TAG - 25 Random Facts

Ahhh, it's that time of the year again, where bloggers delightfully indulge in the activity called 'tagging', and this time round I have been tagged by Fauziah Ismail. And so, to kill multiple birds with one stone (by answering this tag I also answer previous tags made by some blogger friends), here are 25 random facts about me:

1)I used to be a gaming addict during my student years, playing games from dawn to dusk on my computer and console when I had the time. Not so much anymore, though I do enjoy the occasional game.

2) I first met my wife at the bowling alley. We were both teachers, bringing our bowling teams for the district tournament.

3) I used to think that my name was ‘Ambulat’ when I was about 4, but got to know otherwise a year later. This was probably because my parents always called me by my full name, and that was how it sounded to a small child... Kinda aptly describes my shape now though.

4) To date, I have written 5 songs, most of them during my college/uni years. I have started writing about 7 other songs, but never got round to finishing them.

5) In college, I was never seen without my guitar... kind of like a wandering troubadour playing mostly to myself, but entertaining anyone who wanted to listen.

6) In Uni in England, I sang on stage in a performance and made many women cry when I sang a song about a mother and daughter.

7) When I was at school in England, my artwork was always featured on the walls inside the school corridors, and was always put up in the school art exhibitions, and shown to other students during art class... This made my sister more than a little peeved.

8) I used to write short stories and mini novels when I was in high school... God knows where they are now – I’m not very good at keeping things.

9) My record for not sleeping was during my student years, where I went 3 whole days and nights without sleep to attend classes and finish assignments. This would not have been possible without a massive dose of coffee and cigarettes... Not something I would even REMOTELY try nowadays.

10) Much to the disappointment of my father, I started smoking when I was in Kuwait, went off it for a while finishing high school back in Malaysia, and went back on cigarettes in college. Was known to be one of the heavier smokers back then. My apologies Dad... I was young and stupid.

11) Quit smoking for good in 1999. I went cold turkey. It was hell for the first 3 months, and very bad for the next year or so, and just bad for the following year. During this time I never lit up even once. And Alhamdulillah, after about 3 years, I was finally rid of the curse of the cigarette. I've been clean for a full decade now. My advice to others – Don’t even start smoking, unless you’re willing to put in 3 long years of ‘rehab’.

12) I wanted to be a lawyer after high school, but didn’t manage to get a place in Uni in Law. TESL was my fourth choice.

13) In college, I hated being called ‘teacher’ or ‘cikgu’. It was just so uncool.

14) After starting to work as a teacher, I loved being called ‘cikgu’. It just made interaction with other people so easy.

15) I never knew what life in a FELDA settlement was like before I started teaching in Bandar Tenggara. Prior to that, I had always thought of FELDA settlements as being no more than a bunch of wooden houses in the middle of a rubber plantation.

16) My corporate image is black trousers, black shirt, black blazer, no tie, with 2 buttons open. Also the gold shine of my Parker pen arrow in my shirt pocket would be the only accessory I have on my ensemble.

17) I am now an experienced and accomplished debater and public speaker, but I actually froze on stage during my very first public speech at age 12. This humiliating experience haunted me until I left primary school.

18) There was a time when I used to be obsessive-compulsive, like Adrian Monk, but I’m actually much better now. However, sometimes if my students are very observant , they might catch me lining up my books, marker pens and files all exactly parallel to each other.

19) I have acted with Nabil Raja Lawak in a UTM produced short-film. This was before his popularity sky-rocketed.

20) When I have the time, I will decorate my house with abstract paintings that I am going to paint myself...But I need to learn oil-painting techniques first.

21) I have multiple sports injuries that I have picked up over the years, two of them permanent – dislocated wrist from weight-lifting, and injured knees also from weight-lifting.

22) I used to be a weightlifter for Terengganu, preparing for the 1996 SUKMA. I was cut 3 days from the competition, because of the injuries that I had sustained 2 weeks before.

23) I think it is horrible and unacceptable the way some Malaysians (especially Malays) treat some Bangladeshis and Africans. This is because many of these people (the Malays) have never felt what it is like to be a minority outside their home country.

24) I think I would have done well as an interior designer. I think I am artistic, and have a good grasp of how colours and patterns go together. Just give me a good budget, and I’ll transform your home (I think).

25) I can’t believe how much personal stuff I have divulged in this entry.

I'm not one to impose any tagging on people, but I do think it is a fun way of knowing anyone who reads this blog. So, let's do it this way - if you've read my tag, consider yourself tagged, and give me a buzz to let me know when you've completed the tag. It would be absolutely superb to get to know you more. Please do!