Tag Archives: people

5 Reasons Introverts Dislike Phone Calls

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If you’re an introvert, maybe you don’t like talking on the phone. Maybe you hate making or receiving calls most of the time.

Maybe you feel anxious hearing the ring or buzz of your phone. Or your heart pounds when you’re dialing someone, scattered mind feverishly wondering what’s to come. Or you go out of your way to avoid making phone calls.Payphone, Londsdale Street Mall, Melbourne, Australia

Talking on the phone can be a difficult experience for many introverts. Introverts or those with a reserved personality may feel phone calls are performative experiences as opposed to engaging moments. In general, introverts gain energy through reflective activities and time alone while the ones who are extroverted or outgoing thrive on interactions and chattiness.

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11 Creative Ways To Answer ‘How Are You?’

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You probably have been asked the question, ‘How are you?’ a fair bit in life. On some occasions you may have wondered how to answer it.

It’s a classic, common question you hear when meeting someone for the first time. It’s a question someone uses to introduce themselves to you and start a conversation. It’s a question where your friends ask when you’re catching up.

Confused Face

There are different variations to ‘How are you?’. For instance people also say, ‘How are you doing?’, ‘What’s going on?’ and ‘What’s up?’ and mean the same thing.

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8 Common Stereotypes And Misconceptions About Australians

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As someone who was born in Australia and has lived here for many years, some stereotypes, myths and perceptions about Australians ring true. And some don’t.

Australia is a diverse country, with the outback and city side by side as I wrote in this blog post about the geographic land of Oz itself. Naturally, Australians are a pretty diverse bunch in general, diverse in terms of what they like, the way they choose to live their lives and who they chose to be.

Australia, a land where Australians are all shapes, sizes and personalities | Weekly Photo Challenge: Ambience.

Australia, a land where Australians are all shapes, sizes and personalities | Weekly Photo Challenge: Ambience.

There is the tendency to think of the average, person-next-door Australian like this:

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Why Are We Afraid Of Standing Up Against Racism?

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I’m no stranger to racism in Melbourne. As an Asian Australian, racist encounters have been a part of my life here for as long as I can remember. But I don’t remember doing much about this.

Over the years, I learned there are different types of racism. I’ve had insults about my non-Aussie accent and yellow skin thrown verbally in my face by non-Asians. There have been times where I met new people who immediately assumed I wasn’t Australian and asked, “Where are you from?” That is, there is direct racism and casual/everyday racism, one of them more subtle than the other.

Light zig-zagging over chess pieces. No matter our culture, we're all in this world together | Weekly Photo Challenge: Refraction.

Light zig-zagging over chess pieces. No matter our culture, we’re all in this world together | Weekly Photo Challenge: Refraction.

It’s not hard to spot either kind of racism. But it’s not always easy speaking up about either one, at least in Australia.

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Why Asians Like To Queue

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Queuing up. Lining up. Standing in line for something free, something new or something on discount. Most of the time we’ll see quite a few Asian faces in these lines. If not a few, then a lot.

I’ve been guilty of queuing on a few occasions. At one point while living in Singapore, I joined humongous Singaporean queues at McDonalds to collect all eight stuffed monkeys that came with McValue Meals during the Chinese New Year month. I did it, sometimes waiting half an hour to buy a meal. A few weeks ago, I saw a short queue in the Emporium shopping mall in the city. I joined it and after a five minute wait, got to the front and received a free macaron. I did notice there were some elderly Asian ladies in front of me, haggling at the top of their lungs for more than one sweet treat.

Queuing for Magnum ice-cream. Queuing for hours should be a sport in itself | Weekly Photo Challenge: Endurance.

Queuing for Magnum ice-cream. Queuing for hours should be a sport in itself | Weekly Photo Challenge: Endurance.

It seems Asians all around the world like to get in line for a new deal. The iPhone 6 launch lines in New York were made of up of many Asians. So were the lines in Melbourne.

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Why Some Of Us Are Shy

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I’m quiet and shy.

At university, I hardly said anything in tutorials unless the tutor asked me a question. Hanging out with others whom I barely know or just met, I usually don’t say much either.

Autumn along the Yarra River. Stories change. Seasons change (Photo 2/2)

Autumn along the Yarra River. Stories change. Seasons change (Photo 2/2)

When we’re shy, we feel confused. Words don’t come easy out of our mouths when others talk to us. Some of us are shy because we’re not used to being around others or certain people: it’s intimidating, and we don’t know what to expect.

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