- What did you want to be when you were a kid? A writer. Yep. From the time when I was 8 and a short story I wrote won a school competition. But 'Nancy Drew' was a close second.
- Which “Friends” character do you relate to the most? Why? Pffff... I was never really a big fan of Friends. Maybe because I never could relate to any of them? Jennifer Aniston always seemed too much of an airhead, too ditzy, too flighty. Monica seemed cool, but then she had this underlying OCD thing that seemed a tad disturbed to me. And the blond girl with the guitar... she was always so much fun. But... she never made sense. Sorry.
- Do you like your name? Why? Ha — good question. Yes, I do like my name. For a large part of my life I didn't; too complicated, too unique, called too much attention to itself. Always had to be spelled, and even then there were mistakes... One of my school diplomas had to be redone because they misspelled my name. But, as time passed, I came to see my name as part, maybe more obvious than for most people, of what makes each of us individual and unique. And there's also the fact that my father invented it (so he claimed), and that made it extra special.
- Are you messy or neat? Messy. VERY messy.
- How tall are you? 1.73 m. According to this site, that's 5'8".
- How tall were you when you were 10? About... 1.65 m? Whatever that is in feet?
- What is your guilty pleasure? Just one? OK, then. Neil Gaiman novels. I just finished 'American Gods' for the third (or is it fourth?) time, and I'm a third of the way through Anansi boys — for the first time.
- What are you saving money for right now? Save—? Error 404: The requested URL was not found on this server.
- How many Pringles can you eat at once? Not a Pringles fan.
- Tea or coffee? Coffee.
- Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Introvert. Though most people who know me would disagree. (I'm such an introvert that I keep my introvert nature secret :D)
- What will be your Halloween costume this year? Okay... I outgrew Halloween costumes a long, long time ago. I'll dress up for a Pimps & Whores party, or any other themed thing, but... nah, not Halloween.
- Sweet or salty? Salty, baby. All the way.
- Favourite social media? Facebook. But I'm trying to wean myself from it.
- Who is the last person you kissed? Kissed-kissed, as in lips and tongue and all? My partner, Cor. But if you mean just cheek-kiss-hello, then... someone at a friend's farewell get-together on Friday.
- What is your favourite breakfast? Something real 'Murican, like eggs over easy with bacon and sausage and hash browns and dollar pancakes with lots and lots of butter and syrup.
- When is your birthday? 17 Feb 1973
- When did you start your blog? June 2011
- What is your opinion on the Kardashians? The who?
- How would you describe your style? My... dressing style? My writing style? My hair style? Unclear. I'll go with dress. Probably 'beach bum' describes it best: shorts, flip flops, t-shirt. That's it. For all occasions.
- What colour is your hair? Brown. With ever-multiplying, but very natural-looking, gray highlights :D
- What colour socks are you wearing? See above for 'beach bum' style definition.
- What is your dream job? Writing fiction.
- Dogs or cats? Both. I've never understood this 'I'm a cat/dog person' differentiation. To me, cats and dogs are like two sides of the same coin; they balance each other out perfectly. At the moment, though, I only have dogs. (But, given my rescue proclivities, that could change any moment.)
- What makes you weird? Pfffff... The list is probably endless. And, of course, it's all about what context you use for 'weird'. Here in Curaçao I'm weird at all sorts of levels: I'm a 'Latina', but I dress like a Dutchie; I speak perfect English but don't speak either Dutch or Papiamentu; I don't have children (and don't even like them)... In Mexico I'm weird because I chose a place no one has ever heard of to live. And because I speak Spanish funny after so long under the Venezuelan influence of Curaçao. And because I'm an only child (in Mexico? seriously weird). I'm weird everywhere because I left a great job, and the corresponding great salary, to write and rescue dogs.
- Celebrity crush? Wow. Leonard Cohen. T.S. Eliot. Roger Waters, right now (have you listened to his new album? BLOWN. AWAY.) More shallowly, the guy that played Superman in the new movie—but with whom I fell in love for his role as Charles Brandon in 'The Tudors'.
- Opinion on cigarettes? YUM. Been a smoker since I was 13 (that's... 31 years). No, I wouldn't recommend taking up tobacco to anyone, given the health detriment, but... yeah, I love smoking.
- Do you want/have children? How many? Nah. Not my thing.
- Three favourite boy names? Michael. Santiago. Duncan.
- Three favourite girl names? Kiana. Alexandra. Inés.
This was so much fun to answer, and I'm very much looking forward to reading everyone else's responses. If you enjoyed reading this and would like to join the fun, check out the guidelines here and sign up in the linky list below. Feel free to hop over to the other participants and get to know them... Some really entertaining and creative responses that are sure to make you chuckle—and several cool blogs and bloggers that you might be missing out on.
Thanks for reading!
Well, that was crazy fun! Great hop to be a part of.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it, Lee — and thanks for the visit!
DeleteLoved getting to know you! We shared many similar thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by.
So glad you made it over here, Bev! And I'm glad you enjoyed this post; I enjoyed yours enormously :)
DeleteThat was such fun to read, Guilie! ☺ Thanks for joining the blogfest. We have several things in common, like being an only child and not wanting kids of our own. (Hmm, there must be a relation between the two.) I think it's great that you quit your successful career to follow your dream. That takes guts! For me, the decision was out of my hands, but the result was similar. After watching your videos about the little Chihuahua, I can say it's true that you do speak perfect English.
ReplyDeleteMust check out Roger Waters' new album. Thanks for the tip! A Pimps and Whores party sounds like great fun. ☺
Thanks, Debbie! The hop is so much fun! I've already met several bloggers through it that I'm adding to my must-read blog list, so thanks for that :) And yes, you're right, we have much in common (but we already knew that, hehe...).
DeleteSo much I didn't know about you ~
ReplyDeleteDid you do AtoZ this year? I opted out.
Hi Tami! No, no A2Z for me this year... Had some stuff going on during the beginning of the year that made it impossible. And then later I found out about the changes they were planning and... well, not really a fan of the new system. Although I have to admit I've met some extraordinary bloggers through the April challenge, many of whom have become great friends over time, I've come to feel that 90% of the A2Z interaction is rather superficial. With limited time for blogging, I find it more satisfying for me to interact at a deeper level, not so much based on "musts" (must visit ten blogs every day, must comment, must visit back, etc.) but more on "Hey, this post of yours really made me think, and here's my take on it"... I know that limits my reach, but I hope it will increase the depth of connection :)
DeleteThank you so much for coming by. I hope to stay in your radar — you're certainly on mine :)
Hi Guilie - smoker's voice on air!! (very smoker's voice!) ... great read and reading more about you ... fun - cheers Hilary
ReplyDelete"Smoker's voice" — love it, Hilary! :D Thanks so much, and I'm glad you enjoyed this post. Cheers!
DeleteNancy Drew was super cool! Total acceptable alternative to writer! What did you end up doing for a living?
ReplyDeleteI was on vacation in Curaçao once because my then boyfriend had some business to do in Willemstad, so I spent some time at the hotel pool, studying for exams, and as soon as he was done working, we would explore the island with a rental car. Good times! I was fascinated by the language. I picked up some Dutch words which has similarities to our Swiss German dialect and Spanish that I learned at school.
That's so cool, Tamara! Almost no one I meet has even heard of Curaçao, let alone been here. Yes, Papiamentu truly is a fascinating language; such a great (and revealing) mix of cultures and history.
DeleteI actually ended up being a writer, after all :) Got published for the first time when I was around 19, wrote for a magazine for a couple of years, then... well, life happened and I had to figure out some more profitable ways to spend my time :) I did lots of stuff: taught English for some 10 years, sold timeshare, worked in the offshore industry... But, eventually, I managed to return to writing.
Super happy to meet you, and thanks for coming by!
I'm enjoying this blog hop and learning more about other bloggers. It's fun. Leaving your job to pursue your passions is not weird. It's everyone's dream. WeekendsInMaine
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen! I agree; this hop has been great, great fun!
DeleteI'll check out the others - soon - but in the meantime enjoyed reading about you :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Susan!
DeleteHey I like the name 'Santiago' too!
ReplyDeleteIt was fun reading about you. Your 8th answer made me giggle. I think being weird is cool. Glad to have met you through this blog hop.
Same here, Chicky! Haha — glad #8 made you laugh :)
DeleteI think you have the best #8 answer thus far. I have some of Gaiman's Sandman graphic novels, but haven't tried any of his "non-illustrated" writing.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I've never read any of his illustrated works... But I've heard great things about them. Maybe I'll try one, if I come across them. His novels are good: good fantasy, good suspense, good human characterizations, good insights... It may not be 'high-brow' writing (hence the guilty pleasure thing), but they're still way above pulp thrillers and such. If you do read them one of these days, I'd love to know what you think and how they compare to the stuff of his you've already read.
DeleteThanks for the visit!
I never watched Friends, the characters did not appeal to me.
ReplyDeleteYour comments on my blog were very kind. We are kindred spirits. I've always been impressed by your command of the English language. In reading your book, the writing is just beautiful, beautiful.
I don't know if I will ever write anything that compares. But I do think there is some Latin blood in my soul.
Aw, Ann... You're much, much too kind. Thank you, my friend. I'm glad you feel there's Latinity (is that even a word?) in your soul; at this point in evolutionary time, I'm sure we're all quite the mix, and so identity really does hinge on which parts of our heritage (known or unknown) we choose to highlight :)
DeleteHugs, Ann, and I wish you a wonderful weekend.
Hi - just catching up on the other people joining the 30 odd questions - loved your answers because you sound like a really interesting person and living in Mexico must be amazing - I'm in Australia and that mixes things up with all the US bloggers!
ReplyDeleteLeanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au/2017/05/getting-to-know-you-30-odd-questions.html
Thank you so much, Leanne! So glad you enjoyed this :) Yes, Mexico is an amazing country. For the past (almost) 14 years I've been living in Curaçao, a small island in the Caribbean, and it's so fascinating... but I still miss Mexico in many ways. Australia, though—WOW! My publisher lives there, and it's one of the places that, for as long as I can remember, has had this pull on my fancy. When I was maybe 5 or 6 I fell in love with this sort of animated film, Dot and the Kangaroo (which, rather obviously, takes place in Australia), and ever since then I've wanted to visit. Some day... :)
DeleteThanks so much for coming by! Off to check your 30 Q's post now :)
haha we sure have that error 404 too. That is sure a super introvert that you can keep it so secret.
ReplyDeleteI bought Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology recently. Have heard a lot about him and looking forward to read it.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ Save—? Error 404: The requested URL was not found on this server. This is true for me too. SIGH
Those were some interesting and fun answers, Guilie. So good to know a bit about you through this blogfest. Have a great weekend.
Guilie,
ReplyDeleteIt's great seeing you again. I miss your BoTB participation but I understand you gotta do what you gotta to stay on top of life. I loved reading your responses. I especially liked your answer on what are you saving money for? Very cleverly funny techie lingo usage with Error 404. :D
You're pretty tall for a gal. You're a half a foot taller than me. I better wear higher high heels around you. lol
Have a good day and enjoy beach bumming even more now that's summer or it feels like it anyhow!
Not sure how I lost the link to your blog but am glad this blog hop has it...added you back to my reading list (and yes, I did the dirty 30...) LOL!
ReplyDeleteYou are make me laugh :) Love your answers especially to What you are saving for and Kardashiwho lol
ReplyDeleteIt seems like a lost of us filling out these 30 questions are struggling to save money. I guess we can't be good at everything. :)
ReplyDeleteWith Love,
Mandy
1. Basketball player then writer.
ReplyDelete2. Ross without the happy resolution. Who relates to Chandler?
3. No. People keep misspelling it or mispronouncing it or both. It's just a weird name.
4. I'm a lot messier at home than elsewhere. Like I'll leave the coffee house in better shape than it was when i got there.
5. 6'1" or so.
6. I have no idea.
7. Porn.
8. Tssk.
9. I don't eat Pringles.
10. Iced coffee.
11. Introvert.
12. Don't dress up.
13. Sweet.
14. Twitter
15. I have no idea.
16. In theory, scrambled eggs. But my usual breakfast is a banana.
17. Almost an entire whole complete year after yours. :)
18. I'm too lazy to check.
19. They're reality TV stars who are famous for being reality TV stars. So it's not like they were famous first and then became reality TV stars. I guess they don't really affect me. I don't find the daughters interesting or sexy enough to pay attention. Though their father had some kind of weird connection to the O.J. Simpson murder case.
20. Budget-conscious, anti-trend, comfort over fashion.
21. Brown with hints of grey.
22. White.
23. I'll take your answer.
24. Cats. I spend way too much time dodging dogs' mementos to pick them. Though I suppose the issue might be with their owners.
25. My religious beliefs, my political beliefs, my sexuality, my sense of humor, my pop culture tastes, my lesbian crush, etc.
26. Nikki Haley
27. Ha. You're lucky you're too far away for me to nag you properly.
28. No. No.
29. Lorenzo, Raymond, Eric
30. Monica, Stephanie, Erin
It is always refreshing to celebrate a diversity of culture and experience. When I get to travel I like to try the local cuisine (and beer!). Our poor human family struggles at times when we think that to be united that we need to be uniform. Yet diversity gives us the mosaic of our life. Thanks for your vivacious post! :) Simon’s Still Stanza #WATWB
ReplyDelete