1. I was born in Bien Hoa in the Republic of South Vietnam (a country which, stupid INS officer to the contrary, no longer exists).
2. I spent the first year of my life in an orphanage. The official story was that I was found on the street, but I've since heard that that is often the "official" story.
3. I lived briefly in St. Louis and then spent my childhood and youth in Grandview, MO, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri.
4. I don't say Missourah.
5. My father opened a bookstore when I was five--it closed when I was 9. It was fun while it lasted.
6. I wanted to act when I was 4.
7. I love to read. I like books better than most people and I read eclectically. I don't read "chick lit" but I do read classics, science-fiction (but I'm very picky), mystery (even pickier) and children's/young adult.
8. My first job was in the local library.
9. I was valedictorian of my high school, but my high school didn't have the valedictorian give the speech. In my only act of rebellion I fought to have that changed with a petition. I was politely asked to give it up.
10. I lie. My other act of rebellion was to start an Amnesty International chapter.
11. I was Thespian President two years in a row.
12. I am a closet math/science fan. I love how numbers work together.
13. I took French for 3 years in high school and 2 years in college and I don't feel like I can speak it. I took German for one semester in high school and feel like I can half understand it in films. I took Japanese for one semester in college and wish I'd stuck with it. I wish now I'd stuck with any of them.
14. I don't like coffee. I really don't like coffee. I can't stand the taste. Even the smell of it unroasted makes me gag a little, and I think French Roast in particular smells like dead fish.
15. My hair was down to my thighs throughout elementary school. I cut it to my shoulders at the start of junior high and just kept getting shorter until this past year. It's back to my shoulders. I think I like it best short, but I'm going to keep going for awhile because I've just bought several different types of hair clips.
16. Likewise, I got my ears pierced at 12 and only two years ago got another piercing in the upper ear.
17. I don't know how to ride a bike.
18. I didn't learn to drive until I was 27 when I moved to Boston that has public transport. Go figure.
19. I went to Amherst College because it had no core curriculum, it was rated the best in U.S. News and because I'd performed The Belle of Amherst in high school.
20. I'm not a great speller. My 5th grade English teacher told me to invest in a good word processor as soon as possible. My 8th grade English teacher asked me if "scilencing" was a rare form of torture.
21. I think I'm a good writer. I won awards in high school and praise in college, but I'm not disciplined. I write poetry. All of my short stories are about a page long because that's all they are. I'm thinking there's a market for it somewhere--like ten minute plays are so popular now. I've only ever thought of one play I wanted to write, lots of short stories, one novel and one novella. They are all in progress. I'll let you know.
22. If you ask me to do something fast I will freeze--like flash card math tests in elementary school--even if I would have been perfectly capable of doing it fast before you asked.
23. Likewise if a director asks me to have fun with a part I will freeze--and worry about what he/she means by that.
24. I'm not a method actor.
25. Of all the things I do, I worry the least about designing because I've had the least pressure about it from outside forces (my mother). I just do.
26. I don't like to sew but I do it to bring my designs to life.
27. I've always been crap at sports.
28. I wanted a Westie since I was five. I had one between 19 and 26. She was wonderful. Now I have a Cairn and a cat. I love them too. I hope to own a Westie again.
29. I like The Red Hot Chile Peppers, Jane's Addiction and Green Day. This surprises people more than knowing I have the first 3 (and only the first 3) Barbara Streisand albums.
30. I know an awful lot of trivia about musicals prior to 1963. I don't like very many musicals after 1963.
31. My first big crush was on Peter O'Toole in Masada. I was 10 and he was 50 and my mother said she thought he was gay (he isn't).
32. I like pretty boys in eyeliner who might be gay. I apparently always have. I also have an odd fetish for strange older men.
33. I am The Chronicles of Narnia in a Fahrenheit 451 sort of way. Even now I could probably come close to reciting them.
34. I've loved Doctor Who since I was a child. If I couldn't go to Narnia, could I at least travel with the Doctor? It's part of why I fell in love with my husband.
35. I've always had hypermobility (double-jointedness) and I've always had some arthritis--they go together.
36. I'll watch almost any movie except puerile humor. Blood, guts, nudity, violence, doesn't bother me but embarrassing toilet humor and I'm out of there.
2. I spent the first year of my life in an orphanage. The official story was that I was found on the street, but I've since heard that that is often the "official" story.
3. I lived briefly in St. Louis and then spent my childhood and youth in Grandview, MO, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri.
4. I don't say Missourah.
5. My father opened a bookstore when I was five--it closed when I was 9. It was fun while it lasted.
6. I wanted to act when I was 4.
7. I love to read. I like books better than most people and I read eclectically. I don't read "chick lit" but I do read classics, science-fiction (but I'm very picky), mystery (even pickier) and children's/young adult.
8. My first job was in the local library.
9. I was valedictorian of my high school, but my high school didn't have the valedictorian give the speech. In my only act of rebellion I fought to have that changed with a petition. I was politely asked to give it up.
10. I lie. My other act of rebellion was to start an Amnesty International chapter.
11. I was Thespian President two years in a row.
12. I am a closet math/science fan. I love how numbers work together.
13. I took French for 3 years in high school and 2 years in college and I don't feel like I can speak it. I took German for one semester in high school and feel like I can half understand it in films. I took Japanese for one semester in college and wish I'd stuck with it. I wish now I'd stuck with any of them.
14. I don't like coffee. I really don't like coffee. I can't stand the taste. Even the smell of it unroasted makes me gag a little, and I think French Roast in particular smells like dead fish.
15. My hair was down to my thighs throughout elementary school. I cut it to my shoulders at the start of junior high and just kept getting shorter until this past year. It's back to my shoulders. I think I like it best short, but I'm going to keep going for awhile because I've just bought several different types of hair clips.
16. Likewise, I got my ears pierced at 12 and only two years ago got another piercing in the upper ear.
17. I don't know how to ride a bike.
18. I didn't learn to drive until I was 27 when I moved to Boston that has public transport. Go figure.
19. I went to Amherst College because it had no core curriculum, it was rated the best in U.S. News and because I'd performed The Belle of Amherst in high school.
20. I'm not a great speller. My 5th grade English teacher told me to invest in a good word processor as soon as possible. My 8th grade English teacher asked me if "scilencing" was a rare form of torture.
21. I think I'm a good writer. I won awards in high school and praise in college, but I'm not disciplined. I write poetry. All of my short stories are about a page long because that's all they are. I'm thinking there's a market for it somewhere--like ten minute plays are so popular now. I've only ever thought of one play I wanted to write, lots of short stories, one novel and one novella. They are all in progress. I'll let you know.
22. If you ask me to do something fast I will freeze--like flash card math tests in elementary school--even if I would have been perfectly capable of doing it fast before you asked.
23. Likewise if a director asks me to have fun with a part I will freeze--and worry about what he/she means by that.
24. I'm not a method actor.
25. Of all the things I do, I worry the least about designing because I've had the least pressure about it from outside forces (my mother). I just do.
26. I don't like to sew but I do it to bring my designs to life.
27. I've always been crap at sports.
28. I wanted a Westie since I was five. I had one between 19 and 26. She was wonderful. Now I have a Cairn and a cat. I love them too. I hope to own a Westie again.
29. I like The Red Hot Chile Peppers, Jane's Addiction and Green Day. This surprises people more than knowing I have the first 3 (and only the first 3) Barbara Streisand albums.
30. I know an awful lot of trivia about musicals prior to 1963. I don't like very many musicals after 1963.
31. My first big crush was on Peter O'Toole in Masada. I was 10 and he was 50 and my mother said she thought he was gay (he isn't).
32. I like pretty boys in eyeliner who might be gay. I apparently always have. I also have an odd fetish for strange older men.
33. I am The Chronicles of Narnia in a Fahrenheit 451 sort of way. Even now I could probably come close to reciting them.
34. I've loved Doctor Who since I was a child. If I couldn't go to Narnia, could I at least travel with the Doctor? It's part of why I fell in love with my husband.
35. I've always had hypermobility (double-jointedness) and I've always had some arthritis--they go together.
36. I'll watch almost any movie except puerile humor. Blood, guts, nudity, violence, doesn't bother me but embarrassing toilet humor and I'm out of there.
Comments
Wish I had time to comment on more from your list but you know I'm with you when it comes to pretty boys in eyeliner. :-)
I also adore Chronicles of Narnia. Actually, just C.S. Lewis in general. I've read almost everything he's written (am short by about four books).
I'm a bit afraid to re-read Narnia, because I loved it so desperately as a child, that I fear I'll be disappointed.