Thursday, November 16, 2006

Five things


I've been tagged by the Motel Manager to tell you five things you don't know about me, and now I'm wishing I hadn't revealed in an earlier post my favorite little surprise to spring on people – the fact that I did some professional acting/modeling, including a couple of national commercials, as a kid. Not that my career was particularly illustrious, but it makes a good party anecdote. Anyway, here are 5 other things you probably don't know about me.

1. I have an excellent ear for foreign languages and can parrot phrases from almost any language virtually accent-free. (I admittedly haven't tried it much with Asian languages). This gets me into trouble sometimes, because I'll be traveling or talking to a foreigner and say something like "hello, how are you," or "how much does this cost?" or "where is the bathroom," quite skillfully, and the person I'm addressing, assuming I am fluent or close to it, will launch into a fast, complicated reply. I then have no choice but to look at them blankly, say, "excuse me?" (perfectly), and feel like I've disappointed them in a profound way.

2. Dirty Dancing is one of my favorite movies. Not in an ironic way, and not in a purely nostalgic way either. Although I am well aware of its cheesiness, and the fact that it is pure soft-porn fantasy fodder for women, I actually really like it. And if Johnny Castle pointed at me to come dirty dance with him after I'd carried a watermelon up to the staff party, I'd be there in two seconds flat. You got a problem with that?

3. I have eaten the flesh of the following animals (in addition to the basics – chicken, cow, fish, etc.): African porcupine, monkey, jungle cat, alpaca, antelope, wild boar, buffalo, alligator, and grub.

4. I hate olives, and wish that I didn't. I like the idea of olives. They seem to go right along with things like cheese and bread and wine and even olive oil, all of which I love on both an aesthetic level and for their taste, texture, etc. But not so with olives. I really can't stand them. And it makes me sad.

5. I am related quite closely to Dick Thornburgh, former governor of Pennsylvania and U.S. Attorney General under George Bush the 1st. (He is my late grandfather's first cousin). I am related more distantly to Benjamin Franklin (I am a descendant of his niece, Polly). I am also a direct descendant of Sir Thomas More (whose daughter, scandalously, married the protestant William Roper).

And you, my dear readers? What 5 things don't I know about you? Feel free to post a reply in your comments. And if you've got a blog, consider yourself tagged.

A belly shot soon – I promise!

6 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm not sure I can think of 5 things, but here are a few.

(1) When I was 8 years old, I was knocked down and run over by a popcorn float at a parade. Luckily I was between the wheels, so I wasn't crushed, but I was underneath the popcorn.

(2) My great-great-great grandfather heard the Gettysburg Address in person.

(3) I have a secret desire to dump my Jewish professional gig and go into the business world, hopefully for a job that pays more, has normal hours, and that won't follow me home and keep me up at night.

(4) I am really scared of fire. As a kid, I used to make lists of things to gather if our house caught fire.

Well, I made it to four. I can't think of much else that you don't already know about me!

9:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oops - #1 was supposed to say "underneath the truck" not "underneath the popcorn" which seems far less dangerous and dramatic.

9:14 PM  
Blogger Jane said...

Oh, I really liked underneath the popcorn!!

9:59 PM  
Blogger Churlita said...

Yes, belly shot please.

I don't have time to do the five things yet, but maybe I'll post it in the next day or two.

As far as Dirty Dancing goes, my sister once let my daughter watch it when she was very young and I had to ask her not to do that again because after she saw the movie, she started making out with her dolls.

11:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

whoops -
At first glance I thought it was you and A. striking a dramatic pose for the kids and posterity. (I think you should pose like that!!!)

I like "under the popcorn" too (it almost made sense).

1. Captain of the HS track team
2. Learned to drive when I was 14
3. Received a standing ovation just for walking onstage (as the witch in Hansel & Gretel in 1st grade)
4. Have worked on native american and colonial archeological sites
5. Almost drowned when I was boogie boarding

No famous relations that I know of, nor have been named after a ship. JJ

2:22 PM  
Blogger Jane said...

A. does have a certain Swayziness about him, re. his facial features....but alas, he dances like Bill Cosby.

4:53 PM  

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