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  3. What's an unexpected skill you have?

What's an unexpected skill you have?

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  • G [email protected]

    Driving a manual transmission vehicle.

    R This user is from outside of this forum
    R This user is from outside of this forum
    [email protected]
    wrote on last edited by
    #50

    This is funny, I drive manual in the US where even most pickup trucks now have automatic transmission, and the two groups who have been impressed (I am a middle aged lady) are valets and mechanic shops.

    I do think that for my 21 year old daughter it's an unusual skill and one she values. None of my other kids can drive my car, I had to teach that one because I let her use the car to go to college, I bike to work now since it's much closer than the school.

    My ex can drive the big trucks with like 16 gears. And both he & my husband can shift motorcycles with ease, I struggle. I guess it would get easier with practice.

    G 1 Reply Last reply
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    • toomanypancakes@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

      I mean, what's something you can do that people are like, "really? You know how to do that?"

      J This user is from outside of this forum
      J This user is from outside of this forum
      [email protected]
      wrote on last edited by
      #51

      I’m a crossing guard at school. My amazing trick is to balance the lollipop on my nose.

      I also know some Shakespearean sonnets and the first page of finnegans wake by heart, but that’s usually more expected.

      The most wow reaction i had from my sons’ friends was when i swore better than them. But then again, i once went on a two week tour to schools teaching the kids how to swear, so .., no big deal.

      vindictivejudge@lemmy.worldV 1 Reply Last reply
      1
      • J [email protected]

        I’m a crossing guard at school. My amazing trick is to balance the lollipop on my nose.

        I also know some Shakespearean sonnets and the first page of finnegans wake by heart, but that’s usually more expected.

        The most wow reaction i had from my sons’ friends was when i swore better than them. But then again, i once went on a two week tour to schools teaching the kids how to swear, so .., no big deal.

        vindictivejudge@lemmy.worldV This user is from outside of this forum
        vindictivejudge@lemmy.worldV This user is from outside of this forum
        [email protected]
        wrote on last edited by
        #52

        i once went on a two week tour to schools teaching the kids how to swear

        I feel like this needs elaboration.

        J 1 Reply Last reply
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        • R [email protected]

          I'm learning this about young folk (17 - 40) - that they don't cook at all, just order delivery food. That is so unbelievably expensive! And unhealthy! I know cooking is a pain in the ass, but it's like cleaning and paying your bills - just something you gotta do.

          R This user is from outside of this forum
          R This user is from outside of this forum
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          wrote on last edited by
          #53

          Woah. I have some thoughts .

          All my kids can cook, and all their significant others can cook. I never thought of it as a pain though, more a creative outlet, and whoever cooks gets to eat what they want, right? I make what I want, everyone else eats that.

          One of my brothers went to school in New Orleans and told me he just ate out every meal there. And my mom only followed written recipes or made spaghetti, she didn't like to cook.

          Oh and when I was dating my now husband, one of his kids asked for "mashed potatoes made from potatoes" for his birthday. But he can cook now, his girlfriend has an Italian dad and his standards are high, lol. So both he & the girlfriend are good cooks now.

          My ex, he was the worst cook I have ever known, but learned at work and became a very good cook as an adult. Like exceptionally good, could take the produce that was going to be thrown out and make it into something customers would pay a lot for.

          1 Reply Last reply
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          • M [email protected]
            • I have decent throwing aim. I can shoot most trash into the bin from a couple of meters away. With practice, I can probably increase my range.
            • I am pretty flexible for someone my size.
            • I have a pretty scary evil laugh that can scare the neighborhood children away.
            0 This user is from outside of this forum
            0 This user is from outside of this forum
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            wrote on last edited by
            #54

            I can't throw any sort of ball to save my life, but in school I could sink a crumpled up piece of paper into the trash bin across the classroom with consistency that even shocked myself. I'm also deadly with rubber bands and have a knack for paper planes and projectiles made from broken pens.

            M 1 Reply Last reply
            0
            • 0 [email protected]

              I can't throw any sort of ball to save my life, but in school I could sink a crumpled up piece of paper into the trash bin across the classroom with consistency that even shocked myself. I'm also deadly with rubber bands and have a knack for paper planes and projectiles made from broken pens.

              M This user is from outside of this forum
              M This user is from outside of this forum
              [email protected]
              wrote on last edited by
              #55

              Same! I was voluntold for the class basketball team because of my height. I was too unathletic for it, however, and I only lasted one week. However, like you, I can throw paper waste from almost anywhere in the classroom and shoot it into the bin. I can also shoot a worn-out piece of chalk to its container from the middle row. I was pretty lousy with paper planes though.

              The "throw trash into the bin" ability comes in clutch when I'm too lazy to stand up and put trash into the bin. That's where I got most of my recent practice!

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • vindictivejudge@lemmy.worldV [email protected]

                i once went on a two week tour to schools teaching the kids how to swear

                I feel like this needs elaboration.

                J This user is from outside of this forum
                J This user is from outside of this forum
                [email protected]
                wrote on last edited by
                #56

                Long story short: taught kids about swearing as s substitute teacher, got the principal (my mother) in trouble, wrote a manuscript about swearing, interviewed a linguist about religion for the humanist (atheist) magazine, she invited me to join her book project on swearing, the book was published, the «kulturelle skolesekken» (bringing culture to schools) invited me to tour the northernmost, most swearing part of Norway to talk about swearing.

                https://www.nettavisen.no/teacher-taugth-swearwords-in-religion-class/s/12-95-151785

                1 Reply Last reply
                3
                • D [email protected]

                  I can sew, although I kind of hate it. Sewing is an essential skill if you own a sailboat and have no money.

                  janus2@lemmy.zipJ This user is from outside of this forum
                  janus2@lemmy.zipJ This user is from outside of this forum
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                  wrote on last edited by
                  #57

                  "own a sailboat and have no money" that's a redundant statement :]

                  H 1 Reply Last reply
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                  • janus2@lemmy.zipJ [email protected]

                    "own a sailboat and have no money" that's a redundant statement :]

                    H This user is from outside of this forum
                    H This user is from outside of this forum
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                    wrote on last edited by
                    #58

                    I think that would be antithetical, or paradoxical. Redundant means superfluous (=more than is necessary)

                    janus2@lemmy.zipJ 1 Reply Last reply
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                    • H [email protected]

                      I think that would be antithetical, or paradoxical. Redundant means superfluous (=more than is necessary)

                      janus2@lemmy.zipJ This user is from outside of this forum
                      janus2@lemmy.zipJ This user is from outside of this forum
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                      wrote on last edited by
                      #59

                      See the common conception of boat owners is that they're rich. And they certainly might start out that way. But a boat is a hole in the ocean into which money is thrown, and thus boat owners quickly become not rich

                      H P 2 Replies Last reply
                      2
                      • janus2@lemmy.zipJ [email protected]

                        See the common conception of boat owners is that they're rich. And they certainly might start out that way. But a boat is a hole in the ocean into which money is thrown, and thus boat owners quickly become not rich

                        H This user is from outside of this forum
                        H This user is from outside of this forum
                        [email protected]
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #60

                        oooooohhh, I get it. Indeed

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        1
                        • R [email protected]

                          This is funny, I drive manual in the US where even most pickup trucks now have automatic transmission, and the two groups who have been impressed (I am a middle aged lady) are valets and mechanic shops.

                          I do think that for my 21 year old daughter it's an unusual skill and one she values. None of my other kids can drive my car, I had to teach that one because I let her use the car to go to college, I bike to work now since it's much closer than the school.

                          My ex can drive the big trucks with like 16 gears. And both he & my husband can shift motorcycles with ease, I struggle. I guess it would get easier with practice.

                          G This user is from outside of this forum
                          G This user is from outside of this forum
                          [email protected]
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #61

                          Yeah, I learned from my dad - who is a professional driver.

                          It came in handy in the Army.

                          1 Reply Last reply
                          0
                          • toomanypancakes@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                            I mean, what's something you can do that people are like, "really? You know how to do that?"

                            kuma@lemmy.worldK This user is from outside of this forum
                            kuma@lemmy.worldK This user is from outside of this forum
                            [email protected]
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #62

                            I surprise ppl with my drawing skills, and they always say my place is nice and cosy. Everyone who comes over for the first time gets weirdly surprised. I am not sure if that is a skill tho xD

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            0
                            • G [email protected]

                              Driving a manual transmission vehicle.

                              zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zoneZ This user is from outside of this forum
                              zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zoneZ This user is from outside of this forum
                              [email protected]
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #63

                              Oh yeah, i always forget most people (at least in the US) can't. I learned to drive on a stick shift pickup and took my drivers license test in it 😁

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              1
                              • toomanypancakes@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                                I mean, what's something you can do that people are like, "really? You know how to do that?"

                                N This user is from outside of this forum
                                N This user is from outside of this forum
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                                wrote on last edited by
                                #64

                                People are surprised that I can jodel a bit. My geeky high-schools self worked hard to build this skill.

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                0
                                • janus2@lemmy.zipJ [email protected]

                                  See the common conception of boat owners is that they're rich. And they certainly might start out that way. But a boat is a hole in the ocean into which money is thrown, and thus boat owners quickly become not rich

                                  P This user is from outside of this forum
                                  P This user is from outside of this forum
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                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #65

                                  I've heard that boat owners are happy on two days. The day they buy it, and the day they sell it.

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  2
                                  • toomanypancakes@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                                    I mean, what's something you can do that people are like, "really? You know how to do that?"

                                    E This user is from outside of this forum
                                    E This user is from outside of this forum
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                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #66

                                    I know how to can food and make preserves. I'm 46 M.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    0
                                    • W [email protected]

                                      This is very interesting, could you please elaborate a bit? Are fathers not involved in parenting in traditional Japanese culture?

                                      appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
                                      appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
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                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #67

                                      I believe the father is still considered the breadwinner role.

                                      If you like humorous dramas: The way of the househusband (live action)
                                      A clip of the show: https://youtu.be/ktztBx-8onk

                                      If you want, I can give you access to the whole season 🙂

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      0
                                      • mothra@mander.xyzM [email protected]

                                        Depends on unexpected for who. Most native english speakers seem surprised when they realise I understand "big words" (read: any word with a Latin root) without needing to look up a definition. To me it's pretty obvious. My native tongue is Spanish. Having an accent doesn't mean I don't know anything.

                                        appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
                                        appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.comA This user is from outside of this forum
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                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #68

                                        Examples?

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                                        0
                                        • toomanypancakes@lemmy.worldT [email protected]

                                          I mean, what's something you can do that people are like, "really? You know how to do that?"

                                          P This user is from outside of this forum
                                          P This user is from outside of this forum
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                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #69

                                          Compared to most people, I know a fuck ton of keyboard shortcuts making me look like a computer wizard.

                                          T 1 Reply Last reply
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