I have a few memes to fill in. I decided to do it on LJ mainly because of the added benefit of the LJ cut. I haven't figured out how to do it on Blogger, and it's all too easy to import posts into Facebook.

So with that, the memes.

Meme #1: Sixteen Little Things. I was tagged by Trisha.

Once you've been tagged, you have to write a note with 16 random things, shortcomings, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose 16 people to be tagged, listing their names and why you chose them. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

Well, first of all, I would much rather not tag people on memes. If they feel so inclined to fill in the meme, then I leave it up to them to post the meme on their blog, Facebook, LJ, etc.

So the only person I will tag is the one who tagged me first. Just because, Cousin Mine.

1. Yes, I have a Ph.D. in Natural Products Chemistry. I admit I'm not really using it much nowadays, except when I am teaching. Thank goodness for remote access to scientific journals - it helps keep me updated on the latest developments in Pharmacognosy, Pharmacology, and Medicinal Chemistry.


2. I always remembered having an affinity toward music. I started at the piano at age 7. I started teaching myself at age 9. I didn't start learning how to play the organ until I was in my early 30s.


3. I identify myself as a cradle Roman Catholic. However, I am not enamoured of the "music" that is generally played at most RC Masses these days. Perhaps that is why I lend my musical talents to a group of Episcopal churches in this area.


4. I like living in the Triangle area. I still get a sense of the four seasons here (that was more pronounced when I was living in Massachusetts), and although we get snow, it's only once in a blue moon that we are actually paralysed because of it.


5. I'd love to learn how to improvise. I am awe-struck anytime I hear David Arcus, Jane Lynch, or Van Quinn ooze music out of their fingertips to the console and out the pipes.


6. I'd also like to learn how to become a more efficient choir director.


7. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with the talented musicians that comprise the St Joseph's Music Ministry.


8. I like being with college students. They make me feel young. I suppose that is why I'm happily providing music for the Duke Episcopal Center and singing with Chapel of the Cross' Compline Choir.


9. I like connecting with my "Inner Filipino". Yes, I don't speak Tagalog fluently, but I understand it. And my comprehension is returning to me the more I spend time with members of the Filipino community here.


10. I like to cook, but I'm not keen on cooking for myself.


11. I am very much an introvert. I tend to avoid large crowds and huge parties.


12. My shyness can easily be interpreted as me being stand-offish. Perfect example: one of the homeless people, who recently arrived in Durham, accused me of disliking him, despite us having very limited contact twice. *shrug*


13. "In a previous life" I was a sports journalist. I covered high school (American) football for the local community newspaper. I did that for one semester before I realised that was not the career I wanted to follow.


14. My favourite place to be is Boston, MA. I love the city. If I could be anywhere in the world right now, it would be Manila, Philippines. I haven't seen my family there for ages, and despite the problems afflicting the country, for some reason, every time I went there, it felt more home-like than any other place I've ever been.


15. Dietrich Buxtehude's music was what got me interested in the organ in the first place. Nowadays, if I were to choose a radio station that played music I wanted to hear 24/7, I would choose one that played organ music. A close second might be choral music, especially from the Renaissance period. Interestingly enough, choice number three would be 80s music, and if it's British, it's that much better.


16. Even though I'm not much of a movie-goer, any films starring Alan Rickman will always get me running to the cinema hall. I admire his work, and if I were an actress, I would love to have the opportunity to take a Masterclass taught by him.

Meme #2: Guess That Movie. Stolen from Faryn B.

Instructions:

• Pick 15 of your favorite movies.
• Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
• Post them here for everyone to guess.
• Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
• NO GOOGLING/using IMDb search or other search functions.
• No looking at my favorite movies on my Facebook, MySpace, or Flixster pages ...

Hmmm. Well, the only reason why I'd consider this is because ... well, look at this Rickman movie meme I did back in mid-October. So as you can probably guess, yes, this will be a "Guess the Rickman Movie" meme. The quotes will be drawn from films, both from the small and large screen, in which Rickman has appeared over his ca. 30+-year acting career. If you feel like playing, leave your answers in the combox either here on LJ, on Facebook, or on Blogger. I'll post the updates on LJ.

MOVIE ONE – The Barchester Chronicles, monicarnsg
"May God forgive you, Madam, for the manner in which you have treated me. As to the Bishop, I pity him. May you both live forever."

MOVIE TWO – Die Hard, Faryn
"I must have missed 60 Minutes. What are you saying?"

MOVIE THREE Revolutionary Witness, monicarnsg
"Like religion, philosophy solves the problems of the past and the future, never the present."

MOVIE FOUR – The January Man, Faryn
"Just languish there, darling. Don't molest anything."

MOVIE FIVE – Quigley Down Under, Faryn
"Some men are born in the wrong century. I think I was born on the wrong continent."

MOVIE SIX – Truly, Madly, Deeply, Faryn
P1: "Your mother!"
P2: "You think every cloud looks like my mother."
P1: "This one really does look like your mother! Look: eyes, nose, eyebrows... brilliant!"
P2: "My mother has not got a beard!"

MOVIE SEVEN – Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, Faryn
"That's it then. Cancel the kitchen scraps for lepers and orphans, no more merciful beheadings, and call off Christmas."

MOVIE EIGHT – An Awfully Big Adventure, Faryn
"There were times when I was close to death, and each time I thought "I have a son, and it will not be the end of me." But it is. I may not face it as well as I faced death... "

MOVIE NINE – Sense and Sensibility, tie between dressagegrrrl and Faryn
"I knew a lady very like your sister - the same impulsive sweetness of temper - who was forced into, as you put it, a better acquaintance with the world. The result was only ruination and despair."

MOVIE TEN – Rasputin, Ana
"The sea brings comfort, and the waves they talk. The sunshines on the water as it gently rises. You can see the face of God when you look at the sun. Your soul forgets everything as you wake from the dreams of life's worries. For the joy lifts your heart, and your soul sees the wisdom of life, and beauty. Indescribable beauty."

MOVIE ELEVEN – Dark Harbor, Ana
"I have retinal damage, isn't that hilarious?"

MOVIE TWELVE – Galaxy Quest, Ana
"You broke the ship. You broke the bloody ship."

MOVIE THIRTEEN – Snow Cake, Faryn
P1: "B-A-A-N-G."
P2: "You can't have two A's in bang."
P3: "In Comic Book Word Scrabble, you can. You can have three A's if you want."

MOVIE FOURTEEN – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ana
"I may vomit."

MOVIE FIFTEEN – Bottle Shock, Faryn
P1: "Why don't I like you?"
P2: "Because you think I'm an arse. And I'm not really. It's just that I'm British ... and you're not."

Meme #3: The Meme about Memes and Blogging. Yanked from Sunday Stealing. I'll have to blame juno_magic for this one as she was the one who introduced me to this blogger in the first place! Well, not directly, of course, but still ...

How do you feel about being tagged for memes?

*shrug*
Some I'm happy to fill in. Others, I think, "I don't feel so inclined to answer these silly questions," and I let them languish in Cyberspace.

Do you participate in any regular weekly memes? Which ones?

Not really. If a meme catches my eye, then I'll participate in them. However, like I said above, I am not so keen on tagging people, and if anyone feels inclined to fill in the meme, then I say be my guest and go right ahead.

Have you found any bloggers that you began to read regularly after participating in a meme with them?

Er ... maybe, but then there were other things that brought me to their blogs/LJ in the first place.

Do you know of any readers who found you through a meme and became regular readers?

Not that I am aware of, no.

Did you find any favorite blogs through comments or blogrolls on others’ blogs?

Yes, but mostly on LJ rather than on Blogger.

Did you find any favorite blogs from someone else’s recommendation?

Yes.

If you comment on someone’s blog, do you expect a response? If so, do you prefer that response to come through an e-mail, a comment from them on the same post, or a comment on your blog?

It depends on the subject matter. As for the responses: if I prefer an email response, then I would not be commenting publicly on their blog or LJ. And besides, there is the option to subscribe to responses so comments from others on the same post is perfectly fine.

Do you ever struggle with your blogging “voice”?

At times, yes.

Are there certain types of blogs that attract you?

It depends. Some of the blogs I follow belong to friends. Others belong to church musicians, and I generally like to see what music they've programmed at their churches. Over on LJ, people on my f-list are fellow writers and/or fan fiction aficionados.

Are there certain types of blogs that repel you?

I don't do politics. Period.

What time of day do you usually blog?

It depends on my mood, the phase of the moon, etc.

Do your family and friends know about your blog? Do they read it? Do they mind if you mention them? Do they suggest posts for it?

They know - I've sent emails to my email list telling them when I moved my blog from MySpace to Blogger. There are links to both my LJ as well as my LJ f-list on Blogger, plus most, if not all, of my blog posts are automagically imported into Facebook. So if anyone wants to read my thoughts, they know how to find it.

And, I'm careful enough to write about things that I know will not get me into trouble. I have heard too many horror stories of people whose jobs or positions were compromised or threatened because of what they wrote or placed in their MySpace, Facebook, or blogs.

Whew! Well, have at it. Feel free to yank any or all memes from this space. And remember - if you want to play "Guess that Rickman film", leave a comment and I'll let you know whether you're hot, warm, or cold. :-)

Pax vobiscum ...