How to have conversations, part 2
“Is this an interview?” Krystof asked, smiling. “How many siblings do you have? Do they play beach volleyball? Who plays beach volleyball the best? What other sports do you play?” “You have a good...
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How to have conversations
The older I get, the more baffled I am by how bad people can be at having normal conversations. You would think it comes naturally to people – two or more humans in the...
How to discuss politics at Thanksgiving (or whenever)
“Well, now it feels like Thanksgiving,” Brian laughed. We hadn’t talked about politics or the election up until that point, but the topic of transgender athletes came up, and I made what I thought...
How to get selfies with pro athletes
“Is Friday selfie day or is Saturday selfie day?” I asked. “Everyday’s selfie day,” Andy replied. It was our second trip to LA in as many months to watch beach volleyball, and we were...
How (not) to do a blind taste test
It all started with my first visit to Eataly at Valley Fair, when I wandered the groceries section in search of truffle chips. Well, I found the Urbani chips my friend posted about on...
How to be grateful this holiday season
Disclaimer: So…I meant to write this right after Thanksgiving, but obviously didn’t make time for it. Better late than never, though, right? tldr: Be specific One of my favorite Thanksgiving dinner traditions is to...
Ask better questions, part 1
If I had to break down what it takes to be a good conversationalist, I’d say the 3 components are: Listening Storytelling Asking questions Whilst being a good listener is probably a more important...
How to give advice
When I told my friend Tim that I wanted to write a blog post on this topic, he burst out laughing. “Oh Ted…only you would give advice on how to give advice.” I laughed,...
How to give good gifts
“I hate gift-giving,” Jim* declared. I laughed, a bit surprised. “Why? Who doesn’t like gifts?” “I mean, I appreciate the thought…but it’s just awkward if it’s not something I like, or the version I...
How you should vote for the California propositions
Having spent most of my life in Bay Area, I had no idea how ridiculous California’s proposition system was until my roommate Cory pointed it out. It never occurred to me to wonder why...
Love this Ted!! It is a good reminder for me to always be curious about others, even if I am…