The 'me' challenge

There are sometimes I think I am a little big strange. I have no problems standing up in front of hundreds of people and talking about magazines, media, online marketing and a host of other topics but as soon as I need to talk about me, I get a bit weak at the knees.

Sometimes I like to think it is because in today’s society it can be dangerous to share too much personal information with the masses, particularly online, but other times I realise I am just not good at being the centre of attention on a personal rather than professional level. 

So when Jennifer Birkhead from www.jenniferbirkheaddesign.blogspot.com challenged me to take part in a blog game of ‘10 things you didn’t know about me’, I considered running for the hills. However, I decided as a writer I am sure I could dig up some facts from my past that would be suitably entertained, so threw caution to the wind. 

I hope you find these facts interesting and enlightening and nobody will use this information to steal my identity and convince my nearest and dearest I am actually a Moroccan hooker. 

1. Although I have lived in WA now most of my life, I was born in Tasmania. Don’t hold it against me. 
2. My husband I were together for more than 14 years before we finally married earlier this year. 
3.  I have funky elbows. If I straighten my arms too far they start to bend back the wrong way. It’s a great party trick and way to freak out my personal trainer while doing push ups. 
4. I have been a vegetarian since I was 13. I blame school holidays on my aunt and uncles farm, I could never get my head around patting a cow called Daisy and then going home and tucking into a nice steak. 
5. I am terrified of heights. I can be paralysed by fear even by the thought of using a step ladder. Funnily enough I have no problems flying. 
6. I would like to claim I speak Japanese but after completing a Certificate 3 in Japanese, I still can only read, write and speak the language very badly. I can understand others only it if they speak very slowly and at a level suitable for a three year old. If you need to ask someone where are they going – I am the right woman for the job – just don’t expect me to understand the answer. 
7. I am not a morning person. Just ask my husband. 
8. I don’t like Dom Perignon and I feel guilty about it. When you are in the envious position of being offered expensive champagne at functions, I feel like I should drink it and enjoy it! I keep thinking it might just be me and one day I will finally get it. 
9. You couldn’t pay me enough to go back and relive my high school years. Sorry people, they are not the best years of your life – now is always the best time! 
10. I have a blue belt in freestyle martial arts. I once made onlookers laugh when in a state-level competition when I stopped mid-fight to apologise to my opponent for punching her in the nose (no face contact allowed, so it wasn’t intentional – she stepped forward as I threw the punch). 

So what about you? Do you find talking about yourself as scary as I do?

I hope some of my regular WA Style readers will share some fun facts about themselves or share links to other similar lists. Click on comment below!