God Damn 25 Random Things

So, I dont know why, but for some odd reason, I keep getting requests from people for my 25 random things about me. So, I swore that I wouldnt do this because I dont want to put the pressure upon 25 people to read this and return the favor. In order to prevent that, I have decided to put this on here, so that people can read it at their own leisure and just enjoy it. Fuck chain letters (or chain facebook notes). Here we go!

1. I have written 445 blog posts on Myspace.com and received more than 25,000 hits over a two year period of time. Although I have just begun this blog, Im not sure if it will receive as much attention.

2. Up until I was 11, I had 180 degree flexibility. I have a picture of myself in a Karate tournament doing a side kick at 180 degrees. I stopped stretching during puberty and retained absolutely none of that flexibility. SAD!

3. I danced in Philadelphia's, Boscov's, 4th of July Parade two times. This parade was televised in most of the Northeast US on ABC. The first parade, I danced a tap number to "Boogie, Woogie, Bugle Boy." Our teacher didn't want to rechoreograph an old piece, so she made me dance the "girlie" steps and made me wear so much blush and lipstick because she wanted me to look more like a girl, than a boy.

4. When I was in 3rd grade, I was hospitalized 16 times. One time for an infection (in my nether regions) and 15 times for asthma. I missed 36 days of school that year. I have no idea how I ever passed 3rd grade.

5. When I danced with Houston Ballet, I was cast as the "Indian Man" in Stanton Welch's world premiere of "Tales of Texas." Because I am SOOOO ridiculously white, I was actually paid to go to a tanning salon. When that didnt work, I was paid to buy makeup that was specifically catered to Black people. Every show, I spent 45 minutes getting my neck, chest, face, and arms pancaked. When I walked onstage, I was not recognizable to most of my friends.

6. I took Tae Kwon Do for 8 years. Before I quit, I was about to test for my 2nd degree black belt. During my time in Tae Kwon Do, I traveled the competition circuit, went to the junior national olympics and placed 15th out of 60 in the black belt form category, hung out with world champions and famous Korean masters, moved through 3 do jangs (places of study), and got involved in so much politics that it would disgust you. Most of this took place before I was 11.

7. I am named after my mother's brother, who passed away at the young age of 5 of a rare form of Leukemia. I am the only of my siblings without a Jewish name. If I was a girl, my name would have been Rebecca. If I wanted to get closer to my Jewish roots, I could change Barry to it's Hebrew root, Baruch, but that would be too much like copy-catting Barack Obama, formerly known as Barry Obama(from birth to college).

8. I had a minorly obsessive compulsive streak for 3 months in 9th grade. Every morning, I awoke singing the "Oscar Meyer Weiner Song." I have no idea why, but I would sing it out loud all the time. And when I was in classes at school, I would sing it inside my head. One day it finally stopped.

9. I have played the piano since I was 5, I stopped lessons when I was 16. I can still play a few songs well, but have lost a lot of my touch. When I was in 6th grade I took up the xylophone (and anything else mallet percussion related) and joined our school's steel drum band. Towards the end of 6th grade, I picked up the flute and taught myself. I would talk to my friend who had been playing for 3 years on the phone and play for her and ask for advice. I am still extremely proficient at the flute. In 7th grade, I started playing the clarinet. In 8th grade, my band teacher asked me to learn the alto saxophone, which I promptly did in one day. Finally, when I got into high school, I wanted to play flute in concert band. I was promptly told no and given 2nd chair alto saxophone out of 16 players from 9th to 12th grade. I was still so bored that I would sight transcribe flute music while playing the alto sax. I still love music to this day and miss playing in a group and hearing the harmonies that are created.

10. Im aware that I can talk up a storm. When I was really young...think 6 years old... my mom would tell me that if I would shut my mouth for 30 minutes, she would pay me $5. I would promptly run to the microwave, set the timer, sit quietly until the time was up, collect my earnings, and continue where I left off.

11. Ive only gotten one C on my report card in my life. It was 8th grade and I was through with wrestling in gym class. We had done it every year and I hated the pain and awkwardness (is that a word) of the unit. So, everytime gym came around, I would ask my band teacher for a private lesson pass. I would then make my way to the band room and go into the old files of music (that were special access to only our band director) and find something exciting and challenging. I think I went to gym 6 of 15 classes. I dont know how I didnt fail.

12. I absolutely despise "Law and Order" of any kind. Just hearing the theme music is enough to send me in a rage. Somehow, all of those close to me have a supreme hard-on for this show. My mom even has the theme as her ring tone.

13. One of my first professional ballets was Sleeping Beauty with Houston Ballet. I was 2nd cast for a monster in the first act. I hadnt really rehearsed it because I wasnt going to perform it. On dress rehearsal, my first cast got sick, so I had to go in. It was my job to get the spindle that I was told would be sitting on the prop table on stage right. I had a huge head on that blocked a lot of my vision. When I bolted offstage to get the spindle, I didnt see someone standing in the wings and knocked them off their feet looking for the spindle, that they were apparently holding. That person I knocked off of their feet was my new boss, Stanton Welch. I dont think he liked that very much :-/

14. My first "adult" experience was on the last night of a summer program. I dont know why, but the staff decided to let us do WHATEVER we wanted that night. So, we took a walk around the beautiful college campus, sat on a bench to chat, and promptly got it on out in the open. A couple people walked by and we fumbled around to make it look like we were just sitting talking. Looking back, it is pretty amusing.

15. When I was at the School of American Ballet, I cant even count the number of times that I asked my former teacher and current boss, Peter Boal, how to straighten my knees. I can remember asking how to gain hyperextension at least 10 to 15 times. I dont think he remembers this today.

16. I used to rollerskate competitively. On Tuesdays, my mom would pick me up from school and drive me to practice for 3 hours and on Saturdays we would wake up at 4 am to drive an hour to practice for about 4 hours. My dream was to be a famous ice skater. My grandmom told me if I quit dance, Tae Kwon Do, piano, and rollerskating, she would pay for me to get ice skating lessons. I quit in 8th grade after dance took more of my time. Oh, and I broke my arm doing a single axle between 5th and 6th grade.

17. I have a knack for extreme curiousity and weird questions. My 2nd grade teacher was awesome when I asked her things like "Why is Budweiser named Budweiser" and "Is it true that women in France dont shave their armpits?" in front of the entire class.

18. I starred in an educational dance video by Bob Rizzo, named "Ballet with Style." I dance a "boys" variation to badly computerized western style music, sport a cowboy hat, handkerchief, and jeans...all while dancing some really bad choreography. If you ever want a really good laugh and feel like wasting $30 or $40...check it out.

19. I was the "baby" of the family until I was 11 years old. I used to tell my mom how much I loved her and that if she ever had another kid, I wouldnt love her anymore. When she found out she was pregnant with my little bro, she sat me down and asked me if it was ok with me, if I wanted her to have the baby, and if I would still love her. I promptly said, I dont really care and I had already figured it out. To this day, I still wonder what would have happened if I said no...

20. From 2nd grade to 8th grade, I didnt watch anything but the weather channel. My obsession with weather began when Hurricane Andrew struck southern Florida. I wanted so badly to be a meteorologist that I spend countless hours studying this channel. I still put it on when I need ambient noise or time to relax.

21. When I went to the Kirov and School of American Ballet, I used to write down all of my corrections after class. I would write them in notebooks, on tear off pads and hang them around my room, or post-its. I forgot how absolutely crazy I was until I went home this past week. I brought all of the notes I have left home with me to re-read. It may take me weeks to get through all of them.

22. When I was growing up, my best friend was Korean. We would sit in his basement every Saturday and Sunday playing video games for at least 10 hours. I became a video game nerd. This is also where I learned to try any type of food. Being directly from South Korea, his mom would cook us things like anchovies, cuttlefish, and squid. Once, I watched her fry a whole squid and plop it on our plate. I enjoyed it thoroughly, as well as learned that squid has a beak.

23. I have a moderately severe fear of mustard. Yes...all types. I dont like to even see a bottle of mustard. If it touches me, I panic. If it touches my tongue, I know instantly, and cry, hyperventilate, panic, heave, and speak non-sensically.

24. When my mom took her first trip without the family, my step dad and neighbors (directors of the do jang we attended) took care of my sister and me. I was going to the do jang when I lost my belt. When we were looking for my belt in our neighbors car, my friend didnt realize what he was picking up. When he pulled it up as fast as he could, he hit me smack in the mouth with a crow bar. I had a fat lip for a week. I promptly requested for my mom never to leave me again.

25. My boyfriend calls me Hunyeah Jewce (pronounced Hun-yeh, Juice). The first part came from the nickname Honey. DJ would call me this way too much. It started to turn into Hun-eeee, then hunyeee... because he said it SOOO often. One day, I got so fed up with him that I angrily tried to mock him and screamed "HUNYEAH!!!!!!" The name has stuck ever since. Jewce comes from the fact that I am jewish and that I have a lot of energy, like juice. So, now I answer to Hunyeah, Jewce, or Hunyeah Jewce. If he calls me Barry, I get concerned that something is wrong