top 10 fun facts about Trish:
10. I've always been fascinated with Cuba. I admire the beautiful and resilient people, the wonderful cigars, and even the crumbling architecture. I visited Havana in December 1995 for a film festival, and am a big fan of Cuban movies, music and, of course, dance. I'm determined to become a salsa goddess, and una reina de casino rueda!
9.
I totally fetishize the '70s. I love disco music, '70s television (thank goodness for Nick at Nite!), and '70s fashion. I have fond memories of my first crush (Willis from Diff'rent Strokes), first career aspiration (Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader), and my first pair of Calvins.
8 . I love the music of Earth, Wind & Fire, the Doobie Brothers, and Tom Jones. Really.
7. I took swimming lessons for a good two years before it finally "took." In early 2005, I was terrified to get into the deep end of the pool, but by July I was taking ocean swim clinics (and a lesson with the Surfing Rabbi!). Yes, I did have to try hypnosis and my first triathlon (half mile in Avalon Bay) wasn't as smooth as it should've been, but I'm working on it and getting there!
6
I was on academic probation for a semester during my sophomore year at CMU. So were my two roommates (together, we were referred to as the Three Graces of Groove, "the Sisters of Funk", "the Divas of Disco", or "those three black girls" -- although one is white). OK, so we didn't get to initiate into our sorority with the rest of our pledge class -- we still managed to have a blast...and graduate on time!
5. My academic papers are a hoot. My undergrad opus was a study of intertextual identity and the comedy of Dennis Miller; I got into the American University graduate review with a paper about the Shannen Doherty phenomenon; and the topic of my master's thesis -- the crowning glory of my year at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism -- was MTV's "Real World."
4. I love classic films. I'm always up for a night out to watch a revival of "Sunset Boulevard,""A Star is Born" and the like; I'm happy to forgo "American Idol" or even "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy" to check out the best of Old Hollywood on Turner Classic Movies.
3.
I was the first American citizen in my gigantic extended family. They're all from Guyana -- yep, that South American country made famous by a certain cult leader.
2. I was a contestant on two game shows in '02 (when I wasn't working full-time and could actually go to the auditions). I did my time in The Chair, ABC's attempt at prime-time masochism, and actually WON on Comedy Central's Beat the Geeks! (Who knew all that useless trivia clogging my brain would come in handy?)
AND....(drumroll)....
1...I have developed an insatiable wanderlust that I can only attribute to my early addiction to the '70s PBS children's show, Big Blue Marble. The past seven years (beginning with a fabulous, fun-filled Millennium in Paris) have included group trips to Greece, Brazil, Fiji, Thailand, Ibiza and the South of France; marathons in New York City, Washington D.C and Honolulu; a two-month stint living with a family and studying Spanish in Seville; a few stopovers in London; a triathlon on Catalina Island (and a few partial tris in Malibu) and vacations in Vegas, Sedona, Cannes, Rome and Australia. I wouldn't have it any other way. In 2006, I spent 10 glorious days traveling to Athens/Mykonos in July, relaxed with my parents during a lovely Thanksgiving week in Vero Beach/Orlando, then did Christmas/New Year's in New York Cit-ay. I have no idea where I'll be working or living in 2007 (although my beloved cottage in Venice is a safe bet), but I do know that I'll be in Goa for Christmas/New Year's 2007/2008. Giddyap!
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© 2001-2007 Tricia Nelson. All rights reserved.
