Today's about me in more ways than one, so I thought it fitting to do the award/meme-thingy Epurica passed on to me. Thank you Epurica! :-)

Rules:

• Thank the person that gave you the prize
• Give the award to blogs you've recently discovered and think that deserve it
• Contact those bloggers and tell them about the award
• Write 7 random facts about you

Okay, right, soooo... lemmesee... :-)))

1. Back in the good old days when I still worked out regularly in the afternoons, I used my English-Hungarian dictionaries as dumbbells. They had an awful grip, but I suppose my fingers could very well use some exercise too (in addition to the hours of drawing I used to do). Let's just say my dictionaries and I have a very special connection... :-)
   
   
2. I wowe bunnies!!! When I was a child, I didn't have a single Teddy-bear, but I had toy bunnies by the dozen. :-)
   
   
3. There's a notice board beside my desk where I put clippings from brochures and magazines. They're photos of all the things I want, and whenever I get something, I remove its photo from the board. Looking at all those pretty things makes me happy, which in turn puts me into a positive state of mind, one in which I'm capable of attracting the things I desire. Well, I believe so anyway. :-)
   Right now, there's postcard I got from one of my ex-colleagues from New York, a printed picture of Lierac's Mésolift Serum, a photo of a lovely dark-blue summer-dress and a pair of brown leather sandals, a few pairs of earrings from an AVON brochure ('cause I want to have my ears pierced, but I'm sorta hesitant at the same time), a picture of LUSH's Veganese (should have removed that one... :-), and a postcard and a Dune fanart I got from my ex-students.
   
   
4. I can bend my thumb backwards at a 90° angle. Mum's always told me to pay attention not to do it in front of people, 'cause it looks weird and might freak some people out. I say, who the heck cares...?
   
   
5. I used to love ABBA and BoneyM when I was a little kid. Dad's musical taste must have rubbed off on me. (I still love ABBA though...)
   
   
6. I loathe jasmine in every shape and form, but love the scent of roses. Wonder what that says about me? (Besides the fact that I'm already an old lady at heart...)
   
   
7. When my music teacher heard me sing for the first time, he said I have perfect pitch and demanded that I sing in the school choir. I did that for about a year before I decided that I'd much prefer sleeping an extra hour to singing Kumbaya every morning, and flunked out (to my teacher's absolute horror). Though I love music, I haven't sung anything in 15 years...

Right, so now it's my turn to tag 7 people:

Spookuur
Sagu
Ale-M
Gabi
Niphetamin
DiAnais
Ladybird (You can do this in the comments, but only if you want to. :-))  

I shamelessly stole this from Chililady's DeviantArt journal. :-)

1. What were you doing at 7:00 this morning?

Running like an idiot to arrive to class on time. Naturally, I didn’t manage to.
Excuses, excuses… how lame, but here I go: I managed to blow a fuse in the morning, and had to replace it so that the deep-freezer wouldn’t defrost while I was away teaching.

2. How would you feel if you caught your ex and your best friend making out?

Haven’t had a boyfriend yet, so I really wouldn’t know... Lousy, I guess...

3. Who was the last person you talked to on the phone?

Dad. He comes in handy when a light bulb blows a fuse and you’re all alone at home. :-)

4. Do you like your life as of now?

Could be worse, but I don’t want to dwell on that. Then again, yeah, I think I do. I have kinda started liking teaching for the first time in months. Had a few successes and some positive feedback, so I’m pretty happy now.

English Class © Izar
Click to see the comic strip! Transcription:

5. Last thing you purchased?

Ice cream and a pack of paper tissues...

6. Do you steal?

Yes.

...

Bear with me... ;-)

I sometimes steal the looks Seeker comes up with.
Other times, I steal a glance at beautiful people, their make-up, outfit, or accessories. (I love people-watching.)
I also tend to steal some ideas from fellow teachers. They don't mind though; they all do the same, and none of us becomes any poorer.

:-)

7. How's your mood lately?

Tranquil.

8. Where did your last hug take place?

At home.

9. What are your plans for the weekend?

Go to my family’s summer cottage and break my self-imposed solitude.

10. Did you have a good birthday this year?

You could say that… Nothing special. Got a pair of Sennheiser headphones I’ve been lusting after for ages (the old one finally broke, hallelujah). Music’s never sounded this good. :-)

11. Are you tired right now?

No. I’ve just had an extra 4 hours of sleep, which should make up for the fact that I slept 5 hours each day this week.

12. Do you chew on your straws?

I don’t use straws to drink. I haven’t used them since I was 5.

13. Last inbox text message from?

One of my students.

14. How many children do you plan on having?

None. (If I did want children, I'd say 2. You don't want to be an only child, believe me.)

Mother and Child © Izar

15. Is your hair curly?

When it’s in a foul mood, yes. It’s mostly just wavy, except when I make an effort and make it behave with my flat iron.

16. Are you able to climb a chain link fence?

Never in a million years. I don’t even know exactly what a “chain link fence” is, to be quite honest, but it sure sounds pretty “unclimbable” to me. I’m that much in the dark when it comes to sports…

17. How much longer will you be living at your current residence?

For another year or two, that much is certain. Maybe longer if things turn out that way.

18. Have you kissed anyone on the lips within the past 24 hours?

No.

19. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight?

Yes. Is the word “thesis” enough to explain?

20. Do you like someone that doesn't know you like them?

Yes.
How many times have you not told someone you liked them? And how many times have you not been told the same? How many times have you missed out on being loved because of formalities and stupid unwritten social laws…?

HP Infauations 3 © Izar

21. Do you cry easily?

No. I never cry in front of other people (only in front of my parents) and can’t really understand why other people do… Which is very insensitive of me, I know.

22. Do you have any siblings?

Two older step brothers. We don’t see (or know) each other much. Which is perfectly okay by me…

23. Where did you go today?

To teach and supervise a written exam.

24. Name someone who made you smile today?

My students. (No names, sorry.)

25. What is your favourite place to "get away"?

My home, when it’s my parents who “get away”, and I’m left all alone. Sheer bliss! :-)

26. Your favourite thing to drink on a hot summer day?

Cold, still mineral water. (I'm just boring like that...)

27. What is something that you want?

Something??? Just one thing? You’ve got to be kidding me…

I want my student to pass his business English exam.
I want my other student to use the language with more accuracy (he’s an advanced learner, so it’s about time for him to…).
I want to be a good teacher, someone inspirational, someone whom students will remember for a long time, but I’m still pretty far away from that…
I want someone to love me. (NOT my parents, obviously…)

And the list goes on and on…

28. Can your take a bra off with one hand?

I'm pretty sure I could if I tried. :-)

29. Who will you be sleeping with tonight?

No boyfriend in sight, so pretty much alone.

30. Do you like Oreos?

Sorry, never ate any before. I’m curious though: people seem to be crazy about them... :-)

31. Last time you cleaned?

If you mean myself: just this morning.

If you mean the flat: erm, a very long time ago. Mum reserves the right to do that, because no one seems to be able to do it as perfectly as her. Go figure…

32. Do you do your own laundry?

I usually help Mum do it. Like, collect scattered pieces of laundry in the flat, and then hand them over to her… *blushes fervently*

Nowadays, however, the washing machine and I have become pretty good friends.

33. Baths or showers?

Both.

34. Do you take out the trash?

Yes.

35. Are you getting engaged any time soon?

Woah, don’t make me think that far ahead!! Hurts my pretty head…
Seriously, no. I need a guy to like me enough first, and with my attitude, that’ll be a heroic feat on his part.

36. What's the best part about being single?

All I’ve ever been was single in my life so I can’t exactly compare, but I enjoy being able to make my own decisions, and not having to adapt to anyone else. I like being myself to the fullest. Dunno… I’m actually quite fed up with being single, so could we just drop the question? Ta.

When I'm Alone in the Night © Izar

37. What did you do last Saturday night?

Stayed up quite late reading the history of the Hungarian fanbase of Depeche Mode… If that’s not weird, then I don’t know what is…

38. Are you tanned?

Just a bit. I believe in sunscreen and preserving my skin for future years. (And hope my zits will get lost at some point along the way.)
Credit for making me see sense when it comes to sun protection goes to Bagaela. ;-)

39. What's one thing you actually remember about kindergarten?

That I hated it with a passion and couldn’t wait to get out of there. I was so alone at first, and even when I finally made some friends, I never really enjoyed being among noisy kids whom I never really understood, even back then. I wanted to stay home with my Dad and draw, paint, read (yes, I could read at the age of 4), and play with my toys quietly. Maybe listen to some music and the news in the kitchen, and be with my godparents, asking them questions about the world, and not be treated as just another silly kid by the nurses in KG.

40. Do you prefer to call or text someone?

Text. I hate calling people on the phone.

41. Last movie you watched?

Umm… Do TV shows count? If they do, then “Heroes”. (I can’t even begin to tell you how much I LOVE that show!!!) If not, I can’t remember…

42. Are you excited for anything?

My two-week-long vacation. Okay, I may have said I like teaching now, but I’ll choose vacation over teaching any time.

43. Have you ever been given roses?

By my parents. On my B-Day.

44. What is your all-time favourite romance movie?

The Fountain. Which, by the way, I do NOT classify as a primarily romantic movie, but it has a strong romantic element, and is one that immediately came to my mind, probably because I like how it puts "romance" in a complex context and tells the viewer so many things with its help. Watch it sometime! ;-)

45. Who do you hate right now?

No one. At least, I’d like to think that I’m over the “I-hate-her-because-she-made-my-life-a-living-hell-in-high-school” period of my life. So, no, not even HER.

I had a period in my life when I hated absolutely everyone and everything, and I never want to experience it again. It took me to the point where it actually manifested physically (illnesses by the dozen) and I learned that hatred will only hurt you, and never the one you actually hate. It’s not worth it. And now, I wouldn’t even want the one I hate to get hurt, so no thanks.

 

Hi gals!

I've been tagged by The Seeker, a wonderful friend of mine, so there you have it, more bits and pieces of me.

Thank you dear, I loved this one!

8 Things I Am Passionate About (in no particular order)
1. art&crafts
2. English language
3. makeup and cosmetics
4. religions&philosophy
5. computers
6. pens, papers, Post-It blocks, art tools, erasers, folders (No, seriously, you need to use extreme force to get me out of a stationery shop.)
7. animal welfare
8. alternative medicine (And traditional, if I want to know what dangers to avoid in the future.)

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die (in no particular order)
1. Discover and put to use all my different talents and abilities and help others with them.
2. Learn to consciously create my own reality.
3. Travel and see the world (Sweden and the US come first on my list).
4. Make some jewelry using Japanese delica beads. :-)
5. Get rid of my fear of flying, otherwise I’ll never be able to even start on No. 3. (And while at it, it’d be nice to do the same thing with my fear of dogs…)
6. Buy myself a Wacom tablet.
7. Read as many books as I can.
8. Go to a Body Shop store. ;-)

8 Things I Say Often (in no particular order)
1. Brilliant…
2. Guys, I’m off to the library.
3. Mmhmm, just a moment…
4. There you are munchkin!!! Come here and let me nibble on your ears! (A cry followed by desperate meowing and hissing from said munchkin … :-)
5. Thank you!
6. The Present Perfect Tense is used when we wish to talk about…
7. Oh no! Not apple pie again!
8. Umm, well, I applied for this job because…

8 Books I Have Read Lately (in no particular order)
1. A Door Into Ocean – Joan Slonczewski
2. Mort – Terry Prachett
3. Sunstorm – Arthur C. Clarke & Stepher Baxter
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – J. K. Rowling (Only for the second time since it came out. Shame on me.)
5. Queen of the Damned – Anne Rice
6. A Year Like None Other – Aspen in the Sunlight (Almost 3000 Word pages long, this novel-length Harry Potter fanfiction is the best I’ve ever read. And I’ve read quite a lot. I think it's by far the longest as well, but it's worth every minute! I also finished its sequel, A Summer Like None Other a while ago.)
7. A Hungarian book about geopathic rays
8. Grammar Practice Activities – Perry Ur (A lifesaver for all ESL teachers!)

8 Songs I Could Listen to Over and Over (in no particular order)
1. Queen of Rain - Roxette
2. Ordinary -Train
3. Coloured Bedspread – Annie Lennox
4. Caught in the Rain - Revis
5. The Day After Tomorrow - Saybia
6. Good Times Gone - Nickelback
7. Wonder – Megan McCauley
8. End of the World – Armor for Sleep

8 Things That Attract Me to My Best Friends (in no particular order)
1. That they accept me for who and what I am
2. That I can talk to them about things that truly interest me
3. That I’m instantly comfortable around them
4. That no matter how much time passes between meeting each other, we can always pick up where we had left
5. That we make each other laugh
6. That they introduce me to new things
7. That sometimes we seem to communicate without words
8. That every time we meet we give each other positive energy that keeps us going till next time

I think I'll take the easy way out of this and encourage everyone who stops by to do this if they wish.  

Guess what! The other day I was particularly in the mood for a tag and even searched around the web looking for blog memes when all of a sudden The Seeker left a comment in one of my posts saying I was tagged. I say she can read minds. :-)

Anyway, what I have to do is show you my bag and six items that I usually carry in it. Here goes...

My bag is from AVON: it's one of the few I actually like from their collection. And until I get a job and get some money I'll have to make do with cheap bags from AVON.... Oh, by the way, say hello to Bara, my doll! :-)

My make-up bag (crocheted and embroidered by me) and its contents:

• Alverde lip balm (can't live without it)
• Bourjois Petit Guide de Style in Call Me Rose
• Freeman Peppermint and Plum Foot Lotion depotted into a pump-bottle (I use it as a hand-cream: it's the best! See my blog's sidebar!)
• Guerlain Insolence EdP sample (I adore that scent!)
• A pair of foldable scissors
• Two Bourjois lip-glosses: shade 49 and 5

My brown leather wallet and keys: the keychain has an ankh (this symbol means a lot to me) and a handmade glass bead on it.



A Zebra pen and the annual ELLE calendar. I religiously buy their December issue every year. (And the other 11 issues as well... :)


My battered, old cell-phone... I've had it for 3 years now. I actually don't like cell-phones much (Every time I turn it off, which happens very rarely, I feel as if I had cast the ball and chain off my feet.) but I must have mine with me, otherwise I can't function in this modern world of ours.



I almost always have a book in my bag in case I get to sit down on the bus or the subway and read a bit. Reading makes boring travel-time fly by: one minute I sit down, and the next I'm already at my destination!


A pair of gloves: I simply won't step out of my home without them in this cold weather. :)

And now comes the usual whining: who the heck should I tag??? I don't have many blogger friends yet and they've probably done this already. Oh well, I'll tag:

Mikaela
Divine Blackness
Chililady

Do it if you feel like it. :-)

 

I got tagged by Divine Blackness from Clumps of Mascara so now I'll tell you 7 things about myself.

1. I graduated from university this spring with a degree in English Language and Literature. I plan to study foreign trade next, because my degree in humanities isn't worth anything these days. (At least in Hungary...)
   
   
2. We've known each other for 13 years with my best friend.
   
   
3. My first perfume ever was called Pocahontas and I got it in a souvenir shop in Disneyland Paris at the age of 12. I chose it (and then persuaded my Mum to buy it for me) because it wasn't your average little girls' perfume. It had a sweet but spicy scent that set it apart from the rest of the perfumes on the shelf. I still have the bottle... :-)
   My signature scent is now Lanvin Eclat D'Arpege.
   
   
4. Countries I've visited so far include Italy, France, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania (Transylvania). Countries I'd love to visit in the future are Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan and the United States.
   
   
5. I saw the Dalai Lama when he came to bless the first Hungarian stupa in 1993.
   
   
6. I love to draw and paint. You can view my works on izar.deviantart.com.
   
   
7. I love animals and had always wanted a cat, but I only got one three years ago. I don't consider myself a cat-owner though: it's the cat that owns the entire family. We're more sort of her guardians who protect her, take care of her, play with her, and love her to no end. (And take lots of cr*appy pictures with our phone...)

Right. Now I know that the rules state that I should tag seven other bloggers who I know read my blog, but I only know of three and they've already been tagged and done this. Thus, I have no other choice but to extend a tagging hand at anyone who visits my blog and wants to do this.

Cheers!