100 things about me: January 2005

#19) I don't like to talk on the phone

I only talk on the telephone if it is necessary. But, just purely casual conversations, talking for the sake of talking, I don't do well. In high school, people loved to call me, but I dreaded it b/c I never knew what to say or could come up with anything witty/cool/whatever. At the same time, I always wanted to be on the phone b/c it validated me as a cool/popular person. I am a good listener, though. Guess that is why people call me so much. In high school, my mom would yell, "Get off the phone! You're not talking anyway-why are you on the phone?" I wouldn't be talking, but the on the other end of the line, a mouth was running nonstop. Even to this day, I still dread making telephone calls. Often times I will write myself a script to make the simplest of phone calls. And, I am still, for the most part, the listener. I don't offer much by way of comment or topic changes. I think that is something my sister Dana and I have in common b/c a lot of the time, we are content to just "hold the phone." ^-^

#18) I love watching movies!

I like a good movie. Or a campy, b-movie. Films are fun. At least, they should be. Fun to watch, fun to ...oh, Iounno. There are some movies that I could watch again and again and again! Here are a few of those on the 'watched frequently' list (in no particular order):

"My Best Friend's Wedding"
"The Sound of Music"
"The Lion King"
"The Lion King 2"
"Monster's Inc."
"Toy Story"
"Toy Story 2"
"Mulan"
"Il Postino"
"Pulp Fiction"
"Shrek"
"Shrek 2"
"Shark Tales"
"He Got Game"
"Training Day"
"Out of Time"
"Deliver Us from Eva"
"The Wash"
"Friday"
"Next Friday"
"Friday After Next"
"Barbershop"
"Barbershop 2"
"Something About Mary"
"The Sweetest Thing"
"Waiting to Exhale"
"How Stella Got Her Groove Back"

...I could go on and on, but then I would be writing the entire list!! ^-^ I love foreign films,documentaries-- just saw one on PBS that I really liked-"The Hard Straight." I love movies that draw you into them. I really want to go see "Hotel Rwanda." That looks so good! But, I also get into the fluff, too! I want to see...uhm, what's it called? "Racing Stripes?" That looks funny. OH! And, "Madagascar" looks like that'll be funny, too.

#17) I would love to throw dinner parties, but...

I am not a confident cook. I rely on recipes; though, I will experiment a bit with a recipe to create different tastes, etc. And, I don't take criticism well, so if someone were not to like something I'd made, I'd have a hard time keeping my disappointment off my face. But, I often dream of when I own my own house I would throw dinner parties regularly and have frequent get-togethers at my place, and everyone would be having a great time and everything I made would be raved about b/c it would be just that good. I'd love to take some culinary arts classes or a program or something...maybe in the future. Once I have it all together.

#16) I have a very high metabolism...

...or a very large appetite. I can eat. A lot! I usually eat about every two hours. I eat more than most people I know. I do not eat too overstuff myself. Nor do I gorge, gorge, gorge. Just eating to the point of feeling sated is eating more than most people I know. At UH, I would sit with some football player friends of mine, so no one would comment on the amount of plates on the table. And, it was assumed b/c I was a girl that the plates weren't mine. ^-^ At mealtimes, one of my best girlfriends hated to eat with me b/c people assumed all those plates were hers (she's a big girl) and give her nasty stares and glares. And, that was horrible! Let that be a lesson not to make assumptions ! What I'd like to know is if she were to have eaten all of that food, so what? Why the mean muggin'? What's that going to do? Make her instantly become a skinny girl? When I go to someone's house for dinner that I don't know, I usually eat a light meal beforehand, so I won't get embarrassed by comments people are prone to make. Most people comment, "Where does it all go?" And, if need be, I eat when I go home, too. I love buffet restaurants! I can actually get enough food to feel full. And, it is more affordable than ordering two entrees for myself.

#15) I prefer the company of my children to most adults

I prefer children to adults, generally; my children, specifically. Yes, there are times I want adult conversation, etc. But, for the most part, I enjoy doing things with my children and they are my preferred escorts/dates/whatever. I enjoy spending time with them-seeing parts of myself in them, seeing their own unique personalities emerge...I don't want to miss any moment of their development.

#14) I take being African-American for granted

Because I am melanin enriched, I don't feel the need to learn more...I mean, I know first hand what it feels like to be black. There have been times when I was curious about this or that and would go to the library to research it...often times when I get a biography it is of someone of color, usually African-American. But, for the most part, I don't make it a point to learn about African-American culture and history. And, maybe I should.

#13) I love Hello Kitty

I think that Hello Kitty is cool. She is a sweet, generous cat who believes you can never have too many friends. We could all be like that and the world would be a better place.

#12) I tend to swallow my anger

I very rarely express my anger. Most often, I leave it unspoken. It is difficult for me to express how I feel and have the words come out the way I want. The words usually flow after the fact, and I think, I wish I said that at the time. Here's an excerpt of a good book which describes how I feel about myself when angry.

"Perhaps this time she might actually be able to say
what she meant instead of spitting out nothing but heat and a few acrid tears of
frustration. It always happened. Every time she was angry, all her
words ganged up against her, clotting in her mouth like a faceful of
stones. Coming out in the wrong order, too fast, too slow, gobbled up,
munched to bits, ludicrous, incoherent. More than anything, ...[she]
prayed for the gift of articulate rage..." from the book Special by Bella Bathurst

#11) I am a serious bibliophile

In the most general sense of the word, I am a major book lover. I love to read! If I could, I'd curl up with a good book each night. Wherever I am, I look for something to read. I hate that I have unpaid fines and cannot check out books from the library.

#10) I wish I knew more about my Chinese heritage, culture

Every time I asked my mother why she didn't teach us Chinese or more about our culture/heritage, she said that she didn't want us to be stigmatized or ostracized any more than we already would be. When I was at UH-University Park, I enrolled in a Chinese class, but I goofed off, and didn't take it seriously. Now, I wish I did. I want to have first-hand knowledge, not generalizations and/or stereotypes received from reading books or watching movies.

#9) My race is other

Personally, I think that there's no such thing as race, per se. It's a contrived label meant to keep divisions between people. But, I digress. I am ethnically diverse-my mother's Chinese and my father is African-American.

#8) I am a single mother of four

I have four daughters, aged 10 to 1. On my other blog I go into detail about this. If you'd like, go and find the posts.

#7) I am a male brain

Well, okay, I am not a male brain, per se, because I am a female. I read this book and in it there was a quiz to see if you were a male brain or a bridge brain, and I was more of a male brain than my male best friend. But, it was supposed to be a quiz for guys only.

#6) I can be brutally honest

I try to tell the truth, the whole truth, all the time...well, most of the time. Even when I try to tactfully or politely say the truth, I seem to be too harshly honest. "Honest to a fault" and "too damned honest for your own good" are phrases I hear all too often.

#5) I am a Christian

As I have said before in Journey of a Fallen Christian, I did not grow up in a church-going household. Shortly before moving to Houston in July 2003, I said a prayer of salvation and meant it for the first time. Started attending church and decided to make Community Gospel my church home. And, on the 21st of November 2004, I had all my daughters dedicated to the church and I was baptised because I want them to know how important a role faith has in your life.

#4) I tend to procrastinate...a lot!

I am always continuously putting things off...wonder how long it'll take me to get to 100. Will I get to 100?

#3) I am the second oldest of six

My dad married twice; three children each marriage. I am the second oldest of the six of us. Of my mother's children, I am the middle child. Of the girls, I am the middle sister.

#2) I am a Texicalian

I was born in Hollywood CA, but grew up, for the most part, in Galveston TX. Texan + Californian = Texicalian ^-^ Sounds better than Texafornian or Calixan. ^-^

#1) I am a Capricorn

my birthday is December 30th.
had an astrological what'sit done and, technically, I am a Capricorn with a rising sign of Scorpio. Just means I have to read both Capricorn and Scorpio for a more accurate horoscope. Get a horoscope here or here.

::::::Introduction, of sorts:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Well, after discovering the next blog button, I have been enjoying seeing what others are up to. It is a way to get some good ideas, too. Like I noticed someone had a list of things to note and thought 'Hey! that would be fun to do, too.' The only drawback is I wonder whether I can think of 100 things that may be of interest to someone else. But, then again, I suppose you cannot please everyone, and it really doesn't matter whether random strangers think the 100 things I choose to reveal about myself are interesting. Though, it would be nice if they are interesting. Hmmm...I guess it doesn't hurt to try. So, here we go! ^-^

100 things about me

Wednesday, January 19, 2005