Sunday Stealing: SwapBot Part Something

 One more day of the retreat, before I head back to Melbourne, collect the cat from his self-imposed cupboard and get back to being a worker bee. It's cold and windy down here - perfect writing weather. So, in this first writing block, I'll get my blog out of the way.

Questions, as always, come Bev at Sunday Stealing. 

1) What is your favorite way to spend a lazy day?

I do all sorts of things on a lazy day, but there will be some reading, writing, watching telly and talking to the cat. 

2) What do you look forward to every week?

The weekend. When new episodes of Ted Lasso were coming out, it used to be Wednesday night. 

3) Name three pet peeves you currently have

• Rude people
• The way our current Federal Parliament are acting over sexual harassment in the workplace. It's shite. Don't get me started. 
• The cost of living in general.

4) If you were to win an all expense paid vacation for two weeks to anywhere in the world, where would you choose to go? What are some of the things you would like to experience while you were there?

The two places I would most love to go at the moment are Japan and India. 

Japan has always fascinated me, but I've never got there. It also appears to be a fairly safe and organised place to go. It just looks nuts.

On the other hand, I'd like to go back to India and go down the Southern parts, as well as Rajasthan. I was surprised at how much I loved India when I went there is 2019. India is fascinating. Mad, but fascinating. 

5) What was one of your favorite toys as a kid? Did you save any special things from your childhood that you still have today?

I used to love Lego - I still do, not that I have any any more. As for toys from my childhood, I still have a teddy bear my grandfather gave me at my birth sitting in the cupboard. It started out as pink. It's now grey. I still love it. 

6) What is your favorite holiday? What is your least favorite holiday?

I love holidays where you relax and where you get to explore. 

My idea of holiday hell is going on a cruise. I can never see myself going on a cruise. A great way to get gastro or COVID among the aging bogans. 

7) Have you ever met anyone famous? What concerts have you attended?

I haven't met anybody very famous, particularly as I live in Australia. I bummed a cigarette off Jeremy Clarkson many years ago. I met Clementine Ford at a book event a few months ago. That's about it.

8) Are there any expressions that people use that really annoy you? If so, what are they?

People who say "For all intensive purposes..."

9) Do you like your name? Are you named after anyone? Is there a story how you got your name? Would you change it if you could? If so, what name would you give yourself?

I'm a bit ambivalent about my name. There are plenty of diminutives for my name and I go by Panda most of the time now - which sort of suits me. I came to get the name Panda when I was living in London in the 90s. I was living in a share house with another woman who has my legal name - and she was sweetly pretty and everything a good Amanda should be. I am not slight and pretty and socially acceptable - and Panda stuck. I'm good with that.

 I love the name Freya - though I doubt I would make a good one of those. 

10) It is said that it's the little things that make life worth living. Name five of those little things in your life. 

• My cat
• My friends
• Ice cream
• Art house cinema
• Independent book stores

There are many other things which make life worth living, but these are the first ones that came to mind. 

Today's Song: