M.Per.D, The Creation Of

M.Per.D, or Emperdy, is a thought that came to me instantly. M, for Melissa. Per is short for "Perdjie", which is short for "Stokperdjie", which is Afrikaans for hobby, which is part of what this blog was previously named. And D, finally, is short for diary.

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I've been described as an eccentric individual. It's not that I am odd or strange, but rather that I am comfortable to do and say what I love in a world where doing and saying whatever you want to is frowned upon. I am creative and inventive, and super organized. Both. I am neither left nor right-brained, neither introvert nor extrovert. For the latter, I could perhaps be described as omnivert. Yes, I am right-handed, mostly by habit. Growing up, I often had fun switching to my left hand for many everyday actions, although now, at 28, my left hand functions the same way most right-handed peoples' left hands function. 

I don't have one specific thing I strive towards. There is no "I want to be an astronaut when I grow up" for me. However, I do have passions. I love nature, the environment, learning, knowing why things are the way they are, learning about adaptations (always a favourite), working with my hands. I love to try new things. That, combined with my love for learning and working with my hands, has sent me down many a creative (or other) adventure. I've listed some below. 

Life has a way of sending you to the unpredictable. Up to now... I followed my love for nature to study Zoology and Botany at university. I studied biodiversity and absolutely loved it. I gained funding and did an M.Sc in Environmental Science, Botany, and I enjoyed it as well. I know I like to do research. It's basically solving a puzzle that I set for myself, right? Anyway, I continued to be a Natural Science teacher. It's a practical way of continuously living and learning - teaching about my love for nature and hoping that the students will grow just as fond of it as I am. It was here that I learned how much I love all the sciences working together. Not just biology, but also chemistry, physics. The broad overview of all these subjects together, why they work well together, this! An absolute passion that I wish anybody could understand.

That didn't last long, though, the NS teacher. I not only had no job opportunity the following year, but I also met my boyfriend, Mike. Together, we moved to Vietnam and taught English for our first year. He loves it, and together we've seen and experienced many wonderful things. Now, in two weeks from now, we're moving a little to the South, to Hoi An. He will continue to teach English. I, however, am not. I was not accepted to be an NS/Biology teacher at the 2 international schools there, and I do not really want to continue teaching English. 

What I will do, I do not yet know. If all else fails, I'll teach English. But I'll certainly try other alternatives first. Perhaps I can provide private tutoring - for the sciences, biology, mathematics, English. I can try to invent something, but what? I can sell things that I make, but I don't know what I'd like to make - certainly I can crochet, but I know I will become bored with creating the same thing very, very soon. I definitely want to try a new hobby or two, to gain a new skill. Perhaps, if I am lucky, I will find something that I love to do - something that will combine my love for nature with my creativity, and bring in some form of income. And through it all, I'm so incredibly lucky to have a supportive (and soon to be the only bread winner) boyfriend.

Always stay positive; remember to never give up.

~ Melissa

1) Activities I do well and skills I possess:

• Baking - does this really count?
• Botany - herb keeping, germination.
• Colouring - not sure this counts either.
• Creative writing - sure, I like doing this.
• Collecting - anything. I love love love collecting stuff. I'm a hoarder.
• Crochet and amigurumi - I was quite good at this.
• Flower arranging.
• Guitar - basic. Only chords basic.
• Piano - basic. Grade 1 basic. 
• Puzzles - yes. Love puzzles, always.
• Research.
• Sewing - although my 'clothes-making' is basic at best.
• Singing - I can sing.
• Whittling/Woodworking - a newer addition that I've not been able to practice due to moving to Vietnam without tools. TBC

2) Activities I have done:

• Board games - some.
• Candle making - I want to do this properly!
• Chess - I don't remember how to play aside from the basic rules.
• Cooking - since I added Baking above, it's only fair to add cooking here and say that I dislike cooking.
• Cross-stitching - yes, it's pretty easy.
• Dance - back in my school days.
• Drawing - can't say I'm very good at this but I can.
• Embroidery - not much.
• Fishing - I know how to, but I'm not good at it.
• Foreign language learning - Vietnamese, and I suck at it.
• Gaming - I mean, sure, but it's not exactly a passion of mine.
• Gardening - I like to garden.
• Horseback riding - I can, if that's all it is. 
• Ice skating - I've done as much as anyone that hire skates for a few hours.
• Jewelry making.
• Juggling - I can't do it.
• Knitting - I prefer crochet.
• Mosaic - it's fun if you can afford it.
• Origami - definitely not a passion, but I can do the basics.
• Photography - I mean, sure, as much as you need for Instagram or a blog.
• Quilting - I am good at this. It's just incredibly time-consuming so I never really got into it.
• Scrapbooking - an expensive hobby.
• Weaving - I did some. Not much, but enough to know that I don't really like it.

3) Activities I still want to do:

• Book binding
• Carpentry
• Decoupage
• Digital art
• Geneology
• Glassblowing
• Leather crafting
• Papier-mache
• Pottery
• Sand art
• Sculpting
• Shoemaking
• Soapmaking
• Stone carving
• Woodworking