7 facts

So, time traveler twitter friend Richard +Richard Mellinger @imasillypirate (who's actually named imasillypirate in real life, even if he denies it, and is the only person I know who actually uses Google+ for something (reason number one I linked this thing to his Google+ profile)) tagged me on this thing I'm supposed to do. And because I always do homework I'm doing it. Even though I thought I hated him when I saw it (but he told people to read my blog, so I can't completely hate him). Even though I'm not really sure about what I'm actually going to write in here.

That was like one sentence in his blog, so you are getting an idea about how this is going to be. I write a lot, like a lot a lot, and most of it is going to be nonsense.

Well, apparently there's rules and shit. So I'm going to put them in here, and you read them, and I'll do whatever I want because that's how I roll (I was going to insert a joke here, but I only know it in Spanish and it doesn't have a translation (know what... fuck it "huye haciendo la croqueta")).

So, rules:

“This blog hop is designed to show our readers a more personal side to ourselves. We’ve been challenged by another author/ blogger (somewhat like the ‘ice bucket’ challenge) to list seven interesting facts to help cast light onto that tough writer’s/blogger’s persona we all like to project. But we want to show that behind every story is a story, our story, my story, and like everyone else I have dreams, hobbies, problems and goals. This blog hop is a way to share some of them with you, my readers.

The rules are that I share 7 Lovely Facts about myself, and links to at least 15 blogs that I enjoy reading. If I’ve nominated your blog (see names below) please don’t feel any obligation to join in but, if you do, please link back to the blog of the person who nominated you…share facts about yourself and nominate 15 blogs (or as many as you can).”

Have you read them for me? Good, now forget about them and let me do my thing (writing nonsense).

As I said I first hated our silly pirate for having nominated me. Because these things usually suck. And you should agree because I'm always right. But then I read it and I thought it was sweet, and WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME I AM SAYING SOMETHING IS SWEET, WHERE'S MY BLOODLUST? Seriously, though, you should check his post. Have you? Have you? What the hell, seriously? Go check it.

Because Richard is a time traveler from the past, and, thus, a gentleman, he apologized for writing two posts in a week. Because I just finished the "A Story A Day" thing, I'm not apologizing for anything, because people you had a freaking post every freaking day for a freaking year, I don't need to give explanations.

So, after all this ranting let's start with this:

7 facts about me

1. Despite being born in Spain, I couldn't speak Spanish until I was around 9.
I spent all my childhood speaking only Catalan. Once, when in Sevilla with my family (I think I was 4 or something like that), I ran to my mum telling her that "that man spoke weirdly" after a waiter spoke to me in Spanish. I've made up for it and now I speak a decent Spanish. Also English (you'd have never guessed), and some French. And I've been trying to learn Icelandic for years, but I never have time, and it's sad because I'm really good at languages.

2. I'm stubborn, but flicker at the same time.
Once I decide to do something I either do it passionately or give up completely. See exhibit #1, or how I wake up at 5:30 am every weekday to go to the gym. Also, how I'm able to gorge down a full bar of chocolate in half an hour as soon as I open it, because I commit at eating chocolate.

3. I hate coffee.
I can't even stand the smell. I have had coffee ONCE in my lifetime, because I was at a conference and I was falling asleep. I forcefully made a latte enter my stomach, and I was rewarded with a terrible taste and more sleep. That was when I discovered caffeine doesn't do anything for me, as I've been known to drink a RedBull and be able to go straight to sleep.

4. I have a high tolerance for cold.
I've not always been like this, but I'm known for wearing sandals from March to December, shorts from March to October, and tank tops all year long. Also for needing to take out my lab coat while standing in front of an open -80ºC freezer because it was too hot. If I were given one euro for every time I have been asked if I'm not cold, I'd be RICH. Too bad this doesn't work like that. WHY DOESN'T IT WORK LIKE THIS?

5. I do science for a living.
Since, apparently I don't like to eat (that's false, and I'll never say enough how much do I love to eat), I'm doing the two "professions" that are more likely to starve you to death: science and writing. I studied biology because I've always loved it (when I was a kid, first I wanted to be a queen, and then I wanted to become a veterinarian or a zoologist), after that I did an MSc in Pharmaceutical Industry, because you never know, and then I started a PhD in Biomedicine. My field of study are Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and Alzheimer disease. And I love my job, by the way, you can find information on the actual project I am working on in here. I'm sorry, I don't have a cool video like Richard had, but no one has ever recorded me giving a talk, it would be funny, though. However, if you're a fellow neuroscientist you may catch me at some meeting (I've been to SfN meetings twice), and you can come check my posters, I swear I'm such a good presenter that people ask me whether I'm a postdoc (please, don't let it be because I look old).

6. I curse a lot.
You might have spotted some cursing scattered around this post, that's actually nothing. I've used four curse words in a five-word sentence more than once. My mother has already given up on trying to get me to talk like a lady. Also, I'm not a girly girl, so she should have given up much earlier.

7. I think out loud a lot. In English.
My brain is broken, and it started thinking in English some years ago, I can't exactly remember when. And since then I do talk to myself out loud in English, and think in English. Like, seriously, it is fucked up, it's not even my first language, and there I go making lists and shit in English because I can't remember the words in my own language. And, also, picture this: a person walking down the street having a heated argument with themselves in a language it's not their own. I'm surprised they haven't had me institutionalized yet.

So that's it. Now I'm supposed to tag some people, and I have to admit I'm a really bad friend and I don't read my friend's blogs, and actually I don't even know who has a blog, so I'm going to tag some of the people I know does both and hope for the best. I can already tell you that FOR SURE, their blogs are going to be less of a chaos than mine (but I love entropy).

1) Becky +B. A. Wilson @BAWilsonWrites

2) Ellen @EllenMandeville

3) Jason @CantrellJason

4) Emmy @emmyshine

5) Victoria @vdavenportwrite

I managed five. And I can tell you their blogs are awesome. And look much more polished than mine. And they all proof read their posts before posting them, unlike me.

Guys, sorry for tagging you, but you're free to do it or not. (If you do let me know, I'm curious).