Face Blind

Here's a common scenario:

I'm watching a movie with friends.  The protagonist woman begins kissing her white, middle-aged husband.  My friends gasp.  "What's the big deal?"  I ask.  "I can't believe she's cheating!"  A friend exclaims.  "Cheating?"  I ask, "But, she's kissing her husband."  "That's NOT her husband!  Are you kidding me?"

So there I am, embarrassed.  Why could everyone else tell that wasn't her husband?  They both have short brown hair and wear clothes like a polo shirt and khakis.

Another example while watching the morning news:

Mike: Ugh, she is annoying.
Me: (looking at the TV) Who is that?
Mike: Um, Kim Kardashian?
Me: Oh.

At the time this conversation happened a few months ago, I knew Kim Kardashian had some kind of reality TV show, that she was going to get married to some sports guy, and that she had sisters who she made famous.  I'm saying this because while I don't follow any celebrities (and often go out of my way not to follow them), I obviously pick up information about them just from generally being out in the world.  I have undoubtedly seen a picture of Kim Kardashian before.  I know I have seen many since then.  But, if you show me a picture of her now with no context, I am 99% certain I will not know who she is.

I would recognize her in this picture

I would NOT recognize her in this picture

Because I cannot seem to remember faces, I frequently dislike watching movies where the characters are all men who generally look the same.  My biggest problem seems to be with middle-aged white men - I cannot seem to remember them from one scene to the next.  I have always been a little self conscious about this.

Ever since I disclosed this issue to Mike, I have been comfortable enough to just ask every time I am not sure which character someone is.  Once I began doing this, I realized just how frequently the problem occurs.  It sometimes turns into fights: "I JUST told you who he was!!  Stop asking about the same guy over and over again!"

Then, everything changed.  60 minutes did an expose of Face Blindness.  

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57399118/face-blindness-when-everyone-is-a-stranger/?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Apparently, there are some people who have an issue so severe that they cannot recognize their colleagues, friends, or their own children!

Interesting Facts From The Report


People were shown photographs of movie stars and simply had no idea who Brad Pitt was.  Some people were shown pictures of their own children and did not recognize them.  These people used different cues about how to know who someone is.  They would base their reasoning on hair color and type, glasses, clothing etc...  But, if someone cut or colored their hair, it would be like a new person.

Strangely enough, people who had issues with faces had NO problems with pictures or scenery.  These people could recognize buildings, places, cars, anything else the way we all would - just not people.

When studying face blindness, they have found out that they way we process faces is much different from other things.  For example, if you look at words on a page upside down, most people can still read them or tell what they say.  This is similar to a picture of your house upside down.  However, when looking at faces, it becomes much more difficult.

These are some easy ones, but how long did it take to guess who they were compared with seeing the pictures right side up?  A split second more?

(For anyone like me - that is George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Rachael McAdams)

Coping with Face Blind

I generally pick up on features of people that do not have to do with their face.  Most frequently it is a hairstyle or color - sometimes glasses.  That is why, if I was shown the Kim Kardashian wedding photo above, I would know immediately who she was.  Even looking at the other picture, I can't be completely certain.  I must admit, even searching for a generic picture of her, I was nervous that I was pulling a picture of someone else that was mislabeled (oh, internet).

I think this is why I have more trouble with men.  Women usually have more distinguishing characteristics that are not their face.  Men's appearances are usually the same.  Why do I struggle more with white men?  In a lot of Hollywood movies, there are more white characters to differentiate between and fewer minorities.  (I obviously disagree with this being the norm, but it unfortunately is).

Super Recognizers

On the opposite side of face blind, there are people who remember every face they've ever seen!  People will remember every waiter, sales person, or encounter.  These super recognizers have issues too.  Frequently they can appear stalkerish.  "Do you remember me?  You were once walking with my friend to class seven years ago."  These people have to take cues from those around them.  If it's clear someone doesn't recognize them, they'd better not say anything at all.

The 60 minutes report showed one super recognizer who could identify EVERYONE!  She was shown pictures of people at different ages.  She was able to recognize Mike Wallace as a 6 year old!  These people say that faces don't really change over time - it's still the same face.  I'm jealous of that ability.

I obviously don't have a very severe case and I never have problems with people who I have met in real life (as opposed to actors on a screen).  Don't worry, friends.  If I didn't recognize you on the street, it's probably because I wasn't wearing my glasses.

Food and Fitness - (The hipster food blog)

After the big 3-0 celebration, I haven't completely forgotten my age and have been particularly motivated to eat well and stay fit.  I'm not in my 20's anymore so it's use it or lose it time!  Since it's cold in New York for about 8 months of the year (YES EVEN THIS YEAR!  40 DEGREES IS STILL COLD!!) I really can't see myself leaving the house to go to the gym.  (Not to mention the $150/month price tag).

We completed a few cycles of P90X this past year and some of the insanity workouts.  I like them because I can exercise in my PJs.  This week we started P90X2!  Woo hoo!  I can already tell it's going to be really different - the first month is completely focused on CORE.  Perhaps this time I will finally be able to do a legitimate pull-up.

I also can't stop reading fitness blogs... my favorite being my friend Laura's http://www.sprint2thetable.com/  (I got a lot of awesome recipes this week from her).

Speaking of which, more exciting than exercise is FOOD!

(We bought tons of fresh fruits!)

Feel free to use my week of recipes!  (Special thanks to instagram for awesome pictures!)

SATURDAY

Menu:
- Seafood Stuffed Salmon
- Tumeric Vegetable Brown Rice
- Wilted Spinach
- Asparagus


SUNDAY

Menu:
- Sausage, Bean, and Broccoli Rabe Stew
- Raw Sweet Potato Hummus
- Chia Pudding


MONDAY

Menu:
- Bibimbap!

TUESDAY

Menu:
- Burrito Bowl (Chipotle, eat your heart out)

WEDNESDAY

Menu:
- Gyro Bowl with Tzatziki
- Quinoa Tabouli
- Side Avocado


THURSDAY

- Tofu Curry

RECIPES

Shaina, how can I make some of these delicious creations?!  I'm glad you asked!  Here are some of the awesome recipes.  If you need more detail or advice on cooking some of the others just let me know!

BIBIMBAP

I improvised my bibimbap, but some of the basics make it super yummy.
Meat - I sliced flank steak and soaked it in soy sauce with tons of garlic and sriracha.  Then I just cooked it in a pan and it was sooo yummy!
Rice - Cook brown rice in a rice cooker.  Spray pam on a non-stick pan and smush the rice down covering the pan.  Let it sit on medium heat for a while and it will get all crispy crunchy yummy.  Who needs a stone bowl?
Tofu - I cut up tofu and put it right into a non-stick pan.  It crisps up with no extra fat.  Here, after it was cooked, I added Bragg amino acids, sriracha, and garlic.
Carrots - Julienne the carrots, boil them for a few minutes, then take them out and add sriracha and agave.  sweet, spicy and crunchy!
Bok Choy - Sautee in sesame oil and garlic until delicious.
Eggplant - Slice and sautee in sesame oil then add Bragg amino acids and garlic
Sugar Snap Peas - Boil then dunk in ice water.  They are so good as is!
Spinach - Boil quickly.

Layer everything pretty on the place and put one fried egg on top and cover with hot sauce and sesame seeds!

RAW SWEET POTATO HUMMUS

When I first thought about eating raw sweet potato, I was excited but also grossed out.  This recipe is really cool though.  And sweet potatoes are so good in every diet!!  (Normal, Vegan, Paleo, Gluten free, Low fat - it fits everything!)

1 medium sweet potato (raw and unpeeled)

2 T tahini

4-5 drops liquid smoke

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 Meyer lemon

1 T water

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

Blend it all together in a blender.

I stole this from Laura who got it from  this recipe from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen

BURRITO BOWL

You already know how to make this - Chipotle does it too!  The secret to any home Mexican food is Adobo seasoning.  You don't have to know what you're doing if you just dump this on all your meat and veggies.

Cooked brown rice 

Heat up a can of black beans - they half turn into refried beans - yum

Sautee bell peppers and onions together with oil and add adobo seasoning.

Cook ground beef and add adobo seasoning.

Layer with fresh avocado, lettuce, salsa, guacamole, fresh tomatoes, lemon or lime, and cilantro (you can even add cheese)

SAUSAGE BEAN AND BROCCOLI RABE STEW

This one is so easy!!  Thanks, Lisa, for letting me know!

Buy hot Italian sausage and remove the casings.  Then make little tiny meatballs with the meat inside!  Cook it in a pan with onions.  Cut up broccoli rabe and add that to the pot.  Add chicken stock and cans of white or pink beans.  Add salt.  Boom.  Done.  Oh, and then shave Parmesan cheese on top.  Woo hoo!

QUINOA TABOULI

Good idea, right?  Instead of cous cous or bulgar, use quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon, and parsely!

CURRY

Curry is super easy.  You can throw anything in there.  I usually like sweet potatoes, tofu, chickpeas, bok choy, eggplant, asparagus, peas, and peppers.  Anything goes.  The secret to curry is cooking the curry powder in oil and then adding coconut milk before adding it to the rest of the pot.  Sprinkling curry powder on veggies won't really give it the intense flavor.

CHIA?

What the heck is Chia?  I kind of have no idea.  But, I think it's the same seeds from ch-ch-ch-chia!  These little suckers puff up like tapioca when you put them in liquid.  They have more calcium than milk, more omega-3 than salmon, and tons of fiber.  So, they're super good for you!  I was told to use a 1:4 ratio for chia seed to liquid.  I put mine in skim milk, added vanilla, cinnamon, coconut flakes, and a scoop of peanut butter.  It looks gross but tastes super yummy!