Likes / Dislikes

The French movie Amelie is one of my favorite. Near the beginning of the film, the viewer is introduced to a number of characters--learning their name and a series of odd likes and dislikes that they have. For example, Amelie's father is described: "Raphael Poulin dislikes peeing next to someone else. He also dislikes catching scornful glances at his sandles, and clingy wet swimming trunks. Raphael Poulin likes peeling large strips of wallpaper, lining up and shining his shoes, emptying out his tool box, cleaning it out, and putting everything back."

If you have not seen this movie, I certainly recommend watching it.

Today, I was thinking about the film and then began to think about odd likes and dislikes that I have. Here are a few.

LIKES

1) I like to use a fat sharpie to cross things off my to-do list. Things feel particularly DONE when I can cross them out so completely.

2) When eating ice cream with a spoon, I like to dish a spoonful into my mouth rightside-up, and then turn it upside-down inside my mouth and lick the contour of the spoon.

3) I like to clean out the toilet bowl using the special toilet-bowl-cleaning brush. I always save this piece of cleaning the bathroom for last, because it's the only part I like to do.

DISLIKES

1) I do not like to stop for gas. I don't mind pumping gas, and I don't mind paying for gas, but I don't like to pause my day to take care of this need.

2) I do not like ketchup on hamburger buns. I think the way it soaks in is disgusting.

3) I do not like twisted telephone cords (we're talking non-cordless here). I always want to straighten these out.

What are your quirky likes and dislikes?

(PS: I think it's fun to think about these things in general, but I also find this is a helpful exercise to dream up traits and quirks for characters.)