TAGGED

In reply to Aieen's tag in FB, here goes..
25 random things about me?

1. I was a difficult baby, even in Mum's womb. She had morning sickness for months, couldn't swallow anything except apples, kopi-o, water and dry biscuits. To remind me of the torture she endured, she had me named after the apples.. and I disliked my name during my school days. Hard to pronounce properly.

2. I've always been a late sleeper, perhaps because I was born at night. Mum kicked me out into the dark hall along with my baby crib once because I used to chatter loudly when everyone wanted to sleep. Oh, I howled and woke everyone up!

3. Every Chinese New Year I'd fight with a male cousin until we were both 12 years old. Punches, cat-claws and kicks. Because it's bad luck to scold children on that day, we'd end up being consoled with ice-cream and CNY goodies, hahahaa.. manipulation.

4. I have a weakness for chocolates, ice-cream, ice-cream, ice-cream..

5. I love to sing songs. I'm a soprano. School days were full of choir performances. Now limit my singing to the closed comfort of the home and car.

6. Mum wanted me to be an accountant but I hate numbers. Still don't see the importance of learning calculus and algebra in my life, hehehe.

7. I stopped taking pork 6 months before my official reversion to Islam. Don't miss much of it. Don't think too much it, although I still avoid walking near the barbequed pork stalls.

8. I can kill cockroaches easily with a roll of newspapers but I stay away from big black spiders. euwww!

9. I've fear of heights. But I managed to do abseiling and walk on the monkey bridge during my outdoor camp. Don't ask me to do them again.

10. I like to walk fast. Stride. Good for breathing. And when Puan Aliya walks by, students automatically move to the sides.

11. I prefer dogs to cats. I find dogs loyal and forgiving while cats are more selfish and self-centred. That's why I haven't got myself a cat. Yet.

12. I love fresh flowers and live plants although I wish they could water themselves, haha.

13. I've a soft heart for stray kittens and puppies in trouble. As a child, I used to rescue them from drains near my house.

14. The only pet I officially own now is an aquarium of guppies, which are very productive.

15. I used to write long letters to pen-pals. When I was 16, I once wrote a 16-paged letter in English, hand written, hehehe. My pen-pal, Sebastian, had to beg for shorter narrations of the latest news in my life.

16. The book I've read in the shortest time is Travelog Haji. Took me a few hours of nonstop reading to finish the whole book. Love it!

17. I love doing solat jamaah with my husband as the imam. That's very seldom, of course.

18. I've a chest full of tudung, some of which I don't wear anymore because they're no longer up to my requirement. Am still wondering what to do with them.

19. I once wrote a list of things to do by the time I'm 25. Still got 3 wishes that I havent fulfilled. To have children, to write a book, and to be very very rich, hehehee.

20. I'm grateful to Mum and grandma who took me from Kedah to Penang hospital every week after my birth for physical examination. It was a long 2 hour journey to and fro by public bus and ferry. I still can't run fast today due to 'weak' ankles.

21. I like to do crochet and embroidery. Helps to reduce stress. Unfortunately I have no time for that anymore. No wonder I'm under stress..

22. I didn't watch tv for 3 years during my varsity days and have become smarter, hahaha.

23. My closest friends during schooldays were a group of Malay girls, 2 Indians and I was the only Chinese. The muhibbah gang. We've found each other again after 20 years.

24. To make sure that he's the chosen man, I gave him a special riddle. He answered correctly. I married him.

25. 10 years ago, when I first wanted to revert to Islam, I chose the name Liyana. So 10 years later, the name Aliya suddenly became preferable among a few selected. I only realised the similarity months later. Liyana - Aliya. Needless to say, I'm glad I've chosen Aliya, hehehe.