At five years old, I was lovingly named gurami by my dear parents during meal time. As what one might have already predicted, my parents got the name from a certain family of fish (the gourami or family Osphronemidae) because they claimed I eat like one of them.
(Whether or not the gouramies do really eat in very, very small portions with their mouths closed you couldn't actually see the fish chewing remains to be verified by yours truly. But aren't all fish like that?)
Years passed and I've outgrown the eating habit but the name still stays. I guess it's just one of the unique things that compose me, something I can call my own.
I have other things I would like to call as my own peculiarities, too. For example, I have a most interesting birthing circumstance:
- I am a living, breathing evidence that babies can be born painlessly and so suddenly they might fall down the toilet if the mothers are not aware. Yes, folks, Kimi Dora was inspired by ME. (And NO, I am NOT making this up.)
- Because of what was mentioned above, my father was forced to act as temporary mid-husband while the real midwife is on her way to save me.
- And because my father has NO idea how to deliver a baby, he pushed my head back to my mother's womb the moment it appeared because my mother kept on insisting he had been forcingly pulling it out first. There goes the reason for my slight insanity.
- May I please emphasize that I am the only child my mother has popped out effortlessly (and painlessly)? And that I am the only child my parents both delivered? Sorry, siblings, I got this in the bag.
And then, here are these other things you don't really care to know (but I'm telling you anyway):
- I LOVE the scent of freshly mown grass. Especially in the mornings.
- I am not an ideal recipient of real jewelry. I am allergic to them, especially those made of gold.
- I am not so fond of buying real earrings either. For every five pairs I buy, only three of those will remain complete. I just seem to have a special ability of losing one of the pairs.
- I was called a Google nerd by a friend of mine. Why, I do not know (God knows I grapple with technology sometimes), but she might have seen something I haven't seen myself.
- I have a best friend who calls me a parasite. Teehee.
- I am NOT allergic to cats, dogs, rabbits or anything with fur and dust. (My doctor says otherwise.) In fact, I presently own three dogs and seven cats. Hmmm, and some lizards.
- As soon as I finished watching 'Interview with a Vampire,' I want to change my name to Millicent Faith Vandhermere. (I was fourteen years old.)
- I can not live without my nose. I fall apart when I have sinuses because I do not know how to breathe through the mouth.
- I can not live without a handkerchief.
- I do NOT, even in the slightest, have OCD. So what if I remove all my clothes in the closet so I can arrange them again? So what if I used to color-code my books? So what if I arrange kitchen utensils in one clean pile and wipe out wet spots on the table after eating out? Isn't cleanliness next to godliness?
- I am also NOT moody. I just don't talk to people I do not want to interact with. I hate pretending and I am not so good with lying through my teeth (and hiding my mood swi---emotions, I mean emotions---to people).
- Do not get surprised if I suddenly stop and get all quiet. I am just thinking. Overthinking.
- I don't drink. But in my defense, I can just be as crazy as any drunk out there without the influence of alcohol, if you challenge me.
But I can be just cool, ya know? (As if.) As proof:
- I once did a trek inside the Buhisan forest with only my socks on because my shoes were destroyed. At night. Without any lights (except for that torchlight provided by a phone).
- Another time, I almost made a very small pontoon (think three passengers max) topple because I was at the very tip, trying to shoot my employee with a mid-range lens.
- Another time, I almost fell from a cliff (Toledo's Atlas Mining Corp site, anyone), another cliff (tip of Toong, Cebu) and another root-infested cliff (a very hidden waterfall in between the rocky rivers of Pamutan and Campo Cuatro). Like the cat, I have nine lives. Teehee.
- I already know what a FOSSIL is at age five. How cool is that? (Teehee.)
- I LOVE to travel, and I intentionally get myself lost so I could ask people for directions and find my way back again.
- In my family, I may be called a nerd, but I am the GOD of playing RPG. My heroes are all badass and they have the best HP, AP, magic and weapons a gamer could ever dream of. And I don't ever cheat. I am also the best in figuring out what the heck the walkthrough was talking about (right, older brother?).
- Don't be confused about my music choices (most of them are so not girly-girl). I have two older brothers, okay?
Normally, though:
- I am a writer/communicator by profession and a photographer and FRUSTRATED artist by passion. Writing is the least of my interests, and yet it kept sticking to me.
- I love the outdoors. So much that I go crazy if I get cooped up in an office all the time.
- I read books. And I love doing it!
- I am a film, photo and anime fan.
- Sports hate me. But I run really fast. And I play badminton. And soccer baseball. And the slipper game. Anything BUT volleyball AND table tennis--because I swear their balls are out to KILL me or fatally bash me in the head all the time.
- I get emotional over the simplest things.
- I wanted to be a nun. Please take note of the verb tense.
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