Thursday 7 March 2013

lists meme

I got this from Lady Jennie, who blogs as A Lady in France (she is American, married to a Frenchman). You can read her answers here. I thought it might be a  pleasant lunchtime distraction.


What were you doing ten years ago?
 
Being a Member of Parliament in the UK. It was a good year, all told, but that was another life, and another world. And it didn't leave time for books, music or anything else, much.
 
What five things are on your to-do list?
 
More than five! But - (1) go through my bank account and cancel a lot of silly little subscriptions I have for things I don't use, to save some money.
(2) Get my short stories into shape for publication (six linked stories, started a year ago and now finished)
(3) sort out either an ISA or regular premium bonds for my two granddaughters
(4) get back to Murakami 1Q84 in Japanese. I can read about a page a day if I concentrate.
(5) start gathering legal and other information for where I plan to live when I retire, which is, (in my dreams!) Cyprus September-June and the Baltic coast June-September.
 

What are five snacks you enjoy?
 
Twix bar
Miniature vegetable samosa
Royal Gala apple
miniature meatballs (Swedish ones)
Leerdammer cheese slices

Name some places you have lived.
 
Born in west London, grew up mostly in Leighton Buzzard Bedfordshire, lived in Japan in my late twenties, South Korea for a little while in my mid-thirties, and Latvia for some months in 2006, before moving to France in 2007.

Name some bad habits that you have.
 
Falling asleep in a chair in the evenings when I should go to bed.
Spending more time on Facebook than is good for me.
Taking the tram instead of cycling, because I want to read my book.
Not following links people send me when I express an interest in something.
 

Name some jobs you have had.
Shop assistant.
Factory assembly worker.
Editor.
Indexer.
Translator.
Member of Parliament.
Legal editor (now).
 
Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire

Acquire retirement dwellings (see above)

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Coooool! I love getting to know more about you. I'm impressed about the Japanese - I never learned to read Chinese, and I can barely stomach having to read something in French!

But you lead just the kind of wanderlust life I love. :-)

Anonymous said...

I'd have thought the first thing to do if you were a millionaire would be to start that retirement immediately!

janestheone said...

I'd want more than a million for that. Another ten years should see my pension at a more respectable level.

Anonymous said...

another ten years would make you about 68 at my estimation. Really?

janestheone said...

Really. I'll be 59 next month.

Anonymous said...

10 years ago this week :-
R.I.P Barry Sheene and Adam Faith.
L9

Anonymous said...

Well: Quick now, here now, always. Ridiculous the waste sad time stretching before and afterwards.

TS Eliot 4 Quartets.