I’m not much of a gut spiller online, I’d rather prefer what privacy I have left intact. I do share some here and there in my posts, and every once in a while I hide behind my poetry and fiction stories- real and fabled colliding. Still I would neither deny nor admit I’m that character or this character. Up to you to conclude and the twist may be, that you’re amiss!
Memes and tagging seem to be the trend for personal bloggers who want to be intimate with their readers. I dread that because it entails giving away inner thoughts; yet the hardest seem to be telling the whole world specific facts and current personal information about oneself. I’d rather hide!
To me that raises a red flag. I’ve encountered personal blogs who practically share every vital statistics about them that it is so easy to track them down, they just might as well hand in their wallets! They’re practically inviting would be stalkers and online identity thieves. I hate to break the party, I’m just saying there are unscrupulous individuals who make us their easy target based on what we say alone in our blogs!
Nonetheless, I somehow knew it was only a matter of time when someone would in fact tag me! Though it gave me a headache as to what I should reveal (or not!), I’m most happy to oblige in this exercise just because the Pinay Dreamer, one of my fave blog neighbors tagged me. This person is passionate at what she does. A blogger who is as super a mom and a wifey as she is a prolific writer and an expert wakeboarder all in one cool packaging!
She wants me to reveal seven things YOU readers don’t know about me! Fair enough. I think that I could share general pieces of me without inviting trouble to myself. Or am I just being too paranoid? I’d say cautious… 
1. I belong to the 10% of the adult population who are southpaw or leftie.
I remember how difficult it was for me growing up as one. Although I wasn’t forced, I was strongly encouraged to write with my right hand. Arm chairs for lefties were non-existent at that time. Tools are always designed for right-handed people. Try cutting paper with your left hand with a right handed scissor! I get confused even now, following directions where a right handed person shows me how to do things and I have to do it with my left! I wouldn’t trade it to be right-handed though! Being a minority leftie is somewhat unique!
2. I have a terrible body clock.
My brain starts to work at midnight. I’m half-dead at daytime. On normal days, I sleep at 3am. On weekends, I could stay up til 7am and get up after five hours sleep or I could sleep in as much as 12 hours and miss an entire day then only to be awake the entire night until it’s daylight! When I’m out, I’m out like a light! Noise, light or any commotion don’t bother me. So I don’t hear the alarm. On important appointments, I’d have 4 alarm clocks running on snooze and still ask someone to call me or be there just to give me a nudge- perhaps throw a bucket of cold water on me! I don’t sleep on normal hours but put me in anything that moves: bus, car, train, plane, motorcycle, I’d be sleeping in 5 minutes anytime of the day with my mouth open and head banging all over the place!
3. I like animals but only if they’re not mine! 
I don’t like the responsiblity that goes with taking care of them. I used to have lotsa hamster as a kid and loved them but someone would always attend to it after I’m done petting them. The same is true with kids right? you adore them, only when they’re not yours! haha! Oh sure, I’d love to have kids of my own someday- I just hope I can petition my fave nanny here to the US. If not, there’s always grandma! Ok, Ok I love kids and I’m going to be hands-on with them! Kids are different, you nurture and love them and they respond with such warmth and joy and they can talk! All the pressures and heavy load gone just seeing them smile. For now, I love my nieces to death!!
Cats are as popular of a pet as dogs are in America. I’m sorry but I don’t like cats- whatever kind (maybe Puss in Shrek, that’s it!). Perhaps it is cultural because in the Philippines, they aren’t really considered house pets. I hate crawling animals, insects, amphibians and reptiles with a passion! So goes without saying, I shriek at the very thought of even seeing any kind of snake or a toad! To touch it would be even worse! Eeewwww!! (Sorry Ivy, I don’t think I could go near Sedira!)
4. My first ever real paid job brought me many firsts.
First time to be out of the country. First time to live alone at age 22 for close to six months of training for an Editorial Assistant job in Tokyo, Japan. First real heartbreak! I broke up with my boyfriend of 3 years before I left the Philippines. First paycheck. First time to really cook- ate a lot of canned food, eggs, and instant ramen noodles– I found out, it wasn’t so bad for breakfast! First time to do household chores but with such great amenities and conveniences! First time to mingle with other culture. First taste of living in a rich, high-tech, first world nation and with such loving, kind and warm people. First international friendships. First sake (japanese wine). First Winter and Spring. First time to see Tokyo Disneyland! More firsts that I can’t tell you about…! 
5. I suck in Math! I have a poor memory when it comes to names and faces too!
It has put me in embarrassing situations where up to the end of the meeting, I was still second-guessing who that person was! Not good at all! Anything to do with math and numbers, expect me to stare at you blankly. I’m bad with dates, where my keys are or what I did or ate 2 days ago! Phone numbers? I don’t even know mine! My notebook is my lifeline- I put every important factoids and numbers in it!
6. I hate public speaking and I have the so-called stage fright.
I think I’m a better writer than a speaker anyway. I prefer behind-the-scene work away from the limelight. So I’m a frustrated, aspiring, budding, wishful, striving writer. No one in my family writes so I could very well believe in the cliche, writers are not born, they’re made. I don’t have any writing background. I basically taught myself to write by constant reading and loving the English language.
I came from a small town in the islands of Mindanao, Philippines where I finished grade school. I moved to the big city of Manila for high school and I wanted so much to join the school paper but I didn’t have the confidence to apply! I was so intimidated by my new school! I sent anonymous poetry and articles and they published it!
I finally joined the school paper in college and was unwittingly good at it. I became a contributor, a section editor then eventually became editor-in-chief for the paper for 2 school years on top of becoming editor-in-chief of the school’s official yearbook. I also once worked closely for our Hometown Mayor, handling press releases, speeches (ghost writing), and the like. Not so bad for a self-taught writer, eh?!
7. I have a 4-inch scar on my bikini line from a near-death ruptured appendix!
It happened Christmas Eve some years back. I was in so much pain yet I thought I just over ate from all the Nochebuena (good night) eating! Went to the hospital that night and was (mis)diagnosed as that, having a bad case of indigestion by some kid intern. I woke up with worse pain and feeling very weak, had blood in my urine and thought I was gonna die! I was brought to the hospital again and immediately the more experienced doctor knew what it was and called for a stat operation! Dang, had it been here in the US- it would have been a major lawsuit! We could have sued the hospital but we didn’t! Oh yes, I still wear a two-piece bikini every Summer!
Note: If you have localized pain on the lower right side of the abdomen that does not go away, have it checked at once! Appendicitis is such a quick and easy surgical procedure when diagnosed early and if caught in time will only render a small scar of less than an inch not 4 inches!
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There goes the seven things. Now you know! I would like to pass this on to:
Vienne, the 1. Eavesdropwriter, whose blog is another favorite! Her writings are always oh so compelling, inspiring and thought provoking! Michelle, the genius behind 2. Comics-Mix and Prolonged Absence. I’d love to see the 7 things about you in drawing with your usual witty quips and anecdotes! (if that’s not asking too much, lol). Louisa, the blogger behind 3. My Emotional Recycle Bin, whose quips and take on things and life is an interesting read. 4. Techie Girl whose Techology info site and Easy Life Guide brings current and relevant articles and reviews for tech and gadget savvy! Ding’s strong web presence in: 5. Inkblots and Viewpoint are always a marvel to see and read. 6. Malawika, who posts about blogging, making money online, SEO and more but hopefully will share some personal things we don’t know about!! 7. Zen Bitch Speaks whose posts and poetry are always delightful and sublime!
Well, you guys have just been tagged! It’s now your turn to pass on the headache as well… Do tell!
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