Meme - from you to me to you.

Sydney Shop Girl sent this meme for me to do. On her blog, she questions the meaning of 'meme'. Well, The Daily Meme states:

In the context of web logs / ‘blogs / blogging and other kinds of personal web sites it’s some kind of list of questions that you saw somewhere else and you decided to answer the questions. Then someone else sees them and does them and so on and so on. I generally consider these to be actual questions and not some multiple choice quizzes that determine some result at the end (what color you are most like, what cartoon character are you, what 80s movie are you). ; and

An idea that, like a gene, can replicate and evolve
A unit of cultural information that represents a basic idea that can be transferred from one individual to another, and subjected to mutation, crossover and adaptation.
A cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one generation to another by nongenetic means (as by imitation); “memes are the cultural counterpart of genes.


So this is my meme. It's replicated from Sydney Shop Girl and many others to evolve into my own personal revelatory blog entry.

What experience most shaped you and how?

There are two experiences that have most shaped me.

I believe having a chronic illness has shaped me a lot. It's made me not focus on appearance and sweat the small stuff. I get very tired of people obsessing over appearance, and the focus placed on beauty and perfection.. While I am empathetic and open minded towards many people and issues, I can be polarised to the point of having little sympathy for some people, and I guess a little naïve to people in situations different to my own. I am personally driven and results focused, and because of this, I want to see others with chronic illnesses and disabilities strive for personal levels of success like I do.

The other thing that has shaped me is starting work. In my casual retail job, working allowed me to form long lasting friendships, and learn how to handle comments and questions from the public in a professional way. In my post university job, full time in a large organisation, work has been both fantastic and difficult. I have learnt my limits, and this was detrimental on my health and confidence. I also learnt my value to the organisation and the wider commuity, which has boosted my confidence tenfold. This current job has given me the skill and confidence to seek all the opportunities I have done – ChIPS, DiVine, No Limits... Work gives me a great quality of life and I am so glad I didn't think twice about looking for a job.

What would you do with a whole day of no commitments?
I would have a sleep in, go out for brunch, walk through the shops and buy something nice, see a movie by myself, and then have dinner with a friend (I will cook) and see a band. That would be a great day.

What food and drink would you never give up?
Food: cheese, salmon,
Drink: water, Frangelico and lemonade, Brown Brothers Moscato

Give Me a Savoury Recipe that doesn't include cheese.
What recipe of mine doesn't include cheese?! I dream of cheese.

Hmmm...it's a stretch. Ok, so I don't really like chocolate but if it's good chocolate and not too often, I can be persuaded.

These are chocolate pots – I saw the recipe on a Jamie Oliver show once. And have made them many times. They are probably very bad for you.

Put a saucepan of water on the stove to boil. Pre-boil the water if you like. Once boiled, turn heat down to low.

Get a block of good quality dark chocolate. I like Green and Black's Maya Gold. Break the chocolate up and put it in a metal bowl. Make sure the metal bowl is big enough to sit in the rim of the saucepan.

Get a 200 ml container of thick cream. I guess you can use light cream, but why bother really? This may be your last meal. Best as well make it full fat.

Pour the cream into the bowl, over the chocolate.

Stir with a heat proof silicon spatula. A metal spoon will get too hot. Watch out that the chocolate does not burn. Stir until chocolate and cream is combined and has no lumps.

Take off the heat.

Then separate an egg. Put the white in a plastic bag, seal and freeze for later. You may want to make a meringue. Or a cheese souffle. I don't know how to make either of these. There goes my MasterChef hopes.

Whisk in the egg yolk to the creamy chocolate mix. Do this quickly or you will get scrambled egg yolk. Apparently Hollywood starlets only eat scrambled egg whites. If one should pop over to your place, you can whip one up using the egg white you just put in the freezer.

When the mixture is thick like custard, pour into cups. You can probably get four cups from this. Or two cups if you are greedy. One cup if you've just broken up with your love.

Put the cups in the fridge for about 10 minutes. This will set the mixture. You can lick the bowl while you wait. If you must.

Take out of the fridge and serve with biscotti.

You will thank me for this recipe. I guarantee it.

Ooops I misread the instructions and overlooked the word 'savoury'...

If you could travel anywhere where would it be and why?
I am a bit apprehensive about travelling overseas, I don't know how my health will go, and the stares and questions I may face. It will be hard if I can't just go home to escape for a while.

I do want to go to Vietnam or Cambodia to do a food tour. I think I'll need really good people around me to support me emotionally. I can handle being independent and travelling alone, but I don't think I could go the heightened comments and stares alone.

Realistically, I'd like to go to Tasmania again. I went there a year ago and loved it. I miss it.

If you were the leader of your country what would you do?
I would create better support for employed people with chronic illnesses and disabilities. See here.

I would also give greater focus to creative arts and industries (writing, music, film, craft, dance etc) in addition to the big focus on sport. I know sport is good for the economy but not everyone is gifted or interested in sport.

If you could spend one day in another person's body whose would it be?
Without sounding woe-is-me, I would love to know what it feels like to have skin that does not shed, does not need constant moisturising with vaseline and does not get so sore. I dream of the proper, non oily feel of silks and cashmere. I would like to wear short sleeves and skirts and not worry. I have only felt the breeze on my bare legs a few times – my legs were not oily, no bugs stuck to them, and I was not sore, and it was an amazing feeling, I would like my whole body to feel this.
So I guess I'd want to spend a day the body of anyone without ichthyosis.

Which woman author do you admire and why?
I actually don't read too many books. I have my favourites, but I don't know the lives of the authors too well. I really admire the work of some journalists, particularly those who do literary or investigative journalism. I read some books by Helen Garner and Elisabeth Wynhausen when I did Literary Journalism for my Masters, and really enjoyed the stories they uncovered and told. I clearly need to read more books.

I'd like to pass the meme to:

KittyCate
Jentopia
Flair to Remember
Apricot Tea
Wonderland or Not
Juliana
Carrie Blogshaw