7.16.2007

7 more things.

I've been meaning to join in here, so I'll add my seven random facts to Jay's:

1. Jay and I met in a Sikh temple. We've been together almost 9 years (this August) from that day.

2. You may have guessed it already since I've alluded to it: I'm French Canadian and learnt both French and English as a wee child. I don't have an accent when I speak English though, so I can pass incognito in anglophone groups. This had led to hearing English Canadians speak about my people as "scum" and wishing that we'd "just fucking separate from Canada already". Good times.

3. I've had the fortune to share a stage with three Nobel Peace Price winners: the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Shirin Ebadi.

4. I'm a language nerd. I decided to learn Japanese at the age of eight, after meeting a Japanese girl at camp one summer. Her dad was a diplomat in town for a few months, and Akiko and I became friends despite not sharing a common language. I wanted to write to her in Japanese, so I started taking courses. Since then I've also studied Russian (1 year) and a West Coast Aboriginal language (2 years). I don't speak these languages that well (though I understand a fair amount and can write/read Japanese and Russian scripts), but I really loved studying them. I'm hoping to gain some conversational fluency in Slovene this year (right now my language level is that of a small child).

5. I also used to be a punk (part of how Jay and I met). I had a mohawk and then a shaved head for many years.

6. When I'm not in Slovenia, I work as an organic farmer in a small town an hour from Vancouver. I've been doing that for 5 years. I also teach, and am trying to make a go of my freelance writing work.

7. I'm good with money. I have to be considering #6: none of my jobs are known for being well (or even adequately) paid.

Well, that's it. Now you know me a little bit better, eh? Sorry it took me a while to get to this, P.

Both Jay and I are really busy working, going to school and getting ready to go back to Slovenia, so we won't be posting more than once a week, most likely. Check back Mondays, that's when we will have new postings up, if any.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow! :) Trade you for no.6! :))))

Anonymous said...

Ooops... I meant no. 7, of course :blush:

Lisa said...

Hehe. So you won't be joining me in the countryside then? Not like you need to go far if you want to do some farm work in Slovenia ;)

Anonymous said...

Actually, now that I think about it, number 6 sound appealing, too :)

Julia said...

um... i'd like to point out that while you are a cunning linguist (oh god, i'm 12 - i'm so tempted to delete that but i just can't bring myself to hit the key!!!!) ...there are 2 words in the english language that you fear and revile.

but i won't say them now. i'll save that for jess.

ps - are you home for christmas? i've been trying to suss it out but i've gotten myself confused about timelines. i think i've wrangled a trip home for 2 weeks (but a few will be spent on airplanes...)

anyway, hope i get to see you both *hug*