Do you care to share a little about yourself?
I’ve been on Medium for over six years, but I don’t think my readers know too much about me. Many of those who did know me are no longer on this site. Since there are many new Medium members who read my work, along with some longtime readers who know little about my life, I have decided to share a few things about me.
Some people who have read some of my work know that I am a married, liberal, old, gay guy who writes a lot about politics. But there is quite a bit more to me than this. I am going to share some of my likes and a few of my dislikes so you may understand who I am a little better.
First of all, I love food. I love to eat. I grew up eating the basic American food, which included meat, potatoes, and vegetables. I always thought this was a very bland diet, and I still do. Early on in my life, I discovered Tabasco sauce and spicy food.
My favorite cuisine is Thai, followed by Chinese, Cajun, Malaysian, and Mexican. My husband is Chinese-Malaysian, born in Penang, Malaysia, which is noted for its extraordinary cuisine. He loves to cook, and needless to say, he does most of the cooking. He is also a big fan of Gordon Ramsey, so he cooks a great deal of Western gourmet food.
Ten years ago, we lived in Malaysia but moved to a small Rochester, New York suburb. It was a big dietary letdown. Our town has nothing but pizza places, greasy spoons, and restaurants serving the same menu. Our neighbors have no idea what ethnic cuisine is, thinking Taco Bell is authentic Mexican food. We have tried to introduce to them what we eat, but they will have nothing to do with it. If they haven’t eaten it or heard of it, they won’t try it.
Fortunately, we can take a half-hour drive to Rochester, where there are numerous ethnic restaurants due to the large foreign student population associated with the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology. If we decide not to eat at home, we usually dine out in Rochester once a week.
Aside from enjoying my culinary delights, I love all kinds of animals. When I was a child, I suffered from severe asthma and was not allowed to have any pets with fur. I did have turtles, fish, and snakes, though. I had always wanted an elephant, and I still do.
When we lived in Malaysia, we had a cat, Nero, a prairie dog, Chi Chi, tropical fish, and an assortment of designer geckos. We both wanted a dog, but living in a condo, owning a dog was impractical. Shortly after we moved to our new home, we adopted two Cattle Dogs, Cato and Lucky. Sadly, Lucky passed away suddenly, leaving Cato the spoiled king of the house he is.
Cato
We have two Quaker parrots, Blue and Gizmo, who amuse us with their chattering and occasional flights around the living room. I have a reef tank full of coral and colorful saltwater fish. Sitting back and watching them swim around the tank is so relaxing. Saltwater tanks are beautiful but quite expensive.
My husband, Kevin, had always wanted a chameleon; now, living in the United States, he has one, Hannibal. Hannibal doesn’t do much, but he amazes us with the array of colors he displays. He loves to be held but prefers to sit on our heads.
In the summer, I have a small raised bed garden that occupies my time and provides us with tomatoes and a variety of Asian vegetables, which my husband incorporates into his culinary masterpieces. Another hobby I have is bonsai, which I started about three years ago. I enjoy taking native trees and preparing them to be bonsai plants. I’ll be long gone before they can be considered actual bonsai plants, though.
Eating mainly Asian food helps me maintain a healthy diet, which is accompanied by my gym routine. I am a bit overweight, but as much as I try, I can’t lose much weight. But I’m not going to starve to death to have a slim body!
You know what I like, so now for a few things about me that you might find odd. I do not like watching television in bed, which is something my husband loves. I prefer to watch television until late and then go to bed. Once in bed, I must have the fan on and my right leg out of the covers. I do not like to be in a warm room to sleep.
I hate vacuuming and even the sound of a vacuum cleaner. Luckily, the house has robotic vacuum cleaners that run while we sleep. My husband is a tech and has transformed our home into a Smart Home. We even have a robotic lawn mower!
I also hate waiting. I am always on time for appointments, and I get upset if I am kept waiting. If someone says they’ll meet me at such and such time, they better show up on time. If anything, I am mostly early when I have to be someplace at a specific time.
I also hate bigoted, racist people, but you probably already know this. I have a few other peeves, but I can write about them another time.
It felt pretty good introducing myself to you in this way. I’d like to get to know my readers better, too, so I encourage you to take the challenge and tell me a little about yourself.
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