inquiring, interested, probing, questioning, snooping, nosy, prying

all of these are synonyms for curious. Never really thought of prying or nosy in the same category as questioning and interested, so I will challenge Merriam-Webster on that one. Does that make me curious?

I don't have to think too hard about that one, anyway. I'm very curious about some things. I'll eat just about anything, and I love kim chee (fermented cabbage, look above right) with squid, sashimi, octopus, giblets, liver and I am sure there are other things that show up on a lot of "I refuse to eat that" lists that don't bother me in the least. I grew up eating dirt pies, blades of grass and more than a few insects; not much phases me. I read once that an adventurous appetite was something that the military looked for in secret agents. Add a little self-defense training and a disguise and I could be on Alias!

Seth Godin's video about curiosity was right on. As a kid, I was constantly taking things apart, then trying to put the broken objects back together again (not so hot when I realized that I couldn't get my Fisher Price box record player to work again; quick lesson: I am not mechanically inclined) and there would be notes on my report card that I "asked too many questions." My parents never discouraged this, but it wasn't exactly cherished, either. I was a notorious snooper for Christmas and birthday gifts, but once I discovered how disappointed I was when I actually found something, that came to an end. My mother warned me it wouldn't be fun and she was right. sigh.

I don't consider myself to be curious in a gadfly kind of way. I didn't ask a million questions of professors during my college years. As an adult, I am not nearly as curious as when I was young. But I still love trying new things - new lotion, new gum, new restaurants, etc. Project Play was just the right speed for me. I could try new things while playing around at my desk. Very safe! And I learned a lot.

Thank you to the Project Play Coordinators - this was a great semester and I will really miss it. I bookmarked Netvibes and GoogleSites and the other suggestions to keep up with playing.

So until we meet again, I will continue playing more, learning more, fearing less and eating whatever life throws my way.