"normal"

For reference, iTunes dl'd in the last week:

Stickwitu - PCD
Here is Our King - David Crowder Band
No One Like You - David Crowder Band
I'm Sprung - T-Pain
More Than Words - Frankie J

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So in the midst of all this water sampling mayhem at the office lately, someone came up with the brilliant idea of bringing in speakers and hooking up an iPod for the long days of labelling, transferring, and packing. (I think the marked improvement in my pushups - not that they really could have gotten much worse - is due to the heavy lifting in fieldwork).

For the majority of last week, I've been listening to various playlists belonging to my coworkers. For example, one day was dedicated to the Beatles, in memory of John Lennon's death. I'm apparently very clueless as to classic American pop culture, so they were apalled at my utter lack of recognition and appreciation of the Beatles. I'm sure it's good music but...dude, we're all in our 20's. It's from our parents' generation. Cut me some slack for not knowing everything about them!

Another day, someone put on the soundtrack to Sound of Music. Which I recognized the songs to, but have still not seen the movie. (Though I've been told multiple times that I would really like it, and it's at the top of my list of "movies it is atrocious I haven't seen"). They proceeded to heckle me some more.

And then yet another day, I had to endure a whole day of Bjork and other unidentifiable slightly dissonant tunes...needless to say I wasn't paying attention.

So finally one day when the speakers were free, I grabbed my iPod and set it to play. I thought I'd play the pop section of my latest playlist, since my coworkers probably wouldn't be interested in having Korean or Christian music playing in the background.

Every single person suddenly stops what they're doing and says some shocked variation of "wait wait wait...YOU listen to THIS music???" I think it was "Hate it or Love it" Well, the clean version of course...I get really distracted with too much cursing and dirtyness in songs...I just like songs with good beats and catchy tunes.

Gosh...they think I'm a nun or something. What kind of image am I giving off, that they think I'm from another planet? Granted, the other day they were all planning on going to happy hour after work, and asked me what I was doing on a Friday night, and I couldn't go because I was teaching Taekwondo then going to Bible study...

I mean...OK yeah, maybe I *am* from another planet. (ie. we're not home yet). But I'm not sure how I feel about this sudden outburst of shock at my 'normalcy'. (Since when does listening to 50 cent make me 'normal'?)