Is there something you're really good at, but never tell new friends etc. because...

[SaladandGravy]

... it sounds so highly unlikely you think people won't believe you?

I have one talent that sounds impossible (I may share later!!) but my great-grandma was about 4 feet nothing tall, not very agile but she could juggle with just about anything you could throw at her that she could physically hold (Diddy little hands too!). We used to just shout "oi Grandma" and throw 3 things at her. it was so funny, and she loved it too.

And my ex could turn a digestive biscuit 360° back to front and widthwaya without it breaking.

(Csn you tell I'm. bored?)

This actually isn't anything to be particularly proud of but I'll admit it. I've got two very good degrees and I did both without reading a single journal in full. I can skim read, pick out relevant shit and then write like I know what I'm on about.

I should probably have them both rescinded.

I can sleep anywhere, anytime, at will. I once slept standing up against a wall in a museum.

I’m good at exams and got into Oxbridge at 17. I don’t tell anyone any more as they all have preconceptions about what I’m like as a result - snobby, scary, critical, know everything etc etc - even though that was 40 years ago. It’s like it happened to another person.

@mumsiedarlingrevolta, thank you for the questions.
Actually, I didn't learn any other languages apart from French (badly, for GCSE) until after my undergraduate degree.
For my PhD, I wanted to work in Southeast Asia, but with Chinese dialect speaking populations. I learnt Mandarin (and also Japanese, as you had to study two languages), but then arrived to do fieldwork to find that all the interesting conversations were happening in Hakka, Hokkien, Teochew, so I learnt them too. I then went on to do research in lots of other places (You can see from the post where I list the languages that a lot of them are Southeast Asian, particularly those spoken in Myanmar).
Now, if you give me a dictionary, I can learn the language from it pretty quickly. I work out the pronunciation, the grammatical structure, and go from there. With the languages that don't have a spoken form, I just listen. Once I hear something, I just remember it. And then the vocabulary just builds, without me really realizing it.
As you guess, when someone speaks to me, I click into the right language. Sometimes I don't know what language that is. (Particularly in Chinese dialects. It's only afterwards that I think about how many tones it has and realize, say, that it was Hokkien [which has more tones than Mandarin]).
The speaking stays. The writing I can easily lose if I don't practice, so (for those that have a written form) I try to read to keep it up.

I haven't ever connected this, but yes I am musical. I played an instrument to a professional level and could have made it a career. Maybe that explains why I love tonal languages. But I am also really nosy and hate not knowing what people are saying, so there is that too!!!

@Comedycook

I know the capital city of every country in the world and can identify every country by its flag. I taught myself in lockdown. Only my DC know I can do this!

that is impressive!! I know all the countries in alphabetical order (learnt so I could recite them in the MRI scanner to keep my mind occupied!) but capital cities AND flags too... impressive!

[quote Jacaranda75]@ShirleyPhallus if it’s true, please do an AMA![/quote]
that made me laugh!!

I was intending a keeping up with this thread but I fell asleep and didn't wake up until 16.35! Guess I'm better at sleeping than I thought I was - I'm now going to go and enjoy reading the full thread.

I'm very good at craft type hobbies. I can pick something new up and after a day or so make something that looks like I've been doing it for ages.

Shame that my lack of funds holds me back

I'm also very good at making clothes and i sew fast. I can picture something in my head and whip it up without a pattern. All self taught. I don't tell anyone though because they then say 'oh I've got this skirt needs fixing/can you take up my trousers" and the answer is always no i don't want to

I have a great memory for numbers and I can still do the splits at the age of 56

@Ruthietuthie lovely to hear of another trilingual 4yo. its amazing listening to them isn't it?

Barrawarra That's amazing. Getting a first back in the day really was an accomplishment.

Sadly, they give away firsts like sweets now. I don't actually know any kid who didn't get a first in the last 5 years (and trust me, none of them are that bright)

I'm a bit in awe of a proper first!

@Footle, it's largely driven by my research interests. (Working on Myanmar most recently, which led to a good few years working on those languages. It is heart-breaking that I don't know when I will go back).
Some of the languages (Korean, for example) came from the fact the university I teach at now has a lot of overseas students from there and I felt they weren't well supported so wanted to learn in order to speak with them.

Tonal languages are definitely my thing. Turkish (which I learnt to speak with my Inlaws) was the hardest for me to learn.

[quote LizzieMacQueen]@SaladandGravy I don't understand the chocolate disgestive comment.

I also got a first in maths but do not bring it up

I'm excellent at sightreading and play the piano reasonably well. [/quote]

1. get a plain digestive NOT CHOCOLATE)
2. shove in mouth upright behind teeth
3. use tongue to rotate digestive back to front until its turned 360°

Did you know that many accomplished musicians are also very good at maths? They use the same little bit of the brain.

I worked in a Chinese laundry as a Saturday job in the '70's, and I'm now the absolute best at folding clothes ( especially shirts) and ironing! I started a business about 10 years ago but couldn't cope with the volume of work in my own and nobody else was interested in learning so I gave up and don't mention it now.

I'm also really good at wrapping presents, I used to really enjoy embellishing them but people would say "ooo that's too nice to open!" So I gave that up as well and just do the basics now

@LoisLane66

I can't juggle more than three tennis ball sized items but I can fit a whole digestive biscuit inside my mouth and turn it over with my tongue without it breaking or disintegrating. No-one knows except my ex and AC and they've probably forgotten. I can also play drums , passably well as in 1999 I paid for private tuition for two years. My AC wouldn't believe me when they found out...until they saw a video of me playing a short set with some music students from ACM Guildford.

I just knew someone else could do the digestive biscuit trick!

I NEED TO KNOW... how many of you have tried it since opening this thread?

@DrivingHomeChristmas please do an ama

I can tune a guitar by ear.

I can’t play the guitar.

@LetHimHaveIt

'And my ex could turn a digestive biscuit 360° back to front and widthwaya without it breaking.'

So can I. So can everyone. Did you mean 'in his mouth'?

whoops!!!

no wonder my kids say "noone would ever believe how intelligent you are mum". Good job I sketched what I meant later in the thread. sorry folks

Apparently I have no common sense eitherr

A proper first 😄 what's a pretend one?

If they give them away like sweets, go and get one. Report back about how easy it was. Thanks.

[quote Ruthietuthie]@Footle, it's largely driven by my research interests. (Working on Myanmar most recently, which led to a good few years working on those languages. It is heart-breaking that I don't know when I will go back).
Some of the languages (Korean, for example) came from the fact the university I teach at now has a lot of overseas students from there and I felt they weren't well supported so wanted to learn in order to speak with them.

Tonal languages are definitely my thing. Turkish (which I learnt to speak with my Inlaws) was the hardest for me to learn.[/quote]
I have a Karen friend; she was a Myanmar refugee for many years on the border of Myanmar and Thailand. She came to England with her husband 2 eldest children and had another 2 children once in England.

She knew no English on arrival and is now a maths and physics teacher teacher. It was thinking of her that gave me the idea for this thread.

When she was studying at university she would tell people she was 'just a cleaner' and I used to tell her she was an amazing and strong woman and I'd hope one day she would be brave enough to say that.

She has finally found her place; she is happy, healthy and respected as a very intelligent woman.

I am so lucky to have her in my life.

@SaladandGravy

ShirleyPhallus

**I really am incredible at giving blow jobs

Not really ice breaker conversation that

Hahaha hahaha I just knew someone was going to say that, I didnt expect it to come so quick though**

NEITHER DID SHE

[quote Newbabynewhouse]@SaladandGravy

ShirleyPhallus

**I really am incredible at giving blow jobs

Not really ice breaker conversation that

Hahaha hahaha I just knew someone was going to say that, I didnt expect it to come so quick though**

NEITHER DID SHE [/quote]

I know lots of ways to kill people in one hit and also very good at singing. Oooh, could really freak someone out by doing them at the same time.

@24petlegs

I never need the sat nav once I've driven a route once. Not just locally, but long distance and abroad. Drive it once, file it...then use it when needed. DH calls me a homing pigeon as I can get us home from anywhere.

Me too! Also, I can look at a map before I go and then not need it again the whole journey. And sometimes I divert en-route because another road looks more interesting but I can still get to my destination no problem. It’s like I have an inbuilt compass.

There’s only been one time in my entire life that I have been fully confused and a bit lost after a ‘ooh, let’s go up that road’ and it was deeply unpleasant! I was where I needed to be, but pointing in the wrong direction.

I am also a absolute demon parallel parker, but that’s simply down to living on a very busy road with only on-street parking. You had to learn to be fast and accurate very quickly!

[quote Newbabynewhouse]@SaladandGravy

ShirleyPhallus

**I really am incredible at giving blow jobs

Not really ice breaker conversation that

Hahaha hahaha I just knew someone was going to say that, I didnt expect it to come so quick though**

NEITHER DID SHE [/quote]
Ha ha