The Unusual Things Meme

I've spent the day battling malware on my laptop - and ensuring my tute paper is in on time, and going to the library,a dn having a cup of tea with Blarney and seeing the Maow Maow... so this is going to be a quick one.

Questions, as always, provided by Sunday Stealing.


1. Who was the last person of the opposite sex you laid in a bed with? 

Seriously, my ex boyfriend some eight years ago. Ouch. That's a long time ago.

2. Where was the last place you went out to eat? 

Last night we had dinner at the Italian at Federation Square before the theatre. It was yummy.

3. What was the last alcoholic beverage you consumed? 

I had a sour cherry and prosecco spritz last night with dinner. Also yummy.

4. Which do you prefer - eyes or lips? 

The eyes have it.

5. Medicine, fine arts, or law? 

All have a great interest to me, but in order, Fine Arts, then Medicine then Law. I'd love to study all three.

6. Best kind of pizza? 

Anything with hot salami, anchovies, napoli sauce, a thin crust and not too much cheese.

7. Is your bedroom window open?

Yes. Always. No matter the season. Mind you, this is Australia and it doesn't get that cold.

8. What is in store for your future? 

Love, happiness and a book contract. May as well put it out there.

9. Who was the last band you saw live? 

The Pixies - about three years ago. Brilliant.

10. Do you take care of your friends while they are sick? 

Sometimes. I will ask out for them at least.

11. Any historical figures that you envy? 

Not really.

12. How many songs are on your iTunes? 

Over 1000. I don't count those sorts of things.

13. What brand of digital camera do you own? 

I've got a Samsung happy snapper and a bigger, better Canon SLR type for when I want to feel like a photographer. I tend to use my iPhone to take photos. They're great.

14. When was the last time you got a good workout? 

I went to Pump class this morning.

15. Are you experienced? 

At what? Going to India? No. I don't really think I'm experienced at anything.

16. If you need a new pair of jeans, what store do you go to first? 

Online. Dream Diva. Their jeans fit my shape. Stretch denim rules.

17. Are you a quitter? 

No.

18. What are two bands or singers that you will always love? 

The Pixies and Sixto Rodriquez.

19. What of the seven deadly sins are you guilty of? 

Lust, Pride, Gluttony, Sloth, occasionally anger, but very occasionally. Greed and envy I don't really do, or at least I don't do envy and I try hard not to be greedy.

20. Did you just have to google the seven deadly sins to see what they were?

No. The seven deadly sins are part of the crap that is on quick recall in my trivia loving brain. Along with the first 20 element of the periodic table, lots of capital cities and other daft rubbish.

The Getting It All Down Meme

This is going to be a bit interesting. 

I'm still on holidays - the plane leaves for Melbourne later tonight. My laptop is misbehaving and the three bottom left hand keys on my QWERTY keyboard are not working (so no eks, sed or see keys - joys of spelling phonetically...) so I'm pondering, do I write this in draft then go and revise on my iPad. Seems a lot for a blog... My work around is that I've copied the letters and I paste them in... all too much. My uni assignment will wait til I get home to a working keyboard.

I've had a good time here in Thailand, but I'm ready to go home. It's been a week now and I'm looking forward to my own bed, friends, plain food that isn't fried and strangely, weather that is not damp or hot. In the seven days and haven't had to put on sun tan lotion at all - no sun (no shadow even) to speak of. I'll miss my daily massage and going for a daily swim, but that is about it.

So here is this week's meme. Brought to you, as always, by Sunday Stealing.  

Are you a good dancer?

No. I really only dance when I've had a bit to drink - or in the kitchen when I'm cooking dinner.

Are you a good singer?

I can carry a tune - just don't ask me to do it in public. 

Are you a good cook?

Not bad. I'm not know for my culinary gaffes and my friends know me for my birthday cakes and few other dishes. I was raised to be a housewife - this has proved useful.

Are you a good artist?

I love making things, what ever that may be, but I'm not somebody who an draw past the odd game of Pictionary.

Are you a good listener?

Yes

What's your favorite clean word?

Melifluous. It feels good in your mouth.

What's your favorite swear word?

I'm a middle aged woman who swears a bit. I prefer to use these words for effect rather than out of habit. I'm fond of the "f' word for this. I don't use the word c#nt very often. As the owner of one, I know that to be told that you are one of these means you should possess warmth an depth and it has a purpose. Unfortunately, this is rarely that case.

Which is why I refer to Tony Abbott as a canker ridden arsewipe douchecanoe of the highest order. Tony Abbott is not a c#nt. No warmth. No depth. No use for him. Have far to much respect for female genitalia to associate the term with that cockroach.

What's your least favorite word?

Hands down, AWESOME. Hate it. Hate it's over use. Hate that it's turned into a catch cry.

What was the last film you saw?

At  the movies, Mr Holmes at the Sydney Film Festival. Love English Period films.

What football team do you support?

The Mighty Adelaide Crows. Not that they are that mighty at the moment. (Australian Rules football is the only game in my eyes.)

Have you ever been bobbing for apples?

As a child - like forty years or so ago.

What's your most expensive piece of clothing?

No idea. I buy most of my clothes on sale - and I don't think anything I owned I paid more than $200 for. I also buy quality in brands I like. Ebay is good for bargains.

What's the last thing you took a picture of?

This.

This.

What's the last thing you drew a picture of?

I was trying to describe batteries to a shop assistant here. I drew them. They didn't get my accent - the term in Thai is the same as in English...

Have you ever bought anything from eBay?

Half of my clothes are from eBay. Know your brands and there are some good deals to be had.

Have you ever invented a fairly unique meal or drink?

No. Though I do like horseradish sauce on buttered toast. Don't tell my mother.

Do you have any secret family recipes?

Only the cassata (ice cream cake) that I make in honour of my Aunt at Christmas.

Holiday Report #1: Skinny Cats, Tiger Balm and Russians

Today is the day I scale the big fuck off hill. Today is the day I will scale the big fuck off hill. If I tell myself this enough times it might happen.

Then again, it might not.

Today is day three of the holiday and all is well. Except for the big fuck off hill.

The hotel is great. The room, lovely. The air conditioning means that I'm sleeping well even if an intermittent spark from some electrical flash arc makes me jump now and then.

Life is as simple. I've nearly finished my second book (Emily Bitto's, "The Strays" - most excellent. Fiona McFarlane's "The Night Guest" was wonderful too) There is a small list of things I do each day.

I travel down to Kata Beach where a nice lady at the Darin Day Spa slathers you with tiger balm and shoves her foot in my armpit whilst pulling on my leg. An hour of Thai massage and all is well with the world. (Tip: When in Asia, go to the places that don't have some guy spruiking outside the joint. And look for the older ladies - they are fantastic.)

I'm working my way through a litre bottle of Bombay Sapphire. It's going well. See.

Every day, I make sure I spend some time in the pool. I've been here three days and because it's been raining. I've not once yet needed to slap on sunscreen. No sun to speak of. today might be a little different.

I marvel at how things work around here too. Like the electricity and the internet.

At least one meal is eaten in town. The food is great even if my stomach doesn't like it that much. it will adapt. I'm getting used to having skinny cats float around my legs at lunchtime.

I also enjoy all the seemingly little touches that come from being on holiday. Like the flannel bunnies.

And yes, I'm doing a bit of writing and reading and watching dodgy telly.

I also try to have a proper conversation with somebody each day, though this can be a bit hard. The resort is filled with Russians and Chinese people. Nothing wrong with this, but it makes having a chat with somebody slightly difficult. I found a nice Australian family yesterday. Spent an hour with the father and daughter retrieving a rock from the bottom of the pool. At least that hasn't change. How to entertain a four-year-old... let her throw a stone around the place while the adults go fetch it for her.

This is my kind of holiday.

But now, it is time to tackle the big fuck off hill. It's a doozy. Until today, I've taken the resort bus in and out of town. Today I'm going to give the hill a try. It's a horrible hill. And I hate hills. I hate hills more when I'm wearing thongs (so I'll take some runners just in case it rains. It's the slip factor I'm fearing most of all.

Wish me luck.

Would You Rather Meme: Part Two

I'm getting this in early this week. Later this afternoon I'm flying off to Thailand for a week of reading, swimming, drinking gin and tonic and having a little Thai lady walk all over my back for a week. This is my version of heaven. It's also a much needed holiday.

So here we go for this week. I've made a commitment to have this done by the time I go to the gym - yes I'm going to the gym before hopping on the plane. Good, eh! Well, it's sort of needed before a nine hour flight.

Okay, here we go with the questions for this week.

Would you rather go to a movie or to dinner alone? 

I do both of these all the time, but I prefer going to a movie along. If I'm out for dinner, it's nice to have somebody to talk to. And the waiting staff don't get all weird when you're with somebody else. I see nothing wrong with going to see a film by yourself. I've been doing this for thirty years on a regular basis.

Would you rather always say everything on your mind or never speak again? 

I can see good and bad in both. I'm erring on saying everything on my mind, but I might lose a few friends in the process. The filter, and silence, are good things too.

Would you rather make a phone call or send a text? 

Send a text. Notorious for this too.

Would you rather read an awesome book or watch a good movie? 

See, another hard one, but I'm going to say read a good book. I see plenty of great movies, but nothing beats a great book.

Would you rather be the most popular person at work or school or the smartest? 

The smartest. I like being smart. Not blowing my own trumpet but being smart has many advantages. As long as you have a few friends at work you're good. Smart can get you places.

Would you rather put a stop to war or end world hunger? 

If we stopped all war, the problem of hunger would diminish soon after. If you think about all the money they throw into war, think of how many people you could feed.

Would you rather spend the night in a luxury hotel room or camping surrounded by beautiful scenery? 

Luxury hotel. As much as I love the great outdoors, unless I was going glamping with clean, efficient hot running water and flushing toilets, please let me have a luxury hotel room. If I can put in an order, one of the upscale rooms at the Westin or Swisshotel in Sydney would be great - or Crown in Melbourne. One of those will do fine.

Would you rather explore space or the ocean? 

Space has always fascinated me, so send me up, Houston.

Would you rather go deep sea diving or bungee jumping? 

Bungee jumping. More scared of open water than I am of falling.

Would you rather be a kid your whole life or an adult your whole life? 

Another one that has pros and cons. I'm going to go with adult on this one. I wasn't overly fussed with my childhood and I'm a big kid anyway so I don't see much difference.

Would you rather go on a cruise with friends or with your spouse? 

Do I have to go on a cruise? Ew. No thanks. Hypothetically, I'd rather go away  with my partner, though going for a weekend away with friends is great.I just don't like the idea of a cruise.

Would you rather lose your keys or your cell phone? 

I'd rather lose my mobile phone. Losing my keys is always a big worry. Thankfully, my downstairs neighbours have a spare set of my keys for emergencies.

Would you rather eat a meal of cow tongue or octopus? 

Octopus. Love octupus - and calamari. I've had tongue before, but like most offal, it is a bit hard to get my head around.

Would you rather have x-ray vision or magnified hearing? 

As long as I could turn it off, x-ray vision. Magnified hearing is too problematic. Then again, why would you want to see through some things? You could always use x-ray vision for good too.

Would you rather work in a group or work alone?

Work alone. I'm happy doing both, but I prefer working alone. As long as there are some people around the place.

The Would You Rather Meme, Part One

Just back from a lovely weekend in Sydney with Geetangeli and Richard. A stunning weekend with lots of great company, food and a stunning day to walk about Sydney Harbour. I also managed to meet up with one of my classmates from last term's tute group. Had a lovely afternoon sharing ideas.

And this time next week I will be on a plane to Thailand. YAY.

So here I am, it's 10.15 pm and I haven't started my blog post.

Finally, Sunday Stealing has come up with some great questions.

Would you rather go into the past and meet your ancestors or go into the future and meet your great-great grandchildren? 

As I will never have grandchildren, it has to be meet my ancestors. Mind you, I've just started a history subject and I'm thinking about looking at my great uncles who were involved in World War II. I'd love to meet Uncle Roy and Uncle Keith.

Would you rather have more time or more money? 

More time. Another day to the week to do the house work would be awesome.

Would you rather have a rewind button or a pause button on your life? 

A pause button. You can't go back on things. At least a pause button would give you a chance to catch up on things and consider consequences before you went ahead with things.

Would you rather be able to talk with the animals or speak all foreign languages? 

As I've never met an animal that I didn't like (okay, other than my mother's old cat - she was a bitch) I would love to know what they're thinking. I speak a smattering of a couple of languages and I get them muddled, so what is the point.

Would you rather win the lottery or live twice as long? 

Win the lottery. Unless you're young and can cure an incurable disease, why would you want to live twice as long. Growing old is not for sissies. At least you can make a good life for yourself and your family with the money.

Would you feel worse if no one showed up to your wedding or to your funeral? 

I think it would be awful if nobody turned up to my funeral. I can't see myself getting married anyway.

Would you rather be without internet for a week, or without your phone? 

I'd forgo the phone. If you have to call somebody you can talk over skype.

Would you rather meet George Washington, or the current President?

George Washington. If I was to meet our current Prime Minister I think I would get into a lot of trouble for basically wanting to do very nasty things to him, horrid man that he is. (This is not Obama, he looks lovely. Our current wanker of a Prime Minister isn't fit to clean my toilet - not that he would as cleaning the loo is women's work in his eyes. Hate Tony Abbott.)

Would you rather lose your vision or your hearing? 

Hearing. I would go mad if I couldn't read.

Would you rather work more hours per day, but fewer days or work fewer hours per day, but more days? 

I could work ten hour days and work a four day week at the moment. I don't think I would be that productive. Four nine hour days and one four hour day - now there's an idea!

Would you rather listen to music from the 70’s or music from today?

Music from the 70s. I could listen to music like this. YEAH! (RIP Shirley)

Would you rather become someone else or just stay you? 

Just stay me. I'm good with that.

Would you rather be Batman or Spiderman?

Hmm, that all depends on the version of Batman or Spiderman. I used to love the original Adam West Batman - but the Spiderman cartoon on Saturday mornings used to be great too. Too hard that question.


Would you rather be stuck on a broken ski lift or in a broken elevator? 

Broken elevator. At least you're not at the mercy of the elements. Please don't tell my claustrophobia this...

For your birthday, would you rather receive cash or gifts?

As much as I like receiving cash for my birthday, nothing beats a well thought out gift.