50 things about me

50 things about me

1. I grew up in a single parent family and only met my father when I was 18 years old
2. I love cats
3. I used to speak Hebrew fluently – my degree was in Hebrew and law
4. I am not Jewish
5. I left home when I was sixteen
6. I once ate so much garlic I passed out (it could’ve been the wine though)
7. I once sneaked into the Royal Academy of Music in Copenhagen with a Russian pianist friend who played the most fantastic music all evening. It was in the dark with only street lights as we were not supposed to be there.
8. I lived in Holland for a year and spent the whole time in a doped up world of my own.
9. I spent a year on a kibbutz
10. I am on my second marriage – the first had no kids and no passion
11. I used to be a divorce lawyer for the firm that did Lady Di and Prince Charles divorce.
12. The thing I love doing most is laughing.
13. My favourite author is Dostoyevsky (bit of a contradiction with no. 12 above).
14.My favourite film is the Colour Purple – the book was a bit disappointing.
15 .My favourite artists are Van Morrison and Jimi Hendrix
16. I despise superficial relationships – they are such a waste of effort.
17. My feet are size 8.
18. I’d like my jeans to also be a size 8 (they are most definitely not at the moment).
19. I ran my first half marathon this year (Two Oceans). I had never run in my life until 8 weeks before the race.
20. I have a brother James who lives in the UK who does I don’t know what but seems very happy and doesn’t harm anyone so I don’t care what he does (he is always very evasive).
21. I married my first husband in San Francisco.
22. I edited two academic books on Middle Eastern Law – Commercial Law in the Middle East and The Arab Israeli Accords.
23. I used to be able to do the Rubik’s cube in under one minute 30 seconds – with a bit of help from sunlight liquid to make the joints more smooth.
24. My favourite colours are purple and green.
25. I once appeared on E News talking about Jurgen Harkson – the German fraudster.
26. My favourite SA bands are Southern Gypsy Queen and Bed on Bricks – my favourite solo artist (SA) is Dave Ferguson – a wicked harmonica player.
27. I love chocolate but unfortunately I am diabetic
28. I am determined to kick diabetes into touch so if you wonder why I spend so much time at the gym and running now you know.
29. I can lift 70kgs with my legs (leg press) and 18kgs using my none too measly chest (chest press).
30. The thing that has brought me greatest happiness in life is my husband and two lovely children.
31. On my bucket list I would have swimming with dolphins near to the top.
32. I really find it difficult to like Americans/
33. I once pulled a knife on a Greek policeman.
34. I almost got caught with cannabis (for personal use only) on a train on the Yugoslav/Greek border and on a bus on the Dutch/Belgium border.
35. My greatest fear is anything bad happening to my children.
36. One of the most inspirational people for me is an ex domestic worker – Lindiwe – who has gone from nothing (arriving in a taxi from Transkei with one bag) to training to be a nursing sister, owning her own two story home and all the while maintaining a family of 13 people single handed.
37. Before I die I must learn a musical instrument (recorder doesn’t count).
38. The thing I miss most about England besides the sweets, biscuits and real chippy chips is the light hearted approach to life the people I grew up with had – maybe its just age but everyone I meet seems to take life so seriously (with one or two exceptions).
39. The person I miss the most is my Nannah – Hannah who died just after my daughter Hannah was born.
40. The meanest thing I’ve done in my life ---- I can’t think of anything really mean.
41. I thought I could tell you all my darkest secret but I can’t – it’ll just have to be a few of you that know and you know who you are.
42. I want to home school my children.
43. The thing I miss most about me is my originality and spontaneity.
44. The thing I love most about me is my frustration with standing still – it keeps me interested in life.
45. I dislike intensely my big boobs – give me a 32AA any day.
46. I love watching fish swimming and I especially love the Kelp Forest at the Aquarium.
47. I am a compulsive bookaholic and if ever my husband can’t find me he just goes to the nearest book shop. I just don’t get the general lack of interest in this country in buying books.
48. Why is it that having no maid is a real bummer yet having one can be just as difficult.
49. I really need to thank the person that told me that whenever I feel intimidated by a person (they were referring to judges in particular) I must just imagine them in their underpants – it really brings them down to the same level (and lower even if they are fat balding and over 70!).
50. Another great piece of advice I received (also from a lawyer) is to keep quiet when arguing a point as people hate silence and if you keep quiet the other will either give in or give valuable concession or information or just give up giving you time to go away calm down and think more carefully about things. Silence is truly golden.