music from stereos (of a different type)

i hate stereotypes. just about every person i know hates stereotypes. and yet, like most things in life, you can't live without stereotypes. it's all about knowing where to draw the line. some of you may have read an earlier post of mine where i used the (insert inappropriate stereotype here) gimmick. by all means, if you haven't, go and read it, i enjoyed writing the entry.

anyway, drawing lines. for example: stereotyping all asians are 'kiasu' (another link) is on the wrong side of the line (whites do this A LOT. they obviously don't use the word kiasu, but they describe it pretty accurately. they also think all 'asians' are chinese. more about this in another post!). narrowing down your target group by demographics e.g. gender, race, religion, favourite power ranger, presence/absence of cat mewing babies in a household etc. is on the accepted half of the line. if only for business purposes (notice how i paraphrased stereotyping to justify this. tee hee.). stereotyping your friends in your own mind, to get them the (in)appropriate gift for their birthday, e.g. luis vutton for the high enders and fruitcake for the low- is the worker in the toll-both situated on the line itself. on a side note, if in doubt, get chocolates. everyone loves chocolates.

so, if used appropriately, stereotypes will help you to whatever ends you're pursuing. this is a-duh-no brainer. you know this. i'm just saying it to point out that people who say all and any stereotyping is wrong. it's not, really. stereotypes can be good. i think. but that's uninteresting, and so, to cater to my audience (without stereotyping. i swear!), here's a little mental exercise.

i do a course which has 16 students, 12 of which attend classes on a regular basis, and of those 12, 10 students are in a given lecture, the other 2 having some reason or another to not be there. question: what is the circumference of a quantum-dot, given it is excited with blue light and releases a photon during fluorescence at exactly 545nm wavelength?

actually, no, that's not the exercise. if you managed to answer the question, though, please feel free to contact me so that you can sit my finals in my stead. ANYWAY. i've observed the other students for a bit, and i'll let you know there's:
1. an indian girl _________ dexter
2. a canadian girl ________ crutches
3. an indian guy _________ confucius
4. an australian girl (elder) ___ can't think of a nickname just yet
5. a singaporean girl ___ wicked stepmother
6. an indonesian girl (elder) ___ florence nightingale
7. a sudanese guy ________ shaq

now i'm going to describe the obvious things i noticed in their temperament and behavious and you can try to match them up. no, really, this isn't stereotyping. it's a, uh, mental exercise. pertaining to human behaviour. and psychology. yeah.

A. humble. thinks of others first before him/herself. very enthusiastic about learning and is quick to share information with everyone else. sometimes a bit overly-cautious when doing labwork, apprehensive that he/she might mess up (just gonna refer to everyone as he, from now on -_-)

B. soft-spoken when in groups, but when spoken to in person is very loud. has a 'fiery enthusiasm' in his eyes when conversing. if he doesn't understand something will keep it to himself and go home to read it up in private. very professional, but lives by the motto 'f*ck fear, drink beer'. oddly enough, isn't a heavy drinker.

C. very intelligent and independent. sometimes (most of the time) thinks he is the smartest one around, and isn't afraid to show it. very powerful speech (for those taking psychology, he is the embodiment of 'pressure of speech'). walks in to lectures late but instead of sneaking in through the back, will enter with some flair and isn't afraid to make a scene. when talking to lecturer, will often override the lecturer.

D. outspoken and independent. walked to lab (it's a half hour walk) in crutches. in the middle of heavy rain. and it wasn't an important lab session. effing dedicated imo. smiles a lot and is in a coy way very funny. serious when it comes to work but will quickly change to a social mood given the opportunity.

E. often has a blank stare or deep thinking expression on his face. if he doesn't understand stuff, is quick to find a 5min break anywhere and ask someone who does. would rather ask a friend or someone he's sitting near, than approach the lecturer, though. very jovial. very systematic (which comes in handy as a lab partner tee hee).

F. very quiet but thinks very deeply into the problems in a lab session / lecture as soon as it starts. however, as soon as the clock hits 15-to-the-hour, stops all association with the lecture and sets the mood to get home and relax. has a fatherly/motherly kind of presentation but is still kind of a kid inside.

G. very loud and opinionated. when asking a question to the lecturer, will often fill in the words for the lecturer while the lecturer is answering, or put words in the lecturer's mouth. quick to point out experience or knowledge. when asked what he expects from a lecture, replied with 'so, which points will be examinable?'. wears very 'flashy' attire, and commands attention in conversations.

before i end the post, i'd just like to point out that in our cohort, we have some interesting people for this kind of evaluation. a malaysian girl who has lived in australia all her life, but had hardcore asian upbringing - she displays a very interesting east meets west demeanour. also an african guy who's been brought up all over the place (france, nigeria, states, and now australia iirc) and he's a real cookpot of culture. seems like he's able to switch certain traits on and off when he needs to. really interesting guy. ANYWAYS. getting long as eff. i'll post the answers in the comments section because i fail and don't know how to make a 'click here to see spoilarz' button.