This one involves the number 8, which for the Chinese is a lucky number – because it sounds similar to the word which means “wealth” in Chinese. Not at all like the number 4, which sounds exactly like “death” – I learned this many years ago when I worked in retail, Chinese customers never wanted a phone number with a number 4 anywhere in the digits. Always found that interesting. In some Asian countries there isn’t even a floor no. 4…

This is the 8 things meme…

Eight things I like:

1. Photos.
2. One to one conversations.
3. Really strong coffee.
#. Working with my hands.
5. Learning new words.
6. Solving a problem.
7. Thoughtfulness.
8. Dancing in the kitchen.

Eight things I did yesterday:

1. Got on a train at 7am.
2. Participated in a student showcase.
3. Had lunch with a good friend.
#. Felt bipolar.
5. Talked to a stranger.
6. Thumbed through 100’s of comics.
7. Put together a Chinese 3D wooden puzzle.
8. Laughed so hard I got a stitch in my side.

Eight things I wish I could do:

1. Go into Space.
2. Go Whale Watching.
3. Write a novel.
#. Swim every day.
5. Live in the City.
6. Be my own boss.
7. Remember the lyrics to songs.
8. Have a conversation with my grandparents.

Eight things I don’t like:

1. Personality being used as an excuse for negative behaviour.
2. My groundhog days.
3. Materialism.
#. Nightclubs.
5. Cut and paste personalities.
6. Accidentally drinking cold coffee.
7. Not being taken seriously.
8. Not knowing what’s going to happen next.

Tagging… Curlydena, because she’s new to my rss feed (and twitter!) and I’d like to learn more about the Curly one.

At least he didn’t slice and dice me

Here are the rules:

1) Put the link of the person who tagged you on your blog.
2) Write the rules.
3) Mention 6 things or habits of no real importance about you.
4) Tag 6 persons adding their links directly.
5) Alert the persons that you tagged them.

1. My alarm is always set for 6.45am but I don’t get out of bed until 7am – it’s a fake 15 minutes extra sleep, or sometimes I just lie there listening to the radio thinking about what I’d do if I had the day off.

2. The first thing I do when I get home from work is go to my desk and press the ON button for my radio – which is always tuned to PhantomFM and doesn’t get turned off till around 10pm.

3. I always get a Metro in the morning, despite knowing that it’s total drivel. I save it for lunchtime to give myself a break from the computer and I always read my horoscope, just so I can scoff at it.

4. The only personal items on my work desk are a “Word Origin of the Day” calendar and an uneaten candycane stuck between some pens in my organiser.

5. It still surprises me when a friend says “I can’t imagine you with long hair”, like I’ve forgotten they’ve not known me forever.

6. I can’t stand the smell of bananas, and it makes me gag to look at them when they’re black.

Tagging Noel-y Pie, Stacey Face, Smiley Eily, Will Knott, Phil and Tommy.

I really liked Jentertainment’s one, especially the part about Elephants – it’s her first meme!

1. When my dog Ben nudges my hand with his head, looking for rubs and attention.
2. Making scrambled egg on Sundays for Jen.
3. Music that makes me feel.
4. Words that make me think.
5. Reading the entire Sunday Times out in the backgarden.
6. Dinner conversations with my family.
7. Writing something I’m proud of.
8. Seeing how in love my parents still are with each other.
9. Taking photos and feeling connected to them.
10. Solving a problem for someone.

Inspired by Peter

The Rules:

• Pick 8 people you’d like to invite to dinner, dead or alive or re-animated / resurrected.
• Say why
• Link your answers back to HERE
• Give credit to the person who tagged you
• Tag three others

Guestlist

Douglas Adams – My favourite author, I have devoured everything he has written many times over. I’d ask him how the Salmon of Doubt was supposed to continue and end, and if he was ever really planning on a 6th Hitchhikers book.

Stephen Fry – I’ve always imagined that Stephen and I would get along fabulously, I’d really like to see if that’s true or not. If I could be friends with anyone on the planet, I’d choose him.

Philip K. Dick – I would love to hear him tell his own life story and how he felt about becoming a well known author in death, rather than in life.

Jakob Nielsen – A really nerdy choice, I know! I’d ask what direction he thought the web would take in the next 10 years and I’d also try to persuade him to give me a job.

Dr. Jennifer Preece – A researcher that I have referenced countless times, I would revel in the opportunity to tap into her social psychology and usability knowledge face to face.

Will Ferrell – I saw him “perform live” when he was at UCD and found him not only completely hilarious, but totally and utterly charismatic. I could listen to his anecdotes for hours.

Ellen Page and Tina Fey – Because every dinner party needs funny, sexy, women.

It’s taken me ages to post this, so I’m not sure if the following have already been Meme-ed, but I’m doing it anyway because I’d be most interested in reading Alexia, David and Tim‘s dinner party guestlists.

“Wants to know something about everything.”