Too Much Info?
As this kind lady has allowed me to 'take as many leaves as I wanted' out of her book *grin*, I've jumped on the '100 things about me' bandwagon. Talk about unbridled narcissism! True to the spirit of the thing I actually managed to resist the temptation to edit (quite a big achievement considering my obsessive-compulsiveness when it comes to blog entries!) and jotted each thought as it came into my head.
1. Attempting to be a good practicing Muslim
2. Occasionally dismayed when I think I don’t quite measure up.
3. I think I used to be borderline obsessive-compulsive as a child- I used to make sure that the parting of my hair was right in the middle of my head with a ruler. And I’d measure margins in exercise books and draw the lines in advance. These are some of the more ‘normal’ examples
4. I’m always aloof when I meet someone for the first time (unless I’ve ‘known’ them on-line first *grin*)
5. People who know me however, brand me a loud-mouth. Hmph
6. I’m an inveterate ranter suffering from perpetual PMS, which sometimes makes Mr Nads wish he’d invested in a padded room with matching straightjacket for the house
7. When I started primary school I used to practice being a prefect. (See No. 3)
8. I’d also decided where I wanted to go to university (well, it was a choice of 1 of 2) by then
9. This ridiculous over-achieving didn’t quite endear me to my erm, ‘contemporaries’. Heh.
10. I’ve somewhat ‘mellowed’ since then so I think people don’t quite find that I’m such a repulsive little geek anymore. I hope.
11. I’m proud of the fact that I did get into one of those 2 universities.
12. Although I’m convinced they confused me with some other girl with a tudung who attended the same admission interviews I did and mistakenly offered the place to me
13. I’m discovering that the things you thought you knew about yourself don’t really come all that readily to mind when you’re supposed to write those things as they come into your head
14. I met my husband online
15. A fact which I think makes me even more of a geek grin
16. I also met one of my best friends online.
17. I feel extremely lucky because my husband is my ‘bestest’ friend alive.
18. Also, yesterday, I met 2 more wonderful people
19. Which means I have plenty of reasons to thank Bob for the Internet
20. The best educational experience I ever had was at my A Level College (KMYS), where I could be myself, broaden my horizons, meet great people and had excellent teachers
21. I never really had any school spirit for either one of my secondary schools. The first one because the social stratum was (I thought) dominated by bimbos and the second (a boarding school between Forms 4-5) because you couldn’t speak English without being branded ‘eksyen’ and/or a Walking Dictionary
22. However, I had a great English teacher at the boarding school who would tell me “Nadia, go to the library, I’m teaching grammar/spelling today”
23. I’ve been called a ‘loud mouth’ to my face twice, once by my A Level College’s Headmaster
24. Oddly enough, I’m really proud of this fact *grin*
25. I got in trouble once because I effectively called him a hypocrite in the College Newsletter’s editorial section
26. A fact which I’m also proud of, hehe
27. I’ve been told I talk really fast (by the husband, no less) and I also swallow my words
28. My Dad says it’s probably due to my Banjar blood, whatever that means
29. Actually, all my Dad’s brothers talk faster than I do. My Pak Long has been heard to say “Ehgetmeaciggarettefromthemamakshop” in the blink of an eye. Literally
30. I am the product of two very noisy families. One (Mom’s) consists of sarcastic, hilarious people who (even at age 50) like to pull pranks on each other while the other side is just noisy and hot-tempered (Eg; A ‘normal’ conversation sounds like a shouting match, especially at Raya when everyone congregates. Actually they’ll probably just be discussing about how my Dad restored my Great-Grandmother’s brass bed)
31. So the way I’ve turned out is all due to genetics, I tell ya!
32. I was voted Biggest Ego and Most Likely to Become PM at College (just when I thought I was starting to be popular….)
33. I once played a character called Piggy in a Noel Coward play performed at College
34. I think I got the part because I could talk with a posh accent, or as posh as it got in the wilds of Lembah Beringin
35. I got married 6 months before graduation (don’t ask)
36. Which meant I ‘endured’ 6 months of a long-distance marriage
37. Which in turn meant that I spent a fortune on IDD cards
38. At secondary school, one of my friends once yelled, “Why do you have to be so SARCASTIC all the time?!” at me and ran off crying, after which I just looked at her and laughed. Which explains my ‘popularity’
39. Also, whilst at secondary I inadvertently walked into the men’s room of McD’s Section 14.
40. So yes, I was very glad when puberty came to an end
41. And I was gladder when I got contact lenses
42. Among my top 3 pet peeves is when someone starts off speaking Malay to me when I’ve seen them speak English to someone else, and I can see the tiny glance they make at my tudung beforehand
43. Among my top 3 favourite things to do is putting on a posh accent and using extra long words when speaking back at them
44. I have quite a mean streak, yes.
45. But some people have said I am compassionate and empathetic. Go figure
46. I was however, kicked out of peer counseling in high school because I zonked off during ‘group therapy’ sessions
47. I really don’t like talking about my personal problems to anyone other than my husband and family members. I don’t see the point
48. Which is why you don’t see me complaining about my family here. We bitch internally LOL
49. My husband says I have an old person’s taste for music because I like Big Band (Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holliday, Cole Porter, the Gershwin brothers) and I think Sinatra’s voice is absolutely the sexiest thing on Earth. Oh, and Ibrahim Ferrer of the Buena Vista Social Club *sigh*
50. I used to be a Music Snob as a teenager (this was during slightly repulsive and geeky Intellectual Snob phase). I’d only listen to ‘alternative’ and absolutely scorned bubble-gum pop and other ‘mainstream’ stuff.
51. My cousin (who was my partner-in-crime at the time) and I wanted to go into mourning when Kurt Cobain committed suicide, but were told by our parents to “jangan mengada”. So my cousin painted his room black instead LOL
52. I think the Music Snobbery ended when I bought the Justin Timberlake CD last year
53. My favourite movie (and book) of all time for different reasons is quite possibly The English Patient.
54. Followed by The Godfather (“Leave the gun, take the cannoli”- delicious)
55. And To Kill a Mockingbird (book and movie)
56. Also, Seniman Bujang Lapok, which I think is one of the best comedies of all time LOL
57. I’m also a closet reader of trashy romance novels- I won’t buy but I’ll borrow (Kan Min kan? *wink*)
58. I’ve completely adjusted to the fact that I’m married to a guy who does not read. At all. Apart from computer manuals. Reason: ‘I’ll wait for the movie.’
59. Which goes to show that sometimes, opposites do attract.
60. I think Valentine’s Day is a ploy by the blood-sucking Capitalists to further exploit the citizens of the world (See ACE Day)
61. I once tried boycotting Zionist products, but was beaten by the lure of Vanilla Coke. I am still hanging my head in shame.
62. I’ve been told that I am quite the radical. Of course, this was from a Brit middle-class Headmaster (see also No. 22) who was a Tory, to boot.
63. Referring to No. 31, I think there is some truth in the Biggest Ego tag- I hate being wrong. I love being right
64. I am however (with the help of Mr Nads who’s the best argument partner ever) trying to accept it when I’m wrong and admit to the fact
65. On the other hand, I always attempt to make sure that I’m right as right can be. Hehe.
66. I think I still have some vestiges of obsessive-compulsiveness left. If I can’t remember a fact which I’m pretty sure I know, I’ll gladly google for it. And if I can’t remember a particular word, it’s ‘Hello insomnia!’.
67. Also, I constantly hold conversations with myself. Or pretend conversations with other people. Especially on long journeys
68. This wouldn’t be such a problem if I didn’t also move my lips while doing so
69. Nos. 64-68 have convinced my husband that some day the padded room might be necessary
70. I still miss my late grandmothers (who passed away in 1998 and 1999) very, very much and I find myself envying other people their grandmothers
71. I’ve been told that I look like my father’s aunt who died from a Japanese bomb in World War II. And there is a picture to prove it
72. I’ve also been told that my character resembles my father’s mother, who was an extremely strong-willed woman who practically raised 7 kids (including 6 sons) on her own along with being the U**O Women’s Division Leader in a KL District, and had a feisty temper (she once ‘attacked’ a woman who’d been spreading vicious rumours about her)
73. I can practically see red when it comes to issues of justice and fairness
74. I rarely cry due to sad events that happen in real life- bar hormonal attacks.
75. I will cry at Petronas adverts, Hindi movies and Hallmark stories.
76. I do however, tear up when I’m really angry. Plus, I shake.
77. I’ve been working in the keparat world for 6 months now and I love what I’m doing
78. But I absolutely loath my supervisor
79. We (my unit) are all hoping however, that she will self-destruct LOL
80. I used to be a serious caffeine/coffee addict, until about 8 weeks ago
81. When I became pregnant
82. And now I can’t even stand the smell of the stuff.
83. I’m the eldest great-grandchild on my mother’s side, while my hubby is the eldest great-grandchild on his mother’s side. So you can imagine the fuss over our wedding :P
84. Being the eldest grandchild meant I was spoilt completely rotten by my grandparents, aunts and uncles. And even second cousins once removed (we’re very close-knit)
85. When I was little, I was babysat by my grandparents, which made me think that I had two sets of parents, and so did every other kid.
86. I also referred to myself as ‘Adik’. I was a bit of a confused child
87. My grandfather has sent me a birthday cake every year, apart from the time I was studying in the UK
88. I love the fact that my grandfather is one of those Old Gentlemen who use corny phrases like ‘you look so trendy, today!’ and ‘I’m sure you’ll be an excellent example to your younger sisters and cousins!’, and refuses to mix Malay and English in his sentences
89. I’ve got a smidgen of Chinese blood- apparently my great-great grandmother on my father’s side came from Guangzhong
90. I used to look really Chinese when I was in school, not wearing a tudung and wearing spectacles- mothers used to ask me where their children were in Cantonese and taxi-drivers would get offended when I couldn’t answer them in Hakka
91. I seem to have a ‘gift’ for bodek-ing superiors. I was a shameless teacher’s pet, even until A Levels (again, explaining the ‘popularity’)
92. Even though I didn’t quite like boarding school (drastic change of wavelengths), I was voted Dorm Captain. I think they were quite desperate
93. I have a bit of a foul-mouth. Well, a lot. My sister said “B^%&#d!” at some character on the TV in front of my parents once and when she received a slap on the mouth, she yelled “Kak Long says it all the time!”. The little rat *grin*
94. I did, however, manage to reduce the profanity at my (very the Malay) boarding school. I went saying “shhhh” and “fffff’ for 2 years
95. My temper and language probably explains why I have a driver’s licence that might as well be framed up
96. Plus I drove my husband’s (then boyfriend) car once and he vowed ‘Nevermore’
97. I discovered an (expensive) penchant for Graphic Novels in Uni. Neil Gaiman rocks and anyone who can get me the 4th instalment of ‘Lucifer’ will have my allegiance forever.
98. I don’t think I could ever live in a kampung (I actually don’t have a ‘real’ one)- I need my cafes and Internet.
99. It’s a cliché, but I love Paris. Been there twice and don’t think I’ve had enough- I blame this on repeat viewings of Amelie
100. I didn’t think I’d reach 100, but I suppose the power of my narcissism knows no bounds
Heh, so much for the 'no-editing' rule. Glanced over and decided 'No 101. I'm also quite careless'
nads went at 21:11