Eight, mate or ate?

This is a tag from Point Blank. As this could get rather wordy, other than the ‘passion’ section, keeping the other bits short.

Spinning, laughing, dancing to
Her favorite song
A little girl with nothing wrong
Is all alone

Eight things I am passionate about:
1. Words: Reading them, writing them and getting people to react to them. If it weren’t for words, there would be no me. Started reading at one-and-a-half-years and was writing gobbledeegook by age 4. First ever diary entry was at age 11, first published words at 17.

2. Winning: Realised long time back that I have something called the competitive spirit and that usually I like having my way. No, I dont always win but I bloody well insist on losing as little as possible

3. Ego: Considered calling this one ‘self-esteem’, but let’s be honest here, it’s not always that. I do have a big ego (for better or worse) and I usually like to keep it intact. Means I can get defensive, offensive or pensive when my ego suffers in any way.

4. Flattery: I don’t do it and I simply cannot stand it. People/women who have a need to instantly start flattering when they meet another person/woman they meet, instantly piss me off. My cardinal rule for knowing/ analyzing/understanding people in the first instant: If they flatter you instantly, watch your back. Then there are compliments: Have always had a hard time believing them. Perhaps because 90 % of the time I can tell when they’re fake.

5. My home: Is my sanctuary where I can roam around naked. Or not bathe for two days. Love changing room settings and redoing interiors on whims. Protect it zealously and preserve it as if my life depended on it. And it does too… Not the sort to constantly have people over, perhaps because I find it tough to really make friends. Or maybe because others find it tougher befriending me. Shrug. Would say my space defines me.

6. Vengeance: I cannot forget and I don’t forgive, took me time to realize that about myself. With passing years I am learning how to wait. Am not very good at ‘plotting’ revenge etc; perhaps because I lack the patience, or the brains or both. But am good at recognizing opportunity: If I have been fucked-over and I get the chance to get back, I will. Strangely, life seems to place the opportunities on a platter for me. Might take 10 years but then I do have a sordid memory.

7. Family: And those adopted into it. Don’t touch them, don’t criticize them, don’t even think of harming them. Refer to point no. 6 of what happens if… As I am aware of my fallacies, so am aware of the fallacies of the ones who love me as well. But I love them. Tenderly, fiercely.

8. Honesty: Prefer to take a harsh truth on the face than be stabbed in the back or lied to. The downside? Inability to keep my mouth shut in some situations and the complete lack of ‘social skills’ like talking to people I don’t like. If I don’t like, it shows. Also translates into a complete apathy for anything fake, particular those who ‘pretend’ to be friends. Not a good way to live, the world is made of social networking after all. Hmm.

Eight things I want to do before I die:
1. Bungee jump: to combat fear of heights. Once I do that, perhaps sky diving too.
2. Own a personalized Chopper, my size, my height, evil wheels and power to kill.
3. Have a baby: No confusion there. I know I want to be a mother and despite the fears, think I will make a helluva mom.
4. Go on a global backpacking trip: To places unknown, where I live with the people, get to know their ways of life, click pictures…
5. Open a restaurant or a café or something to do with food: Could have been on the ‘passions’ list, love to cook and the more to feed, the more I enjoy it.
6. Work for myself: And stop taking orders, create something, make it a success and of course make money from it. Probably something to do with food…
7. Marry… and make it work and not have doubts and be loved without reasons or clauses or me changing myself or me wanting to change the other. Marry and not feel the threat or the fear that I will die lonely…
8. Do something that will make my parents truly happy: Perhaps I have let them down, lord knows I am not the model daughter. They aren’t the traveling sort else would have sent them on a world trip… perhaps will figure out finally what can make them happy. I still don’t know and sometimes feel that perhaps I don’t make them happy or happy enough. (Lose that doubt too)

Eight things I say often:
1. Fuckin’ a!
2. Are you getting what I am saying?
3. Get them by the balls and their hearts and minds will follow.
4. You shithead.
5. Fuck off.
6. “Right. My arse.”
7. I swear if I have to…
8. Bloody hell

Eight books I’ve read recently:
1. Sun Tzu Was A Sissy (Stanley Bing)
2. A Dog’s Life (Peter Mayle)
3. Hotel Pastis (Peter Mayle)
4. Non-Fiction (Chuck Palahniuk)
5. The Unwaba Revelations (Samit Basu)
6. The Ice Man: Confessions of a Contract Killer (reading, Philip Carlo)
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (re-read, JK Rowling)
8. The Vampire Lestat (re-rehoad, Anne Rice)

Eight songs I could listen to, over and over:
1. Pal, pal dil ke paas tum rahti ho: Kishore Kumar
2. With a little help from friends: Joe Cocker
3. Isn’t it ironic: Alanis Morisette
4. Ali: Midival Punditz
5. Na tum humein jaano: Hemant Kumar
6. I’m Your Man: Leonard Cohen
7. Man who sold the world: Nirvana
8. Seven Years: Norah Jones

Eight things that attracts me to my best friends:
1. They don’t get embarrassed by who I am or the things I keep doing and don't mince words telling me when I am behaving like a shit-head.
2. They are all highly intelligent and know it (know how to use it too)... and ambitious.
3. They understand my need to be vicious at times and understand/enjoy a good dose of sarcasm.
4. They laugh at my sarcasm but can put me in my place when I get too nasty; and usually have a mean sense of humour themselves.
5. They let me cry in peace and don’t do the you-poor-thing thing; they aren't shy of tears.
6. They know when I need to be held when I am crying; and usually believe in physical demonstrations of affection.
7. They leave me alone when I am angry. They know I’ll come back. Most of them are patient though
8. They REALLY do love me and know I will never betray them.

Eight people I think should do this tag (some might not be bloggers):
1. DJ*
2. Maxine
3. Serendipity
4. Pirate of the Arabian
5. Crimson Feet
6. Espera
7. The Unapologetic Bloke
8. Lopa*