Seven things...

[Seven things I love by pilli pilli]

An eon ago, or maybe more, the super lovely Dannielle of with2ns fame tagged me in her Seven Things blog post.  So now, dear reader, I get to tell you seven things that you may not have known about me.  Enjoy?

1. In high school, I seriously wanted to become a lawyer (too much LA Law perhaps?  I did have a minor crush on Jimmy Smits!).  Anyway, doing Legal Studies in Year 11 (*yawn*) cured me of that desire pretty quickly.

2. I worked for McDonald's for about 12 years.  Yep, that McDonald's.  Before you berate me and tell me they're an evil, exploitative corporation (I know you want to, I've put up with those kind of rants for over 12 years now!  Mainly from my family...) - they were actually amazing to work for. And yes, I did start out flipping burgers in one of their stores.  I won't go in to details except to say that they helped put me through uni, gave me my first opportunities to work in the field that I really wanted to work in (employee relations, if you're curious), and allowed me to do my first solo overseas trips.

3. Strangely (or perhaps not?) I was also a vegetarian for about 12 years.  It started when I was 17 and did a two month exchange program in Nepal of all places.  After what I saw in the first week there, not eating meat seemed like a very sensible option.  And I just kept it going once I got home. Eventually I started eating fish again, and then chicken.  It was my husband that got me back on to red meat.  Ever gentle he began with a big chunk of bloody rare steak.

4. I spent my early years living in a commune.  Seriously!  From the age of 1 till about 5 I lived in a converted orphanage in Kew, a leafy middle-class suburb of Melbourne, with my sister, my Mum, my Step-Dad, a bunch of other adults and a sheep called Lambie (who later got hit by a car, sad story).  We had the biggest backyard, complete with fruit trees and veggies, and the neighbouring house was a commune too, so we could run back and forth through a gap in the fence.  It was kind of cool for a kid, but kind of crazy as well.  It could perhaps partly explain why I love my quiet, alone time now...

5. As much as I love it, and I really do, I don't wear jewelry.  I really wish I did, but it just makes me look weird, I think.  I go through phases where I think I'm going to give it a go, but all the necklaces and bracelets and earrings just end up sitting in my drawer...

6. Even though I travel a lot, I really really really don't like flying.  And I mean don't like as in sweaty-palms, gripping-the-seat, let-the-odd-swear-word-slip don't like.  I know it's safer than driving but this fear ain't logical (personally, I think it's all about control.  There are things I can do to prevent accidents in a car, as a passenger or a driver).  Take offs are the worst.  I apologise if you've ever had to sit next to me during take off.  Really, I am sorry.

7. I love bad TV.  We haven't had TV since we moved to Seoul (Amazon's DVD section is my new best friend) and I've realised I do miss my semi-regular doses of reality television.  You may already be aware of my penchant for SYTYCD, but I have also been known to weep uncontrollably during Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, I own two Cook Yourself Thin cookbooks and I think Gok Wan is awesomeness personified.  

So, that's my seven things.  To keep the ball rolling, I'm tagging the creative Littleclouds and the lovely Eightymillion.  The first because I really love the stuff she makes and I'm kind of her cyberstalker, and the second because I know she's trying to kick start her blog again and maybe this will help (and also I'd like to get to know her and her hounds a little better!)

Oh, and if you don't read Dannielles thoughtful blog, it's definitely worthwhile.  A great mix of handmade love and posts on topics like living within your means, the ups and downs of running a small business, and ethics in consumerism.