25 Random Things About Me

I know it's been quite some time since I last put up a post. Real life just happen to get in the way. :) Anyhow, there has been a thing going on at Facebook called 25 random things about me. I had such a fun time contemplating on the things and thoughts I'd like to share to people, and had more fun reading about the list they sent back. This meme was certainly a good way to dust off the cobwebs that have started to gather in my mind.

Here it is, lifted off from my Facebook account:

I got tagged by Jane. I don’t usually go around telling people random stuff about my life, but since I am generally a people pleaser and have unresolved issues with saying no, I will go along with this. :)

Here are the rules of this meme: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, beliefs, goals, or habits about you. At the end, choose at least 25 people to be tagged. Tag the person who tagged you. If I tag you, it's because I want you to know more about me.

To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app), then click publish.

Here are the 25 random things about me that I want to share with you:

1. I want to have more time to spend with the kids. Not just to take care of them, but to actually enjoy them… run, bake, bike, swim, draw, paint, watch movies, tell silly stories, travel…

2. I keep this verse at the top of my mind to always help me remember what is most essential in God’s eyes: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” (1 Peter 3:3-4)

3. I spent two weeks in Japan on a summer exchange program when I was 14 years old. It was early spring when I went there, and the winter wind hasn’t completely left yet, making the weather still chilly. I packed my own suitcase, which did not include a heavy moisturizer, but was full of clothes – with complete accessories. This resulted in skin so dry they erupted in parched, red, scaly patches. I have brought along a moisturizer on all my trips since then.

4. My fashion philosophy is: No pain for the vain.

5. I want to have a more regular Bible and prayer time.

6. My middle name is Tang. Growing up in Davao, my classmates used to make fun of it and called me Tang orange juice.

7. "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)

8. I finished college at 19 and was also called “forgetful jones” by college buddies – for notoriously leaving my wallet and school ID at the pebble wash and study hall numerous times.

9. On my way to an interview, I found out that I wore a mixed up pair of heels. One black, the other blue. I had to make a stop and beg my banker friend to let me borrow hers. So while waiting for my driver to bring her a “proper” pair, she had no choice but to glue herself to her chair.

10. I have an old person’s taste for food: I love celery, broccoli, and yes, even ampalaya.

11. I cannot swim.

12. I stopped counting how old I am the year I turned 28. So technically speaking, I am still 28.

13. I avoided eating red meat during my early twenties, but having met Chris and being with him for the last decade or so, I have turned into a complete carnivore. I cannot say no to a slab of black angus or wagyu rib-eye. Make that medium well, please!

14. The song that’s most frequently on my mind right now are: Viva LaVida by Coldplay and Blessed Be the Name of the Lord by the Newsboys.

15. I have a habit of reading multiple books at a time. I take a break from one and read the other. It’s a peculiar way to read, I know, and Chris finds it amusing, yet all the while illogical. I recently found out that my cousin does the exact same thing. Runs in the family?

16. I love watching Amazing Race. I got hooked when I started watching after giving birth to Brie. My fave amazing race couple is Christie and Colin from season 3.

17. My mom forced piano lessons on us all for years, but I now conveniently forgot how to read notes.

18. As part of my wedding prep, I have practiced smiling in front of the mirror a thousand times to get my best angle. Vainglorious, much? :)

19. I am trying to get my 5k run on.

20. I learned to drive when I was 16. For the most part of college, I drove myself to school with a yaya. She was often with me that I found out later on she went out on dates with the school’s parking attendant on her day-off.

21. Whenever I go out with Chris, I still treat it as a date and as such I always make sure to put on my “pretty face”. He understands most of the time, but there are times when we are running late for dinner and I would hear him softly mutter under his breath, “magutom na lang, basta makapag make-up lang.”

22. . I cannot stand horror movies. I remember watching “The Excorcist” with my high school friends – all the while covering my eyes with both hands throughout the movie. “Practical Magic” with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman is considered a horror movie in my book.

23. In connection with #22, I remember watching the “The Bone Collector” when I was into the last two months of my pregnancy. I woke up the next day with a very hard belly, false contractions – that’s what my OB-GYN called it. She ordered me to stop watching those kinds of movies till after I gave birth.

24. When I was in 3rd year high, and newly moved in to my school, I joined the second graders every afternoon for Chinese class. I learned to speak Fukien only when I got married.

25. My maternal grandfather is a Cantonese restaurateur and my maternal grandmother hails from Pampanga. In this cruel twist of fate, their culinary genes skipped my generation.

So that’s me. I hope you enjoyed that little trip into my personality! Now, it's your turn to make your own list!