Things I do that other people don't/can't do

One way of measuring your own uniqueness is by keeping track of the things you do that other people don't, can't, or only very rarely do.

In my 30 years, I was able to compile a list of a number of things I'm quite sure I'm the only one who does (or, in some instances, can possibly do).  What follows is a listing of these things - some of which are already known by those who know me.

1.  Folding burger wrappers

I realized this way back in college when I began to eat in fast food restaurants on a regular basis.  Actually, I didn't really notice it until it was pointed out to by a schoolmate one afternoon in 1995 in Jollibee Katipunan.  (That person's name is Rica Lamprea.  I don't know why I remember that.)

Anyway, it's been more than a decade since that afternoon and so far, I have never seen anyone in any fast food restaurant who folds their burger wrappers after they've finished eating their hamburgers/cheeseburgers/Quarter Pounders/Yums/Champs/Whoppers.  They always crumple the wrappers unceremoniously, while I fold it delicately in 4 ways.

2.  Smoking with candy

You'd think it would be very common for smokers to have a piece of candy while having their yosi break judging by the way cigarettes and candies are always sold side-by-side by roadside vendors.  But no, it isn't.  People buy candy and people buy cigarettes, but they are never taken together...except by me, apparently.  It turns out I'm the type of smoker who relishes the sensation of smoke entering my lungs, but thoroughly dislikes the taste and aftertaste of tobacco in my mouth.

3.  Using a tongue scraper

If I'm right about this, then this would be the very first time that you - the reader - would have heard of a tongue scraper (see photo above).  As the name itself suggests, this is a dental implement that promotes oral hygiene by scraping the tongue of food particles that ordinary brushing can't remove.

I purchased one because it so happens that I'm very meticulous about cleaning my tongue while brushing my teeth.  I actually came up with an idea that I'd invent a tongue scraper one day, until I discovered by accident that they were already being sold in groceries.  For something quite useful, they're usually very hard to locate.  Maybe that's why people don't buy them.  I'm the only one I'm aware of who actually has used one.

4.  Folding the trouser cuffs

For much of recent history, the folding of trouser cuffs (i.e. the bottom of the pants) is a seasonal practice, depending on the fad.  Most recently (around 2005), this practice has been observed in denims, in the form of a single large fold on each leg.  When it's not in season, pants are simply cut to a length appropriate for the wearer.

I've purchased a lot of pants and trousers in the past decade, most of which had trouser cuffs that reached beyond the ends of my legs, but I never had any of them cut to just the right length.  I've always folded them - thrice, approximately 1.5 inches high - regardless of whether it is fashionable.  Sometimes, in the rare occasions that i end up buying pants of just the right length, I still end up folding them because I've gotten so used to the practice.

5.  Whistling while smiling

This doesn't sound very impressive until you actually try and do it.  Smile, and produce an audible whistle that can be heard 5 meters away.  Take note, whistle and not just hiss a tune.  Hard isn't it?  Well, apparently I can do it with ease.  And I can make myself heard to a person 5 meters away in a room filled with people talking.  I even find this easier to do than a normal whistle.

It started out as just hissing when I was in 2nd grade.  Somehow, in a process that spanned years, I found a way to refine it and turn it into a whistle.  This never fails to amaze people and it is my standard reply whenever I'm asked to share something weird about myself.  There was a time not too long ago when, for some crazy reason, I was asked to whistle the Lupang Hinirang in this manner.  I got a resounding round of applause after that.  The only enthusiastic applause I've ever received in my life.

There, those are five of mine.  What are yours? 

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photo credit: http://blog.pennlive.com/naturalliving/small_tongue_scraper2.jpg