I applied for the Critical Language Scholarship for this summer to study in Turkey, and recently heard that I didn't get it. Not particularly surprising, given how competitive it is, but still. It's never fun to hear you're not good enough for something! So I'm going to make myself feel better by doing the 50 Random Things tag (and making it part of 30 Days, because why not), as seen on Eye Heart It [and Rocaille Writes, though I wrote this before I read hers!]. I'll try not to repeat too many of Larie's, though I may have been primed...LET'S DO THIS.
1. I'm lactose intolerant.
2. But I loooooove dairy. I use lactose-free alternatives when possible, and yogurt with live cultures is okay, but there is no good replacement for cheese. So I buy lactase in bulk from Costco and live with the occasional upset belly.
2. I have a history of nigh-unsolvable illnesses. Migraines in middle/high school due to TMJ, CFS from high school on, and now a very uncooperative digestive tract (IBS, which means "hell if we know why you're in pain!"). Not to mention anxiety and depression of varying degrees...needless to say, I am very pro-medication.
3. I love babies. Like, way more than is normal.
4. I hate birds. Goddamn crows.
5. I teach English to international students. And I love teaching slang!
6. Sushi is fantastic.
7. So is tea.
8. Caffeine upsets my stomach, but I sometimes drink decaf coffee, as it still has some energizing power. Black tea in smaller doses tends to be okay, though.
9. I hate buying clothes. I do most of my shopping online, but even that is somewhat unpleasant. And returning the clothes that don't fit is a pain in the ass.
10. I like music that's upbeat and/or involves harmonicas, banjos, or clapping. Slow, sad music makes me sad, and I don't usually want any help in that department.
11. I love dark chocolate, especially when it has stuff in it (coffee beans, cinnamon, dried blueberries, caramel...).
12. I love my mother. We both like our quiet time, good food, and good deals. And sleep!
13. My natural schedule is nocturnal––left on my own, I would probably go to bed around 2 and sleep until 2 all the time. Like I said, I like (and thanks to the CFS, need) my sleep.
14. I sleep with a stuffed bunny whose name is Bunny. I got her when I was 7, in a raffle at school. She was already lightly used, but I knew we would be friends. When I was 7 or 8, we went to Virginia around Halloween because my dad was working on a project there, and my room had a baseboard heater next to the bed. Bunny fell off and it singed her belly; I threw her away when I first discovered it, but then felt so bad that I still apologize for it. Poor Bunny.
15. I crochet. I made a bunch of animaguri creatures for people for Christmas, and am still working on a few for friends (who hopefully aren't reading this...).
16. I used to cross-stitch, and made 3 big pictures. I haven't done it in years, but I have a partially completed gigantic one of Crater Lake, based on a painting my great-great-grandmother made. Someday, I will get back into it, but blogging takes up some of the time I would spend on that.
17. I like to bake, but don't do it very often.
18. I live with my mother and my maternal grandparents. Most of the time, it's great, but sometimes I do wish I had my own place. I like having some disposable income, though, and getting my own place would pretty much preclude that.
19. The boy and I met at a party hosted by his roommate, who I went to high school with, for one of my best friends. He then found me on OKC, and the rest, as they say, is history. Even though it helped me meet him, I don't think I would do online dating again-–it's really stressful!
20. My favorite color is seafoam green, the color of the waves along the Oregon coast on a sunny day.
21. My left eye is blue and my right eye is green. I never know what to choose when I'm asked for my eye color.
22. I'm a little obsessive. I get really wrapped up in something for awhile, then just...get over it. Minecraft was that way, then Diablo 2. Beauty has been going through a bit of a slump lately, too, but I've learned to just kind of ride it out.
23. I do research on phonaesthemes, words that cluster together in form and meaning but share no etymological history. The example I always give is gl-, which in English is associated with meanings of light or vision: gleam, glitter, glisten, glow, etc. I want to expand out to other languages, like Turkish, but my programming skills (not to mention language skills...) are not quite up to it yet.
24. Learning to code scares me. Which is stupid, because it's just another language, but regardless. Part of this might be due to my using R, which is very powerful, but it's really designed for people who already know about programming, so the help documentation is not the best. My personal goal is to work through a book on R for linguists and then teach myself some Python.
25. I'm a Mac. But I hated Mountain Lion with a fiery passion, and there's a lot of things about Apple that really annoy me. Maybe someday I'll know enough to switch to Linux.
26. And I have an Android phone, because it was free.
27. I sleep really warm, but I love the weight of a down comforter and quilt. So I sleep with my window open and fan on year-round. Hence why I hate the crows...
28. I used to do ballet. I was good, but I wasn't thin or flexible enough to be great. Once I reached the highest level, I quit, since it stopped being fun and turned into career training. I had body image issues for years and years thanks in part to that, but I do miss it sometimes. I dance around my house, now.
29. I used to sprint, too. I was fast, but I hated long-distance and training.
30. Sometimes I want to get back into it, but my CFS flares up when I exercise any more than just walking. It's frustrating.
31. I started getting greys in high school, and started dyeing my hair junior year of college. My hair is naturally medium brown, but my eyebrows are much darker, so I tend to dye it dark. Unfortunately, everything turns reddish on me, even dyes marketed as "ash". My mom is a redhead, as are my aunts, but my natural hair doesn't have any red in it.
32. I sunburn like a ginger, though.
33. I have a younger brother, Kevin. He's 21 and lives in Corvallis with his girlfriend and their menagerie (two sugar gliders, a few guinea pigs, and a formerly stray cat that adopted them).
34. I get really, really stressed when I'm in big, loud crowds. Or am surrounded by too much noise, period. I have to detox in a quiet space, even just after a loud dinner.
35. I cry absurdly easily. Sad movies, sad songs, whenever anyone dies on anything. And I cry like Paul Genzlinger, Jess's one-time boyfriend on New Girl, aka the Ugly Crier.
36. I hate talking on the phone. So, so much. Emails are okay, Skype is okayish, but I prefer talking in person. This is unfortunate, given that many of my friends live across the country.
37. I'm competent in German and I can understand Spanish so long as it's not spoken too quickly, but anytime I try to speak Spanish, I use German word order, which is definitely not correct.
38. I'm learning Turkish now, though, and it is verb-final, so I just have to pretend all the sentences are embedded clauses, and my German preference comes in handy!
39. I like dresses, because they don't require any planning––just put it on and done.
40. I discovered fleece tights this year, and HOLY SHIT how did I live without them?! They, and my rainbow selection of normal tights, have been my constant companions this winter.
41. And boots! I'm still looking for a pair of mid-calf or knee-high tan or taupe boots, but I don't want to spend more than $100, so...it could take awhile.
42. I always set my alarm for at least 20 minutes before I actually need to get up, because I am pretty much incapable of getting up the first time it goes off. Gradual consciousness gaining is my jam!
43. My grandmother makes jam (and jelly, and all variety of canned goods, and pies, and candy). My favorite is raspberry.
44. I don't like hoppy beers. Give me a dark stout or porter any day! PNW, born and raised.
45. I "invented" my own "language" when I was 9––really, it was a simple alphabet reordering, though I did get rid of some letters (x and q) and made sure to match vowels with vowels and consonants with consonants. I was fluent, at one point, and I can still compute the words but no longer have most of them stored as retrievable wholes. Some phrases have stuck, though––A wycho uye (I love you), Hy'yj kahdv (good night), Ar tisshu (I'm sorry), A jykv ekjoshtvikj (I don't understand). And Iru (Amy), naturally!
46. The Oregon coast ocean is my happy place. If you've never been, put it on your bucket list––it's really, really gorgeous.
47. I type in Dvorak. I'm not sure if it's any faster, but it's a lot more comfortable than Qwerty. Plus, it's funny to watch people try to use my computer.
48. I wear rings and earrings every day. I play with my rings (one on each hand) throughout the day, and feel very naked without them. Earrings I wear just because I like how they look with my super short hair.
49. I have very small wrists, and can never find watches or bracelets that fit. I had to punch two additional holes in the band of my current watch, and it's still a bit big. I should probably just shop in the kids' section...
50. This post took me 3 separate days to finish. It's hard to think of 50 things at once!
Now I tag all of you :) I love reading this kind of posts!
1. I'm lactose intolerant.
2. But I loooooove dairy. I use lactose-free alternatives when possible, and yogurt with live cultures is okay, but there is no good replacement for cheese. So I buy lactase in bulk from Costco and live with the occasional upset belly.
2. I have a history of nigh-unsolvable illnesses. Migraines in middle/high school due to TMJ, CFS from high school on, and now a very uncooperative digestive tract (IBS, which means "hell if we know why you're in pain!"). Not to mention anxiety and depression of varying degrees...needless to say, I am very pro-medication.
3. I love babies. Like, way more than is normal.
4. I hate birds. Goddamn crows.
5. I teach English to international students. And I love teaching slang!
6. Sushi is fantastic.
7. So is tea.
8. Caffeine upsets my stomach, but I sometimes drink decaf coffee, as it still has some energizing power. Black tea in smaller doses tends to be okay, though.
9. I hate buying clothes. I do most of my shopping online, but even that is somewhat unpleasant. And returning the clothes that don't fit is a pain in the ass.
10. I like music that's upbeat and/or involves harmonicas, banjos, or clapping. Slow, sad music makes me sad, and I don't usually want any help in that department.
11. I love dark chocolate, especially when it has stuff in it (coffee beans, cinnamon, dried blueberries, caramel...).
12. I love my mother. We both like our quiet time, good food, and good deals. And sleep!
13. My natural schedule is nocturnal––left on my own, I would probably go to bed around 2 and sleep until 2 all the time. Like I said, I like (and thanks to the CFS, need) my sleep.
14. I sleep with a stuffed bunny whose name is Bunny. I got her when I was 7, in a raffle at school. She was already lightly used, but I knew we would be friends. When I was 7 or 8, we went to Virginia around Halloween because my dad was working on a project there, and my room had a baseboard heater next to the bed. Bunny fell off and it singed her belly; I threw her away when I first discovered it, but then felt so bad that I still apologize for it. Poor Bunny.
 |
| Bunny! |
16. I used to cross-stitch, and made 3 big pictures. I haven't done it in years, but I have a partially completed gigantic one of Crater Lake, based on a painting my great-great-grandmother made. Someday, I will get back into it, but blogging takes up some of the time I would spend on that.
17. I like to bake, but don't do it very often.
18. I live with my mother and my maternal grandparents. Most of the time, it's great, but sometimes I do wish I had my own place. I like having some disposable income, though, and getting my own place would pretty much preclude that.
19. The boy and I met at a party hosted by his roommate, who I went to high school with, for one of my best friends. He then found me on OKC, and the rest, as they say, is history. Even though it helped me meet him, I don't think I would do online dating again-–it's really stressful!
20. My favorite color is seafoam green, the color of the waves along the Oregon coast on a sunny day.
21. My left eye is blue and my right eye is green. I never know what to choose when I'm asked for my eye color.
22. I'm a little obsessive. I get really wrapped up in something for awhile, then just...get over it. Minecraft was that way, then Diablo 2. Beauty has been going through a bit of a slump lately, too, but I've learned to just kind of ride it out.
23. I do research on phonaesthemes, words that cluster together in form and meaning but share no etymological history. The example I always give is gl-, which in English is associated with meanings of light or vision: gleam, glitter, glisten, glow, etc. I want to expand out to other languages, like Turkish, but my programming skills (not to mention language skills...) are not quite up to it yet.
24. Learning to code scares me. Which is stupid, because it's just another language, but regardless. Part of this might be due to my using R, which is very powerful, but it's really designed for people who already know about programming, so the help documentation is not the best. My personal goal is to work through a book on R for linguists and then teach myself some Python.
25. I'm a Mac. But I hated Mountain Lion with a fiery passion, and there's a lot of things about Apple that really annoy me. Maybe someday I'll know enough to switch to Linux.
26. And I have an Android phone, because it was free.
27. I sleep really warm, but I love the weight of a down comforter and quilt. So I sleep with my window open and fan on year-round. Hence why I hate the crows...
28. I used to do ballet. I was good, but I wasn't thin or flexible enough to be great. Once I reached the highest level, I quit, since it stopped being fun and turned into career training. I had body image issues for years and years thanks in part to that, but I do miss it sometimes. I dance around my house, now.
29. I used to sprint, too. I was fast, but I hated long-distance and training.
30. Sometimes I want to get back into it, but my CFS flares up when I exercise any more than just walking. It's frustrating.
31. I started getting greys in high school, and started dyeing my hair junior year of college. My hair is naturally medium brown, but my eyebrows are much darker, so I tend to dye it dark. Unfortunately, everything turns reddish on me, even dyes marketed as "ash". My mom is a redhead, as are my aunts, but my natural hair doesn't have any red in it.
32. I sunburn like a ginger, though.
33. I have a younger brother, Kevin. He's 21 and lives in Corvallis with his girlfriend and their menagerie (two sugar gliders, a few guinea pigs, and a formerly stray cat that adopted them).
34. I get really, really stressed when I'm in big, loud crowds. Or am surrounded by too much noise, period. I have to detox in a quiet space, even just after a loud dinner.
35. I cry absurdly easily. Sad movies, sad songs, whenever anyone dies on anything. And I cry like Paul Genzlinger, Jess's one-time boyfriend on New Girl, aka the Ugly Crier.
 |
| And with my new hair, I pretty much look exactly like him. |
37. I'm competent in German and I can understand Spanish so long as it's not spoken too quickly, but anytime I try to speak Spanish, I use German word order, which is definitely not correct.
38. I'm learning Turkish now, though, and it is verb-final, so I just have to pretend all the sentences are embedded clauses, and my German preference comes in handy!
39. I like dresses, because they don't require any planning––just put it on and done.
40. I discovered fleece tights this year, and HOLY SHIT how did I live without them?! They, and my rainbow selection of normal tights, have been my constant companions this winter.
41. And boots! I'm still looking for a pair of mid-calf or knee-high tan or taupe boots, but I don't want to spend more than $100, so...it could take awhile.
42. I always set my alarm for at least 20 minutes before I actually need to get up, because I am pretty much incapable of getting up the first time it goes off. Gradual consciousness gaining is my jam!
43. My grandmother makes jam (and jelly, and all variety of canned goods, and pies, and candy). My favorite is raspberry.
44. I don't like hoppy beers. Give me a dark stout or porter any day! PNW, born and raised.
45. I "invented" my own "language" when I was 9––really, it was a simple alphabet reordering, though I did get rid of some letters (x and q) and made sure to match vowels with vowels and consonants with consonants. I was fluent, at one point, and I can still compute the words but no longer have most of them stored as retrievable wholes. Some phrases have stuck, though––A wycho uye (I love you), Hy'yj kahdv (good night), Ar tisshu (I'm sorry), A jykv ekjoshtvikj (I don't understand). And Iru (Amy), naturally!
46. The Oregon coast ocean is my happy place. If you've never been, put it on your bucket list––it's really, really gorgeous.
47. I type in Dvorak. I'm not sure if it's any faster, but it's a lot more comfortable than Qwerty. Plus, it's funny to watch people try to use my computer.
48. I wear rings and earrings every day. I play with my rings (one on each hand) throughout the day, and feel very naked without them. Earrings I wear just because I like how they look with my super short hair.
 |
| My regularly worn rings, in order of acquisition: Diamond band from my grandfather upon graduating high school; star sapphire solitaire from my mother upon turning 21 (she'd gotten it from my grandfather [the same one] when she'd turned 21); family heirloom ruby and diamond ring that I got from my grandparents upon graduating college (it was my great-grandmother's originally, I think?); blue topaz solitaire that I purchased for myself after surviving last year and passing my 2 year review in grad school; and last but not least, the tanzanite ring the boy bought me for Christmas! |
50. This post took me 3 separate days to finish. It's hard to think of 50 things at once!
Now I tag all of you :) I love reading this kind of posts!
