Monday 8 October 2007

All about me

I guess this blog thing needs some information about yours truly, so here are some things about me in this-amp-goes-all-the-way-to-eleven varied categories. 

Be warned, it will be long as brevity is not one of my strong points.

1. Personal details

I am very clear from the start that certain things, such as where exactly I live and work, are not going to make it onto this blog. You've got my first name, hometown and hair colour already, for heaven's sake. What else do you want, blood type?  It's all on Facebook anyway for those of you who are actually friends of mine (and I can't for one second imagine that many other people will ever read this).

For interest's sake, I am named after the character in the Wordsworth poems, then after my great-grandmother for my middle name. I am some kind of recessive genetic throwback as no-one else in my family is ginger.

2. Getting crafty

As I've already mentioned, I do like knitting. I learned as a child, with both grandmas hand-knitting and my mother machine-knitting. I then completely forgot about it until about two years ago when I went to a beading workshop with my lovely mother and was encouraged to try knitting with wire and beads. It took all day and left me with extremely painful fingers, but I made a fab bangle and went out to find some real yarn soon after. I am GingerLucy on the very wonderful Ravelry if you want to see my projects. I buy too much expensive yarn, and never in sufficient quantities to do proper garments. But hey, I love making scarves and hats so who cares?

I also love making jewellery and various other crafts, although have not as yet been bitten by the sewing bug. I dread being so bitten as I do not have enough storage space for any more craft items. I'll just drool over everything on etsy in the meantime.

3. Yes I do have other hobbies other than knitting

It's just that there are an inordinate number of internet resources devoted to playing with string. I love to bake cakes though don't cook savoury food as much as I should. I am a complete science geek (although I dislike most sci-fi) and love going to lectures on almost anything. I read everything, to the extent I find it hard to have a conversation if there's printed matter in my sight line. I wish I went to yoga class more often, particularly bikram. I'm good at shopping and love dressing up for any occasion.  I enjoy visiting art galleries.

I am utterly in love with London (and my boyfriend of course) and the huge variety of things to do here. I have a mild horror of ever having to move elsewhere.

4. Food of the gods

My favourite type of food is undoubtedly sushi, of which I can't get enough, but my favourite restaurant is the Afghan Kitchen in Islington. Tiny, surly, cheap and delicious!

I love milk chocolate (except American chocolate - sorry but Hershey's is vile) although wouldn't turn down white or dark. But I can happily give most puddings a miss. Just give me a bar of Dairy Milk, please.

5. She's a rainbow

I could never be a goth as I love colour too much. I find most colours beautiful and uplifting with a few exceptions: most yellows (except clear lemon and sunshine yellows), khaki, mustard and any browny-orange, sage, olive and acid greens and orange-reds including terracotta. They all seem to be on the yellow spectrum. No idea why I don't like those. I hate the damn Coldplay song too. 

I love pink but object to the fact that in certain shops (ski- and surf- wear in particular) virtually all of the female clothing is bloody pink. So stereotyped!

6. Mixed media

I am an advertiser's worst nightmare. I don't have a TV (no, really). I normally only listen to Radio 4 (which is non-commercial in case you don't know). I hardly ever read magazines. Sometimes I'll read a paper (The Times for preference and mainly for the crossword) but generally on my commute I'm reading a book, and I skim over the ads automatically. I don't look up at the tube ads. I'm good at ignoring or blocking internet pop-ups. I loathe branding. I'm sure some exec would be having apoplexy at the thought of a reasonably affluent, mid-twenties, DINKY Londoner just not seeing any of his hard work. I would probably be their ideal demographic if only they could get hold of me.

This means that when I go to the cinema I actually quite enjoy seeing the new adverts, as they are a bit of an event. But they don't make me want anything.  Far from it.

7. Driving Miss Lucy

Because I can't drive myself. I had a couple of lessons, hated it, then moved to the city where I don't need to drive and would have nowhere to keep a car anyway. Nothing wrong with the tube or walking.

My provisional driving licence (obtained for ID purposes when I turned 18) does cause mild hilarity from time to time from people who can't comprehend not being able to drive at my age.

8. Play on

If only I had more natural talent with musical instruments... I would have loved to have been a rock star. Or even a journalist for the NME. My sole reason for coming to university in London was to hang out with bands, which never happened (but lots of other good stuff did). I have stubby fingers like Lisa Simpson which thwarted my attempts to play bass competently enough to become one of the Smashing Pumpkins' list of female bassists.

They aren't my favourite band by a long shot by the way, although I do like them. That honour goes to R.E.M., who I have devotedly played the screaming fan to for many years, especially Mike Mills. Other than that, I couldn't possibly list all the bands I like. Particular genres of interest include indie rock/pop/folk, alt.country, the big 70's California sound, melancholy Canadian poets with a guitar... I'm sure I'll mention enough along the way if this blog keeps going.

9. The unspeakable topic

Of course one should never discuss religion, politics or money in polite society. I will happily discuss the second and third, but the first really does get me unpleasantly riled so is best avoided. I am absolutely an atheist, and would agree with Richard Dawkins on most things - the phrase "The God Delusion" is just perfect in my opinion - but I do believe in at least being tolerant of the beliefs of others provided they are tolerant of mine (and don't seek to ban teaching of evolution in schools). However I do appreciate the art and architecture that religion has inspired through the ages. And CofE hymns do tend to have a good tune for a singalong.

For the record, in the 2000 UK Census I put my religion down as "Church of Satan", being still a stroppy teenager who had been reading too much Anton Szandor LaVey at the time. I'm now flirting with Discordianism as my alternative "religion" of choice. Hail Eris!

10. Board stupid

I enjoy board games but apparently I was too bad a loser as a child to be allowed to play many of them with my family. I doubt I've changed much (though I don't cheat these days). I have a poor poker face. I get far too competitive at pub quizzes, although I do love trivia (you may have noticed I worship Wikipedia). I am utterly crap at most sports and so do not play them because I would only lose.

There's nothing like being self-aware, is there?

11. Gender confusion

According to both "Men Are From Mars..." and this scientific-ish test here, I have a male brain. This is because I can read maps competently and can also rotate 3D objects in my head. I thought everybody could do this.

I assure you all I am actually female, although please do not expect me to coo over babies or kittens.


I promise I won't post anything this long again!

2 comments:

Flibbertygibbet said...

Ah ha ha ha, I found you! Is this a secret for the moment? Please do keep posting, it's highly entertaining xx

Ginger Lucy said...

Ha ha, I am so busted!