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I just don't tell anyone. The people who know me already think I'm smart or kinda nerdy so they don't think much of my "data" when I say something, it's just another one of my hundred million useless facts lol. If I do that with other people I don't really know well then it makes me look like kinda weird but I usually get, wow you're smart, or a how do you know that, or, why do you know that, lol.
I use to be at school on city data and the conversation with my friends would always be like this:
Friend: What's that?
Me: City Data
Friend: What you do on there?
Me: Talk about stuff.
Friend: Like what?
Me: Cities
Friend: Lame.
I have the urge to correct people when they say incorrect information about cities, but I've learn to control my urges lol
Haha, I have to hold back too, but sometimes it's really tough, especially when a conversation hinges on information. People are WAYYY off (like when someone told me Boston gets more snow than Rochester, NY....or when someone else tried to argue that Baltimore's crime was localized along the inner harbor area...in today's world).
No offense, but that's a b*tchy thing to say if she's supposedly in love with you and supports you. There's nothing wrong with having a hobby/interest, and cities are no different. I recognize that this makes me a little different and perhaps weird, but it's also what distinguishes you from the next person and it could turn into your "life calling" if you pursue a career with it -- like I'm looking into! Don't let someboody else tell you how to feel about loving cities -- it's likely your "gift" and you should expose it, not hide it!
I don't think she meant it in a bad way, it's just difficult for her to understand my fascination with cities. I still remember when I was a kid my parents bought me a puzzle of the U.S. and since then it kind of just grew from there, til this day I like looking at city maps and data of cities. The craziest thing is that you will find people from all walks of life on this forum who share the same interest, I think the only exception would be that women are the minority in this hobby/interest not sure. One more thing I would like to add is that most of us automatically think that our fellow posters are guys when in reality I have seen posters reply with "BTW I'm a woman" I am guilty of this to BTW.
I use to be at school on city data and the conversation with my friends would always be like this:
Friend: What's that?
Me: City Data
Friend: What you do on there?
Me: Talk about stuff.
Friend: Like what?
Me: Cities
Friend: Lame.
I have the urge to correct people when they say incorrect information about cities, but I've learn to control my urges lol
What's worse is when you know more about their cities than they do. Like "Yeah man... I heard you guys just added 7 miles of track to your light rail system and you gained 15% population last decade"
It kind of worked the opposite for me. For quite some time, I heard all kinds of opinions from people about cities which sounded absurd and which I felt had to be inaccurate. That's what got me to research more and brought me to C-D.
Last edited by BigCityDreamer; 01-07-2011 at 10:30 AM..
I'm not as into the hard numbers and data as many people here are (although I do like it, as it gives lots of useful insights into different areas), but I am fascinated by places -- all places, not just cities. Most people don't think it's weird, but it used to surprise me when people DIDN'T find things like that interesting! When traveling, for example, I don't go anywhere without envisioning what it would be like to live there. Where do you buy groceries? Where are the parks? Where would we live? What would we do and where would we go? (that goes for places I'd hate to live, as well as those on my wish list) A lot of people don't think like that. Even more weird, a lot of people don't even spend much time thinking about the cities in which they DO live. Then again, I think there are a lot of people out there who just don't spend a lot of time thinking about much of anything, so perhaps it shouldn't be surprising.
I don't know if there's a gender difference or not.
Just a quick question to fellow CDers, What is the reaction of people when you tell them about your fascination with cities? My girlfriend for example told me, that she thinks its stupid and pointless. Has anyone else gotten that "huh, who cares" reaction?
I just come on CD to mess around and waste some time with some good old Internet conversation. I don't really have a fascination of cities, since that is a bit dumb.
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