Blogging Meme

Thanks to Marcelle Natusch @MNatusch who tagged me for this blogging meme!

This blogging task: 

• Acknowledge the nominating blogger
• Share 11 random facts about yourself
• Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you
• Post 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer, and let all the bloggers know they have been nominated. Don't nominate a blogger who has nominated you. 

Here are my 11 random facts... 

1. I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and came to New Zealand as an 8 year old.
2. My earliest memory of arriving in NZ was that I spoke differently to the other kids and so I would come home from school, stand in front of my mirror and practice talking like a kiwi!
3. I always wanted to be a teacher! When we had just arrived here, we were staying with my grandparents and I used to take all my dolls, teddies etc out and line them up along the back of the garage in a makeshift classroom. Oh those poor toys endured endless ravings and homework growlings from their 8 year old teacher!
4. I didn't know how to swim when we arrived here. Mum decided I needed to learn to swim because we now lived so close to the beach, so off to the Hillcrest school pool we went to learn to swim classes. It was here that my talent for swimming was first nurtured. 
5. For the last few years I have been challenging myself to try new food! I have a goal to take one food off my list of foods I either dislike or refuse to eat for some pre-decided reason! So far I have added to my "Foods i choose to eat" list (but not necessarily in this order) : Mushrooms, olives, crayfish, shrimps, blue berries  (YUM! what was I thinking!), blue cheese, walnuts, honey (I know!) and just this year already I have tried... oysters (won't rush back to these) and cherries for the first time in my life! YUM!
6. I love cats -and we now only have one little gem, but I am allergic to them so I hardly ever touch her... poor baby!
7. I was adopted as an 8 year old... but brought up by my birth mother! VERY long story - come ask I weirdly/happily talk about it.
8. I have run a half marathon and would love the challenge of running a full one in my lifetime.
9. Netball was a very big part of my life for over 25 years. I have played at quite a high level and always in a shooting position (YES, even though I'm only 167cm tall!)
10. I love eating food that I have grown! (as well as other stuff too) But - I don't always have a garden on the go. Because of my recent move out to the country, I now have the challenge of maintaining a 4X6m vege patch! 
11. As a spin off to number 10... I love preserving! I can't wait to stock up my pantry with bottled preserves of jams, chutneys and the like. Look out - you may even get something as a gift!

My answers to Marcelle's 11 questions; 

• What do you love about the place you live? Please name where you live first....

I have recently moved to a little cottage in the country, only 10 minutes drive from the Base shopping centre in Hamilton. I love the ever changing landscape out of one particular window in our dining room. No two days look the same!

• What do you love teaching the most and why?

I love teaching literacy. I get a real buzz out of watching new learners to reading start to make sense of our complex system! The look of excitement when they realise the 'know' what to do never ceases to amaze me.

• What do you like doing in your spare time?

I enjoy doing NOTHING! I love being able to stay home and just potter. That is my absolute favourite thing to do. I try to switch off from the outside world as much as I can so I tend to become a little reclusive... this can sometimes be a bad thing too! Then when I have re-charged the batteries I reconnect!
I do also love to trawl the internet because this is the only time I get to just go where my clicks take me! 

• What is one thing you would like to change about the world?

My greatest wish is that we end our addiction to animal products... in particular those products used in middle eastern medicines which perpetuate the senseless killing of our precious wildlife; one example is the recently declared extinct Black Rhino!

• Your favourite part about the holidays, I mean non-contact time. ;)

The opportunity to reconnect with family and friends who selflessly forgo contact with me during term time!

• Name someone you admire.

I admire so many people it is hard to narrow it to just one. In my professional life, Someone who has always been a strong mentor to me is a previous principal Richard Clarke who has given me unwavering support throughout my career. 
As a person... I have to say it was the ever effusive Lisa McKimm (parentingworx.co.nz) who transformed my view of the world and steered me towards an inner strength I will always be grateful for. Her teachings inspired my determination to maintain strong relationships with those who are important to me as well as anyone else I come into contact with, which I continue to develop even 20 years later!

• If you could be transported back in time when and where would you go?

Gee... I think maybe I would like to go back to early settler New Zealand to be a part of that incredible era of resourcefulness and huge resiliency! I think I would go back to a main town like Dunedin or Wellington.

• The first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word "chocolate".

Decadence 

• Your favourite movie and why?

Again, there are so many! But one that springs to mind immediately is "Forrest Gump". I love any film Tom Hanks does (another person I admire!). I love the portrayal of a challenged individual who thumbs his nose at the world and goes ahead and achieves great things just because he believes in himself and ... HE CAN! This movie is a family favourite and often quoted verbatim in times of need. It warms my heart to think that Walt Disney was right when he said... "If you can dream it, you can do it"!

• Name something that you wish you could do better.

Dance! I am sad to say that in all ways rhythmical... I am severely challenged!

• Something new you are going to try in your classroom this year.

Not sure that I will have a class this year... but if I did, it would be genius hour!

Here are your 11 questions: 

1. What was one thing you found challenging in 2013, and what would you do differently in 2014 (so as not to have the same challenge)?
2. Tell us what is on your coffee table right now? Insert a photo if you dare! How would you /would you like to change it?
3. Which famous person would you most like to meet and why?
4. Name one destination you have always wanted to go but haven't got to yet and why?
5. Tell us about a recent (or remembered) "AHA" moment with a child you have taught.
6. Name your favourite teacher from your early school days and what makes them stand out for you?
7. What is your favourite animal and why?
8. What is your go to search engine and why?
9. Android or iPhone? Describe you current cell phone and how you use it! 
10. Finish the sentence. I wish we had never started... (I wish we had never started making plastic!)
11. What is one food you would never eat!

BLOGGERS I Challenge: 

Elysia Gunn / Krystal Workman / Sonya Woolf / Lorelei McIntyre / Gwynneth Williamson / Marcus Freke / Cath Hood / Yvonne Gribben / Emma Driver / Marion Anderson / 

Good luck! That is a really difficult challenge to start the year with!