50 Things about Me

1. For the first 17 years of my life, I was the youngest of 4 children. And the only girl. I always wanted a sister.

2. I have three adopted siblings. Two of them are girls. Both are young enough to be my own daughters. I don't really see them as sisters.

3. My middle name is Charis. Which is lovely. But I hated it while I was growing up, because my brothers often called me "Carrots".

4. I am married to my best friend.

5. Despite being a trained midwife, I birthed both my children by Caesarean Section. The first delivery was really complicated and I lost a lot of blood during the procedure. Which may explain why, on chatting with my husband later that evening, I said, "That was great! I want to do it again!"

6. I skipped a grade.

7. I can say the alphabet backwards.

8. I have spider-radar, and I am usually pretty accurate with pin-pointing the nearest spider in any given area.

9. When Nelson Mandela was president, I went for a joy-ride in his car. In my pyjamas.

10. I have swum with elephants.

11. I have a weakness for sugar. Often.

12. I am on the pill.

13. I hate being on the pill.

14. I have slip-'n-slid on the pitch cover of the University of Pretoria's cricket pitch shortly after a Highveld thunderstorm. Naked.

15. Try as I might, I just cannot eat snails. They always turn around in my throat and crawl back up.

16. I lived in Saudi Arabia for two years.

17.  I love going fast!

18. I was approached by a man and a woman at the Pretoria Zoo shortly before the Gert van Rooyen case became nation-wide knowledge. I recognised his picture when I saw the news reports on TV.

19. I suck at interior decorating and garden landscaping.

20. I have a bad habit of not completing the projects I start.

21. I worked in a frozen yoghurt shop for a year after school before I started studying. I have had my fill of Natural and English Toffee.

22. I only bath or shower in HOT, HOT, HOT water.

23. I studied nursing as a last resort. It was the only thing I could afford at the time. I paid for my studies myself.

24. I Hate (note: capital H) gyming. It hurts. It make me sweat. I would rather spend my time scrapbooking.

25. I cannot see 3D pictures - at all. I have been trying to see them since 13 February 1995, and I have had no luck. I think I must be special.

26. I have no idea how I remember the date in #25 above.

27. I once held a 7 year-old HIV patient as he drowned in his own saliva. When he took his last breath and his body relinquished his soul, I was actually aware of a little extra air in the room.

28. I can play the flute and the piano. Neither very well.

29. I have spent a glorious week on the island of Mauritius.

30. I have polycystic ovaries.

31. If it weren't for Gayle, Oprah and I would be the best of friends. I love, love, love Oprah.

32. I will kiss my own children's feet no matter how sweaty or stinky they may be. If there's a boo-boo there, I will kiss it better.

33. I still climb trees for fun.

34. I love MSG-enriched Salt 'n Vinegar flavouring. The stronger, the better.

35. I try to avoid MSG-enriched anything wherever my kids are concerned. Also: sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate. Just out of principle.

36. I have used laser hair removal. It really does work. If you can afford it.

37. I can't afford it.

38. I inadvertently killed my goldfish when I was 6 years old by lifting them out of their bowl each morning to greet them.

39. I am a stay-at-home-mom.

40. I have a money and meat inadequacy paranoia. This means that I always have to have some money and some meat stashed away for a rainy day. Currently I have more meat than money.

41. I was once drugged with apple tea in a Turkish carpet souk. It ended with me purchasing a 1m kelim for $75, which, at that time was equal to R562.50 - which was a ludicrous amount of ront for rug. So much for getting bargains in middle eastern bazarres!

42. I want to see Andrea Boccelli perform live. And even though he can't see to appreciate it, I would throw underwear.

43. I fear loss above all else.

44. I love photography and beautiful photographs. Few of the beautiful photographs that I love were taken by me. Ok, so none of them were, but I plan to take beautiful photographs in the future...

45. Bovril is the bomb. Marmite is mediocre.

46. I have breastfed somebody else's child. With the mom's permission, of course. It was a matter of life and death. Kind of.

47. I have always loved trampolines. After a good bounce, I especially love that still-bouncing feeling you get when your feet are on solid ground.

48. I saved a woman's life, who would otherwise have bled to death.

49. I am shy.

50. I have thrown myself (alright, I had to ask them to push me) off the Bloukrans bridge and in so doing, have experienced the world's highest commercial bunjee jump of 216m. I never have to do that again.