Tag: quiz

The Quiz

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Callie focused on the latest stack of record albums he’d brought her from what seemed a limitless supply somewhere in the depths of his apartment. She couldn’t disappoint him again. It was what she always ended up doing with men, especially ones she really liked. She had it right this time though, she was sure of it and pulled out a 1981 Rolling Stones collaboration with Muddy Waters in response to his request for “Hoochie Coochie Man,” and held it out with a flourish. Grinning, he smacked his hands together, set it carefully on an old-time turntable and placed the needle on the right track. The familiar thump of the Rolling Stones filled the room. She grinned back in relief. Three out of four.

A silly game really, begun in the small hole-in-the-wall club down the street where she sometimes ventured out to listen to live music. They’d bumped into each other, locked eyes and with heart thumping loud enough to deafen her she’d retreated to the restroom. He was there when she came out but didn’t look her way again. She returned the same night the following week and then the next, hoping to see him again. He was there every single time, never far from where she stood. But he didn’t approach her until tonight. Their words burst out of them, like they’d been saving them up for years. All about music; he as passionate about the subject as was she, from Scriabin with his idiosyncratic tonal language, to 1930’s blues artist Robert Johnson, to Ravi Shankar, to Leonard Cohen to Ry Cooder. They were kindred souls. She drank more than she should’ve, and then she was in his place, taking him up on his challenge; he would name a track of a song or orchestral piece by some artist, hand her a stack of records and she had thirty seconds to pull the album containing that track.

They sat listening with rapt attention not looking at each other. She wanted to reach out to him, wanted to feel his skin close to hers, to run her fingers through the hair on his chest she could see peeping up over his T-shirt, she wanted his arms around her. The record came to an end. One more question to come. Would she get this one right? And then what?

“Good night Irene,” he said and she jerked upright, instant tears filling her eyes. She had disappointed him. What a fool she’d been. She glanced around for her sweater and purse and started to her feet.

“Where’re you going?” he cried, jumping up and grabbing both her hands. “Maybe if I said Good night Irene, it would’ve clued you in. Sorry I’m not good at this kind of thing, I mean we had this quiz thing going, I was just trying to . . . okay, it was a ploy to get you here. The thing is, I-I just really like you and I want you to stay. Wrapping his arms around her he gave her a long tender kiss. Finally he released her, reached down and shoved a fresh stack of records into her hands. “You’ll ace this one.”

Quiz Night

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Three nights after I arrived in the U.K. I still hadn’t caught up on my sleep, so I was quite loopy, causing Joan to remark to Donna in her best imitation of a Cumbrian brogue that I wasn’t “the full shillin’” every time I did something goofy (like mistaking the giant squirrel topiary in St. Lawrence’s churchyard at the entrance to Morland for a rabbit). By now we were all having fun with the Cumbrian accent: summat for “something,” init for “isn’t it”—the latter is now a standard of mine. And then there’s Joan’s name which had become Jooawn, drawn out with a long awww in the middle. This became uproarious on our night out at the pub (pronounced poob) that Joan and her ex used to own in Great Strickland, a small village a few miles away.

Squirrel topiaryIt all started when the three of us walked into the small eighteenth century establishment to find a couple of young guys at the bar who recognized Joan from when she’d managed the place: beers all around and it was Jooawn this and Jooawn that. They got a kick out of three Zambian women imitating their accents; it was foony. Come to find out it was “Quiz Night,” which had already begun. A young guy in a checked shirt and glasses strolled up and down the narrow aisles between booths and tables posing questions from a list he carried. The four or so couples scattered around the small room quietly wrote down their answers. That is until I started playing, with the guys at the bar feeding me the answers through Joan, until I finally got one on my own—Ricky Gervais, don’t remember what the question was—and gave a whoop. And then I got another—the American TV show “Friends.” Another whoop. Couldn’t help it. Everyone knew what was happening and were grinning. I didn’t bother tallying up my score at the end, but the winner insisted we share in the prize, a jug of cider which was passed around. At some point one of the guys remarked that this was the most foon quiz night they’d ever had.

How Charismatic Are You?

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Okay, before I unveil this bit of triviality, which I got from Oprah Magazine (adapted from the forthcoming book: The Longevity Project: Surprising Discoveries for Health and Long Life from the Landmark Eight-Decade Study), I feel compelled to tell you the magazine was a gift subscription, not that there’s anything wrong with subscribing to Oprah, I think she’s an amazing woman, her good works–especially in South Africa–and her insights rock.

It’s just that for the most part, it seems with most of the articles, I’ve been down that path, plus, I’m put off by the expensive clothes and beauty products advertised; they’re just not me.  But when it comes to these little psychological evaluations, sometimes, I just have to indulge.   This one surprised me.  Check it out.  I’ll tell you at the end what I learned about myself.

Okay, so rate ever number from 1–9: 1 being NOT AT ALL TRUE OF ME: 9 VERY TRUE OF ME.

1. When I hear great music, my body automatically starts moving to the beat.

2. I always try to wear fashionable clothes.

3. Everyone hears me when I laugh; it’s a jovial and buoyant sound.

4. I pay careful attention to details.

5. When I’m on the phone, my feelings and mood come across loud and clear.

6. I am always prepared.

7. Friends often tell me their problems and ask for advice.

8. I use a to-do list.

9. I try to work on something until it’s perfect.

10. People say I should be an actor.

11. I make plans and stick to them.

12. I sometimes forget to put food back in the refrigerator. (This is a weird one, Alzheimer thing?)

13. I am good at games like charades.

14. Strangers tend to think I’m much younger than I am.

15. At parties, I am often the center of attention.

16. When talking to close friends, I typically hug or touch them.

ANSWER KEY:

Add the numbers you selected for questions 1,3,5,7,10,13,15 and 16. Disregard the others; they are “filler” questions, designed to minimize subconscious bias in your responses. Your score indicates your level of charisma, or in psychological terms, how well you express yourself nonverbally. In my 25 years of research on the subject, I’ve found that the most alluring individuals can effortlessly communicate without words–through expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and other subtle signals.

0-37 Twenty-five percent of people score in this range. You are probably on the shy side. Maybe you were born socially cautious, or have learned to be circumspect because of abuse or ridicule you suffered in the past. Or you may simply not be interested in drawing attention, preferring to spend time alone.

38-49 Most people fall into this category. You are likely to be quite accomplished in your interactions, but your success is often due to intelligence and the social skills you’ve learned –not charm.  You may be good with nonverbal techniques (varying expressions, using gestures), but you don’t excel at all of them.

50-60 People at this level are magnetic. You are extroverted and a natural leader, though you tend to attract enemies, too, precisely because you stand out from the crowd. You may sometimes feel burdened by the attention and the responsibility of having followers.

61-72 You have a hard time going unnoticed. You are one of the lucky few (only 5 percent of people score above 60) with that uncanny ability light up a room. You probably have some experience as a performer, and are especially expressive and sensitive to others.

So, I tallied my score and then when my ex came to babysit the dogs, I asked him to take the test and then do mine–just so we have an objective viewpoint, I mean this guy lived with me for 25 years.

I scored 60 and he got 23.  Now, this is a man who is about as charismatic as they come, I mean in the way I think of charisma (magnetic charm), I mean he scored an 8 on #15.  That should tell you.  And as far as me being an being an extrovert or possessing magnetic charm, absolutely not.  I mean I love to dance and I’m enthusiastic as hell, but that’s it.  So, either these tests are full of shit, or maybe I’ve changed, maybe I’ve become more outgoing than I perceived myself to be.