About Me

50 things about me (I couldn't think of 100 things). But now I can!

1. I am an educationalist by profession and, it often seems, in many other areas of my life.

2. I am very grateful to my parents who raised me in a cross-cultural household at a time when southern Mediterranean was definitely not fashionable. This has enabled me to relate to all the conservative and “socialised” communities with whom I work.

3. I was raised as a feminist (not the word had then been invented) simply because of the situation my mother found herself in being a widow. Even the most basic awareness of what she went through would make anybody a feminist!

4. I used to be extremely untidy and am now extraordinarily organised and tidy. A sign of advancing age I guess (and living alone in a very small apartment).

5. I (now) find cleaning very therapeutic where once it was merely a very tiresome chore (another sign of advancing age and living alone).

6. When I was a very small girl some kids (yuppies)were laughing at an old bag lady who was at the bus terminal (in Sydney). I cried because they were so nasty to her. This sort of empathy has always come easily to me and is extremely useful in my work. However, at times it makes me so open-minded that my brains fall out. This is not a good thing.

7. I love children’s literature and have quite a collection – many given as gifts from my daughter.

8. I find it difficult to take myself (and others) very seriously for any length of time (hence I tend to laugh – or want to, or make flippant remarks) at inappropriate times.

9. I am continually on a diet (so it seems) but never really lose any weight (the compensatory comfort eating I guess).

10. I used to like travel until I started this o’seas section of my life – now I just do it – continuously.

11. I love writing (luckily, as it is part of what I do for a living) but loathe editing – unless it is other people’s work when my slash and burn mentality takes over.

12. I adore good champagne but will drink most fizz (NOT passion pop – which, in fact, I thought for years was a joke and had a nasty shock when I saw it on a supermarket shelf).

13. My maths is very bad – which is unfortunate as I am in charge of a very large budget spread over a dozen countries.

14. I adore giving presents but am quite shy about receiving them.

15. I cry at weddings and ads with weddings in them. My kids all gave me a hard time about this. I did not cry at any wedding of theirs (well one tear at Natalie’s).

16. I often get choked up and want to cry with Christmas carols (not those played in shopping malls).

17. When I am not dieting I am quite a foodie but rarely go for fashionable foods (but then I am rarely in fashionable places).

18. The number of people that I would call friends I can count on the fingers of one hand; the number of people who call me their friend is considerably larger – although as they are scattered all over the world it doesn’t help a lot.

19. Even though I now earn a lot of money I was so poor for so many years that I still feel like (and tend to live like) a poor person (although I am fast overcoming this).

20. I have three children and four grandchildren all of whom I adore and (the children at least) am quite scared of. They are all powerful personalities and very often scathing in their criticisms and I quake as to what they think of me.

21. I am only now developing a sense of style in terms of clothes and in terms of interior decoration (probably associated with an increase in income). It’s all a bit late now seeing as I am over the hill.

22. I haven’t had a garden or a pet for more than 10 years – but still love both and look forward to having them when I retire.

23. I caused great mirth from a (young) colleague several years ago: she asked me what I would do if/when I retired and then fell about because I had a long list of things I want to do when I retire (volunteer guide at the Art Gallery, hydroponic veggies, write the book I keep quoting, tap dancing, etc. etc.)

24. I love living in Europe and feel quite European except that I am linguistically challenged in a major way.

25. I am a Christian (became one quite late in life) and have great struggles with the deeper theological aspects; I also struggle with some well-known Christians who hold what I consider to be very bizarre attitudes (generally, and especially for a Christian).

26. I read incessantly – and for somebody whose work title is Peace Education Co-ordinator – I read a distressing number of murder mysteries (what my friend Terje calls the death row books – on account of he keeps his on the bottom row of his bookshelf).

27. I love music – all kinds, although I find myself listening more and more to classical music.

28. I don’t suffer fools gladly (as I have been told on numerous occasions).

29. I don’t have a favourite colour but historically wear a lot of grey and black (the drab lady as my kids used to call me).

30. I adore carbohydrates in almost any form (but more so in the form of rice, pasta and bread – good bread).

31. I eat very little red meat but will then lash out on a good steak (especially in Geneva at a place called Café du Paris where steak in a bed of garlic butter is all they serve…. oh along with the green salad and pomme frites)

32. I cannot play sport (or in fact do anything very sporty) as I have very bad hand-eye co-ordination (and therefore cannot hit a tennis ball, squash ball etc.) I used to play (and train) netball (you can’t miss a ball that size coming towards you).

33. I was once (apparently) a very talented ballet dancer (scholarships etc.) – now I just have arthritis in my hip and funny feet. I was too tall (in the convential wisdom) to be on the stage and was told I could always teach – which I thought at the time was a terrible idea – ironic huh?

34. I still love dance (both modern and classical) but rarely get to see it.

35. I now have a flat in Paris and a shoebox in Geneva – and will split my time between the two. I feel very at home in both of them.

36. I cannot type correctly but I am very very fast at my (incorrect style) typing. I wrote every word of all 14 books myself including layout with my non-existent typing (which is how I got to be so fast).

37. I always think of myself as having a signature perfume – and I have, but every now and then I change – have had about 5 in the last 10 or 15 years.

38. I love fresh flowers (especially lilies) but because I travel a lot I don’t have them all that often (although I do tend to buy them immediately upon my return from being away).
My mother says that if I were down to my last dollar I would buy flowers.

39. I have almost nothing in common with my brother – not build, nor attitudes, nor life philosophy, but I love him to bits anyway.

40. I think of myself as being intellectually curious but am stunned at how much junk I read and how little “good” reading I do – a product of lots of travel and reading in my job.

41. I now have a television (still don’t much like television - but this way I can get English language news) but I love movies.

42. I love unusual soaps.

43. I have had silver-grey hair for longer than I was brunette but I still feel like a dark haired person and quite often don’t recognise myself in shop windows or videos.

44. I have had a series of careers each one lasting about seven years. I am often considered to be an expert (or sometimes the expert) in my field. This is more a function of the fields in which I work that my own capacities.

45. I miss swimming in the sea (more specifically off the eastern coast of Australia). Swimming in the sea in the tropics is a bit blah and swimming in a pool (no matter whether it is warm(ish) or freezing) is just not the same. Swimming in the sea is invigorating, swimming in a pool is just exercise.

46. Even though I am not sporty, I can get quite fanatical about the gym (but then ignore it for months on end when I am travelling).

47. I have a very distinctive laugh and I laugh a lot. People have commented on it when I haven’t seen them for over a year and whom I hardly know – but they recognise my laugh and therefore recognise me. I would have throught the hair colour was more distinctive.

48. Coupled with the laugh is a very clear, carrying (and sometimes loud) voice. Good for teaching, bad for secrets.

49. I appear very confident and am often extremely nervous (inside). This leaves me open to all sorts of quite hurtful comments from people who think I “need bringing down a peg or two”.

50. I used to work in gifted education; all my children qualify as intellectually gifted, and my brother is and I guess I am fairly bright – but I never cease to be amazed at how many really really bright people there are in the world (and how many really dumb ones) – where are all the ordinary ones?

Second 50 (maybe)

51. I have overcome a lifelong aversion to salads (because in my childhood salads were the most boring thing on earth). Now I have salads constantly - great yummy salads.

52. I have almost no friends of my own age group.

53. When I move house (which seems depressingly often) the first thing is to hang paintings and put up the books...everything else can wait.

54. My idea of serenity is good music, a good book, a glass of wine, candles and flowers.

55. I love sushi.

56. After years of biting my nails; I don't - but they are weak and 'peel away' depressingly easily.

57. I miss my grandchildren terribly.

58. I miss my kids quite a lot as well.

59. In spite of the above I don't see myself as particulalry 'maternal'.

60. In spite of where I live, I couldn't care less about chocolate.

61. I don't 'do' desserts - fruit and cheese is about my limit.

62. Most of my food is 'bowl' food. You can never have too many bowls!

63. You can never have too many books either (although as many of mine are in storage I may have to rethink this one).

64. I'm not - but sometimes I feel as if I am (of course, sometimes I feel 104).

65. I can't jump from rock to rock on the beach the way I used to.

66. I have whole sets of clothes for when I go on mission - West African outfits and shalwar kameeze(s) that take up lots of space and are only worn when I am in the appropriate location.

67. I love going to the hammam.

68. It takes me five minutes to pack and I always pack early. (see point 66).

69. In all my travelling I have only ever missed one plane (Canberra to Sydney - and it was not my fault) and I have lost luggage only twice; the first time it was retrieved by the time I had filled in the form.

70. I never eat snacks.

71. I have a weakness for cushions.

72. I can cook only five or six dishes without a recipe book (but I experiment more now).

73. Re cooking: I can no longer gauge how much food is required for more than one person.

74. I over-cater.

75. I have a weakness for shoes.

76. I now have photos (of kids and grandkids)dotted all around (something that used to drive me crazy when I was younger - it's such an 'old people' thing to do).

77. I also have a weakness for bags.

78. I love celtic jewelry - but rarely wear any.

79. I should wear glasses, but most often don't and then I have 'rabbit eyes'.

80. Said glasses are 'graduated' (almost bifocal) - which leaves me without any peripheral vision; which annoys me immensely.

81. I often wonder about the 'watersheds' in my life; and what would have happened if I had done the 'other thing'.

82. Old age has made me (relatively) sanguine.

83. I hate research.

84. I never know when my friends' birthdays are.

85. I am very bad at writing letters: correction I don't actually write letters.

86. I am also pretty bad at writing emails (well personal emails - the others have to be written).

87. I am hopeless at office politics and hope to remain that way.

88. I am ridiculously idealistic.

89. I am also a cynic (have you ever noticed how often those two things go together?)

90. I paint my toenails (in the Spring and Summer) but not my fingernails.

91. I love having facials.

92. Also massages.

93. I always have a window open (to the despair of my houseguests).

94. I have an aversion to really cold weather.

95. I love rain (courtesy of coming from a dry continent).

96. I love sunshine more (courtesy of coming from a sunny place and living for years in Africa).

97. I can change my mood (if I am really down) by the sort of music I play.

98. Re point 95, I turn off the tap while I am cleaning my teeth.

99. I love stone fruit.

100. Goodness: how vain - 100 things about myself!!