The Authentic Eclectic

A Few Things You Don’t Know About Me

I don’t know if I can commit to 10, but I’ll try

There are 3 things you must know about me: I’m an open book I’m openly vulnerable I overshare And if you’ve read any of my personal stories, you’ll know almost everything there is to know.

This is why when Bernice Puzon tagged me, I wasn't sure I’d play along — there’s no way I can find 10 things people don’t know about me. But then Simon Dillon of the Dillon Empire officially requested I comply, and I cannot but oblige a royal decree.

So, this is my weak attempt to be faux interesting.

#1— I don’t get really get too many pop culture references

I was born and raised in a tiny-ass island country called Bahrain in the Middle East, which also happens to be a Kingdom. It is so tiny-ass, you can see it in the zoomed-a-million-times image above, but the slightest zoom out renders it invisible, as in the image below.

This is also the only time you’ll read the words tiny-ass in reference to anything me, but I digress.

Life in Bahrain in the 80s and 90s was a mish-mash of traditional, habitual, and popular cultures. It was a British colony and an American naval base, with the population being a majority mix of Arab and South Asian, and our experiences had a little bit of everything.

We celebrated birthdays at Hardee’s and went to a Hindu temple after (it is a Muslim country with a very, very benevolent royal family.) Sounds of prayers from the mosques around us, gold-dripping malls, and luxurious villas of the Shaikhs were a steady part of our daily scenery as were Debenhams, Nike, Marks & Spencer, Indian restaurants, and McDonald’s.

Also, we had 3 TV channels and caught up on: NBA (Go Bulls!), English Premier League soccer (Yah Man Utd!) and cricket (C’mon India, dikhado!) E.T and (very) belatedly aired Hindi movies (like 4 years after release) Shows like The Torkelsons (anyone? no?), Crystal Maze (“Will you start the fans please?”), and Ramayana (over rented videotapes)

We had Michael Jacson, Duran Duran, Madonna and PetShop Boys, A.R Rahman, and Carnatic music on loop in our cars and on our stereos

Thanks to this meld, I don’t have a strong association with any mainstream pop culture. It bothers me at times when people get into passionate discussions about cult-status shows, movies, and music, while my references are….Life Goes On and The Torkelsons. Sounds like a great way to end conversations, huh?

#2— I’m always mixing languages when I speak

I’m multi-lingual: English is my first language (and my language of thought), Hindi was my second (in school), Tamil is my mother tongue, and I am fluent in both. My father’s mother tongue is Malayalam (stay with me here), and even though my parents spoke to us in Tamil, he generously peppered in Malayalam words all the time.

(I also learned Japanese and was semi-fluent 10 years ago. Doesn’t matter now, but just saying.)

So I often drop random words, only to have people stare back with a huh, what?! expression — and then I have to ask:

“Is this not a word in _____ language? No? Oh, ok. Maybe it’s _______”

Bahut cool aa iruku, alle?

#3 — I’m clumsy AF

Ask anyone in my life and they’ll tell you I can fall while walking on a perfectly flat, straight road with no obstacles whatsoever. Because my left foot probably got caught in my right ankle while it lifted off the floor at a weird angle because my shoe was heavier that day and I was distracted by something in the distance. Could happen to anyone, right?

Some notable injuries of mine are: I’ve fallen up the stairs and busted a knee I’ve injured 4 of my fingers while doing jumping jacks, by hitting them against the ceiling fan I’ve had many torn lips and punctured nostrils from a cell phone slap to the face

In short, I pretty much have some bruise or the other, someplace or the other, most days of the week, month, and year.

#4— I’m a Jack of all Diets, Master of None

I’ve been on a “diet” for most of my life because I’ve pretty much always been — or felt — overweight. I’ve done all kinds of crap: Paleo, keto, vegan, low carb, no-carb, no sugar, protein shakes only, General Motors, drank green juice, etc etc etc.

I’ve also done a million different physical activities: running half-marathons, reformer pilates, aqua-aerobics, boxing, tennis, hip-hop, barre, had many personal trainers, the peloton, joined Instagram #fitfluencer groups, again, etc etc etc.

I know enough about nutrition and exercise to be a personal advisor to many friends, giving them customized recommendations on changing their eating habits and movement.

But I don’t practice what I preach — after a point, I just got exhausted from having a life-long, pathetic relationship with food and my body image. Now I eat whatever I want.

#5 — I’ve never played sports. Never. Any.

My ultra-protective Dad was happy to have his daughters ride a bicycle inside our apartment, play board games, do art, read books, etc— basically do anything but go down, play on the streets, and rough it up in the name of sport.

Somewhere I wonder if my super clumsiness and uncoordinated-ness are because of it, but in the mystery of nature versus nurture, I guess I’ll never know.

The upside is it’s probably why I took to writing — what with all the free time I had!

#6 — I have multiple piercings and tattoos

Six tattoos (and counting) and six piercings (no more) to be exact.

I was big-time into piercings in my early twenties and kept getting them, closing them, and getting them again. It’s a little too painful for being a sight for sore eyes kinda thing, so I’ve decided I’m done.

As with tattoos — much to the annoyance of my partner — I don’t think I can ever have enough. While I wouldn’t get a tatted face anytime in this lifetime (95% sure), the rest of my body is a canvas for art.

All my tattoos are little stories of their own. I work for months designing them: the elements, the shape, the size, the colors, drawing into my heart for inspiration so I can have certain people or memories etched on my body forever.

As life goes on and I add more memories, you bet there’s more to come.

#7 — I’m an Extrovert, 100%

I’ve been told I’m extremely talkative and can strike a conversation with random people easily. I also talk very fast apparently.

I’ve also always had a million friends. I remember my 22nd birthday when I had 57 guests crammed inside my tiny home for a so-called party.

With age-related social anxiety creeping in, I’d like to believe I’ve eased out on this behavior. I even took an online quiz just before writing this section, and it came out I’m an ambivert. Older and mature Preeti thinks there may be some truth to it.

I went from friends claiming “I could talk to a log” to literally “talking to a log.” So….there’s that.

#8 — I love learning and doing new things

My husband taught me to bike at 32 (remember the no-street sports thing?) I took sewing classes at the local community center at 34 I completed a creative fiction class at UCLA last year It was boxing one year, hip hop the other, and tennis the next

I can’t wait to start swimming classes soon; hopefully this summer!

#9 — I’m always writing in my head

It’s not a good thing and can be really annoying at times, but my mind writes entire articles in the shower, when I’m driving, or worse, when I’m sleeping. The IMAX screen inside my skull doesn’t have a dull moment.

I think it’s a quirky combination of anxiety, creativity, and overthinking.

#10 — I LOVE dancing

What I lack in grace, I make up in enthusiasm.I don’t care whether I’m a good dancer or not, I just love what happens to my body when the beat of the music hits. I can’t help myself!

My sister and I used to bust out some killer moves to random songs after my parents went to bed each night. We would laugh more than we danced, but we never stopped doing it. To this day, when she comes home, one of the first things she’ll say is “Man, I miss dancing. Wanna dance now?”

I’m usually the first on a dance floor and the last off. I can dance to anything as long as it has beats!

Wow, I really made it to ten.

Thank you for sticking with me till the end. If you’re still here, I owe you.

Please check out Simon and Bernice’s 10 things because they are way more interesting than I am:

Since everyone and their grandmothers are doing this, I doubt there’s anyone left untagged. But I shall choose those commonly unworthy — too high brow, or low brow — of a tagger’s attention.

Smillew Rahcuef: Because he’s the VP of Imagination, and I’d love to see his 10 ways of making 6560 times his neighbor’s earnings

BichoDoMato: Because as Top Writer in Creativity, I’d like to see his 10 most creative pursuits other than handstands and teasing AI for pictures

Kristen Stark: Because as a person with no more fucks to give, what 10 things can she name anyway? But I’m curious, so…..

Christopher Robin: Because if nothing else, we can always find 10 deprecating things to say about ourselves (yes, me included)

And last, but never least, Reuben Salsa: Because I know he won’t do it, but hey, he rakes in the big Medium bucks!