christmas presents thread

My older brother is a vegetarian and while at first he was one of those vegetarians that constantly tried to talk meat-eaters into it like it's the only right decision etc, which did create some antagonism with other members of my family (After all, you bite someone, they will likely bite back). However, as we've grown up we've developed a mutual respect, as has everyone in the family - we accept that he doesn't believe in eating meat, but he also accepts that we choose to eat meat. Even for big meals like Christmas, we'll have a vegetarian dish prepared and the majority of the sides, nibbles etc will be non-meat anyway.

In regards to birthdays, it's mine on Saturday and I keep on getting bugged about whether I want friends over, or what I want to do etc. I've made it clear to my family that I just want a chilled, quiet day (although I might use it as an excuse to force my family to watch Madoka Magica). My birthdays are generally known to go wrong through no fault of my own, so I tend not to care (almost forgot it two years in a row - wasn't until Grandpa reminded me last week that I remembered xD).

With presents (for both birthday and Christmas), I don't give ideas. My family knows nothing about anime/manga though and I am notorious for buying anything I want anyway, so they steer clear from it. I know money is really tight in my household anyway (after all, I'm Mum's interest free loan supplier) so I don't expect anything big anyway (she kept on saying she'll get me a PS3 for Christmas which hasn't materialised and tbh, I hardly ever ask about it).
 
Rui said:
Heh, I do know what ayase means - it's like it's open season on making fun of me whenever it comes up (I didn't find the comment in this thread personally offensive, but I have to grind my teeth around some of my normally-sane real life friends a lot of the time). I go out of my way to avoid inconveniencing anyone else with my life decisions but for some reason the same questions always come up no matter who the other person is: "don't you miss meat?", "would anything tempt you..?", "plants are alive as well!", "fish/chicken/ham/sausages/shrimp isn't meat, really!", "what would you do if you found out something you had eaten had meat in it?", "how dare you judge others for eating meat" (I don't!), "how can you live without bacon?"...
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I thought it would have been easy for you to implement an algorithm to auto-refrain "AIs eat only electricity". I'm a bit disappointed.



Teo
 
Okay, I'll just say it - Sorry, I know that my thinking patterns are dangerous and usually bad for other people. I'll refrain in asking questions that will bring tension to the forums. :p

I'll just summarise my recent thoughts brought on by convo here:
> So what if a person doesn't eat meat - Why should that affect me? Heck, you can still TALK about meat in front of a vegetarian, and if they have the same level of respect and intelligence as you probably would have, then they'll respect and join in (or absorb what's been said) - If not, they're as stubborn as the ones complaining about not eating meat. (This is a view not specific to vegetarians, so please dont go looking for an excuse to troll-lol-lol-lol-lol.)

> Xmas food - It's an overblown version of a roast for me, usually with turkey and veg (maybe other meats) and deserts. A plate is put in front of me - I put food on it - it is devoured - it is delicious. I mainly like to hear what others are talking about around the table and maybe join in if I have any relevance to it. My choice of desert will always be Sticky Toffee Pudding, and not Xmas cake.
I'm not so much a traditionalist when it comes to food on the day, but I will try to eat what's been given and maybe try something new.

> Back to original thread - Well, all I can say is this - A person is as much as a friend/family by measuring how much they really know you. If they cant get you something that you like and put some actual thought practice into a selection, I think we have an answer to how close they really are to you. Yes, from a separate view-point, it can be made as a test. But do you really have to push the test on them to show how much the theory rings true or not? No - As Rui mentioned, she gets things COMPLETELY out of her ideal tastes. At the time, I'd bet Rui didn't suggest to them anything, and they came up with their own concoction of her "likes." That's why people need to contact each other, asking things about each other and listen/learn of each other. Then you wont balls up like they have done. Then you'd might be actually worth the wind that passes through your lips. (So to speak.)

> Offended? - Yeah, when someone has said something to distaste - You can tough it out and try to ignore it or shrug it off. I dont believe (not saying it's technically incorrect) - that when someone has said something and you have to post something to correct what you think is wrong as a viewpoint - that is not being offended. Ayase, from when you said, "Surely you don't actually mean that, in which case why say it? [etc]" there had to be a sense of surprise and disappointment, which is as close to being offended as being told you wont be let to pay the bill, because you seem cheap. Unless there was a little hurt emotion in that text (especially if it's you who is representing yourself), then saying it out loud in a mono-toned voice would not give it any volume.
Just so you realise that I'm not trying to target and annoy you, I do respect the fact Ayase can just let things pass by. Some people just fly off the handle, or people just have that "thing" that effects them more than anything else. I also respect the footballers that are getting racially abused and decide enough is enough and walk off the pitch. I argue that you cant be offended by something if you're going to have somewhere in your head the urge to do something about what has been said. (Even if you didn't take action, you could still have the urge to.)

Yeah, I've been very bitchy here tonight. I've probably annoyed someone with this post, but I aint going to apologise for what I've said - but I will apologise if you feel any negativity from me. Not my aim to hurt, but to share my opinion, which can be volatile to some - as in any opinion could.
PS: As myself, Otaku and teonzo have proven, Rui is now the centre of the universe. :)
 
Chaz said:
Offended? - Yeah, when someone has said something to distaste - You can tough it out and try to ignore it or shrug it off. I dont believe (not saying it's technically incorrect) - that when someone has said something and you have to post something to correct what you think is wrong as a viewpoint - that is not being offended. Ayase, from when you said, "Surely you don't actually mean that, in which case why say it? [etc]" there had to be a sense of surprise and disappointment, which is as close to being offended as being told you wont be let to pay the bill, because you seem cheap. Unless there was a little hurt emotion in that text (especially if it's you who is representing yourself), then saying it out loud in a mono-toned voice would not give it any volume.
Just so you realise that I'm not trying to target and annoy you, I do respect the fact Ayase can just let things pass by. Some people just fly off the handle, or people just have that "thing" that effects them more than anything else. I also respect the footballers that are getting racially abused and decide enough is enough and walk off the pitch. I argue that you cant be offended by something if you're going to have somewhere in your head the urge to do something about what has been said. (Even if you didn't take action, you could still have the urge to.)
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Interesting thoughts as ever Chaz! Not sure I've got that a down a hundred percent right, but you mean that if I hadn't been at least a little bit offended I wouldn't have said anything? If so, good observation actually (non-judgemental tone duly noted). Anything that makes us question our own behaviour is always worth thinking about. Rather than being offended, I think it probably boils down to me still being a little defensive on behalf of my younger self who did let things get to him and did find the judgement of others hurtful, but who also stayed quiet and let people get away with treating him unfairly as a result. By accident rather than design, I suppose I'm saying what I know some people think but don't say, because I used to do exactly that.

On a thread related tangent along similar lines, one present my sister got was a book of letters written by famous people to their sixteen year old selves. So far it doesn't seem anyone has torn into their teenage selves with quite the savagery I would have done (surprising, as I would have expected that to be a fairly common response) but it's interesting nonetheless.
 
I'd probably tell myself to just focus on one thing, and then be brilliant at it. Then go on to the next thing, since I seem to flounder around different activities/roles and I'm more of a jack-of-all-trades... And not a fantastic one either, lol.
I would of thought people would make letters to their possible son/daughter, rather than themselves - it'd be more practical! :D They may read it and you can advise them "not to do [this]," and "make sure you [do that]." I'm sure there'd be less people riding bikes over bumpy tracks, and having the handle bars sink into your teeth.

Well, guess I know what my next xmas pressie will be for someone - probably 10yrs early and not to be expected. ;)
 
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