Simon Armitage is growing on me a little.
Reply to this meme by yelling "Words!" and I will give you five words that remind me of you. Then post them in your LJ and explain what they mean to you.
Tagged by dammitliv: Seedy, Australian, China, Pancake, Knitting
1. Seedy
Hah. This is very much a fandom thing, but it applies to real life - in that I have a very seedy mind. Seriously, it is in the gutter and I really enjoy making the most innocuous things dirty. Like my collection of 'size matters' icons over at InsaneJournal (last count was 13, I think). I actually don't remember the exact origins of this seedy moustached brain, but it had something to do with sexual innuendoes.
It always does.
2. Australian
ittykat: <3
ittykat: <- knights you an honourary bogan <3
Me: :D
Me: i feel so... bogany
Not that Australian = bogan, but... you know. For some people it is that way.
I live in Australia. Have done so for the past decade, and it's my home. It's the one place I've spent the most time of my life, and in addition to legally being one, I identify as an Australian. Mostly. I love the country, I get indignant when people knock it, and I can picture myself living here in the future. It's not without its faults, but generally, a pretty good place to be.
Also I think Australians can pretty much avoid nuclear winters, or... freak weather winters, as evidenced by that highly, highly scientific map of the world in The Day After Tomorrow, so :D
3. China
ittykat: do you actually call yourself chinese-australian?
ittykat: is it kosher to be australian-chinese?
Me: i think i am kosher either way
Me: idc really how i'm classified
Me: just that i am ethnically one thing and my nationality is another
Me: so.
I don't play the Indignant Asian Person card very often, though I can. I was born in Beijing, and lived there until I was five (and then went to school for three years in Zhuo Zhou after returning from England, a city which is close enough to the capital that I generally just explain it as Beijing to others). You can say that propaganda was drilled into my head from a very early, impressionable age, so I still have certain knee-jerk reactions to various mentions of China in the media. I do still cheer the Chinese athletes in sports events - except in the recent swimming championships where that dude broke Grant Hackett's record. I'm sorry, but Grant Hackett > you, dude - and I still identify as Chinese to a certain extent.
I speak Chinese, I watch Chinese movies and TV shows, I read Chinese literature. I love the culture, and the history of the country. I don't care much for the politics, and I hate the animosity that is generated purely because I look Asian. There's this friend of mine who asks my opinion of various events that happen in China, or the diplomatic relationship between China and Australia, and I always get the feeling that he expects me to take sides and condemn China. While there are some cases I have to concede that the CCP is a bit of an arse (or... a lot of an arse), I really don't appreciate his judgment based on a couple of news reports on TV, or he makes sweeping generalisations about the people. My family are the people. They're a decent sort.
In conclusion, mostly I enjoy China. And the bargains to be had there. I'd never be able to shake my roots, nor do I particularly want to. While there are times I feel life would be so much easier if I was born in Australia, honestly I wouldn't change my circumstances for the world.
4. Pancake
What can I say, I really love them. Pancakes and waffles.
Liv had this exercise for her Chinese class where she had to interview someone. I, being the kind, generous soul that I am, volunteered. The topic? Pancakes. So for two minutes or so I talked about pancakes and how much I love them and how they're really versatile foods that you can have for breakfast, lunch or dinner and how they go great with a side of bacon (they do. Don't knock the pancakes-bacon-maple syrup combination until you try it). The happy ending to that story would be "and then I went and made myself some pancakes", but that didn't happen, because I was lazy.
I did have some banana pancakes a couple of days after, though. It was pretty awesome.
5. Knitting
I learnt how to knit late last year - it was a fun night, with Dr Who and Labyrinth and knitting. Since then I've taken on some projects, mostly... scarves. But I did finish a beanie some time ago, as well as some wrist-warmers, which aren't actually going to get all that much use now, since the weather's been very fine lately.
Anyway. It's a really fun activity, really, and it's always handy to be able to knit. IDK where the whole knitting stigma came from, because it is ridiculous. Knitting is something do to with my hands while watching a movie, and you get something at the end of it all. It's really a shame that knitting doesn't quite work while you're reading, because I would be all over that shiz.
I do love looking at various yarns and patterns, and trying out something new that is slightly tricky, but makes me feel so accomplished when I figure out how to maneuver it. In these instances I really have to thank the world for the internet, because without video tutorials I would be completely lost. Can't say I'm an addict just yet, but you know. Slowly getting there.
To add: To explain my growing fondness of Simon Armitage: for ENGL1500 we're reading a selection of his poems, and although I'm by and large not particularly appreciative of poetry, I am not entirely rejecting what I'm seeing. My current favourites are two, this first one is untitled, from his book Xanadu. I love the way it's constructed, basically:
And you held up the x-ray like an Oscar -
the green light, the all clear, that 'bravo'
from the night porter sending you fox-trotting
into the gift shop: whiskey for Victor,
golf balls for Charlie. Some bloody tour, the Seychelles,
India and Quebec, the Hotel Sierra for Pete's sake.
And hadn't you dreamt it - that runaway Alfa Romeo,
the slow crunch, all the sweetness of life dissolving
like sugar in hot tea which you cupped halfheartedly
saying it all in terms of swan songs and curtain calls.
But no, you were A1, OK, no pot needed.
No kilo of plaster to anchor you down
so you framed that negative - the two elegant bones -
the fibula and its friend like dance partners,
the thumbs-up, and your inhaled 'yes'
rushing off through the wards like a rumour,
its echo bouncing back to confirm it.
Clearly, you could see the comback: London,
November, the Papa Lima Club, no feedback
in the mike, the new troupe in New York Yankee duds,
uniform then peeling to a diamond, a delta
into which you strut, that tango number
with juliet cap and cane, a knockout. Lastly
the exit, and the bitches gather on the balcony
like Zulus as you execute that double cartwheel
into the wings, over and over and out.
My other favourite, one that is actually emotive, and beautiful on a few different levels, is called To His Lost Lover.
Tagged by dammitliv: Seedy, Australian, China, Pancake, Knitting
1. Seedy
Hah. This is very much a fandom thing, but it applies to real life - in that I have a very seedy mind. Seriously, it is in the gutter and I really enjoy making the most innocuous things dirty. Like my collection of 'size matters' icons over at InsaneJournal (last count was 13, I think). I actually don't remember the exact origins of this seedy moustached brain, but it had something to do with sexual innuendoes.
It always does.
2. Australian
ittykat: <3
ittykat: <- knights you an honourary bogan <3
Me: :D
Me: i feel so... bogany
Not that Australian = bogan, but... you know. For some people it is that way.
I live in Australia. Have done so for the past decade, and it's my home. It's the one place I've spent the most time of my life, and in addition to legally being one, I identify as an Australian. Mostly. I love the country, I get indignant when people knock it, and I can picture myself living here in the future. It's not without its faults, but generally, a pretty good place to be.
Also I think Australians can pretty much avoid nuclear winters, or... freak weather winters, as evidenced by that highly, highly scientific map of the world in The Day After Tomorrow, so :D
3. China
ittykat: do you actually call yourself chinese-australian?
ittykat: is it kosher to be australian-chinese?
Me: i think i am kosher either way
Me: idc really how i'm classified
Me: just that i am ethnically one thing and my nationality is another
Me: so.
I don't play the Indignant Asian Person card very often, though I can. I was born in Beijing, and lived there until I was five (and then went to school for three years in Zhuo Zhou after returning from England, a city which is close enough to the capital that I generally just explain it as Beijing to others). You can say that propaganda was drilled into my head from a very early, impressionable age, so I still have certain knee-jerk reactions to various mentions of China in the media. I do still cheer the Chinese athletes in sports events - except in the recent swimming championships where that dude broke Grant Hackett's record. I'm sorry, but Grant Hackett > you, dude - and I still identify as Chinese to a certain extent.
I speak Chinese, I watch Chinese movies and TV shows, I read Chinese literature. I love the culture, and the history of the country. I don't care much for the politics, and I hate the animosity that is generated purely because I look Asian. There's this friend of mine who asks my opinion of various events that happen in China, or the diplomatic relationship between China and Australia, and I always get the feeling that he expects me to take sides and condemn China. While there are some cases I have to concede that the CCP is a bit of an arse (or... a lot of an arse), I really don't appreciate his judgment based on a couple of news reports on TV, or he makes sweeping generalisations about the people. My family are the people. They're a decent sort.
In conclusion, mostly I enjoy China. And the bargains to be had there. I'd never be able to shake my roots, nor do I particularly want to. While there are times I feel life would be so much easier if I was born in Australia, honestly I wouldn't change my circumstances for the world.
4. Pancake
What can I say, I really love them. Pancakes and waffles.
Liv had this exercise for her Chinese class where she had to interview someone. I, being the kind, generous soul that I am, volunteered. The topic? Pancakes. So for two minutes or so I talked about pancakes and how much I love them and how they're really versatile foods that you can have for breakfast, lunch or dinner and how they go great with a side of bacon (they do. Don't knock the pancakes-bacon-maple syrup combination until you try it). The happy ending to that story would be "and then I went and made myself some pancakes", but that didn't happen, because I was lazy.
I did have some banana pancakes a couple of days after, though. It was pretty awesome.
5. Knitting
I learnt how to knit late last year - it was a fun night, with Dr Who and Labyrinth and knitting. Since then I've taken on some projects, mostly... scarves. But I did finish a beanie some time ago, as well as some wrist-warmers, which aren't actually going to get all that much use now, since the weather's been very fine lately.
Anyway. It's a really fun activity, really, and it's always handy to be able to knit. IDK where the whole knitting stigma came from, because it is ridiculous. Knitting is something do to with my hands while watching a movie, and you get something at the end of it all. It's really a shame that knitting doesn't quite work while you're reading, because I would be all over that shiz.
I do love looking at various yarns and patterns, and trying out something new that is slightly tricky, but makes me feel so accomplished when I figure out how to maneuver it. In these instances I really have to thank the world for the internet, because without video tutorials I would be completely lost. Can't say I'm an addict just yet, but you know. Slowly getting there.
To add: To explain my growing fondness of Simon Armitage: for ENGL1500 we're reading a selection of his poems, and although I'm by and large not particularly appreciative of poetry, I am not entirely rejecting what I'm seeing. My current favourites are two, this first one is untitled, from his book Xanadu. I love the way it's constructed, basically:
And you held up the x-ray like an Oscar -
the green light, the all clear, that 'bravo'
from the night porter sending you fox-trotting
into the gift shop: whiskey for Victor,
golf balls for Charlie. Some bloody tour, the Seychelles,
India and Quebec, the Hotel Sierra for Pete's sake.
And hadn't you dreamt it - that runaway Alfa Romeo,
the slow crunch, all the sweetness of life dissolving
like sugar in hot tea which you cupped halfheartedly
saying it all in terms of swan songs and curtain calls.
But no, you were A1, OK, no pot needed.
No kilo of plaster to anchor you down
so you framed that negative - the two elegant bones -
the fibula and its friend like dance partners,
the thumbs-up, and your inhaled 'yes'
rushing off through the wards like a rumour,
its echo bouncing back to confirm it.
Clearly, you could see the comback: London,
November, the Papa Lima Club, no feedback
in the mike, the new troupe in New York Yankee duds,
uniform then peeling to a diamond, a delta
into which you strut, that tango number
with juliet cap and cane, a knockout. Lastly
the exit, and the bitches gather on the balcony
like Zulus as you execute that double cartwheel
into the wings, over and over and out.
My other favourite, one that is actually emotive, and beautiful on a few different levels, is called To His Lost Lover.