One Hundred Things

I noticed that lots of people have these '100 things' lists as a sort of glimpse into the random details of their personality. Here goes mine...

1. If I were a boy, my Mom was going to call me Eugene or Vincent.
2. As a small child, my family would spend two weeks every summer at Apollo Bay.
3. I grew up in Taiwan.
4. My hair is naturally dead straight, though it goes the slightest bit kinky when it has layers.
5. I have fairy lights in my bedroom. No, it's not as tacky as it sounds...
6. My parents are called Anne and Frank.
7. My siblings are Vince (17), Ellen (15) and Katie (12).
8. I don't like anchovies at all, or kalamata olives. They're just too salty.
9. My first big crush was on David Bowie. It lasted about 3 years.
10. I was 16 before my first kiss, given to me by my first 'boyfriend'. We went on to be partners for the debutante ball, breaking up half way through rehearsals. Almost 3 years later, we're good friends.

11. If I were the reincarnation of anybody famous in history, I'd be Marie-Antoinette.
12. I have very thin, delicate wrists and ankles. But I wish my jaw were more defined.
13. I'm a very cheap drunk - two, maybe three drinks are enough to make me silly.
14. For that reason, I prefer to buy an exquisite but expensive cocktail rather than multiples of cheap beer or wine.
15. As the title of this website suggests, I have a thing for pajamas. Very nice ones. I just can't stand sleeping naked or in an ugly old t-shirt.
16. I have a pathetic immune system and usually have a terrible time in winter. My eventual plan is to buy several houses and move back and forth so I can always follow summer.
17. I sang in front of 2000 people at a music festival when I was 12.
18. My eyes are very blue, but tend to change between blue-grey, blue-green, blue-violet depending on my mood and the lighting.
19. I have been told I look like a brunette Kirsten Dunst. I disagree.
20. One of my biggest fears is holding a goldfish in my hand. I'm just so scared that, if that happened, my hand would instinctively snap closed - squishing the fish.

21. I like wearing dresses, skirts and heels. It makes me feel feminine and pretty, but I'm not afraid to throw on sweatpants and trainers if the occassion calls for it.
22. I adore the European Cafe on Spring Street. They make an awesome dish called Salmon Gravlax (yes, I asked what the hell that meant too). It's like pickled, thinly sliced salmon, served with grilled ciabatta, avocado and chilli salsa and curly endive. Yum.
23. Take me to the opera and I will love you forever. I've only been a couple of times (La traviata and The Pearlfishers) but it's definitely the kind of thing to send me into raptures.
24. I like dress up parties. And hell, dressing up for no reason.
25. I own a lot of books. I had many to begin with, but each semester I have to buy at least 8 more for school.
26. I was 17 before I had enough confidence in my body to wear a bikini. Lucien was very happy.
27. I love Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Extreme Makeover and What Not to Wear. It just makes me so happy to see people so genuinely happy after their lives have been made better.
28. In the Jolie-Aniston wars, I'm going for Camp Jolie. I don't like Jennifer Aniston. She's just so bland.
29. Yes, I went through a gothic stage. It lasted two weeks, and then I clicked on to how much I detested it.
30. Henceforth, I think that anybody who purposely puts a label on themselves (or behaves or dresses in such a way as to purposely attract a label) is silly. Can't people just be happy being themselves, rather than trying to conform to someone's standards and ideas of what is good?

31. I like wearing stockings. Unfortunately, I'm also quite clumsy, so they only usually last one or two wears before being ripped to shreds.
32. A big picture of me was in my local newspaper when I was performing 'Julia' in Nineteen Eighty-Four. I felt temporarily famous, especially when people recognised me.
33. Lucien and I first became a couple on November 21st 2004, at approximately 12:48pm.
34. I attended an all-girls high school.
35. I have a dog who lives with my Mom and siblings. She's adorable and very clever, despite being the fattest dog EVER.
36. I adore emotive classical music. In fact, I generally enjoy all art forms when they are 'lyrical'.
37. My favourite fruit is blood oranges, but I also love fresh figs, blueberries, peaches and champagne melon.
38. I have always wanted to learn to play the harp, and one day when I am wealthy enough in time and money, I will.
39. One of my favourite paintings is Waterhouse's Lady of Shalott. My mother has a copy hanging above her bed.
40. I have a terrible avoidant streak.

41. I generally wear a size 10 dress (in US terms, a size 6).
42. Despite learning for approximately 8 years, I can still only speak very basic Chinese.
43. I was an Arts Leader in my final year of high school, which entitled me to wear a spiffy little badge.
44. My hair grows ridiculously fast. I have to cut my fringe every week or so, and it once grew from a pixie cut to waist length in two years.
45. My vocal range stretches more than 3 octaves, from about F3 to around A6. But I am most comfortable as a soprano.
46. I cannot stand delustered satin. I was the only debutante in my set to have a dress made from a fabric that was not delustered satin.
47. I don't really drink coffee, except for the occasional latte.
48. But I do like tea! I like Earl Grey, but I also drink dandelion tea and like to finish the day with Celestial Seasons Sleepytime tea.
49. I have high cheekbones, and I'm slightly vain about them. In photos, I tend unconsciously suck my cheeks in to make them more noticeable. It's embarrassing when people let me know.
50. But I also have funny knees.

51. I like red with little white polka dots. I have a headband from Alannah Hill with that pattern.
52. Have never taken illicit drugs or smoked a cigarette, but I did once share a Cuban cigar with my Uncle. Surprisingly, it was enjoyable.
53. My secret shame - I can't drive! Not so secret at all though, I haven't even got my learner's permit.
54. I left my passport in someone's car and now I have no idea where it is or who is using it.
55. I love Oriental lillies, especially the very delicate pale pink ones. But I also love tulips, roses and poppies.
56. Skiing is probably my favourite sporting pursuit. When I was younger, my family would go every year for a week or two to Falls Creek.
57. I'm a bit of a speed demon. My friend Benjamin owns a red 1980's Japanese sports car - even being a passenger in that thing when he is driving is fantastic.
58. Between pirates and ninjas, pirates win. They are just so cool.
59. I love going to Mekong on Swanston St for Vietnamese beef pho soup by myself. I'll sit there with my huge bowl of soup, pouring over a script or a novel, pretending to be interesting enough to be seen by myself.
60. I like Commander Keen. Perhaps a little too much.

61. I bruise ridiculously easily and often find them on my body with no idea how I got them. I currently have a deep blue mark about the size of my palm on my leg.
62. This causes my Mom to worry that Lucien is abusive. Pfft!
63. Two of my cousins are relatively well known for their work in Australian television and miniseries. They are brother and sister.
64. I stress too much, about stupid things.
65. I have never been in a car accident, but we had a near miss once. The tyres fell off the car while it was taking a corner, and we went skidding and almost rolled down an embankment. Trés scary.
66. Unfortunately, I'm naturally quite pale. Fake tan doesn't quite cut it - no matter which brand I try, it always looks orange. So I use Johnson's Holiday Skin.
67. My fragrance de jour is Spirit of Moonflower from the Body Shop. It feels mysterious and 'dewy'.
68. I detest it when people automatically assume that I'm stupid because I am young, female and have a sense for the whimsical.
69. I am a terrible liar.
70. When I was about 11 years old, I wanted to be Geri Halliwell. Very scary.

71. My favourite actors are Meryl Streep, John Hurt, Ralph Fiennes and Glenn Close.
72. Yes, like a good wine, I think actors get better with age.
73. Once, after a big storm had left branches strewn over our front yard, my Dad helped me build a teepee out of them. We covered it in a tarpaulin and put a sleeping bag inside. It was my not-so-secret hideout for about a week until it started breaking.
74. I don't have very interesting heritage. My parents were both Australian, but there is Scottish, English, Swiss, Swedish and French a little further back.
75. I wear glasses. Or, I should wear glasses. I lost my pretty red ones that fitted and suited me, so I refuse to wear my old, ugly ones. Therefore, I can't see very well!
76. The above has taught me that I probably should get contacts.
77. My past jobs include assistant at a theatre school, ice-cream scooper, checkout chick and even factory worker. My Dad once employed my siblings and I to do some factory work as a school holidays job - $20 an hour, good fun!
78. Yes, I'm a Monty Python fan.
79. I don't buy newspapers, but I always steal the weekend magazine parts out when my Mum gets The Age.
80. I'm a bit of a sucker for shows like The Simpsons, Futurama, Family Guy etc. I can seriously see the same episode 12 times and still think it's funny.

81. The Scientology Chapter in Melbourne have my name, address and telephone number. I often get handwritten notes from them and pamphlets on how to 'get off drugs naturally' - because I take prescription medication.
82. I was actually friends with a lot of my teachers at high school. Having come to university, I'm astounded that so many lecturers are so condescending and arrogant.
83. Between Batman and Superman, Batman wins. Especially in Batman Returns.
84. I have a strange accent. My native Australian, but tinged with American (east coast), British and South African.
85. I have been using the internet since 1996.
86. My favourite numbers are 13, 7 and 73.
87. In my first ever job, I managed to slice my nose into three pieces. Luckily I recovered with not too much scarring and without needing plastic surgery.
88. I despise small children.
89. Unfortunately, I tend to have a 'all or nothing' attitude. It's a bad habit - if I can't do something perfectly, then I tend not to do it.
90. I think this is why I'm not doing so great at university - I know I can't score a perfect hundred, where I could at high school.

91. When I was 15, my IQ was measured to be between 145-155. I wonder if it has gone up or down.
92. I almost always sleep on my side, with my 'top' leg bent and my other leg straight.
93. I am passionate about the difference between "your" and "you're", as well as "they're", "there" and "their". It's probably a pet hate.
94. Despite this, I still have issues with apostrophes. Every single English teacher I've had has told me different rules.
95. I am quite naïve and I trust people too much. This has resulted in me being hurt several times, but alas, I always go back for more.
96. I can't wink.
97. Currently, I am wearing plain cotton aqua bikini cut underwear.
98. I have been described as sparkly, flippant, intense, flighty, moody and theatrical.. among other things.
99. I haven't had any lunch today and I am so hungry right now that my stomach feels like it's going to implode.
100. Coming up with one hundred things about myself was actually kind of difficult!