So many ways

I've been wondering what kind of geek I am, and whether I even qualify. Well, I think I do, but these days there's fierce debate about whether or not someone deserves the term 'geek' if they're not fully invested in the subject matter at hand. Therein lies my problem! 

First off, there's Firefly. I adore Firefly and Serenity, so much so that Serenity will be the main focus of my back tattoo.  But I don't know every line, or the names of the episodes, or the order in which they should be viewed, or any of the Mandarin they use on the show. I love it for the sense that your true family is the one you make, but do I qualify as a Firefly geek? Well, I like to think so.

Stargate: The other main focus of my back tattoo, Stargate means so much to me in terms of the ability to travel through space (and, occasionally, time) and view other worlds, experience new places and people, and retain the sense of family. Still, once again I don't know the intricacies of the show, or the myriad details that are to be found on any of the Stargate fan pages and wikis. Does that mean I'm not allowed to enjoy it? Hell no!

Star Wars: I love Star Wars - who doesn't? The Millenium Falcon will play a prominent role in my tattoo. I know that Han shot first, and I'm a Vader girl through and through. Still, I don't know all the planets, the types of aliens, the intricacies of midichlorians, and I don't dress up as a Stormtrooper (in fact, I don't even know the differences between the types of Stormtrooper!) ... hope that doesn't disqualify me! I'm a huge fan of the 501st Legion and I'd love to have them at my wedding as an honour guard - but somehow I still feel like I don't know enough to consider that as an option.

I grew up watching Star Trek - particularly The Next Generation (Wesley Crusher ain't getting no dissing from me!) - and the Enterprise D is - surprise! - going to be in my tattoo, too. I'm also a huge fan of Voyager - Janeway really rocks my boat as a strong female character - captain of a starship, to boot! But I'm no real Trekkie, I don't dress up as them, I don't know all the details of the universe or even canon ... I guess I'm more of a fan than a geek? No way! I'm a Trek girl and I love it equally as much as Star Wars! It would be hard for me to choose between the two. (P.S. I don't understand all the controversy about Star Trek: Enterprise. It's got Scott Bakula! He's such a brilliant sci-fi actor. Then again, I haven't watched it - but surely the fans should have been happier that there was actually a continuation of the series?)

Who can forget Harry Potter? I'm deeply in love with this 'verse and all the fantastical creatures, life and loves to be found there. I'm crazier about the books than the movies, but I love them all. But what do I know about Harry Potter? Am I a real HP fangirl? Not when taking into account how crazy some people can get about HP. Sometimes it's a bit scary. Still, one thing is true: Harry Potter in no way compares to Twilight. Because Harry Potter outshines the sparkly. 

Then there's Lord of the Rings. Okay, I read The Hobbit when I was 8 years old, and it's one of my favourite books of all time. I only read LotR when I hit my 20s, and then I reread it several times (in fact, it's on my reading list at the moment). I now own the movies (extended versions) as a box set. However, I can't speak Elvish and I don't want to get married in Arwen's dress; I'm more of an Eowyn fan, and here's where I just want to mini-rant about the fact that almost all hr battle scenes were cut from the final version - only two were actually shown. A travesty! I don't know much about dwarves and as for hobbits, well, yeah. 

Come to think of it, while I love fantasy, it's not like anyone could call me an expert on fantasy worlds, LARPing or Ren Faires. I really don't know all that much about jousting or plate armour or lords and ladies. That doesn't stop me from enjoying reading about it. 

And that ties in to my love of gaming - RPGs, specifically. I really enjoy gaming, when I get around to it. But I couldn't be part of a conversation about which is the best weapon to use, whether night-elves are a more useful class than gnomes, or the virtues of the Hunter vs the Druid. I just enjoy playing my games - my Dragon Age, Torchlight, Diablo II - and I don't play well with others. Maybe that's my problem? 

And then, of course, there's language. I love English, but what I know about grammar - or at least the technical terms - could fit on the head of a pin. My Afrikaans manager often rewrites articles better than I can. I can spell decently, but my sentence structure and writing are abominable. And this for someone who consistently received As in English! It's a real let-down, a major disappointment. Still, incorrect grammar and txtspk make my heart hurt. I guess there's hope for me yet! 

All in all, I guess I'm not much of a geek, more of a nerd. But I feel that geek certainly fits me in many ways. I often feel like I'm the only one in my circle of friends who understands. Well, that's not entirely true; Adventure Girl can talk about games, although she doesn't really care about the rest; and then there's Nessie, with whom I had a wonderful, geeky-reference-filled brunch just last week. At least there's someone with whom I can bond over TV shows and games!