Getting to know you - 11 Questions

The lovely Hanna tagged me in her 11 Questions post. I love reading other people's responses to these things, but I'm  usually a bit rubbish at taking part... Since I'm not actually in the mood for work (since I got back from Cyprus) I thought I'd get on with it today.. Let's hope my boss doesn't ask me to do anything for the next 30 minutes.

There are five rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and 11 random things.
3. Answer the questions set for you in the original post.
4. Create 11 new questions and tag people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and tell them you’ve tagged them.

11 Random Things about me

1.  I am originally from Durham in the North East of England. I moved away from home at the age of 18 but still have a Northern Accent and become really quite Geordie after a weekend at my parents.

2.  I have a massive irrational fear of windmills and wind turbines. I cannot look at them if I see them at the side of the road as they make me feel sick! Our gym is right next to one and I have to close my eyes when I go anywhere near it. A bit dangerous when driving!

3.  I also have a massive fear/ dislike of birds (or anything that flies - especially bats). My idea of hell would be an aviary. I once visited Prague Zoo and there was a tunnel full of bats. I nearly had a heart attack.

4.  I am the oldest of 3 sisters. Both of my sisters got married aged 23, I will be 36 when I tie the knot. My sisters are also both really skinny. I am really not.

5.  I am following in my mother's footsteps by marrying a Brummie Accountant. I worry I am marrying a carbon copy of my dad. Both from Birmingham, Accountants, slightly miserable when in big groups of people, both love any kind of sport and both have a penchant for good food and booze. However, my parents have been married for 37 years, so it can't be too bad.

6.  I have absolutely no desire for children. I love my nieces to bits, but I can't imagine doing it full time. All of my close friends now have children and I sometimes feel a bit left out, but that's no reason to start a family!

7.  Me and Matt are getting married in Sorrento in Italy in August this year. We chose Italy, purely because we love Prosecco!

8.  I have over 200 pairs of shoes. I am literally addicted to buying shoes.

9.  I am obsessed with Mulberry. I don't spend vast amounts of money on shoes or clothes (i.e. I don't buy designer) but I spend an absolute fortune on Mulberry. I actually don't dare work out how much money I've spent.

10.  I love to travel. We are fortunate enough to be able to afford a few holidays a year and weekends away. We currently have trips planned up until the end of 2013.

11.  I once spent an evening in a hotel bar with 2 of my friends and Ant & Dec getting drunk. Just the 5 of us. It was one of the funniest night's of my life.

Hanna's 11 Questions:

1.  What is the last movie you’ve seen? What did you think of it?

The last film I watched was 'Contagion' whilst on holiday in Cyprus. It was an ok film - I expected a lot more from it given the all star cast. The ending was a bit of a let down.

2.  What has been your fave holiday?

Oooh, this is too hard. I love to travel. I probably have 2. A trip in 2009 driving from San Francisco to LA and then onto Vegas. I fell in love with the US during that trip and saw some amazing places.

Possibly my all time favourite was last years trip around France. We got the Euro Tunnel to Calais, drove to Lille, Paris, Bordeaux, Sarlat in the Dordogne and finally Epernay in the Champagne region. It was amazing and Matt proposed to me in Paris!

3.  Talking about holidays.. what is a place that you really want to visit?

Too many to choose from again - Thailand and Australia are currently on my list. Also really want to visit Canada.

4.  Do you like to cook? What’s your ‘signature dish’?

I love to cook. I've tried to be more healthy lately, so love experimenting with my favourite dishes. I'd say my signature dish is either my Shepherds Pie or Lamb Curry.

5.  Have you tried online dating? Any success?

Yes! I lived in Prague for a couple of years and when I came back, everyone I knew was in a relationship so I spent a lot of weekends on my lonesome. I signed up with Match.com as a way of getting myself out and about and made a pact with myself to go on a date with anyone who asked. I had a great time, met some lovely people (as well as some horrors) and I am marrying the last man I agreed to go on a date with at the end of August this year!

6.  Are you a phone person? Talking on the phone I mean.

Not really no. I'm much more of a text person.. or email. I can't be bothered talking when I get home from work :) but I am obsessed with my iPhone.

7.  If you could only shop clothes from one store for the rest of your life, which one would you choose?

Too hard - Dorothy Perkins, New Look or ASOS are my current favourites.Dorothy Perkins I guess if I had to make a choice now... 

8.  Do you have many best friends or just one?

I have a lot of really close friends who I don't see as often as I'd like since we've all gone in various directions with our lives. My best friend lives about 500 metres from me, we've known each other since we went to nursery together at the age of 3 and have both moved 300 miles away from home and ended up living in the same town. She's just had a baby which adds a whole different slant on our friendship, but she's still the person I can talk to about absolutely everything.

9.  Do you feel that you’re in your right career (or going towards one if you’re still studying)?

I think so yes - I work in IT as a 'Senior Cloud Operations Engineer'... Basically, I manage IT applications hosted by us for various customers. It's quite a technical job in a mostly male environment, but I enjoy it. I can't see myself doing anything else.

10.  Are you a creative person? How does this come across? (Painting, photography, music.. whatever.)

Not at all... I really wish I was, but I am useless at anything creative. I've started taking part in the photo a day challenges on Instagram to try and get a bit more creative, but it's not in my blood!

11.  Where is your happy place? Please describe it.

Hmmm - at home I guess. Me and Matt have very busy social lives so I've not spent a Friday at home for the last 8 weeks. I'm most happy sat on our sofa, in our little flat watching a film or TV show with good food and a glass (or 5!) of Prosecco. 

So - I need to come up with 11 questions of my own and tag some people, but work is now calling so I possibly need to leave that bit til later!

x