Everything You've Always Wanted to Know About... Me!

Alright! Alright! Perhaps not EVERYthing, but interesting tidbits that I haven't shared with you yet. Why these sudden confidences? Because I was tagged by Shannonmarie of Rawdorable yesterday so now I get to reveal 5 things you don't already know about me.

Okay, here we go...

Number 1:
As a teenager, I was a bit of a rebel. I'd dress in oversize men's and used army clothes, and would get all kinds of weird hairdos. As I lived in a small town in the boonies at the time, it certainly didn't go unnoticed. Among other things, in the space of 3 years, I got an Iroquois cut (my mom sure was thrilled about that one! NOT!!!), hairdos a la Corey Hart, a la Cyndi Lauper, and not to forget Robert Smith from The Cure. I have done my share of damage to the ozone layer; I'd use so much hairspray for the latter that I was on the verge of turning into the flying nun every time the wind picked up! lol

Ahh! The good ol' days! I've always hanged on to the photo booth pics I took, thinking it would be fun to show my grandchildren one day. Not sure whether I'll ever get the chance as the clock is ticking away, but it's still a blast whenever I dig them out.


Number 2:
You know how, looking back, you can see that certain decisions had a major impact on the way the rest of your life unfolded? It was the case for me when I participated in an exchange program back in 1988. I went to Wilson, North Carolina where I lived with a family who welcomed me as one of their own for close to a year.

During that time, I attended and graduated from the local high school, and got to learn about the American culture first hand. Not only did this amazing experience allow me to become fluent in English, but also to meet a bunch of other exchange students from around the world; some of which I even visited later on. As it turned out, this was only the beginning, as I've ended up spending a big chunk of my life outside of Quebec, where I was born.


Number 3:
At age 19, I put on my back pack and took off traveling for a year, mostly in Ireland and the rest of Central Europe. The Berlin Wall fell right around then, so these were interesting times to say the least. Everyone I'd meet in youth hostels were talking excitedly about how 'history was being made,' in the countries that used to be hidden behind the Iron Curtain. So instead of spending a month in Spain as I originally intended to do, I headed out for Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary. Yet another experience that has changed the course of my life in a definitive way. I returned to Europe in 1995 in order to study history at the University of Swansea in Wales.


Number 4:
Before moving to British Columbia in 2000, I used to make a living with the didgeridoo. Incidentally, I first heard it played at a gig in Wales, and was so enthralled by its sound that I decided to learn how to play it. Upon my return to Montreal, I met someone who imported me a traditional Australian didgeridoo - a branch from an eucalyptus tree that was naturally hollowed out by termites. (Isn't Nature incredible?)

Eventually, I started to make didgeridoos out of ABS pipes, which I painted and sold at festivals and art shows. Besides teaching how to play didge to children and mentally handicapped people, I also performed with other musicians and practiced sound healing.


Number 5:
Before playing with food, I used to play with yarn and needles. I'm particularly fascinated by lace knitting. It is so delicate and magical, I just adore it! It made me feel like a spider spinning her web. I've knitted tops, ponchos, hats, scarves, socks, sweaters, doilies, and even pants. I also began working on a couple of shawls - my most challenging projects by far - but my left wrist started acting up due to carpal tunnel syndrome. Sadly, I had to put my needles away, and haven't knitted in almost 2 years now. On the good side, this has allowed me to channel my creative energy towards raw food prep instead. I gotta say that it surely is nice to be able to enjoy my creations after only a few minutes or hours. I do miss knitting, however, and hope I'll be able to do so again one day.

Wow! Talk about time warps... I feel as though this all happened in a past life! Alright! Now that I've bared it all, I get to tag 5 other bloggers. Audrey, Rawkin, Jessica, Sara and Anthony, your turn to tell us a bit more about yourselves! ;-)