10 Random Facts About Nicole Basaraba
What’s one quick way of learning about someone you’ve met on the internet? Sharing 10 random facts about yourself and then “tagging” other online friends to do the same. The lovely Marcia Richards, tagged me to write 10 random things about myself. So here it goes…
1o. I love watersports. I’m not so much into swimming, but more into waterskiing and surfing (behind a boat that is). While surfing in a real ocean would be something I would add to my #lifelist or #bucketlist, I also like doing it in the Canadian way: behind a towboat. Not a canoe, finishing boat or a yacht, a Malibu for example. There are other water activities I love doing on Canadian lakes, but you can’t really call “tubbing”, splashing around at the back of boat while listening to music or lounging in the open bow watersports.
9. Although I work in communications (print and web publishing), I have an arts degree with a major in psychology and a minor in anthropology. And don’t ask me “are you phycoanalyzing me?” (P.S. Students taking an UNDERGRADUATE degree in psychology don’t learn how to be a therapist. Yes, we study Freud and Jung and learn their theories, but we are not trained psychologists! – I’m releasing the fury onbehalf of all psych students who’ve even been asked this question). So I like to study the craziness in people and what archaic people were like. Good for developing characters for fiction stories no?
8. I always wished I lived in the past I think the 15 or 16th century England sounds fun – a period in time when women only wore dresses and men opened doors for them without looking at their behind as they walked through (ok maybe that still wasn’t the case back then, but one can dream right?). But, like my mom always pointed out, I wished I lived as a rather wealthy person in history because an average or poor lady wouldn’t have very nice dresses to wear. For me the past represents a different world: one without mobile phones, TV, video games and all the other things that distract us from sitting outside on the deck, talking to a neighbor or spending quality time talking to and interacting with family and friends.
7. My dream vacation is to road trip it across Ireland from East to South to West to North. Yep a counterclockwise two-week trip and seeing emerald grass, stoping along the way for the sheep to cross the road, visiting castles and anthropological sites and gazing upon the Great Causeway and taking the touristy Titanic tour. (Second dream vacation: Tuscany (Italy) and third: Santorini (Greece)).
6. I’m shy. I’ve always been shy since I was a little girl. I used to force my parents to order for me at restuarants because I was too shy to talk to the waitress. I work in communications where you’re supposed to be an expert in small talk (sometimes I’m lucky and it flows right out) and other times I look the other way (whistling in my head). It might have to do with the fact that I lived at home during my university career and so I was a “country-bumpkin” instead of hitting the dorm parties like every other teenager in North America.
5. I love dogs. I grew up with at least one dog in the family for my whole life. They were all labrador retrievers, which I find the most adorable. I really think the saying “dog is man’s best friend” applies. I like big dogs, small dogs, cute dogs and even ugly dogs.
4. I’ve played soccer, (or football for any European readers) for 9 years. I started when I was just a kid and I can’t think of a better sport to play that combines my favorite things: lots of running, doesn’t involve much hand-eye coordination like say basketball or vollyball, every player has their own space and lots of it on the outdoor fields and its just fun.
3. I don’t know if its just me or if its a Canadian thing, I measure distance from one place to another in the amount of time spent in the car. So for example, if you ask me: how far is it from Edmonton (my hometown) to Calgary? I would instinctively say “about 3 hours by car” rather than saying “about 300 klicks” (or kms for those of you who don’t know this Canadian slang).
2. My favorite past time is to lounge in the sun especially on the beach next to the water. Whether reading a book, chatting with a friend, drinking a cool beverage or watching the world go buy nothing, can beat the enjoyment of the natural warmth.
1. My favorite type of music is Spanish (reggaton). It makes me want to dance all the time and it always reminds me of summer. Coming in at a close second is Romanian music. It also inspires one to sing and dance (and Romanian artists, like the Spanish, also sing some songs in English which is just a bonus).
Here is a sample of the kind of Spanish music I like. (It also shows boats, lounging in the sun and dancing – you can see that even Don Omar can’t help himself from dancing and smiling to his own music).
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnBYdUXi3Eg]
Here’s a Romanian song by Play & Win. This music makes me break out into spontaneous dancing too.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D4UMr3D9HE]
So I’m wondering what you think of me now after getting all this new information? Any judgements passed? Any questions for me?
Now its my turn to tag other bloggers and I will pick on those who are also part of the Writers’ Platform-Building Campaign:
Jamilia Jamison – Alberta Ross – Christy Farmer – Christine Murray
Ladies please post 10 random facts about yourself (and link back to me to make sure I don’t miss them 🙂 Then tag 4 other bloggers to do the same.
Until next time,
Nicole
Feel free to hit the “subscribe” button to get notified when a new post is up.
You can also check out my travel photos on (and “Like”) my Facebook page.
We can chat on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NicoleBasaraba
Or share book news on Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/NicoleBasaraba
I really enjoyed this Nicole! What a good idea. Loved the music.
Cat
Thanks Cat. I think its a nice idea and I can’t even take the credit for coming up with it. 🙂 I like posting about music. Its fun.
Great list, Nicole! I enjoyed learning more about you through your “10 Random Facts.” I especially liked #10, #2, and #1.
Enjoy the weekend.
Thanks Jolyse. Enjoy the weekend too.
Great list Nicole! I, too, have always wanted to tour Ireland. Love Labs! and all dogs. BUt what made me laugh was #3, because I do the same thing and never realized how much i do it. People have taken up mocking me, “It’s just down the road 10 mnutes.” glad to know I’m not alone. The other things I would have guessed…but I’d love to know how you ended up in Europe.
Maybe measuring distance in “time spent in the car” is a girl thing? 🙂 Europe was always in the cards for me I think. But instead of backbacking for 6 months like the rest of fresh graduates I did it the more “responsible”/harder way: got a job and then travelled from a homebase= Brussels, which is kinda in the middle of Europe.
Travel, books, and writing sounds great! Hi from a fellow Canadian campaigner (from Hamilton, Ontario). Looking forward to reading more of your blog. For now, I totally have response to several of your points!
#9: I also have a BA in Psychology, but I work in the field of psychology too (was a Community Mental Health Worker, now a researcher). I get that question ALL THE TIME. Now, I answer “Probably”, just for kicks.
#8: Yay, my dream is more 17th or 18th Century England. 🙂 But similar. Although I am a bit of an information junkie, so that might be tricky for me. . .
#7: Ireland is beautiful! I did a 6-day All Ireland packaged tour 3 years ago (only the Republic), and saw a lot. Then I was back on the East side in July. Lovely!
#3: Yeah, I count by car rides too. Hm. . .
Other psych students suggested I do the same thing, giving the answer “probably” or “yes”. Ireland looks amazing. I hope I get to make a proper tour one day. 🙂 We have many things in common.
Great list- I wish I lived at the time of the American Revolution. I love futebol. I started to play when I was in the fifth grade. My favorite place is Brasil. My wife is Brasilian. My favorite music is brasilian. Check out Charlie Brown Junior- or bola radio.com.br I love the puppies. They are cool. This is a great site. I have two blogs as well as my own domian defutebol.net
Hello,
Thanks for stopping in. I will check out Brasilian music. I would think that Portuguese have some similar music to reggaton.
Cheers.
Hi Nicole,
I also measure distance in hours. Maybe it’s an Alberta thing. 😉
great facts.
You could be right Elena. 🙂
Hey, I’m in your campaign group. And I’m from Calgary! Well, Crossfield actually but its nice to meet another Canadian writer. (Although I’m wishing I was somewhere in Europe right now instead…)
Hi Melanie. I also think its nice to find other Canadian writers (and fellow Albertans). I’m sure the weather in Calgary is better than it is here in Europe now.
I am visiting from your Womens Fiction/Chick Lit campaign group, and loved reading more about you. The pictures are gorgeous. I look forward to connecting (and catching-up, a term that’s fast losing meaning in my over-committed world 😉 ).
Great list of facts, Nicole. I love this type of music as well (I’m familiar with Don Omar’s music but this video can’t be viewed in US because of the copyrights issues). Oh, and the travel spots that you’ve chose are my favorite too. I am also a “dog person” and would love to have one of my own
🙂 Hopefully in a near future…