A Curious Girl: Helen follows in line. Because she wants to.

Mum's birthday today. Grandma accused me of being a 'Nelly'. Well being called Helen I think I have the right to be a Nelly!

I must write to Tesco's and Allders, as well as completing my application form for Gala.

I read in both Mark's diary and Erin's diary list of 100 and 101 facts about themselves respectively. Interesting. So, what the heck, if anyone's new to my diary, this will be a handy reference page :-)

1. My name is Helen, or Helen Louise. Keith calls me Susan after Susan Ivanova in Babylon 5, but other than that, I have no real nicknames. Abi used to call me Smiley, and Sara recently took to calling me Helsinki (I call her Sarajevo. What a wacky life we have.)

2. When I was little I was so desperate for a nickname I even considered 'Nelly', or 'Nellie'. The unfortunate nickname of 'Elephant' from my friends because I was heavy footed made me completely reject that idea.

3. I still think the song Nellie the Elephant rocks. It is one of the many songs Abi, Sara and I occasionally spontaneously burst into, along with 'Always look on the Bright Side of Life' from Monty Python's Life of Brian.

4. I don't think that Life of Brian is an evil film, and all the Christians who made a fuss about it had completely the wrong idea. It makes fun of followers of religions and leaves Jesus completely unscathed; besides, he can take a joke.

5. The first time I heard the song 'We wanna see Jesus lifted high' I thought it rocked beyond belief.

6. The first time I realised how wonderful God was it was absolutely amazing. I was eleven.

7. I have mixed views on homosexuality but homophobia is completely wrong. I believe that so long as no-one's getting hurt, we should live and let live. There's nothing wrong with love, I know that much.

8. Being straight I don't understand it anyway! I have known several gay and bi people; Abi for instance, who is now going out with Lee, a male.

9. I have been friends with Christina since we were five years old.

10. When I was five years old, I pushed a tiny Lego brick up my nose for completely unknown reaons. I had to go to hospital to have it taken out. The first hospital I went to sent me to another one. Once I was there, it was only a matter of seconds.

11. I love writing stories. I put some more on my GeekHost site yesterday and today. Go read.

12. I wrote a lot of poetry at around 14/15 years old, partly due to my mega encouraging English teacher Ms. Jardin.

13. I want to be a teacher.

14. I have a rather large number of unrealised interests, in painting, acting, needlework (guiltily thinks of my uncompleted cross-stitch), cake making, cooking, and writing html help websites. I can think of too many things to do. I feel guilty when people talk about realising potential.

15. Thinking of too many things to do is actually kind of depressing when you have no-one to do it with. I live quite a long way from school and my school friends, hence any feelings of loneliness.

16. I love sci-fi.

17. I actually like Asimov's short stories better than most of his novels. I still haven't finished Foundation - the book, not the series of books. But I love his other stuff.

18. I want to write sci-fi one day.

19. I really like singing, I find it rather soothing when depressed and uplifting when tired. I am not a brilliant singer, but I try hard.

20. Hence I was in our school's production of Return to the Forbidden Planet as a backing singer.

21. I like Shakespeare - not exclusively, and not everything he wrote, but his work completely enchants me.

22. I like watching Shakespeare much more than reading him.

23. I have mixed feelings about Disney films. They have serious sequelitis - although if they bring out Cinderella 2 I wanna go see it. Because how can they possibly make a sequel to Cinderella??

24. I like Christian Rock, so long as it's primarily Christian, not primarily rock.

25. I believe in evolution to a point. But not totally.

26. My favourite colour was blue but now I'm not so sure. Pale green or dark red, perhaps.

27. I used to play the piano. I played my keyboard on Friday and ended up simply feeling bitter about the time I wasted doing exams and doing Music GCSE.

28. I do not consider myself a natural musician, or indeed a musician at all.

29. I actually really like jazz and I don't get people who hate it. How can you hate jazz?

30. My Mum read the Harry Potter books before I did. They all belong to her.

31. I don't believe that Harry Potter is evil and/or inspired by Satan. The books are meant to be fiction.

32. I like to be 'childish' sometimes - not being petty but having fun like a child would. They know how to do it.

33. Despite what I said above, I actually love to play the piano. I wish I was better at it.

34. I like lots of things not generally hailed as brilliant by my peers, such as Jane Austen books, the Scarlet Pimpernel (see links) and Jesus.

35. I never told my best friend from primary school that I am a Christian. It is rather shameful to be honest, even though I haven't seen her much since I became one.

36. Chemistry is probably my favourite subject at school.

37. I love my friends, and want to be able to say that I love my enemies.

38. Pop music does my head in.

39. Possibly my most shameful memory is of biting a girl in play school when I was four years old. I don't think my Mum knows even now.

40. I don't generally wear make-up.

41. I don't actually shave my legs very often. I don't think girls should have to shave their legs, although I do because it looks better in my opinion.

42. I like funny adverts.

43. I hate adverts that seem to advertise their product on the basis that your whole life will be sorted out.

44. Rugrats is one of the best cartoons I ever seen.

45. Without a doubt, Dangermouse is the funniest.

46. I like roller coasters.

47. I actually really hate thunderstorms unless they're over about 7 miles away.

48. I used to do voluntary work at a hospital. I actually wish I hadn't given up.

49. I like children.

50. I don't believe in talking in a falsely high or sweet voice for anyone except cats.

51. I think cats are gorgeous creatures.

52. Old Possum's Book of Practicle Cats is one of my very favourite.

53. My crushes (for want of a better word) generally last a long time. One on John (who laughs at Mr. JE's 'little jokes') had me determined for two weeks to ask him out; after spending about an hour and half with him during a Games lesson I wrote it off as a bad idea. One of my shortest lived crushes.

54. I actually prefer being single (OK, I haven't had much to compare it to...). Being friends with boys turned out to be great, let's not ruin it now by saying something stupid (like I love you! :-) )

55. I eat too much chocolate.

56. I use the internet a little too much.

57. I act in a stereotypically male way quite a lot of the time. I'm still absolutely certain that I'm female. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have periods.

58. I believe in saving sex for marriage.

59. I'd really like to write a letter to St. Paul and ask him what he meant by all the stuff he wrote.

60. I think it's a myth that gay men are always effeminate, and lesbians are, well, not effeminate. If gay men were all effeminate, they'd have to be attracted to effeminate men, and therefore they'd like women (who are effeminate by definition), QED. It's also got be a myth that homosexual couples act like male and female towards each other; it's a terribly heterosexual view.

61. I am a feminist. I think that people should know what sex they are and not be afraid to do things in spite of it. Women can be engineers and men can be nurses.

62. I hate black and white love stories - all the ones I've seen, anyway. I like It's a wonderful life.

63. I like to be an optimist, it feels so much healthier.

64. My favourite artist is Van Gogh. Reading about his life I feel terrible sorry for him.

65. I used to collect smileys - I don't need to anymore. People give smiley items to me.

66. I have always been fascinated by the idea of time-travel. I'd like to have a go at a Quantum Leap.

67. I once wrote a very embarrassing story that starred Dean Cain, the star of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. It's a long and cringeworthy tale, so I won't tell you.

68. I like philosophy but morals make my head hurt. I don't like to discuss them until I have to. I'd rather just know what is right and wrong.

69. I vowed never to have a mobile phone. Even now, I have never bought one.

70. Like Erin, I don't want to ever work in a fast food place.

71. I believe in doing the most good in every situation. I'm not very good at it - please be patient with me.

72. I like learning the words to songs, it makes Church a little easier.

73. Heart of Worship by Matt Redman would probably be my most favourite song if I hadn't played it so much.

74. When I was little, among my career aspirations was a magician (like Paul Daniels!). Now I write about a similar girl in my Unfinished Novel, only she can do real magic. That is, if I can write it so that I won't be accused of Harry Potter type blasphemy. I don't believe that kind of magic exists, it's just an interesting fantasy.

75. I believe astrology is best left to the Magi (Three Wise Men :-) ).

76. When I was in primary school, I gained a reputation for being lazy and slow. It is something that has stayed with me ever since, even though I write much more quickly and concentrate harder.

77. Being called a boffin was a relief rather than a burden, for the above reason.

78. I really admire some of my teachers. I think they're wonderful people doing a good job.

79. I think the police are also doing a good job.

80. I consider myself a socialist.

81. I dyed my hair red over a year ago and you can still see the separation in colour in my hair.

82. I want my hair chin length again.

83. I've seen Delirious? play, Noel Richards (twice), Matt Redman's band, minus Matt and the Tribe. All were awesome. I think Matt Redman's band was the best, on reflection.

84. When God said to love everyone, I believe he meant it.

85. I'm willing to admit that this side of Heaven I'll never be perfect. I'd say, 'I'll be the first to admit it if I do something wrong!' but even that high ideal eludes me. I probably won't, I'm afraid.

86. I read my Bible most days, mainly the New Testament, as I have difficulty applying what the OT Prophets say to my life. Psalms are good too.

87. I believe in Heaven.

88. I also believe in Satan - I'm not clear about Hell; what it is and what it means, but I do believe that it isn't receiving a burning sensation for eternity. Hell is being permanently and completely separated from God as Jesus was on the cross (hence paying for us) but I don't think it means consciousness of this forever. Otherwise it would be 'eternal life' without God. Plus, Hell is a second death. I don't think the sensation lasts eternally, but I'm not sure how it works.

89. I collect Horrible Histories, but I'll ask for no more until I've finally finished Rowdy Revolutions. I like History, I just hate analysing the boring bits.

90. I like food - I'm actually a bit of a compulsive eater, but I try not to be. Fat is a feminist issue by Susie Orbach helped me a lot. I go on about it every now and again!

91. I've given two Valentine's cards to crushes. One anonymously, and that turned out terribly, and one to David straight out, signed with my name. He took it well.

92. I am very prone to analyse things. And over-analyse them.

93. I have annoying habits of picking my nails (a manual manicure!) and fiddling with my hair. All my other annoying habits I try to keep private :-)

94. I surprise people with my memory, but it still frustrates me!

95. Psychology wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be, but still worth studying.

96. Teachers seem to like reading my work out in class, or getting me to. Once I wrote a rather long homework for R.E. in Year 8 that I had to read out on the Last Supper. Damn embarrassing, but it's a rather pleasing thought now - glad that I wrote something good about Jesus.

97. I want to help disadvantaged children.

98. I believe that God will look after me whatever I do, and if I have suffering, that he'll more that make up for it in Heaven.

99. I am English, except for a quarter Scottish blood on my unknown father's side. As Clive has adopted me, I'm now just plain English.

100. My family is one of the best gifts God has ever given me.

101. I have a long way to go yet...

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