks on the syllabus.

12. Just because I’m a film major doesn’t mean I know film history, have seen all those classics, and know what’s out in the theater (I’ve actually been to the theater only about 25 times my entire life). I watch whatever I think will enlighten me, inspire me, and relate to me. It could be a Hollywood film, a foreign film, or an independent film… although chances are that it’s one of the latter two.

13. I’ve kissed a girl of every race… except Asian.

14. I’ve never understood the girl world’s obsession with makeup and runway models. The most desirable girls I know are natural but beautiful, confident but down-to-earth. I hate it when an otherwise gorgeous girl puts shit on her face and I hate it when an otherwise gorgeous girl has that serious and “sexy” model look. Laugh or smile. It makes everyone look more attractive.

15. Ever since middle school, I don’t think I’ve ever even *thought* of hurting someone, slamming a book down, or cursing without a smile. I’ve never been able to relate to anger and frustration in real life, in movies, and in books, even though they always seem to be the norm for feelings. Am I just the odd one? When someone is angry, for some reason I just can’t get myself to believe it’s real—that someone could actually choose a path other than love and compassion.

16. I’m the least picky eater in the world. I love friends who are the same.

17. My sexual preference might be the only thing that keeps me from being gay: I like writing, keeping a journal, and being super clean and organized. I like ballroom dancing, figure skating, theater, acting, musicals, cooking, interior design, fashion, and artsy things much better than football. I listen to Celine Dion and the Backstreet Boys. I hate action movies. Other than soccer and the Olympics, I don’t follow sports. I like wearing pink. I order strawberry daiquiris and pina coladas and never beer. I give as warm of a hug to a guy as I do to a girl. I’m fine with judging men and complimenting them. I look forward to being a homemaker. I have a growing interest in a lot of studies about women, gender, and feminism. Most of my friends are female, and most of my male friends are gay.

18. I laugh at far too many things in real life and I enjoy the everyday absurdities that everyone else thinks are negativities, but surprisingly I don’t find a lot of movies, TV shows, and YouTube videos funny.

19. I think there’s more to college than academic learning: there’s social learning, interpersonal learning, leadership learning, cross-cultural learning. Boston University and the city have made me an incredibly different person than I was just a few years ago. I’m so glad I chose to come here instead of all the “brand name” universities.

20. I think there’s A LOT more to life than work. I swear by this Barbara Bush quote:
“At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child, or a parent.”

21. I always try to inject my sense of fun and adventure into everything, especially things that are conventionally boring. Just for kicks, I’m very random.

22. My favorite compliment is that I’m weird. Who the hell would wanna be normal?

23. Everyone I meet means the world to me, although my friendliness with people I just met often makes them suspicious of my motives. I get along best with other people who love meeting people, as well as those fascinated by—not scared of—the kindness of strangers.

24. I always take notes on random, sidetracked “life lesson” tidbits in class. I still remember and live by some things my elementary school teachers told me. Next to my family and books, I think these have been the biggest influence on my personal development. The power of teaching has always amazed me. It’s why I am a teacher. I also hope my own students and campers remember my own “life lessons.”

25. Some things I’ve wanted to be that I no longer want: a police officer, a forensic scientist, an architect. Some things I still want to be: a teacher, a counselor, a professional trainer for human resources, a consultant, an author, a film director, an actor, a mayor of a small town, a psychologist, a clown doctor, a social worker, a homemaker, and always a bunny (want the story?).

26. I don’t like talking about myself, but I love writing about myself (wasn’t that obvious from this note?). In my writing, films, and other modes of expression, I seek to be so honest, naked, vulnerable, and specific that I’m universally relatable. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my life.