Instant bonds: surpassing differences

I just saw a memory-evoking comment on an article discussing the end to Nintendo Power magazine.

The poster stated thus:
"There was a new boy in our neighborhood who had moved here from Guatemala and did not yet speak any English. He came and sat down next to me and pointed at the magazine and we discovered that we had some words in common already: "Mario" and "Zelda". He was a friend for many years after that."

I had similar experiences with other kids from all over the world during my travels: our knowledge of Pokemon was an instant common bond. I made many friends (some of whom I have kept, some I lost contact with over time) with people/kids from many walks of life through shared interest, just as many of us have on Fakku.

What are some interests that you found in your life (childhood or otherwise) allowed you to form a bond with new friends or strangers? I think it's interesting to consider.

When I moved and started in 8th grade in a new school, my current and only friend (that guy will probably end up as my Best Man) asked the question that started our friendship: Do you like Inuyasha? We've been friends since.

One of my good friends was like the first person I ever met that also like Dragon Ball Z. We'd talk about that show for hours.

Soccer : when there is a new guy , we invite him to play , I've made a lot of friends like this

Cheating ( made me a few good friends ) ,PC games like ( GTA , red alert , counter strike ) , poetry ( with my best friend ) and religion

From 3 to 14 i live in a mountain village where there was only 40 people for 17 miles because there was no highway and one dirt road. Before high school we move into the valley over the mountains which was fifty mile away but took 6 hours in the summer or 10 hours to get there in the winter. So i had no real friends really when the school had 7 kids and they were all older. Anyways.

I when to a christian school so i can get use to people my age my freshman year. I met the only friend i had until i got into public school. Why you ask. I was a catholic in a baptist school. I was like a jew in germany 1935. She wasn't one of those types of people and that was it. Two misfits in the land of straight lace fuck faces. She eventually became my woman.

I became friends with a Vietnamese classmate when she found out I liked reading manga as well after she saw me reading one while we were in class.
She was kind of an outcast at the time, but I found her to be exceptionally weird and cute at the same time.

She proceeded to become one of my best friends today, and she has also managed to open up to a whole lot of people and make more friends over the years.

I always liked basketball as a kid. So when I first learned to play organized basketball, I was pretty much humbled. I didn't know anything anywhere near as much as I thought I did. But through my struggles, I was able to make life long friends. The memories of my team going from winning one game in my first year to winning the championship in our final year of eligibility, all of the fun practices and pranks and teasing are things I'll always cherish. Some of my friends are people I would never have befriended otherwise for various reasons. But I'm glad I did. Basketball really changed my life for the better.

In about 4th grade I moved out to the countryside. I liked Yu-Gi-Oh but at the time I didn't have the money to buy some. I met a kid who was playing with the cutout cards of Beckett YGO magazine. He had about 3 bags of those and I started playing him with those and we became really good friends. About a year or so later we finally got real cards and dueled each other every morning and every afternoon bus ride, up until my Sophomore year of high school when I had to move. I went back to my hometown, got him and some old buddies together and we played each other again for hours in a park, just like old times.

Back in third grade almost everyday we played soccer.
We eventually stopped, but by then everyone was cool with each other.
It was come and go after high school, but we still meet up time to time.

First day of middle school in homeroom i sat at a semi circle shaped table, put my backpack down and layed my head down to sleep. I raised my head up 2 minutes later and noticed this guy next to me was reading shounen jump. Now I'm not one to talk to some random person sitting next to me, but when I see someone reading a manga it becomes real easy to talk. We started talking, 5 minutes was all it took and we've been best friends ever since.

Little funny story. Last year (senior year of highschool) we had a guest speaker in class so the person didn't know his name. So she calls him by the person he looks like "hey! You Jesus!". He immediately knew who she was talking to because we had already talked bout the fact that he looked like Jesus. so he says "yes", The whole class started laughing me included. So he was nicknamed Jesus for the rest of the year.

One of my best friends and I shared a common interest in Asterix and Obelix when we first met.

Now it's Laurel and Hardy, among other things

Back when i was in high school i met this exchange student who was from Japan. She rarely talked to anyone or even make her self noticeable. So one day I decide to talk to her and noticed she had a yu-gi-oh! and pokemon patches on her back pack. We talked about her liking both of the games and then struck up a conversation with what little English she knew about anime and video games. Then a week later she left and we never spoke again, nor said good bye to one another.

I think for me it'd have to be drawing... either that, or my nerdy Luigi backpack.

When you're sitting there doodling, people inevitably come up to comment on your work, and sometimes it ends in just a compliment... but occasionally they'll ask more questions and it develops into a real conversation. It's especially nice when you find out the other person enjoys drawing as well, and you get to compare works. I've met a lot of friends this way.

Other times, people will compliment me on some nerdy accessory or attire that I have, and the mutual bond of geekiness tends to form friendships faster then one might think imaginable. I like it though! There is no easier way to spot fellow nerds or be spoted then to have a visible sign for them to go on.

the biggest thing would be anime stuff, especially hentai. I am cautious around others about my hobby in that. After I get to know them a little I carefully find out their thoughts on it. If they share my views I always feel like a great weight is lifted. I act a lot more like myself after that. Knowing that someone has a similar interest is always a great way to not only start friendships but also feel more comfortable in your interactions with them

Well, I wouldn't have my two best friends if it weren't for MegaMan Battle Network. I met one of them solely because they were struggling against the LifeVirus, and I met the other because he was best friends with the first person.

Hentai, video games, music, and anime. It's got me friends on skype and IRL.

I cannot tell you the binding power of Pokemon. The number of friends I have made through that game is difficult to count. The only real question is Grass, Water, or Fire?