Sixteen More Things

JAMIE tagged MISSY, then Missy tagged me...according to the rules of the game, I'm now supposed to tag 16 more people, but I won't, because I'm sure Missy probably tagged most of the people that I would have tagged. Anyways, here's "Sixteen Things" that you may or may not have known about me...

1. Both my parents are FILIPINO.

2. Missy once thought I was HALF MEXICAN, HALF KOREAN...which is kinda close.

3. I was born in ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, but spent most of my life growing up in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, in the "O.C." and then in the "I.E."...as far as hockey teams are concerned, I root for the NEW JERSEY DEVILS...because they're cooler than the Kings, and even more cooler than the Mighty Ducks.

4. I have two younger sisters both named MARIA...MARIA CYNTHIA and MARIA BELINDA (it's a Catholic thing, I guess). Not surprisingly, they like to be called by their middle names, Cynthia and Belinda.

5. I've matriculated in four different colleges/universities - RIVERSIDE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, CAL STATE FULLERTON, CAL POLY POMONA, and CAL STATE SAN BERNARDINO - but I never did get a college degree.

6. I've changed my college major as often as I've changed schools, but the last major that I settled on was ART HISTORY, with the intention of becoming an ART LIBRARIAN in a museum or school.

7. Even though I never got my degree, I still ended up with a career with the job title I was aiming for - ART LIBRARIAN. I'm the reference and resource librarian in the art department of a company that designs, manufactures, and sells "balloons and coordinating gift items"(Missy is a product designer in the same department and her cubicle is right around the corner from mine). Prior to that, I was the resource librarian in the photo department of the same company.

8. I once won a TEN-SPEED BICYCLE in a drawing contest in the fifth grade. The contest was hosted by the National Orange Council (or something like that - oranges are big business in Riverside, CA) and the theme of the contest was ORANGES. I drew a bunch of oranges sitting on the shelf inside a refrigerator, with the earth tucked snuggly in the center of the bunch. The tagline I wrote was "Oranges - They Do A World Of Good"

9. I've won three HALLOWEEN COSTUME CONTESTS in my life - in 2003, I went to a party dressed up as my "FRIENDSTER PROFILE" and won a $25 gift certificate to a record store; in 2007, Missy and I dressed up as a bloody BUTCHER & PIG, respectively, and we won plastic gold medals and chocolate coins in a contest at work; last year, 2008, Missy and I dressed up as slices of "WHITE BREAD & WHEAT BREAD" and won $100 cash in another costume contest at work.

10. I once dressed up as popular SAN-X character AFRO KEN for halloween. Hardly no one knew who I was. I guess not many people are really into Japanese stationery.



11. I like to collect really cute and/or bizarre JAPANESE and KOREAN STATIONERY. Lately, my collecting has suffered because there are not (m)any good asian bookstores/gift shops here in Georgia (at least, not like in California). Our yearly visit to KAWAII GIFTS in Pittsburgh, PA, helps to satisfy those cravings.

12. I have a large collection of STAR WARS ACTION FIGURES, which includes well over 100 STORMTROOPERS, over 30 Jawas, 20 Gungans (Stormtroopers need stuff to kill), 3 AT-ATs, 2 Millennium Falcons, etc. etc. etc...my favorite piece is a remote control SANDCRAWLER that came out in the early 80's. I also have like, 12 ADMIRAL ACKBARs (including a 12" version), just because he's my favorite Star Wars character.

13. I like to collect vintage 1980's 7" and 12" SINGLES (and albums in general) on VINYL. I also like to collect vintage brief case-style CASSETTE TAPE CARRYING CASES, from the 70's and 80's. I heart analog.

14. In 1998 I was living in OXFORD, ENGLAND. I got school loans and grants and went there on a "study abroad" program. Needless to say, I hardly got any studying done. I bought a lot of records, though.

15. I'm in the process of eating 365 apples before the end of this year, for an average of "AN APPLE A DAY". It's just one of the many things I'm doing this year in order to improve my health. So far, so good.

16. My "SPIRIT ANIMAL" or "POWER ANIMAL" is the RACCOON. As a kid, I enjoyed reading RANGER RICK MAGAZINE and I guess that's always stuck with me (Ranger Rick is a raccoon). I'm seriously considering getting myself a vintage-style Ranger Rick t-shirt.