Family news and a VERY long meme

Family news! My half brother Dan (he's 29) has got engaged! He's been with his girlfriend, Ruth, for like eight years, so it's about time! Anyway, it's really exciting, and now there's a wedding to look forward to! Yay!

Also, my cousin Philip and his wife Alice have given birth to their third child! They already have Bethany and Otto (see my posts after Christmas for photos) who are both unbelievably cute. And now they have a little sister! She was born at 2.28am this morning. No name as of yet, but my cousin Shusha said they were thinking of Eliza or Elsa. Now here's the weird part. All today I had been thinking about Philip and Alice and how they were due very soon, and then my dad told me the baby was born! And also, I was watching Comic Relief on Friday and they ahd a piece about a girl called Elsa. Me, with my weird interest in names, thought 'that's a really nice name' and the name Elsa had kind of been on my mind all weekend. I was going to add it to my favourite names' list (yes, I have one. Let's not get into that now.) at some point. Then I find out that Philip and Alice were considering Elsa for the new baby! And I had never really given the name a second thought until this weekend. Freaky....

Anyway, here's a meme, we haven't had one for a while, I feel. Beware, it's incredibly long.



How many keys are on your keychain?
6… I live in two different houses

Do you own an iPod?
No, just an MP3 player

What time is your alarm clock set for?
Um…. I don’t really use one. But it would be set for 7.30

How many suitcases do you own?
1?

Do you wear flip-flops even when it's cold outside?
No

Where do you buy your groceries from?
Sainsbury’s or Tesco

Would you rather take the picture or be in the picture?
Take the picture. I always look terrible in photos, plus I like photography.

What was the last movie you watched?
Erm… The Last Kiss on DVD

Do any of your friends have children?
No… they’re all like 15 and 16. Which doesn’t mean they couldn’t, I know some people that age do get pregnant, but not us.

If you won the lottery, what's the first thing you would buy?
The complete boxset of all the ‘Friends’ episodes!

Has anyone ever called you lazy?
Yes

Do you ever take medication to help you fall asleep faster?
No. I have taken a sleeping pill several times but not usually. Oh, my dad used to give me this herbal drink when I was younger, which was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted in my whole life!

What CD is currently in your CD player?
The soundtrack to Miss Saigon. I lost ti for several months and just found it, so now I’m listening to it loads.

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?
Regular I guess. I’ve never really tried chocolate milk. Sounds nice though…

Has anyone told you a secret this week?
I don’t think so

What did you have for dinner?
Sausage and mash, classic!

Do you wear hoodies often?
Yes

Can you whistle?
Yes, but not with the whole two fingers in the mouth thing, and not through my teeth.

Have you ever participated in a protest?
Not really. I helped campaign to save a local cinema when I was younger, but that’s about it.

Who was the last person to call you?
My dad... exciting!

What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?
Rollercoaster. But not the really scary ones, just the nice moderate ones.

Do you think people talk about you behind your back?
A bit, I mean, I go to a girls’ school, things get kinda bitchy.

What area code are you in right now?
That’s private!

Did you watch cartoons as a child?
No, I didn’t like cartoons.

How big is your local mall?
Um… normal mall size?

How many siblings do you have?
One older brother and one older half brother.

Are you shy around the opposite sex?
Not really

Have you ever had Jamba Juice?
Yeah… it was mentioned on The O.C. once I think.

When was the last time you laughed so hard your sides hurt?
Maybe at drama this week… or in French on Friday, we were laughing pretty hard then.

What movie do you know every line to?
The Parent Trap!

Do you own any band t-shirts?
No

When was your last plane ride?
Coming back from Amsterdam in December.

Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?
Laptop, though I do use my parents’ desktops.

Which do you make: wishes or plans?
Both

Are you always trying to learn new things?
I guess

Do you shower on a daily basis?
Pretty much

Are you currently wanting any piercings or tattoos?
I want my ears pierced since I’m 16 and haven’t got round to doing it yet! But I will, soon. I don’t want any tattoos.

Do you believe that the guy should pay on the first date?
Yes, I’m traditional like that.

Can you skip rocks?
Does that mean skim stones? Sometimes, but I’m not very good.

Have you ever been to Jamaica?
No

What to snack on at the movie theatres?
Revels or popcorn (the sweet kind, not salty)

Who was your favorite teacher?
I’ve had lots over the years. Ask me in ten years time.

Have you ever dated someone out of your race?
No

What is the weather like?
Cold and windy. And snowing a bit!

Would you ever date someone covered in tattoos?
No, I don’t like tattoos.

Do you have an online journal?
Um… take a look around.

What was your favorite class in high school?
Drama, well, still is.

Do you enjoy traveling via airplanes?
Yes, if there is good entertainment!

What personality trait is a must-have in the opposite sex?
Sense of humour and kindness

When was the last time you slept on the floor?
I actually can’t remember… must have been a while ago.

Does your closest Starbucks have a drive-thru?
No… do I didn’t know drive-thru Starbucks existed.

Do you like your living arrangement?
It’s OK, apart from the whole switching houses thing every couple of days, but I’m used to that.

What is your mother's hometown?
Durban, in South Africa

How many hours of sleep do you need to function?
Very few actually. I can be perfectly fine after only two or three hurs of sleep.

Do you eat breakfast daily?
Yeah, but not always in the holidays as I get up too late!

What was the last thing to scare you?
I honestly can’t remember. I don’t get scared very often, and I don’t watch many scary films/TV shows.

Are your days full and fast-paced?
On school days they’re pretty busy. On the weekends and the holidays I do nothing!

Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class?
Yes, I’ve been told to be quiet several times but nothing serious.

What is your favorite fruit?
Apples, blackberries, strawberries, grapes….

Do you pay attention to calories on the back of packages?
Nope

How old will you be turning on your next birthday?
17! Shit!

Are you picky about spelling and grammar?
Unbelievably picky. I’m always correcting my friends’ writing. I should become a proof reader when I’m older.

Do you believe in life on other planets?
I’m not sure.

Have you ever been to Six Flags?
No… we don’t have that here. Now it is just the one theme park or many? I never know.

Who was the last person to piss you off?
My mum

Do you believe that God has a gender?
A don’t believe in God

What was the last thing you ate?
A mini Magnum ice cream

Do you get along better with the same or opposite sex?
Probably the same sex because I’m more used to them, going to an all-girls school and stuff.

What did you dress up as for your first Halloween?
Can’t remember. Probably something incredibly boring, like a witch.


How did your parents pick your name?
Well, my first name (Sophie) my brother chose the day after I was born, because he liked a girl at his nursery school called Sophie. My middle name (Natalia), because my grandmother was called Natalia, also because my Mum grew up in Natal, a province of South Africa. But then when I was 2 my parents decided they didn’t like Sophie, so now I’m called Natalia.

Do you like mustard?
Noooo

Would you ever sky dive?
Maybe, if I was feeling adventurous.

Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?
Tummy, but I always wake up on my back.

What character from a movie most reminds you of yourself?
I’ve yet to encounter a character as witty and beautiful as me…… joke!

Have you ever bid for something on ebay?
No, but my dad has.

Do you enjoy giving hugs?
Yes.

Would you consider yourself to be fashionable?
I’m kind of nondescript in my clothing. I generally keep it simple.

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes, it’s very cool and nifty.

If someone you had no interest in dating expressed interest in dating you, how would you feel?
A lot more interested in dating them!!

What celebrities have you been compared to?
When I was about 7 someone told me I looked just like Joey from Dawson’s Creek…. But now I actually know who Katie Holmes is, and I don’t think I look like her.

Who is your favorite Star Wars character?
Star Wars is a phenomenon that has quietly passed me by…

Does it annoy you when someone says they'll call but never do?
I don’t think that has ever happened to me.

What books, if any, have made you cry?
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants…. when Bailey dies!

Do you think you're attractive?
Not really, no. I’m not grotesquely deformed but I’m not particularly attractive.

What are you allergic to?
Officially, nothing, but I always get sick when I eat prawns, so…

Are you a jealous person?
Sometimes.

What's your opinion on sex without emotional commitment?
It should be between two people who love each other, not just something fun to pass the time.

Do you ever feel guilty after eating meat?
Nope.

If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name have been?
Julian apparently…. Thank God I was born a girl!


My God, that really was long! I really should be going to bed now.

Bye!

Tallie xxx

A post on religion

I mentioned the movie 'Jesus Camp' yesterday. And although I couldn't manage to get the trailer on here (Blogger is so fussy with html codes!) you can watch it here: http://www.jesuscampthemovie.com/

It's freaky, right?

I am an athiest, as everyone who knows me knows. I've been doing a little research, and did you know that George Bush (senior, I think) said "No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.” And this is/was the PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. Christ! (no pun intented.)

Anyway, did you also know that Christians make up 75% of the American population and 75% of the prison population. Athiests make up 10% of the American population, and only 0.2% of the prison population. Ha! That makes me so happy. Also, did you know that the higher a person's intelligence, the more likely they are to be an athiest. That also makes me happy.

Yet another fact: according to a study of divorce rates by some Christian scientist, born again Christians are 27% likely to get divorced, mainstream Protestants 24% likely, and athiests and agnostics 21% likely. Oh yeah!

Not that Christians are bad, or wrong or anything (with the exception of those freaks in Jesus Camp) but I'm proud to be an athiest. Carl Sagan (whoever he may be) said "It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."

Anyway, I'd better go, but I want comments, you hear me??? COMMENT!

Tallie xxx

Weekend news and freaky Christians

Ah, the sweet relief of finishing mocks! They were all OK, and now we're getting all our results, joy! So far I've got 68% in Biology (whoops) but that's actually an A (yay!), 93% in French (A*) and 91% in Greek (A*).

A few days ago I thought of something really interesting I could talk about in my next post, not about me bua about life in general, and would you believe it, I can't remeber what it is. So you're stuck with my news.

This weekend I took the Rainbows (miniature Brownies) to the Zoo. It was fun, good weather, and I haven't been for ages, but it was tiring yelling at them to stay close the whole time. Hyper 6-year-old girls do have atendency to run off.

On Saturday night I had a sleepover at Jennie's, with Claire as well, and that was lots of fun. We watched Little Miss Sunshine. Johnny English, and bits of Fantasia and The Little Mermaid when we got into the early hours of the morning.

I've been reading about a film called Jesus Camp which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary this year. It's about these kids who go to an evangelical Christian camp and are taught things like repenting for your sins, protesting against abortions and Harry Potter, worshipping George Bush and dissing evolution. This kind of stuff fascinates me but terrifies me. It's freaky. Anyway, I really want to see it but I don't know if there is any plans for UK release.

My goodness it's windy outside. We've been having the weirdest weather recently. One day it's sunny and pleasant and feels like summer, the next we're having pouring rain and practically gale force winds. The days seem to alternate between the two.

God, i've actually started to talk about the weather on my blog. Must be getting desperate. I'll go and finish my Drama now (my last ever piece of Drama written work for this school year!!!).

Tallie xxx