Everything That's True & Not True About "Stuff White People Like" and Me Because I Am White
Did you guys ever follow that blog Stuff White People Like back in the day? That was a pretty funny blog.
Here's a list of the stuff I'm supposed to like because my skin is pale and my response: if in fact, I really do actually like it (spoiler: most of the time, the answer is YES):
1. My So-Called Life -- yes, own the DVD set
2. Roller Derby -- I'm obsessed with the fact that Central Texas has a Roller Derby team and I want to include them in Bohemia somehow
3. TED -- yeah, I like watching their podcast to feel smart
4. The World Cup -- my husbo gets into this. He's like the guy who is into soccer.
5. Picking their own fruit -- well my hippie parents had us do this when we were kids. Umm, I've liked Farmer's Markets since I lived in Houston when I was teenager and my roommates and I would go to them and literally fill our entire fridge (shelves and shelves) with all the fresh fruit and veggies we got.
6. Conan O'Brian -- yes, love.
7. Ray-Ban Wayfarers -- this would be a ?????
8. Banksy -- yeah we actually tried to get an interview with him for Bohemia but you know -- we're not there yet, I guess
9. Camping -- YEAH!!!!
10. Where The Wild Things Are -- yes and no. Aesthetically, I loved the book but I found the story -- disturbing? Then Spike Jonze directed the movie and it was pretty cool I guess. I like the idea of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan better.
11. Vespa Scooters -- oh the dream of owning a Vespa. Yeah, Bohemia was going to try to do a Vespa Scooter shoot -- that may still happen!
12. Bob Marley -- yep. My trig teacher used to play Marley for us every day in high school. Then, as an adult I liked him -- I have a Bob Marley t-shirt, Bob Marley poster, and Bob Marley CD, everything. Also, I went to the Houston Reggae Fest with some friends once and though Bob was not there (obviously) -- he is also Obviously the inspiration. I just like reggae, period.
13. Hating People Who Wear Ed Hardy -- HAHAHAHAHA! So true. And my mother-in-law, God Love Her, was asking me if I wanted some Ed Hardy stuff. And all I could think was?? Ironically? Should I like it ironically? It's so bad that it's good?
14. Mad Men -- nope. Don't watch it.
15. Moleskine Notebooks -- yeah! I got some by my bed for writing
16. Funny or Ironic Tattoos -- certainly
17. Taking a Year Off -- :D
18. Sea Salt -- yeah, Donnie and I were all about Sea Salt for awhile
19. Ugly Sweater Parties -- yeah, an ugly sweater photo shoot has been pitched to Bohemia like 20 times. I'm always like -- "let's do it" but it just never has happened. Also I love the queen of sparkle gem sweaters, Leslie Hall. I love you Leslie Hall forever!
20. Political Prisoners -- YES. I am all about this. Like, that is my cause. I like movies about political prisoners -- in order to feel enraged about something. The Hurricane (song and movie) is like... I love it! I cry and get all enraged about the whole thing.
21. Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore -- yes. I have like all these old mix tapes of old skool hip-hop that I like to break out at parties and stuff. I don't know why I am such a stereotype white person.
22. Promising to Learn a New Language -- I literally made this promise to myself again this morning
23. America -- well, yeah.
24. Halloween -- I mean, yeah, again.
25. Hummus -- Yes. And when at parties and stuff, people "introduce" hummus to me -- I always act like I haven't been eating it since I was 18 and never discovered the "posh" sections of grocery stores, lol. Because everyone I meet thinks it's their job to introduce me to "sophisticated" stuff... I just pretend like I never heard of it to make them happy.
26. Pea Coats -- YES. My coat is a pea coat. Why? Why? Why? Why is this list me?
27. Frisbee Sports -- oh my God. We literally have a disc golf net in our backyard. And it was a big deal when I went to the Army/Navy supply shop to get my disc golf bag and maintain my little collection of discs.
28. The Onion -- it's okay.
29. Appearing to enjoy Classical Music -- hahaha. Yeah. I do appear to enjoy it. I mean I do, when I'm in the mood. Donnie collects it on vinyl. He loves it.
30. Self Aware Hip Hop References -- yep. I do that a lot too.
31. Facebook -- lol. yes.
32. Unpaid Internships... yeah. I did two. (so far? 3 if you count my literary journal)
33. Girls with Bangs -- I have been obsessed with girls with bangs since I was about 13. I am 36. Like all the retro stars and when modern girls do that. Yeah. I have asked a few hair stylists to give me bangs and they told me No -- that they wouldn't be responsible for that? I don't know why? I don't know if it was because my headshape would look bad with bangs or if because they didn't think the style was hip or whatever. I don't know. My hairstylists of the past were pretty "square" looking ladies -- like high school teacher looking ladies. So I don't know if they got that at the time I wanted something... different.
34. Sweaters -- I like hoodies.
35. Children’s Games as Adults -- yeah I think I went through this phase with my friends. Like "hey guys, let's go play lalalalala" ... drunkenly or whatever.
36. Being Offended -- maybe. I think I am a person that doesn't get butthurt. Like, majorly doesn't. I do not get offended easily.
37. Bumper Stickers -- YES! I can't wait to cover my van in them, yay.
38. Grammar -- I read grammar books for fun. Enough said?
39. The Ivy League -- eh. I like Good Will Hunting.
40. Scarves -- yep. yep. yep. Scarves -- yes. Scarves? YES! Though I wear them quite awkwardly and actually admire the ability of people who pull off scarves well.
41. New Balance Shoes -- yes. It was love at first site. I was in a store. I saw them. I was like... "those. are. the. shit."
42. Rugby -- ? no.
43. Free Healthcare -- oh my God, yes. :(
44. Music Piracy -- well, I mean. I went through a "bad" phase and then I decided to be a good person. I have bought so much music and music related stuff in my life-- I mean, I have used my dollar, a lot. So -- the times of piracy pale in comparison to this.
45. Book Deals -- well yes. Half Price Book store is the best thing ever. And they do this thing once a month at the warehouse in Dallas where you can go and get free books!!! I have done it twice so far. You can literally fill up paper grocery bags with all the books you want as long as you are first in line. I waited in the rain for this. It was a boho adventure, lol.
46. San Francisco -- yes, I am obsessed. I've done all kinds of reading about the place. Never been. Want to go.
47. Dinner Parties -- they are fun!!!!
48. Saint Patrick’s Day -- okay, not really. I'm not all about this.
49. Having Gay Friends -- hahahaha. Well, yeah! Hell yeah!
50. Outdoor Performance Clothes -- I've definitely gone through phases on this, especially when I attended Baylor U.
51. Shorts -- this one is weird to me. Okay, yeah I guess? I didn't know shorts was a white thing. I love cut-offs especially because of being a) a hippie b) a 90s grunge freak
52. The Wire -- no
53. T-Shirts -- oh but of course. At times, I have had a crapload of them-- treasures. Tons of graphic Ts. Tons of them. Love them. T-shirts -- yes. Like shorts -- this is a sort of no-brainer to me?
54. Bad Memories of High School -- hahaha, okay. I guess rehashing bad memories from highschool is pretty fun! lol.... this one not so much for me. I look forward more than backwards and highscbool was okay. I was an artsy, weirdo, misfit, honor roll student, bad girl and at the same time -- a good girl, whatever -- it was all pretty crazy and mixed up. I was quiet in school mostly but I had friends if that makes sense.
55. Hating Corporations -- yeah. I have strongly gone through this phase many, many, many, many times. And I get on my soapbox and act annoying. Donnie hasn't eaten at McDonalds in 15 years, by the way.
56. Graduate School -- yeah, I need more student loans. This is kind like... what I kind of want to do.
57. The Idea of Soccer -- funny. Donnie actually really likes it. I like kickball!
58. Modern Furniture -- oh my yes. Oh oh oh oh oh. OBSESSION for a really, really, really, really, really long time.
59. Multilingual Children -- mmm, I guess. I'm a certified teacher and have a full degree in education. So I actually really love ALL children and I know a lot of stuff about child development and stuff.
60. Musical Comedy -- yeah. I like it -- Weird Al Yankovich, Tenacious D, Sarah Silverman (sometimes), Flight of the Conchords, Dennis Leary, and Adam Sandler. But I don't think I like it as much as some people do. I mean, I like watching it on youtube and stuff. I like Dr. Horrible's Singalong.
61. Bottles of Water -- this is like... yeah. Forever. In a good and bad way. I like expensive freaking water... and I like to read about all processes that it went through or didn't go through or whatever. I don't know why happiness is buying a really expensive bottle of water... but since I've been really, really, really poor -- Donnie and I don't do this anymore. We don't drink Waco water. We get gallons and we drink from our gallons. I guess we are more practical and environmental now.
62. Threatening to Move to Canada -- yes and no. Kind of and maybe. I get mad about political stuff sometimes but then there is the "I love USA" side of me too. Right?
63. Oscar Parties -- back in the day. A lot of this stuff is from back in the day. I go through so many different phases in my life that it is like any of these could apply to me at some point. I remember when I was all into the Oscars and my friends and I being really serious about watching it together and stuff.
64. Gentrification -- yeah, I guess for about 20 years I've been all about this.
65. Study Abroad -- yeah, that's cool. I thought about it but didn't do it.
66. Being the only white person around -- I don't care. Who cares? I don't even notice.
67. Difficult Breakups -- yeah, I have some great stories and they are a part of my life. The stories of your life make you who you are.
68. Mos Def -- no, not really. He's okay. I don't see the big draw.
69. Michel Gondry -- I guess. meh.
70. Standing Still at Concerts -- hahahaha -- not me. As you can see, I seem to be the poster child for "stuff white people like" but simultaneously I AM little bit anti-hipster. I like to be cheesy or whatever or not cool on purpose, sometimes. I am not as reserved as a typical white person I guess? I don't know, just be yourself everyone. But then yes -- you'll probably accidentally fall into some stereotype, haha.
71. Divorce -- no.
72. Co-Ed Sports -- I'm not really a jock. Co-ed pool volleyball with a giant inflatable ball! Or co-ed bandmitten. Or co-ed croquet. Or horseshoes. Or Bocce. OR DISC GOLF.
73. Recycling -- heck to the yeah! And I taught my students all about it and had recycling bins in my class and everything.
74. Expensive Sandwiches -- yeah. There's nothing better than a good sandwich. When I was in junior high or so -- I started making these specialty sandwiches for my fam. I think we called them "Super Mandy Sandwiches" or something like that, where you just need to be all about the good bread, condiments, cheeses, deli meat, veggies... everything. Then of course my first job was at Subway Sandwiches and Salads (not an "expensive" sandwich shop, but the sandwich industry was a draw to me).
75. Knowing what’s best for poor people. Okay again -- actually being a teacher and researching this subject and taking social classes and stuff... even though I take on a demeanor of a simple person as a personality trait-- I actually am educated and do have opinions on stuff. And some of the opinions on stuff that I have disagree with common thought and I don't know... I grew up poor and I don't know... I have different insights. Like really, I just help people, so whether you think you know what's best for people or not... I don't really try. I just live day to day and do my job and treat everyone with respect.
76. Bicycles -- yes! YEs YES yes YEss. My only mode of transportation back in the day. Even went through a mountain biking phase!
77. Toyota Prius -- hahaha. I like VW Jetta... actually I have had many phases of car likes. Big one in my life is actually a Karmann Ghia. Donnie and I have also been Honda freaks for a long time.
78. Natural Medicine -- oh god, you don't even know. I have read so many books and tried so much stuff. Before I became a teacher, especially. When I started teaching, my life got so busy that I had to put away many of my "natural lifestyle" ideals.
79. Japan -- yes. Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed. I want it to be a Bohemia theme.
80. Juno -- oh my god yes.
81. Lawyers -- ?? I don't know. My family used to say when I was a kid that I needed to be a lawyer when I grew up. Like they were serious. Good at arguing and logic and proving my point.
82. Apologies -- I guess? I'm sorry, I don't know. I think it is important to say you are sorry when you mess up.
83. Kitchen Gadgets -- YES!!!!!!!! Kitchen gadgets are just endlessly so much fun. Donnie loves them too. It is like our couple time to look at them and get them.
84. Dogs -- we want a dog :) How is "dogs" a white thing?
85. Sarah Silverman -- she's pretty darn funny. But I'm not obsessed with her or anything. When her show was on and Donnie and I had cable, we would watch it pretty religiously. Also, when she did that Matt Damon thing -- I have watched that video about a million time. It is really, really, really funny.
86. Living by the water -- how can anyone not want to do this? I used to live in Houston so we went to Galveston a lot and then my family moved to Kemah which was close to the coast. And of course Donnie is obsessed with fishing so you know he would love to live closer to the lake. I just want to live near water and Donnie can catch us dinner every night. I like surfers too! They are fun potheads to hang out with.
87. Irony -- oh we do try, don't we?
88. Vintage -- yeah! It's just so cliche that it is so true... but you can't deny it. I want everything vintage. It is just obsession. obsession. obsession. forever. I was watching "The Voice" today and thinking I hated some of their outfits and wondered why they weren't wearing more vintage. This was today.
89. Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops. YEP! Donnie and I used to do day-trips to Austin just for Whole Foods. We went to other place too that we wanted to go to since we were already in Austin-- record shops and thrift stores, clothes and stuff -- but our main purpose was to go to Whole Foods and bring our loot back to Waco. Yeah.
90. Arts Degrees -- I am actually realizing at this point in my life that I could have went after an art degree. In fact, in high school -- the art teacher BEGGED me to do this. I said I wanted to write and I never developed any art talent. And I still have a long way to go as a writer as well, so. LOL. I LIKE people who go to art school. I think maybe I wasn't supposed to go to art school. Maybe I am just supposed to be a fan of arty people.
91. The Sunday New York Times -- hahaha, maybe this will be my future self. I could see it.
92. Asian Fusion Food -- :) Nothing wrong with that.
93. Public Radio -- I used to be a DJ on public radio!
94. Plays -- oh Broadway... I go through periods where I am all about musicals especially. I love going to see plays. This probably started with my Grandma Lee and mom -- who have been showing me art, literature, and theater since I was a baby.
95. Sushi -- can't make a smiley big enough!!!
96. Indie Music -- oh the phases of my life. Yes, I have gone through indie music phases. INDEPENDENT MUSIC FOREVER!!!!!! Indie artists forever!!!
97. Apple Products -- oh my yes. Ohhhhhhhhhhh my, yes. Oh Apple... oh iPhone, oh Mac... I can not deny my love for you.
98. Netflix -- yes, I have loved you Netflix and we still have a Netflix and Hulu premium account. I liked building my netflix queue. I spent a long time on it. I am really into making lists and stuff. I have 400 or more movies on my list. It is my dream in life to watch all these movies. Donnie used to watch movies with me. Not all the time -- but at least once a week. If I could change Donnie and I know it is wrong to think about how you would change your mate but if I could-- it would be this: Donnie and I would watch a movie together every single night before we went to bed. That would be amazing. That would be the swell life. The past couple years -- he's basically stopped watching movies with me. It is all about his Play Station 3, drinking beer, and playing zombie games. He's a different man. I want my Austin Whole Foods and Kitchen Gadgets guy back. But I guess he goes through phases just like me.
99. Arrested Development -- it's funny, but it's not like my big thing. I've probably seen the whole first season or some of the other ones and I'm not gonna lie -- when I do make myself watch it, I laugh hysterically. Hahahahaha, I just like that Jason Bateman made the comeback from the 80s and from the Hogan Family -- yeah! I think it all turned around for him -- I think his comeback was that movie with Cristina Applegate and Cameron Diaz called The Sweetest Thing.
100. Renovations -- yes. The whole dream in life is to get a house and renovate it. I mean how many millions of hours of reality TV have I watched on this subject, really? But then as life is progressing and I am maybe learning myself better -- this big dream of renovating and redecorating -- may not be me. I am a collector, a nestor, and a good shopper. I just need to get a vintagy cool house or apartment that is already renovated and sort of just decorate. You just have to be honest with yourself after 36 years on this planet. You sit there and dream about doing stuff but you have to be yourself and know what you are good at and what you are not good at. I don't know... I guess I can't let go of it. I guess it is still a dream. Remember in the 80s, those Time Life Books on home repair that they advertised on infomercials on basic cable all the time? I wanted those books so bad. Just to buy a house and use the books to teach myself how to do all the repairs and stuff... fantasy.
101. Breakfast Places. I love diners and I love breakfast.
102. The Daily Show/Colbert Report -- yep, loved it back in the day.
103. Architecture -- beauty.
104. Marijuana -- needs to be legal!!! Legalize it!!!
105. Vegan/Vegetarianism -- I have never been full on but as I have been writing this -- realized again that I have gone through periods of my life where I ate meat very, very, very conservatively... and it was a health decision and social decision at the same time.
106. Snowboarding -- okay, no. This is a firm no. LOL.
107. Wrigley Field -- okay, another firm no. I am actually stoked that there are things on this list that I can actually say no to.
108. 80s Night -- Do you know when I started feeling nostalgic for the 80s? I think it was about in 1992/1993 or so. It just came into my head one day. I remember the moment actually and I was just, "Hey you guys, remember the 80s?" I just started preaching it to all my friends and fam endlessly after that, "Hey, remember Take On Me and Wham?" Since I was so young at the time, it really did feel like a long time since the 80s and I really was feeling like pretty retro but a little ironic by waxing nostalgic on the 80s. And it became sort of like a personality trait that my friends associated with me. Yeah, I was current and into the 90s stuff -- but I was also really into reminiscing about My Little Pony and Care Bears-- and taking my friends onto those conversational adventures.
109. Not Having a TV -- I'm a poet. Some of the times when I wrote the most poetry was when I was opting to not have TV for awhile.
110. Marathons -- every single person I know is into marathons except me. Maybe this can be another one of my "future self" ones like Sunday New York Times.
111. Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!) -- hmmm. I guess. I'm obsessed with New York... I mean, I'm not gonna lie.
112. David Sedaris -- nah. I don't even remember if I have spent time researching him or not. I guess if I did at some point, I have forgotten. But it seems like lately I am starting to forget a lot of stuff. This is frightening but true.
113. Wine -- YEEEESSSSSSSS. After the movie Sideways -- Donnie and I would go to the liquor store (mostly Dicorte's in Waco -- we have spent more money in that store -- not just on wine but on all kinds of imported beer and fancy liquors as well -- than any other store in Waco -- I would bet.) and we were just really into trying all the different kinds of wine and learning all about them.
114. Microbreweries -- Donnie got me into microbrews about 10 years ago. See Stuff White People Like numero 113, where I talked about going to Dicrorte's but other places too. The more obscure the beer -- the better. Donnie just wants to learn about them and research them and collect the bottles and taste test all the different kinds. Donnie has become a different person lately. He's not the hipster he was -- he just hangs out with his friend Brent all the time and fishes and drinks Bud and now he's growing lamb chops like Brent too.
115. Having Two Last Names -- hahahahhaha, once again I am surprised... this list knows my soul. Yeah, I want to go by Newhouse Hixson... because I want to keep both. That is what I want to do.
116. Writer’s Workshops -- I love them. I want to go to more. I like creative writing classes too. I've taken lots of them! And I want to just take classes about things until the day I die.
117. Being an expert on YOUR culture -- don't know. I'm a quarter Italian and I like Italian stuff but... I am actually also Danish and Native American!!! I should be all about that too. I guess just because my Grandma speaks Italian and I grew up eating all the Italian foods and my family travels to Italy makes me go the Italy way. Makes me claim Italian.
118. Traveling -- yep. Bohos love to travel. And apparently white people too? All people?
119. Awareness -- I think it is very responsible and conscious to be aware. I think sometimes I hyperfocus on things that I am passionate about and forget to be responsibly aware of all the things I should be aware of.
120. Hating their parents -- lol. White people like therapy. That should be one. I love my parents, okay?
121. “Gifted” Children -- another one that makes me laugh. When I was teaching, my principal encouraged (and paid) for me to get certified as the Gifted/Talented teacher and put me into that position. I love gifted kids! I think if I go back to teaching then I should continue to work with them.
122. Yoga -- I brought my Yoga mat to Dallas with me. Yoga is one of those things that I pretend to not know anything about when I meet new people and they want to talk to me about something... like this wonderful thing called Yoga, have I ever heard of it? Oh no, such an obscure thing. Seriously, Yoga is fantastic.
123. Having Black Friends -- yes. I love black people.
124. Tea -- I used to have like 50 - 60 different types of tea in my cabinet & fridge. It almost more about collecting them. People who know me now probably don't even know who that Mandy was -- tea drinker Mandy. If I had a disposable income along with a less stressful and all time-consuming job like I did when I worked at Wal-Mart in the photo lab -- I would probably go back to my hippie/hipster/whatever/white self, ha. But I have had the "opportunity" to be a starving poet for the past couple of years and also to be the girl who has the literary journal so that's actually really cool. I like "new me." Tea me was kind of a phase.
125. Non-Profit Organizations -- I did a lot of research in my late 20s about all the Non-Profits in Waco because I was a really conscientious person and still am. I like to volunteer. I like to help. I like to make a difference. Some of the places I have supported have been -- the Lake Waco Wetlands, Keep Waco Beautiful, Hippodrome Theater, Girl Scout Association, Waco Cultural Arts Festival... amongst other stuff.
125. Asian Girls -- yes, I'm sorry. In the 90s I got into Japanese street fashion. Then my hero, Gwen Stefani, did the whole Harajuku thing too. Also, I went through an anime phase for awhile. And, when Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon came out -- my sister and I freaked out and bought the poster for our wall. Kill Bill was also like the coolest thing ever. And yeah.... yeah. Sorry. That girl from K-Pop is cool too in that show that came on my Hulu.
126. Wes Anderson movies -- yes!!! Why is this list me? Why am I so this list??? Wes Anderson is my favorite ever. I can watch his movies over and over and over and over again. They are so freaking amazing that I can't even explain it. They are wonderful-funny beauty, quirky, magical, and hilariously amazing.
127. Making you feel bad about not going outside -- lol. I'm like "not white" right now. And I think I've met a lot of people who want me to be white. And they don't even realize that I used to white and that all this stuff on this list used to pertain to me... a lot.
128. Barack Obama -- yeah, I love him. Sorry family. (My family hates him.)
129. Diversity -- I was raised in the 80s and 90s. At school, all they ever talked to us about was diversity. Every place I have ever lived, worked, or went to school at has been pretty diverse. Diversity is just a given to me and I am sorry that I am 36 and talking about "diversity" is kind of old-fashioned or whatever.
130. Organic Food -- For really long time, I ONLY ate organic food.
131. Farmers Markets -- Yeah, they're cool.
132. Assists -- hahaha, okay -- this is a sports thing.
133. Film Festivals -- Indie movies are awesome. And you should watch the ones that win film festivals. This is just a given in life. I do have to say though that I also like big release movies too and some indie movies are really bad and not interesting. But some are really, really good and really interesting, cool, thoughtful, great etc. I was always the one that my family and friends made fun of to not send to the video store because I was inevitably going to come back with some really weird movies. You should explore things. You should research things. You should go in deeper. If you like movies then look at movies that are less well-known and see if you can find gems and things that your family and friends don't know about or whatever. Exploring tons of different things is how you develop your tastes. This applies to everything. Sometime you have to taste good stuff, mediocre stuff, and bad stuff -- sometimes you have to taste stuff no else is trying yet. To find out what you like.
134. Religions that their parents don’t belong to -- okay this all falls into the "finding yourself" category.
135. Coffee -- !!!!!! Last on my list because I went backwards but first on their list. How appropriate. I am nothing-- if not a coffee lover.
Here's a list of the stuff I'm supposed to like because my skin is pale and my response: if in fact, I really do actually like it (spoiler: most of the time, the answer is YES):
1. My So-Called Life -- yes, own the DVD set
2. Roller Derby -- I'm obsessed with the fact that Central Texas has a Roller Derby team and I want to include them in Bohemia somehow
3. TED -- yeah, I like watching their podcast to feel smart
4. The World Cup -- my husbo gets into this. He's like the guy who is into soccer.
5. Picking their own fruit -- well my hippie parents had us do this when we were kids. Umm, I've liked Farmer's Markets since I lived in Houston when I was teenager and my roommates and I would go to them and literally fill our entire fridge (shelves and shelves) with all the fresh fruit and veggies we got.
6. Conan O'Brian -- yes, love.
7. Ray-Ban Wayfarers -- this would be a ?????
8. Banksy -- yeah we actually tried to get an interview with him for Bohemia but you know -- we're not there yet, I guess
9. Camping -- YEAH!!!!
10. Where The Wild Things Are -- yes and no. Aesthetically, I loved the book but I found the story -- disturbing? Then Spike Jonze directed the movie and it was pretty cool I guess. I like the idea of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan better.
11. Vespa Scooters -- oh the dream of owning a Vespa. Yeah, Bohemia was going to try to do a Vespa Scooter shoot -- that may still happen!
12. Bob Marley -- yep. My trig teacher used to play Marley for us every day in high school. Then, as an adult I liked him -- I have a Bob Marley t-shirt, Bob Marley poster, and Bob Marley CD, everything. Also, I went to the Houston Reggae Fest with some friends once and though Bob was not there (obviously) -- he is also Obviously the inspiration. I just like reggae, period.
13. Hating People Who Wear Ed Hardy -- HAHAHAHAHA! So true. And my mother-in-law, God Love Her, was asking me if I wanted some Ed Hardy stuff. And all I could think was?? Ironically? Should I like it ironically? It's so bad that it's good?
14. Mad Men -- nope. Don't watch it.
15. Moleskine Notebooks -- yeah! I got some by my bed for writing
16. Funny or Ironic Tattoos -- certainly
17. Taking a Year Off -- :D
18. Sea Salt -- yeah, Donnie and I were all about Sea Salt for awhile
19. Ugly Sweater Parties -- yeah, an ugly sweater photo shoot has been pitched to Bohemia like 20 times. I'm always like -- "let's do it" but it just never has happened. Also I love the queen of sparkle gem sweaters, Leslie Hall. I love you Leslie Hall forever!
20. Political Prisoners -- YES. I am all about this. Like, that is my cause. I like movies about political prisoners -- in order to feel enraged about something. The Hurricane (song and movie) is like... I love it! I cry and get all enraged about the whole thing.
21. Black Music that Black People Don’t Listen to Anymore -- yes. I have like all these old mix tapes of old skool hip-hop that I like to break out at parties and stuff. I don't know why I am such a stereotype white person.
22. Promising to Learn a New Language -- I literally made this promise to myself again this morning
23. America -- well, yeah.
24. Halloween -- I mean, yeah, again.
25. Hummus -- Yes. And when at parties and stuff, people "introduce" hummus to me -- I always act like I haven't been eating it since I was 18 and never discovered the "posh" sections of grocery stores, lol. Because everyone I meet thinks it's their job to introduce me to "sophisticated" stuff... I just pretend like I never heard of it to make them happy.
26. Pea Coats -- YES. My coat is a pea coat. Why? Why? Why? Why is this list me?
27. Frisbee Sports -- oh my God. We literally have a disc golf net in our backyard. And it was a big deal when I went to the Army/Navy supply shop to get my disc golf bag and maintain my little collection of discs.
28. The Onion -- it's okay.
29. Appearing to enjoy Classical Music -- hahaha. Yeah. I do appear to enjoy it. I mean I do, when I'm in the mood. Donnie collects it on vinyl. He loves it.
30. Self Aware Hip Hop References -- yep. I do that a lot too.
31. Facebook -- lol. yes.
32. Unpaid Internships... yeah. I did two. (so far? 3 if you count my literary journal)
33. Girls with Bangs -- I have been obsessed with girls with bangs since I was about 13. I am 36. Like all the retro stars and when modern girls do that. Yeah. I have asked a few hair stylists to give me bangs and they told me No -- that they wouldn't be responsible for that? I don't know why? I don't know if it was because my headshape would look bad with bangs or if because they didn't think the style was hip or whatever. I don't know. My hairstylists of the past were pretty "square" looking ladies -- like high school teacher looking ladies. So I don't know if they got that at the time I wanted something... different.
34. Sweaters -- I like hoodies.
35. Children’s Games as Adults -- yeah I think I went through this phase with my friends. Like "hey guys, let's go play lalalalala" ... drunkenly or whatever.
36. Being Offended -- maybe. I think I am a person that doesn't get butthurt. Like, majorly doesn't. I do not get offended easily.
37. Bumper Stickers -- YES! I can't wait to cover my van in them, yay.
38. Grammar -- I read grammar books for fun. Enough said?
39. The Ivy League -- eh. I like Good Will Hunting.
40. Scarves -- yep. yep. yep. Scarves -- yes. Scarves? YES! Though I wear them quite awkwardly and actually admire the ability of people who pull off scarves well.
41. New Balance Shoes -- yes. It was love at first site. I was in a store. I saw them. I was like... "those. are. the. shit."
42. Rugby -- ? no.
43. Free Healthcare -- oh my God, yes. :(
44. Music Piracy -- well, I mean. I went through a "bad" phase and then I decided to be a good person. I have bought so much music and music related stuff in my life-- I mean, I have used my dollar, a lot. So -- the times of piracy pale in comparison to this.
45. Book Deals -- well yes. Half Price Book store is the best thing ever. And they do this thing once a month at the warehouse in Dallas where you can go and get free books!!! I have done it twice so far. You can literally fill up paper grocery bags with all the books you want as long as you are first in line. I waited in the rain for this. It was a boho adventure, lol.
46. San Francisco -- yes, I am obsessed. I've done all kinds of reading about the place. Never been. Want to go.
47. Dinner Parties -- they are fun!!!!
48. Saint Patrick’s Day -- okay, not really. I'm not all about this.
49. Having Gay Friends -- hahahaha. Well, yeah! Hell yeah!
50. Outdoor Performance Clothes -- I've definitely gone through phases on this, especially when I attended Baylor U.
51. Shorts -- this one is weird to me. Okay, yeah I guess? I didn't know shorts was a white thing. I love cut-offs especially because of being a) a hippie b) a 90s grunge freak
52. The Wire -- no
53. T-Shirts -- oh but of course. At times, I have had a crapload of them-- treasures. Tons of graphic Ts. Tons of them. Love them. T-shirts -- yes. Like shorts -- this is a sort of no-brainer to me?
54. Bad Memories of High School -- hahaha, okay. I guess rehashing bad memories from highschool is pretty fun! lol.... this one not so much for me. I look forward more than backwards and highscbool was okay. I was an artsy, weirdo, misfit, honor roll student, bad girl and at the same time -- a good girl, whatever -- it was all pretty crazy and mixed up. I was quiet in school mostly but I had friends if that makes sense.
55. Hating Corporations -- yeah. I have strongly gone through this phase many, many, many, many times. And I get on my soapbox and act annoying. Donnie hasn't eaten at McDonalds in 15 years, by the way.
56. Graduate School -- yeah, I need more student loans. This is kind like... what I kind of want to do.
57. The Idea of Soccer -- funny. Donnie actually really likes it. I like kickball!
58. Modern Furniture -- oh my yes. Oh oh oh oh oh. OBSESSION for a really, really, really, really, really long time.
59. Multilingual Children -- mmm, I guess. I'm a certified teacher and have a full degree in education. So I actually really love ALL children and I know a lot of stuff about child development and stuff.
60. Musical Comedy -- yeah. I like it -- Weird Al Yankovich, Tenacious D, Sarah Silverman (sometimes), Flight of the Conchords, Dennis Leary, and Adam Sandler. But I don't think I like it as much as some people do. I mean, I like watching it on youtube and stuff. I like Dr. Horrible's Singalong.
61. Bottles of Water -- this is like... yeah. Forever. In a good and bad way. I like expensive freaking water... and I like to read about all processes that it went through or didn't go through or whatever. I don't know why happiness is buying a really expensive bottle of water... but since I've been really, really, really poor -- Donnie and I don't do this anymore. We don't drink Waco water. We get gallons and we drink from our gallons. I guess we are more practical and environmental now.
62. Threatening to Move to Canada -- yes and no. Kind of and maybe. I get mad about political stuff sometimes but then there is the "I love USA" side of me too. Right?
63. Oscar Parties -- back in the day. A lot of this stuff is from back in the day. I go through so many different phases in my life that it is like any of these could apply to me at some point. I remember when I was all into the Oscars and my friends and I being really serious about watching it together and stuff.
64. Gentrification -- yeah, I guess for about 20 years I've been all about this.
65. Study Abroad -- yeah, that's cool. I thought about it but didn't do it.
66. Being the only white person around -- I don't care. Who cares? I don't even notice.
67. Difficult Breakups -- yeah, I have some great stories and they are a part of my life. The stories of your life make you who you are.
68. Mos Def -- no, not really. He's okay. I don't see the big draw.
69. Michel Gondry -- I guess. meh.
70. Standing Still at Concerts -- hahahaha -- not me. As you can see, I seem to be the poster child for "stuff white people like" but simultaneously I AM little bit anti-hipster. I like to be cheesy or whatever or not cool on purpose, sometimes. I am not as reserved as a typical white person I guess? I don't know, just be yourself everyone. But then yes -- you'll probably accidentally fall into some stereotype, haha.
71. Divorce -- no.
72. Co-Ed Sports -- I'm not really a jock. Co-ed pool volleyball with a giant inflatable ball! Or co-ed bandmitten. Or co-ed croquet. Or horseshoes. Or Bocce. OR DISC GOLF.
73. Recycling -- heck to the yeah! And I taught my students all about it and had recycling bins in my class and everything.
74. Expensive Sandwiches -- yeah. There's nothing better than a good sandwich. When I was in junior high or so -- I started making these specialty sandwiches for my fam. I think we called them "Super Mandy Sandwiches" or something like that, where you just need to be all about the good bread, condiments, cheeses, deli meat, veggies... everything. Then of course my first job was at Subway Sandwiches and Salads (not an "expensive" sandwich shop, but the sandwich industry was a draw to me).
75. Knowing what’s best for poor people. Okay again -- actually being a teacher and researching this subject and taking social classes and stuff... even though I take on a demeanor of a simple person as a personality trait-- I actually am educated and do have opinions on stuff. And some of the opinions on stuff that I have disagree with common thought and I don't know... I grew up poor and I don't know... I have different insights. Like really, I just help people, so whether you think you know what's best for people or not... I don't really try. I just live day to day and do my job and treat everyone with respect.
76. Bicycles -- yes! YEs YES yes YEss. My only mode of transportation back in the day. Even went through a mountain biking phase!
77. Toyota Prius -- hahaha. I like VW Jetta... actually I have had many phases of car likes. Big one in my life is actually a Karmann Ghia. Donnie and I have also been Honda freaks for a long time.
78. Natural Medicine -- oh god, you don't even know. I have read so many books and tried so much stuff. Before I became a teacher, especially. When I started teaching, my life got so busy that I had to put away many of my "natural lifestyle" ideals.
79. Japan -- yes. Obsessed. Obsessed. Obsessed. I want it to be a Bohemia theme.
80. Juno -- oh my god yes.
81. Lawyers -- ?? I don't know. My family used to say when I was a kid that I needed to be a lawyer when I grew up. Like they were serious. Good at arguing and logic and proving my point.
82. Apologies -- I guess? I'm sorry, I don't know. I think it is important to say you are sorry when you mess up.
83. Kitchen Gadgets -- YES!!!!!!!! Kitchen gadgets are just endlessly so much fun. Donnie loves them too. It is like our couple time to look at them and get them.
84. Dogs -- we want a dog :) How is "dogs" a white thing?
85. Sarah Silverman -- she's pretty darn funny. But I'm not obsessed with her or anything. When her show was on and Donnie and I had cable, we would watch it pretty religiously. Also, when she did that Matt Damon thing -- I have watched that video about a million time. It is really, really, really funny.
86. Living by the water -- how can anyone not want to do this? I used to live in Houston so we went to Galveston a lot and then my family moved to Kemah which was close to the coast. And of course Donnie is obsessed with fishing so you know he would love to live closer to the lake. I just want to live near water and Donnie can catch us dinner every night. I like surfers too! They are fun potheads to hang out with.
87. Irony -- oh we do try, don't we?
88. Vintage -- yeah! It's just so cliche that it is so true... but you can't deny it. I want everything vintage. It is just obsession. obsession. obsession. forever. I was watching "The Voice" today and thinking I hated some of their outfits and wondered why they weren't wearing more vintage. This was today.
89. Whole Foods and Grocery Co-ops. YEP! Donnie and I used to do day-trips to Austin just for Whole Foods. We went to other place too that we wanted to go to since we were already in Austin-- record shops and thrift stores, clothes and stuff -- but our main purpose was to go to Whole Foods and bring our loot back to Waco. Yeah.
90. Arts Degrees -- I am actually realizing at this point in my life that I could have went after an art degree. In fact, in high school -- the art teacher BEGGED me to do this. I said I wanted to write and I never developed any art talent. And I still have a long way to go as a writer as well, so. LOL. I LIKE people who go to art school. I think maybe I wasn't supposed to go to art school. Maybe I am just supposed to be a fan of arty people.
91. The Sunday New York Times -- hahaha, maybe this will be my future self. I could see it.
92. Asian Fusion Food -- :) Nothing wrong with that.
93. Public Radio -- I used to be a DJ on public radio!
94. Plays -- oh Broadway... I go through periods where I am all about musicals especially. I love going to see plays. This probably started with my Grandma Lee and mom -- who have been showing me art, literature, and theater since I was a baby.
95. Sushi -- can't make a smiley big enough!!!
96. Indie Music -- oh the phases of my life. Yes, I have gone through indie music phases. INDEPENDENT MUSIC FOREVER!!!!!! Indie artists forever!!!
97. Apple Products -- oh my yes. Ohhhhhhhhhhh my, yes. Oh Apple... oh iPhone, oh Mac... I can not deny my love for you.
98. Netflix -- yes, I have loved you Netflix and we still have a Netflix and Hulu premium account. I liked building my netflix queue. I spent a long time on it. I am really into making lists and stuff. I have 400 or more movies on my list. It is my dream in life to watch all these movies. Donnie used to watch movies with me. Not all the time -- but at least once a week. If I could change Donnie and I know it is wrong to think about how you would change your mate but if I could-- it would be this: Donnie and I would watch a movie together every single night before we went to bed. That would be amazing. That would be the swell life. The past couple years -- he's basically stopped watching movies with me. It is all about his Play Station 3, drinking beer, and playing zombie games. He's a different man. I want my Austin Whole Foods and Kitchen Gadgets guy back. But I guess he goes through phases just like me.
99. Arrested Development -- it's funny, but it's not like my big thing. I've probably seen the whole first season or some of the other ones and I'm not gonna lie -- when I do make myself watch it, I laugh hysterically. Hahahahaha, I just like that Jason Bateman made the comeback from the 80s and from the Hogan Family -- yeah! I think it all turned around for him -- I think his comeback was that movie with Cristina Applegate and Cameron Diaz called The Sweetest Thing.
100. Renovations -- yes. The whole dream in life is to get a house and renovate it. I mean how many millions of hours of reality TV have I watched on this subject, really? But then as life is progressing and I am maybe learning myself better -- this big dream of renovating and redecorating -- may not be me. I am a collector, a nestor, and a good shopper. I just need to get a vintagy cool house or apartment that is already renovated and sort of just decorate. You just have to be honest with yourself after 36 years on this planet. You sit there and dream about doing stuff but you have to be yourself and know what you are good at and what you are not good at. I don't know... I guess I can't let go of it. I guess it is still a dream. Remember in the 80s, those Time Life Books on home repair that they advertised on infomercials on basic cable all the time? I wanted those books so bad. Just to buy a house and use the books to teach myself how to do all the repairs and stuff... fantasy.
101. Breakfast Places. I love diners and I love breakfast.
102. The Daily Show/Colbert Report -- yep, loved it back in the day.
103. Architecture -- beauty.
104. Marijuana -- needs to be legal!!! Legalize it!!!
105. Vegan/Vegetarianism -- I have never been full on but as I have been writing this -- realized again that I have gone through periods of my life where I ate meat very, very, very conservatively... and it was a health decision and social decision at the same time.
106. Snowboarding -- okay, no. This is a firm no. LOL.
107. Wrigley Field -- okay, another firm no. I am actually stoked that there are things on this list that I can actually say no to.
108. 80s Night -- Do you know when I started feeling nostalgic for the 80s? I think it was about in 1992/1993 or so. It just came into my head one day. I remember the moment actually and I was just, "Hey you guys, remember the 80s?" I just started preaching it to all my friends and fam endlessly after that, "Hey, remember Take On Me and Wham?" Since I was so young at the time, it really did feel like a long time since the 80s and I really was feeling like pretty retro but a little ironic by waxing nostalgic on the 80s. And it became sort of like a personality trait that my friends associated with me. Yeah, I was current and into the 90s stuff -- but I was also really into reminiscing about My Little Pony and Care Bears-- and taking my friends onto those conversational adventures.
109. Not Having a TV -- I'm a poet. Some of the times when I wrote the most poetry was when I was opting to not have TV for awhile.
110. Marathons -- every single person I know is into marathons except me. Maybe this can be another one of my "future self" ones like Sunday New York Times.
111. Manhattan (now Brooklyn too!) -- hmmm. I guess. I'm obsessed with New York... I mean, I'm not gonna lie.
112. David Sedaris -- nah. I don't even remember if I have spent time researching him or not. I guess if I did at some point, I have forgotten. But it seems like lately I am starting to forget a lot of stuff. This is frightening but true.
113. Wine -- YEEEESSSSSSSS. After the movie Sideways -- Donnie and I would go to the liquor store (mostly Dicorte's in Waco -- we have spent more money in that store -- not just on wine but on all kinds of imported beer and fancy liquors as well -- than any other store in Waco -- I would bet.) and we were just really into trying all the different kinds of wine and learning all about them.
114. Microbreweries -- Donnie got me into microbrews about 10 years ago. See Stuff White People Like numero 113, where I talked about going to Dicrorte's but other places too. The more obscure the beer -- the better. Donnie just wants to learn about them and research them and collect the bottles and taste test all the different kinds. Donnie has become a different person lately. He's not the hipster he was -- he just hangs out with his friend Brent all the time and fishes and drinks Bud and now he's growing lamb chops like Brent too.
115. Having Two Last Names -- hahahahhaha, once again I am surprised... this list knows my soul. Yeah, I want to go by Newhouse Hixson... because I want to keep both. That is what I want to do.
116. Writer’s Workshops -- I love them. I want to go to more. I like creative writing classes too. I've taken lots of them! And I want to just take classes about things until the day I die.
117. Being an expert on YOUR culture -- don't know. I'm a quarter Italian and I like Italian stuff but... I am actually also Danish and Native American!!! I should be all about that too. I guess just because my Grandma speaks Italian and I grew up eating all the Italian foods and my family travels to Italy makes me go the Italy way. Makes me claim Italian.
118. Traveling -- yep. Bohos love to travel. And apparently white people too? All people?
119. Awareness -- I think it is very responsible and conscious to be aware. I think sometimes I hyperfocus on things that I am passionate about and forget to be responsibly aware of all the things I should be aware of.
120. Hating their parents -- lol. White people like therapy. That should be one. I love my parents, okay?
121. “Gifted” Children -- another one that makes me laugh. When I was teaching, my principal encouraged (and paid) for me to get certified as the Gifted/Talented teacher and put me into that position. I love gifted kids! I think if I go back to teaching then I should continue to work with them.
122. Yoga -- I brought my Yoga mat to Dallas with me. Yoga is one of those things that I pretend to not know anything about when I meet new people and they want to talk to me about something... like this wonderful thing called Yoga, have I ever heard of it? Oh no, such an obscure thing. Seriously, Yoga is fantastic.
123. Having Black Friends -- yes. I love black people.
124. Tea -- I used to have like 50 - 60 different types of tea in my cabinet & fridge. It almost more about collecting them. People who know me now probably don't even know who that Mandy was -- tea drinker Mandy. If I had a disposable income along with a less stressful and all time-consuming job like I did when I worked at Wal-Mart in the photo lab -- I would probably go back to my hippie/hipster/whatever/white self, ha. But I have had the "opportunity" to be a starving poet for the past couple of years and also to be the girl who has the literary journal so that's actually really cool. I like "new me." Tea me was kind of a phase.
125. Non-Profit Organizations -- I did a lot of research in my late 20s about all the Non-Profits in Waco because I was a really conscientious person and still am. I like to volunteer. I like to help. I like to make a difference. Some of the places I have supported have been -- the Lake Waco Wetlands, Keep Waco Beautiful, Hippodrome Theater, Girl Scout Association, Waco Cultural Arts Festival... amongst other stuff.
125. Asian Girls -- yes, I'm sorry. In the 90s I got into Japanese street fashion. Then my hero, Gwen Stefani, did the whole Harajuku thing too. Also, I went through an anime phase for awhile. And, when Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon came out -- my sister and I freaked out and bought the poster for our wall. Kill Bill was also like the coolest thing ever. And yeah.... yeah. Sorry. That girl from K-Pop is cool too in that show that came on my Hulu.
126. Wes Anderson movies -- yes!!! Why is this list me? Why am I so this list??? Wes Anderson is my favorite ever. I can watch his movies over and over and over and over again. They are so freaking amazing that I can't even explain it. They are wonderful-funny beauty, quirky, magical, and hilariously amazing.
127. Making you feel bad about not going outside -- lol. I'm like "not white" right now. And I think I've met a lot of people who want me to be white. And they don't even realize that I used to white and that all this stuff on this list used to pertain to me... a lot.
128. Barack Obama -- yeah, I love him. Sorry family. (My family hates him.)
129. Diversity -- I was raised in the 80s and 90s. At school, all they ever talked to us about was diversity. Every place I have ever lived, worked, or went to school at has been pretty diverse. Diversity is just a given to me and I am sorry that I am 36 and talking about "diversity" is kind of old-fashioned or whatever.
130. Organic Food -- For really long time, I ONLY ate organic food.
131. Farmers Markets -- Yeah, they're cool.
132. Assists -- hahaha, okay -- this is a sports thing.
133. Film Festivals -- Indie movies are awesome. And you should watch the ones that win film festivals. This is just a given in life. I do have to say though that I also like big release movies too and some indie movies are really bad and not interesting. But some are really, really good and really interesting, cool, thoughtful, great etc. I was always the one that my family and friends made fun of to not send to the video store because I was inevitably going to come back with some really weird movies. You should explore things. You should research things. You should go in deeper. If you like movies then look at movies that are less well-known and see if you can find gems and things that your family and friends don't know about or whatever. Exploring tons of different things is how you develop your tastes. This applies to everything. Sometime you have to taste good stuff, mediocre stuff, and bad stuff -- sometimes you have to taste stuff no else is trying yet. To find out what you like.
134. Religions that their parents don’t belong to -- okay this all falls into the "finding yourself" category.
135. Coffee -- !!!!!! Last on my list because I went backwards but first on their list. How appropriate. I am nothing-- if not a coffee lover.