Mentioning eclipses and blood types in the same breath: Is Lyra the next Smeyers?

[oloriel]

There's a partial solar eclipse going on just now. Figures that the sky is completely cloud-covered... We already missed the lunar eclipse a few weeks ago because it a) took place at about the same time in the morning and b) was cloudy. Now the timing is good and I'm awake, too - but nothing to be seen. Bah.

Correction: The sun has just appeared. This is the moment where I remember that I don't know where my eclipse glasses are... *rolls eyes*





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Today I learned that I did not lie to the Japanese.

I did not know my blood type when I went to Japan, a grave mistake as the Japanese do blood type horoscopes like other people do zodiac horoscopes and "So... what's your blood type?"* is a perfectly normal question once the first staple topics have been exhausted. As I did not want to explain (in Japanese!) why this vital information was not available to me, I just kidnapped my mother's blood type. As I didn't have biology classes in grade 11-13, my knowledge of genetics is fuzzy at best; I am aware, however, that both in Germany and internationally, my mother's blood type is one of the less frequent ones. So statistically it was likely that I was wrong, but I didn't care much because the horoscope was sufficiently suitable (as these things go) and besides, in Japan and Korea it's apparently fairly frequent, so nobody found it odd. At least it was within the realm of the genetically possible. And nobody was shocked by my lack of knowledge.

Anyway, now I finally know my real blood type... and it's just what I told them.

I never felt guilty for bullshitting, but somehow I'm nonetheless pleased that I actually told the truth.

Incidentally, this also means that Jörg and I have the same blood type constellation as my parents. Whatever that may mean. I should probably ask the Japanese... ^^

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Offspring was being uncooperative today. Ultrasound showed it bouncing and waving its extremities enthusiastically, but it insisted on remaining half-turned away from "us" so that neither front nor neck could be properly seen. Stubbornness: clearly hereditary. Gyn eventually gave up and declared that the neural tube appeared in order and the embryo clearly has two arms (and hands) and two legs (and feet). That is... good to know, I suppose, but not all that surprising. At any rate, from what could be seen, development is so far completely normal, so all's well. Next check-up in four weeks.

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*This is one of the topics they never prepared us for in all our conversation classes, and it really occured often. The first time it came up I was all "blood....... train? huh, whuzzat?!" and only got what they were talking about when they started going "A? B? Zero?"...

Comments

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

Yup. Pretty vague, of course (they disregard Rh factors, so there are basically just four types of people), but many people believe (or pretend to believe) that your blood type determines your character. People of my blood type are supposed to be social but suspicious, creative and chaotic, for example. And because different days (or months, or activities) are good (or bad) for different people, you can find blood type horoscopes in newspapers going "AB people should not start any new projects today" just like here you might find "Pisces: Avoid public places. Good chances for love" or somesuch. It's actually no more bizarre than the zodiac horoscopes you get here, once you've wrapped your mind around the concept ;).

And of course to be fully "reliable" it has to be properly combined with the Chinese zodiac, which runs year- and cycle-wise, so in the end you actually get a fairly complex mix of relevant factors. *g*

[nelyo-russandol.livejournal.com]

I've never read a horoscope in my life. Correction. I have, but I've never paid any attention to what it said. For a while I wasn't even sure what zodiac sign I was!

[oloriel.livejournal.com]

*laughs* That's easier to find out (assuming that you know your birthday ;)) than your blood type, though.
There are probably (percentually) as many Westerners who believe in zodiac as there are Japanese who believe in blood types... plus those who don't believe in it, but use it as a conversational staple nonetheless. ^^