Just Me

I set myself a challenge. It was inspired by the quiz about me I made on Facebook, which in turn was inspired by a conversation about how everyone is different and that we should embrace our differences. I didn't have any particular time scale in which it needed to be completed; just setting myself the challenge of doing it, and well enough, will do.

So... here's a list of things about me. 100 things to be precise.

1. I was born at Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon on 16th September 1987, at teatime.
2. I was born 2 weeks late when I was forced out by modern medicine, and its often said that I've been late ever since.
3. At 9 months old I got a virus and died. You won't get rid of me that easily though.
4. I learnt to read 4 months after I learnt to walk.
   
5. I didn't walk until I was 14 months old.
6. My earliest memory is sitting on the floor in the living room reading the Argos catalogue when my Mum walks in. This was when she was pregnant with Adam, so I must have been 2 at the time.
7. My first full day at school was my 5th birthday. My teacher didn't know what to do with a 5 year old who could read pretty well already and didn't believe me. I kicked her, then finished a novel by the end of my first term. That showed her.
8. I used to be clever. Now I'm struggling.
9. I did French lessons for 7 years. I can't remember quite a bit of it, which is a shame because I'd quite like to be fluent in another language. I could still get by if I needed to though.
10. I was seriously bullied almost as soon as I started school. This continued from various people to various degrees right until I left college. It kinda screwed me up. "Kinda" is an understatement.
11. I have a GNVQ Part One in ICT, just because I thought it would be fun to do in my spare time. I later found out that it was a total waste of time and most of it had more to do with English than anything to do with computers.
12. I did less GCSEs than most people. My school was strange. I still got enough As to do what I wanted at college, despite having less chances than most.
    
13. I have 3 A Levels in Maths, English Lit and Geography, with AS Levels in Drama and Tudor History. My degree has nothing to do with any of this.
14. While I was at school I had 2 years of Keyboard lessons. I can't play very well anymore, because I've always been useless at reading music, but I try. Apparently I have a musical brain, but can't read music fast enough to play it. Once I learn something I'm quite good at it. I play my keyboard most days.
    
15. The first album I ever bought was (What's The Story) Morning Glory by Oasis. I bought it as soon as it came out with money I'd saved from my birthday. It was on cassette.
16. I can't remember what the first single I bought was. I'm not sure why this is.
17. The first CD I bought was Everybody Get Up by Five. It was from Gatwick Airport 2 days after I got my first CD player for my 11th birthday, and I was on my way to Minorca on my first foreign holiday.
    
18. I've always loved music, from a really young age. My blog picture kinda shows this.
19. I think a lot of people take music way too seriously.
    
20. I saw Steps at Wembley Arena, but the first gig I went to was The Subways at Bristol Academy just before my 19th Birthday. It is stupidly hard to go to gigs for people living in Swindon.
    
21. I'd never been to a festival until Reading 07, but had been desperate to go for years before that. It was one of the best weekends of my life and I have my 2008 ticket. I don't mind who's playing; I'll find something. Despite issues with my resit being on the Friday afternoon, I'm very tempted to still go.
    
22. The first flight I went on was just before I turned 4, when I went to Jersey for the day with my parents, leaving my 11 month old brother behind. As we landed on our way home, I threw up all over the plane... on its first ever passenger flight. Oops.
    
23. I've been to France, 2 of the Balearic Islands and Tunisia.
24. I love travelling to new places in the UK, especially if they are on gig related trips.
    
25. My old passport has 2 stamps in; To and from Tunisia.
26. I don't have a passport anymore.
    
27. Watching the sun rise over the Sahara desert, a 4x4 ride across sand dunes and a camel ride made my week in Tunisia unforgettable.
28. I haven't been on a proper holiday in 6 years.
    
29. The 10 days I spent in Northern France were horrible. I DO NOT want to go back...EVER.
30. I plan to go to Melbourne once I finish my degree with my best friend, but the place I really want to go to is Iceland. Australia, Canada and USA come pretty close behind Iceland though.
31. I'd quite happily swap a foreign holiday for a spa break, and have a load of relaxing beauty treatments instead.
    
32. Due to my horrible reaction to strong UV rays thanks to PLE, I don't like sun all that much. When I go to Melbourne I'll get 3 winters in a row, and no Summer.
33. I had braces, but since found out that I've got something stupidly rare that means I never should have had one. It caused all of the problems I've had with my jaw.
34. I have weak ligaments in my jaw, something (the hospital have never found out what) wrong with my sinuses (I permanently feel like I have a cold), a perforated septum, weak knees, a weak shoulder (from having it in spasm for 3 weeks), eczema and asthma, and am prone to stress, depression and migraines. I've probably missed something. Oh, and the PLE I've already mentioned.
    
35. I dislocated my shoulder while watching Klaxons live. I did it on a Sunday night and didn't know until I had to go to hospital on the following Friday and the doctor accidentally put it back in...without anaesthetic. It was worth it to see Klaxons, CSS, The Sunshine Underground and New Young Pony Club together.
36. I'm fairly accident prone.
    
37. I've never had stitches. God knows how I'd react if I had to.
    
38. I have had 1 operation. It was 6th October (my mum's birthday) 2004. I was NOT a good patient. To say I was scared would be an understatement. I had no side effects from the anaesthetic whatsoever, and came out feeling much better than when I went into the hospital 6 hours earlier.
39. I reacted so badly when my ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) consultant told me that he wanted to operate that I now have the words "PAIN/NEEDLE PHOBIA" scrawled across the top of my hospital records. They sent a letter to my GP too.
40. I signed up for a college trip to Tunisia without realising that I'd need 4 injections. If I'd known I never would have signed up but I'm glad I did because it forced me to face my biggest fear.
    
41. I am very slightly short sighted and due to that I think I have the coolest glasses in the world. They're blue and schmexy with grey reactions lenses. I don't have to wear them very often though.
42. I have one brother and no cousins. I don't find the lack of people my age in my family strange, because it's all I've ever known.
43. My parents split just before I turned 16 and their divorce was finalised the day I had my operation. I'm glad it over. I get on with both of them much better now.
44. Next year my Dad is getting remarried (apparently) and I'll inherit an older stepbrother and a younger stepsister. Despite my Dad living with them for the past 4 1/2 years, I've never met either of them.
    
45. I've had 2 jobs. The first was as an assistant in a pharmacy after school for 2 years, then I was an Argos minion for 2 years at weekends. I think this is quite interesting (see 5). I somehow managed to pass a group interview the day after having a general anaesthetic. I felt fine but don't remember doing it so I must have been out of it. God only knows what I said/did. I was one of 4/40 to be offered a job though.
    
46. I haven't worked since the day before my first gig. Getting a job during the holidays isn't as easy as it may seem, especially in a town with no university and therefore no students who need to be replaced over the holidays.
    
47. I decided that I wanted to be a solicitor when I was 9. This is why I'm doing a law degree. To be honest, I'd rather work in music. I still want to be a solicitor, but I want to work in music more. I'm still aiming to be a solicitor, whether I really want to be one or not. The chances of it happening are getting smaller by the day.
48. This woman has my dream job.
    
49. I am not confident in the slightest. I always have this feeling that people don't actually want to talk to me, but that they just put up with me being around because they don't have any other choice (see 11). This is the reason that I don't start conversations very often, but am fine once I'm having one.
50. I have totally changed since I started uni. I put this down to finally escaping the place I announced I wanted to leave aged 11, leaving behind the bad memories, finally getting the independence I've wanted for years, leaving behind the people who made my life a misery on a daily basis and making the best friends I've ever had. I owe a lot to my friends at uni.
51. I am definitely a city girl. Why I ended up in Swansea is beyond me. Although its a city, it doesn't feel enough like one. Once I've finished my degree, I have a feeling I'll either go to Cardiff or back to England to do an LPC. I know I won't be going back to Swindon and I doubt I'll stay here.
52. The thing I like most about where I live at the moment is the beach. Swindon is about as far as you can get from a beach, so it's a real novelty to be walking on the sand within 2 mins of leaving my front door. Spending the evening on the beach with cider, a fire and my night frisbee is one of my favourite things to do.
53. The thing I like least about where I live is the constant going on about Rugby. It seems that you can't spend 10 mins in Wales without having Rugby rammed in your face. I do not enjoy Rugby at all. I didn't learn about it at school because the teachers realised that trying to teach it to 30 girls who would much rather play Football or Basketball was pointless. Football > Rugby. I once went to a uni rugby match and spent the whole time looking over the pitch watching football instead. This is one of the main reasons that I want to go back to England once I've finished uni.
    
54. I am horribly jealous of anyone brought up in London. Anywhere with a decent enough music scene would be OK, but especially London.
55. I've been surfing a few times and really enjoyed it. The problem I have is that I'm too much of a wimp to go in the sea when its freezing cold, so I only surf in nice weather. If I lived somewhere with nice weather and a higher sea temperature I'd go all year round and properly try.
56. I'd quite like to try snowboarding too. Seeing as I'm useless at sport, have no balance and it took me 3 months to learn to ride a bike, I don't think I'd be very good at it though. I'd be the one watching from the side with a sling or crutches after my latest accident.
57. I don't like taking part in sport very much, but I like watching football. I support Swindon Town FC, but I don't get to see them play very often. Usually I have to keep track of games and progress online. I grew up spending most weekends watching my brother playing for about 6 years, then watched him every now and again for another 3 or 4.
58. I can hardly swim. I once managed 50m but I was about 11. Due to the asthma, I just can't breathe well enough. I probably should swim more because it would be good for me and its apparently easier for asthmatics to swim than do most other forms of exercise. It doesn't help that I haven't been swimming much for over 2 1/2 years and hadn't been for 2 years before that.
    
59. I have awful balance. It took me 3 months of constant practice to be able to ride a bike. I was horribly jealous when my brother picked up a bike and rode it with no practice a year before I could do it.
    
60. My favourite food is Fox's Classic Bars. I quite often get through 8 in a week, but that's because I usually limit myself to a pack a week. I could very happily eat a pack a day.
61. Given the choice, I'd have doritos over regular crisps. I love all 3 flavours, but think Cool Original just edges it at the top.
    
62. I HATE milk, yet love milkshake. Once the flavour is covered up, preferably with Camp Coffee, its all good. I love the places that have now appeared all over the place that make milkshake out of strange things, like Shakeaway. If anyone would like to donate one I'll have either a Tim or Ben. YUM!
63. I love Orange Juice. I'm quite strange because I don't like freshly squeezed as much as I like concentrate. I can quite easily drink a carton of Sainsbury's Basics juice (my favourite) in one go. I prefer it to their more expensive version.
    
64. I don't like red meat at all. I'd be vegetarian if it wasn't such a hassle, and I didn't love Roast Chicken dinners so much.
65. I've never liked tea much, and if I ever drink it I'll have it black. I've recently discovered that a light cup of Darjeeling is quite nice though. Despite not liking hot tea, I love Iced Tea. Yes, I'm odd.
    
66. I seem to be in the minority who don't like berries and never have. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants... Just yuk.
67. When I come home from uni my Mum always asks what I want for my first meal back. It is always Roast Chicken. I wonder why she bothers asking sometimes.
68. Despite my near vegetarianism, it's not anything to do with cruelty to animals etc. I hate animals. Fish are OK, but I've never liked the rest, EVER. Don't ask me to choose between dogs or cats. I equally hate both.
69. If I have pets in the future, although I don't really plan to, it will be a tank of Neon Tetras because they're tiny, yet look powerful because they're so bright.
    
70. My bedroom is usually messy. I hate having a tidy bedroom because to me it looks clinical and un-lived in.
71. I think that the Tweety poster I have on my bedroom wall is possibly the coolest poster I have ever seen. I had to have it. Tweety > You. Zippy is close behind though.
72. I once found a Googlewhack, but can't remember what it is anymore. If I put it in here, it wouldn't be one now anyway. It was some music genre I made up, with the sole purpose of finding one.
    
73. A lack of Internet is possibly one of the worst things that can happen to me. A lack of music is worse, but I spend far too much time online. I don't care whether this is a good thing or not, and it won't change until I find something better to do, that makes me happier.
74. My favourite sound is rain, especially if I'm lying in bed in the pitch black trying to get to sleep.
    
75. I love storms and am a bit of a weather geek. I'm fascinated by thunderstorms, hurricanes, earthquakes etc. I'm quite jealous of people who've lived through them really, although I'm quite glad I haven't had to face they danger they bring with them. A small, yet noticeable UK-sized earthquake would be quite fun. Or a hurricane, knowing that nothing bad could happen to anyone.
76. I can stay awake for hours and hours. This comes in very useful on nights out, because I love to party. The longest I've manages to stay awake is 60 hours, although the second half wasn't by choice.
    
77. I love to dance. I did Ballet lessons for 2 years when I was little, but left because I felt horrible about being the only one in the class who didn't do Tap straight afterwards and had to go home, while the rich girls got to carry on dancing. I did Disco Freestyle for a year in my mid-teens, but had to give it up when I got a job. If I'm in my bedroom, I'm usually either sat on my bed or dancing around the room.
78. I'm a member of the uni radio station (music team) and dance society. Unfortunately I couldn't join any of the dance classes I wanted because they all clashed with my timetable. Cheerleading in the first year had exactly the same problem. In the 3rd year I'll either be a dancer or cheerleader, or possibly both. It depends on the timetable. It's the closest to decent exercise I'll get other than the walks to uni or town.
79. I wish I was a model, purely because I'd love to be in front of the camera and have my hair/make up done all the time. I'd love so many good photos of me too. This is why I'm having a makeover photoshoot done on my 21st birthday, and I can't wait.
    
80. Although I hate hospitals, my favourite TV shows are Grey's Anatomy and Scrubs. When I get the chance I also watch the odd bit of House, Doctor Who, Gavin & Stacey, Hollyoaks and Brothers & Sisters. I wish Green Wing hadn't ended.
81. I think that TV on Demand is one of the best things ever.
    
82. My favourite films are Sliding Doors, Notting Hill, Love Actually and Juno. I'm quite partial to the Spider-Man trilogy and Pirates Of The Caribbean too, but don't like the 3rd of either as much as the previous films.
83. My first phone was a Philips Scavvy, followed by a Siemens A50, Nokia 3200, Sony Ericsson w810i and now a Sony Ericsson w910i. Nokias are useless. Don't buy them. Sony Ericsson FTW. The last 2 were on contract, and I wouldn't have replaced my w810i if my contract hadn't been up. My phone is an extension of my hand.
84. PPL hu tlk lyk dis dryv mi insayn. I think "txt-spk" is horrible and should be banned. I've never liked it. If something is worth saying, say it properly.
    
85. My favourite colour ever is sky blue. Even when I was little everyone else had pink bedrooms, but I wanted blue. When everyone else had red Splash bikes, I had the blue version. Everyone else had pink Snatch the Dog bedrooms, I had the blue version. I'd love a sky blue car.
86. If I could, I'd have a Laser Blue Mini Cooper S and a TVR Tuscan S Convertible. Failing that or the £100k plus I'd need to buy them, I'd settle for an Oxygen Blue Mini One in the meantime.
87. I passed my driving test in September 2007. I haven't driven since. I miss driving because I love it so much. Having a car would be useful when I'm stuck at home in the middle of nowhere, but I just enjoy driving, especially in the country. Living in the middle of nowhere on the edge of the Cotswolds has its advantages sometimes, especially when it involves driving to a little pub with a garden that backs onto the Thames. It's lovely.
    
88. If anyone I know breaks a computer, its usually me who fixes it. I was made one of 3 IT Monitors when I was in Class 3, when my teacher realised that the 3 of us knew more about how to use them than her.
89. I don't like tattoos. I think they're ugly, especially on anyone over the age of 30. I will never, ever have one.
90. I wasn't allowed to get my ears pierced until I was 12, but I didn't get it done until just after I turned 18. I wish I hadn't bothered. I think people who stretch huge holes in their ears are stupid, but simple piercings can be quite nice. It's just not for me though.
    
91. My favourite place is my bed. Going home is strange because I have a child sized bed, and I'm now used to sleeping in my Queen sized bed at uni. I love both equally though. Many times people have tried to force me out of my bed and failed miserably.
92. I don't remember dreams. I haven't in years.
    
93. I'm not bad at cooking, and could make pretty much anything if I was given a recipe. I just don't like doing it very often. The thing I'm best at making is cheesy pasta, and about a million variations of it, depending on what I have in the cupboard.
    
94. I love 18th century period dramas, and quite often wish I was a character in a Jane Austen novel. Life was so different then...
95. When I was little I read loads. I always used to be taken to the library on a Saturday morning, and by the end of lunchtime I'd have finished my first book. Now I hardly read at all. I wish I read more though and keep thinking of books to add to the ever increasing 'To Read' list.
96. I want a hammock.
97. I've wanted to go White Water Rafting since I was little. Definitely since before I was old enough to have a go or could swim well enough.
    
98. I also want to do this.
    
99. I think Popping Candy is vastly underrated.
    
100. I wear odd socks

x

The Muxtape

http://amie.muxtape.com

So after much mind changing and getting annoyed with the internet here it is. It's largely as I originally made it, but I had to edit the ending a few times. It's kinda in two parts, but I've made it so that they fit together as one whole list pretty well. It's best listened to on iTunes as I made it, with a few seconds crossfade, but ah well. Just imagine each song is merged into the next.

Part A - the "listen to" songs
OK Go - Maybe, This Time
If I could play any instrument it would be Bass Guitar. I've had a fascination with Bass for a long time. You don't notice it being there so much, yet really notice when it isn't. I love how this song is so bassy, yet still sounds quite minimalistic to me.

Aqualung - Cinderella
I downloaded this as part of a playlist a while ago, and it really stood out to me. It stood out enough that I went and bought the third album, Memory Man. I'd heard quite a few Aqualung songs before, but none of them had made me want to buy an album. I love how this song has quiet moments, yet really builds up into something a lot more powerful at times. It's an album that I quite often put on and lie listening to in the dark.

Paramore - My Hero
If I could sing, I'd want Hayley Williams' voice. This was the first song I immediately put in the list of potential songs. It's the first of two covers on this list, but I think it's probably my favourite cover ever. It's totally different to the original, but so much better. Links pretty well here too.

Regina Spektor - Us
The first song I ever heard by Regina was Carbon Monoxide and I'm still determined to learn it on piano, but this is probably my favourite. It's so...unusual.

Death Cab For Cutie - Summer Skin
This is another song I love to listen to in the dark. Whenever I'm in a bad mood, I put this on, lie in the dark and by the end of it I'm usually feeling a bit better. I love how it's so slow, but doesn't feel like it's dragging.

Bloc Party - So Here We Are
This is possibly my favourite Bloc Party song. I seem to change my mind ever few minutes, but it always seems to revert back to this. I love Russell's guitar work. On this song, it's really delicate, almost like it could shatter at any second. Even when the song builds up, that fragile guitar line is still there. On top of this, it blends really well into part B...

Part B - The "dance to"songs
Lostprophets - Cry Me A River
In a change from the usual, I have a Lostprophets cover. I loved the original, despite not being a massive JT fan. There was always something about it that appealed to me. I think it's pretty perfect as a pop song. This cover though improved it, and showed just how great covers can be when they're done well. I'll make no secret of the fact that I love Lostprophets, and live they're something else, but this just showed how fab they are, when they can totally rearrange a great song and make it even better.

Metric - Monster Hospital
This isn't exactly typical Metric, but it's still fantastic. On top of that, it was rocky enough to perfectly bridge the gap between Lostprophets and Mystery Jets. Pretty good to dance to too.

Mystery Jets - Metal Soul
I picked this after seeing them live at the beginning of May and loving them. It would be rude not to have included them. I thought I'd go for something a bit unusual though and pick a Young Love B-side. It's just as fantastic as the album and would probably have fitted in quite well.

Pin Me Down - Cryptic
I first heard this online without realising who was in the band. The second it started I just wanted to dance, and I love to dance. It's a perfect mix of 80s electro-pop and choppy guitars, by none other than the master of danceable choppy guitars, Mr Russell Lissack.

(We Are) Performance - Vandals
This is a song I first heard when it was iTunes song of the week. I quite often download whatever iTunes are kind enough to give away, and 9/10 times never listen to it again. In this case I listened again, and again, and then it was stuck in my head for a week.

Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen
I thought I'd finish with something instrumental, purely because quite frankly, it's amazing.

Song: Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen
Socks: One sailor blue one, and one bright stripy one

Looking Back...Musically

I'm really missing my music. Having no laptop for a while is bad enough, but being unable to listen to most of my music collection at the moment isn't helping. To be honest, it's making me miserable. I've just been thinking about all the live music I've now seen. Moving away from home is one of the best things I've ever done. Even though I'm not where I wanted to be, I'm still a lot better off than I was, and I'm thankful for that.

Bands I've Seen (inc. supports, festivals & club nights where I can remember)...
Arcade Fire
Au Revoir Simone
Billy Talent
BRMC
Bloc Party
Blood Red Shoes (4)
Boy Least Likely To
CSS
Crystal Castles
Delays
Elle Milano
Fall Out Boy
Funeral For A Friend
Gym Class Heroes
Hellogoodbye
Jimmy Eat World
Kanye West
Kings Of Leon (2)
Klaxons (2)
Lostprophets (2)
Mates Of State
Maximo Park
Mika
New Young Pony Club
Paramore (2)
Pendulum (2)
Razorlight
Red Hot Chili Peppers (awful)
Reel Big Fish
Shy Child
Switches
The Automatic (2)
The Dead 60s
The Gossip
The Killers
The Like (worse than awful)
The Little Ones
The Pigeon Detectives
The Stills
The Subways (2)
The Sunshine Underground (2)
The Wallbirds
The Wombats (2)
We Are Scientists (2)

...and there's actually more than that. I can't remember many of the club night bands, or some of the supports. I've seen Nine Inch Nails too, but I didn't bother counting it because it was just the one song. Seeing as all of those 59 have been in the past 17 months, I'm quite pleased with my list. There's still 3 more I'd love to add to the list though...Air Traffic, Muse and The Strokes. I can't see any of them happening any time soon, but I've got a few more booked and a ticket to Reading again this year so that number is going to shoot up again by the end of 2008. I've missed out on seeing Air Traffic 4 times now, but hopefully they'll be on the list by this time next year.

Today's post was brought to you with the help of... last.fm, a borrowed laptop, insomnia and Amie's new colourful spotty socks.
Music was helpfully provided by Los Campesinos! (add them to the "I want" list too)