Previously at Random Musings of an Introvert (RMI), much has been written about Huy's otherworldly sports fanaticism. It is without a doubt an attribute that distinguishes himself from his peers. That said, being a sports geek is only part of Huy's "uniqueness." So for this second installment of our "Meet Your Blogger" series, let's take a look at what led to the perception of him, as his friends and acquaintances blatantly and rightfully put it, as a "weirdo."
In regard to the first edition where we examined Huy's obsession with sports, we have received a lot of positive feedbacks from our readers. Most of you all agree, some could even attest, that when it comes to sports, he is geeky beyond comprehension. Some readers, however, expressed their dissatisfaction with the back-and-forth switch between third-person and first-person, which apparently confused them who actually is telling the story. RMI sincerely apologized for that. In our defense, we did include what we thought were incredibly effective transitions:
"Smooth transition to first-person..."
"Smooth transition back to third-person..."
We thought it was smooth enough, but we respect our valued readers' opinion. Therefore, for this edition, RMI decided to conduct an interview with Huy himself to avoid any further confusion. Without further ado, here comes the transcript:
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| Huy in a nutshell... |
RMI: Hello, Huy. How're you doing today?
Huy: Good, how are you?
RMI: Doing alright. OK, first of all, Huy, if you could use a word to describe your personality, which one would you use?
Huy: I don't know (scratches head)... Fun? Maybe?
RMI: Fun? Hmm... interesting. However, a lot of your friends complain that you are a very quiet and unfriendly guy. What's your response to that?
Huy: I can be really quiet at times; but I don't know about "unfriendly." For me, at any kind of setting, I'll start out by employing a very cautious, laid-back approach. If it's my first time in a class, I will sit at the very back, observing different personalities showcasing themselves to have a rough idea of what type of person each individual is and figure out my future approach with each of them accordingly. When I do get into my comfort zone with a group of friends that I enjoy being with, I do actually talk a lot. I understand that because of my unwillingness to open up initially, I might come across as being hard to approach. But "unfriendly"? A tad too harsh...
RMI: Would it be fair to say you're a shy person?
Huy: Sometimes, yes. I'm really uncomfortable being pushed into the center of attention if I don't want to. But if I'm fully prepared, I'm not afraid at all speaking in front of a crowd. I'm also a passable actor and MC too, at least that's what I think. But you'll never see me TRYING to be at the center of attention anywhere.
RMI: A textbook introvert, aren't you? Do you think you have a lot of friends?
Huy: Not necessarily, I guess due to my so-called "unfriendliness," my Facebook friend request doesn't come in bunches. But I do have really good friends and a few really close friends; and to me that's all that matters. I'd much rather have a few close friends whom I feel comfortable opening up to than having 1000 "Facebook" friends that I never speak to in real life. Also, I don't think I've made a lot of enemies either. So...
RMI: Since you mention enemies, let's switch gears and talk about your habit of making fun of other people. Many have said they're annoyed by your jokes. What do you think?
Huy: Yes, I do enjoy embarrassing other people (laughs), but with no intention whatsoever of insulting my victims. Most of those I make fun of are people that I'm comfortable around enough that I think they won't get offended by my goofiness. Of course sometimes I get carried away and annoy them; but I'm quite certain that they know I don't mean anything so... nothing serious.
RMI: How would you describe your sense of humor?
Huy: It's not really a specific style that I adopt. I don't really learn and re-tell comedian's jokes or one-liners or stuff like that; I guess for me it's just spontaneous. When someone says something, my brain immediately triggers some funny reference to it and then delivers it to the tip of my tongue. I also think the lack of expression on my face definitely helps adding comedy to my words as well.
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| What's going through his mind? |
RMI: Speaking of lack of expression, a lot of your friends say they've never seen you angry before. Can you explain why?
Huy: There used to be a time when I was very emotionally unstable; back then I would cry over the least significant things and get angry at people for no reason. But ever since an incident in 9th grade, I've begun to learn to control my emotions and keep them inside. That's why my facial expressions and action don't often reflect what I feel inside.
RMI: Would you mind sharing that incident with us?
Huy: I'm sorry but it's too personal.
RMI: Please...
Huy: I won't change my mind... (inhales)
RMI: Just this one time...
Huy: Don't push it. (inhales, grinds teeth)
RMI: Come on...
Huy: I already said no. (inhales, grinds teeth, stares at reporter)
RMI: Fine... So, Huy, in all fairness, would you consider yourself "weird?"
Huy: I actually don't mind that people see me as a weirdo. I shamelessly take that as a compliment. I'm just curious about the reasons why they feel that way. I honestly don't think that refusing to "go with the flow" equals "being weird". I don't listen to most of the popular music these days, I don't wear brand-name clothes, I don't do stuff that "normal" people do. So that makes me weird? Fantastic. I think nowadays people are really pushing the line between being "weird" and being "different." Of course I gotta admit sometimes I can be really weird. But who doesn't have those moments?
RMI: Thanks, onto other miscellaneous stuff. It appears that all your playlist is full of slow, "old" music. Why is that?
Huy: Can I ask you a question back?
RMI: Sure. Fire away!
Huy: Is your mom old?
RMI: Umm... kind of, yeah. But why?
Huy: Do you listen to her?
RMI: Yeah, I guess...
Huy: Exactly! Next question please.
RMI: (pause to regroup) So... you might be aware that the majority of Vietnamese students here in the U.S. major in Business/Econ/Accounting or Science-related majors. Why did you decide to major in Journalism? It's such a random major.
Huy: Good question. I really enjoy writing, but I'd say it's mainly because of my dad.
RMI: Could you elaborate?
Huy: My dad is a very accomplished journalist. From the stories he told me about his childhood, all the struggles he went through growing up, to be a man of his stature today. There's no word that could fully describe my admiration toward him.
RMI: So your father is an inspiration to you? Is that what you're saying?
Huy: In a way, yes. But it would be incorrect to say that by majoring in Journalism, I'm trying to be like him. The truth is I want to be even more successful than him. I could have pursued other fields, but it'd be impossible for me to measure up with my dad if we don't share the same profession. I'm tired of being referred to as "my dad's son;" I'm tired of being known only through my dad. I have an identity, and I plan to let it be known. I want to break out of his shadow. It's no small task for me to be in the position my dad currently is now, let alone topping it. But I'll give it my best shot.
RMI: That's all I have. Thank you for your time and best of luck in the future.
Huy: Thank you.
