Tags
Anthropology, Audition, Childrens' theatre, Drag queen, Drugs, Gypsy curse, Imaginary friend, John Bertrand, Meme, Monologue, Moving house, Pantomime, Quirky, Weird
A little while back Christa over at Giggle On! tagged me with a meme.
I’ve always been, hmmm, a little unsure about memes coz they seem to be as random as those emails you get occasionally: “All about me!”. Where you’re meant to fill out this sort of questionnaire and send it on to your friends.
I guess the idea is you’re perhaps sharing different things with the people in your life, unless, you know – you actually talk to them and they know you fairly well.
That, or its just something to do when you’re bored at work for ten minutes and you just wanna to prattle on about the insipid details of your life…
But none of my other blog posts are cooperating at the moment, so I decided I might as well write something. So here I am. Hi meme. Hi Svasti, wanna play? Okay…
The meme says to list 7 weird or quirky things about yourself.
As per my initial comment to Christa, if you’ve read my blog you can probably count at least a dozen quirks of mine already. But here’s a few more for your entertainment:
- Two for one: I could float/swim before I could walk and I could read my older brother’s books (two years ahead) before I went to primary school.
- When I was a small child, one of my imaginary friends was called ‘fucking bastard‘ – inspiration courtesy of the foul mouthed over-the-fence neighbours. My mother wasn’t impressed.
- I’ve lived in at least eighteen houses in my life. Since I was 21, I’ve never lived in the same house for more than 3 years. I hate moving but unfortunately its my gypsy curse.
- I did the whole drug taking thing in my late teens/early twenties (everything but heroin) – but kind of thought of myself as an anthropologist. I studied myself and my friends and questioned why we were doing all that sh*t.
- From the ages of 18-20, I worked as an actor in a childrens’ pantomime theatre – instead of payment for performances, we got free acting, voice and other related training. It was cool. And I was broke but happy.
- I once took a tip for audition monologue ideas from a drag queen around 3am in the morning.
- As an under-10 learn-to-sail child, I ranted crossly at the father of two boys who’d put a crack in my boat when I had right of way. I think you should teach your sons to sail properly, I told John Bertrand.
So there! 🙂
I’m not gonna tag anyone – but if you wanna play go ahead! Write your own post and let me know in the comments. Or… just throw a quirk or two out there in the comments section if ya can be bothered…
I’m off to get ready for my big night out – seeing my celebrity crush. Jeff Martin (former leader of the Tea Party). He’s the only musician I get a serious case of ‘fan girl’ about. He’s hot and talented… sigh… drool…
‘Kthxbai!
~Svasti
Svasti: A Journey From Assault To Wholeness 
Listen, anybody who’s spent an evening IMing with you can come up with a hell of a lot more than a dozen (and would have to be shocked to find you don’t have more recent drug use as an excuse). I mean, coming up with “seven things that AREN’T quirky about Svasti”…that’s what I’d call an interesting challenge.
I don’t happen to have any quirks of my own to share, having been completely and utterly well adjusted and normal for my entire life up to this point, but do have a couple questions, though:
Working in “children’s pantomime theatre”–does that mean you were training innocent children to be mimes?! Aren’t there international treaties against that kind of thing?
Are you trying to say that you’ve actually learned to be a female drag queen–a woman masquerading as a man masquerading as a woman? That’s almost as good as my classic somebody-else-pretending-to-be-me Halloween costume….
And finally, am I going to end up with the same name as your one-time imaginary friend following this snarky comment?
Hmm… don’t know if I can top working in a pantomime or being coached by a drag queen, but here goes:
1. When I was small, I was terrified of black toilet seats.
2. Because of 1., I used to hang on all day when I was at school.
3. I thought my cat, Dusty, was a boy. And then she had kittens.
4. In primary school, my friends and I made up entire solar systems and cultures and made ourselves the rulers.
5. Our cultures and solar systems had rites of passage that became so popular, the teachers were worried we (9 year olds) were starting our own cult!
6. At age 20, I became a Ham radio operator
7. I was a nude model for TAFE art classes when I was pregnant.
@Dr Jay – yeah right, you’re quirk-free. Sure… just remember I spent an evening IMing with you too! 😉
You’re right though – I could probably do a “top 1000 quirks” and still be going strong… though there’s plenty of ‘normal’ things about me – which perhaps you haven’t noticed yet?
Q1. Children’s pantomime – is theatre especially aimed at young kids. So no, we weren’t teaching them to be mimes. Instead we put on shows like “The Three Little Pigs”, “Red Riding Hood”, “The Elves and the Shoemaker” and Christmas themed shows. Some of the characters I played included a fairy godmother, Mother Pig, Beaky the Bird (don’t ask!), a clown and others… It was brilliant performance training under a snarky old lady in her 70’s.
Q2. I got into a conversation on one of my late night drug binges with a drag queen who actually went through acting school as a drag queen, instead of as her “male self”. Hope that’s not too confusing! Anyway, I was talking to her about my plans to audition for acting school and she tipped me off on some great ideas to use as monologues – things a little less run of the mill.
There was definitely no more recent drug use – perhaps the occaisional bit of hash in my late 20’s, but definitely nothing for years!! In fact, I plan to write a little something about those experiences at some point. Not that I need to be giving myself new topics right now!
And no, Jay, my friend. I’m not going to give you the same name as my childhood imaginary friend. I have no plans to disrespect his memory in that way! I’m sure I can find other things to call you 😉
@Amanda – nice work! Actually you just reminded me of a few others I should mention in passing… my best friend when I was growing up and I made up this ‘secret club’ called the “Cool Cat Club”. She and I were actually cats living in human form. Her little brother and my little sister could only be “Cool Kittens” and never “Cool Cats”. Aww, actually perhaps I should write a post about that too – its a very complex little story we had going there…
Oh, and there’s plenty of other things I haven’t even gotten close to mentioning. Let’s just say there was some ‘nude’ activities in my past too… and I’m not sure if I’m brave enough to describe them here… 😛
I did this meme a while back! I’ve also tried nearly every drug, but luckily never got into opiates or alcohol. I did smoke a lot of pot and loved hallucinogens LOL!!!
I once painted a nude female model whom I fantasized about so much – by the time I actually talked to her, she thought I was freakishly far too smitten with her. I still think about her on lonely nights 😯
@Bobby – I can just imagine how that woman felt. There she is, posing nude and you’re acting like a schoolboy. Possibly she felt a little, erm, exposed! 😉
I spent time writing a funny comment and LOST it in the process of sending. DOH!
I must say I am quite relieved that you weren’t involved in teaching children to be mimes. Mimes are like clowns to me, both scare the crap outta me and I’m not sure why. Huh? Maybe I should call my old therapist and work that out.
And funny you and Dr Jay both mentioned drag queens. I just had a yoga incident with a drag queen look-a-like who taught a yoga workshop and sang OPERA in savanasa! No lie! It was the oddest and funniest yoga experience I’ve ever had.
Check it out of you get the time.
http://www.giggleon.com/yoga-and-opera-believe-it-or-not/
Thanks for adding me to your “other good reading” blog roll. I am honored and very excited! *clap clap clap* 🙂
Sorry to see your mood as “torn up”. I hope it transmutes into something better for you. I’m around if you need to chat.
Hugs!
@Christa – not to worry, your comment is appreciated even if it wasn’t the original you intended.
And I’ve been burned by comments crashing in the past so now I almost always do a CRTL + C and make sure I’ve copied what I want to post before I click the fated “Submit” button. 🙂
Dr Jay mentioned drag queens because I mentioned them first!! I did read that post of yours and whilst I haven’t commented yet… I did think – how very strange! That doesn’t sound like any kind of yoga class I’ve ever been to, that’s for sure!!
You’re welcome, I’m glad to add your blog to my blogroll. Good to have you there.
Mood, yeah, well… don’t know if you’ve read any of my more recent posts than this one? Life sux a bit right now but I’m working on it, believe me!!