We want to know more about you

There's this thing going around Facebook at the moment where you write 25 things about yourself and then send it off to 25 of your friends you want to know more about.

The point is to tell people you don't know all that well (or lost contact with many moons ago and have now reconnected with) things about you that they probably don't know and for them to reply in the same vane.

It doesn't need to be super personal or embarrassing, it just needs to be something that tells the person a little bit more about who you really are.

I got my first one about two weeks ago from an old school friend that I haven't been in contact with for over 16 years. We were never really close even back then because we moved in different circles but we got on alright and under different circumstances could probably have been very good friends.

In fact if we'd known then how much we had in common with each other, it's likely we'd have made a concerted effort to hang out more.

It's only when her list of 25 things landed on my Facebook note page that I realised that we'd wasted the last 16 years of potential friendship.

That it turn got me to thinking about how many people I've met over the years and how many good friendships I might have lost out on simply because we never got round to knowing more about each other.

Next month I'll have worked here at GulfWeekly for three years and it's amazing to think how quickly time flies but the one thing I realise as I look around the room is how, although I get on with everyone around me and we've shared many a laugh around the proverbial water cooler, we rarely see each other outside the workplace and I know next to nothing about what really makes them tick.

The next thing to occur to me is that even though few of you actually know me well, most of you know a lot more about me than I do about you. It's inevitable that over the last three years of reading my thoughts and opinions on things you'd have formed some kind of idea of who I am and what makes me tick but even that would only really be scratching the surface of who I am.

The same goes for your neighbours and work colleagues - how much do you really know about the people around you and what do they know about you?

Here's your chance to find out. And here at GulfWeekly we want to know more about you too. Below I'm going to put a selection of points from my list of 25 things and ask that you take just a little time out of your day to send me five interesting things about you that we can publish in the paper for all your neighbours and colleagues to read and learn about you.

And who knows, by opening up just a little bit about yourself you might be surprised who might come into your life.

1) I love watching Miami Ink and would love to get a tattoo done by Chris Garver or Darren Brass.

2) I can cook a five course meal without too much stress but ask me to boil rice or scramble eggs and it's a complete disaster!!

3) My worst farmer's tan ever came after an hour and half walking up and down the length of ABOT (Al Basra Oil Terminal off the coast of Iraq). It's hotter than the fires of hell in July and left me with white shoulders and brown arms and neck for almost two months. It took a two hour helicopter flight to get there, flying so low I could see the fish swimming in the water below. Hot, uncomfortable and deafening (despite the earplugs and headset). Totally exhilarating and something I'd do again in an instant!

4) I value trust and loyalty above all other attributes.

5) I'm addicted to sunflower seeds at the moment. Nutty and crunchy and full of yummy goodness!

6) Most of the people I love and admire the most in this world all live in different countries to me. I think about and miss them daily even though I almost never keep in touch. Sis, Libby, Robbie, Chris - My world is so much better for having you in it. You are loved!

7) I strongly believe in 'live and let live'. As long as you go through life trying never to intentionally hurt others, you're alright by me. We all have skeletons in our closets or things we're not so proud of in our lives but its no-one else's place to judge what we choose to do with our lives. No-one but the person going through it can ever really understand the why and the what of it all so who are we to judge?

8)_My best holiday ever was Xmas four years ago in Koh Samui, Thailand. We spent Christmas day riding an elephant and swimming in a waterfall.

9) Things I like: Gerber daisies, Sushi, chilli chocolate, pretty nails, thoughtful people, big dogs, the rain, the sun and Champagne.

10) Things I don't like: people that don't put their mobile phones on silent in public places, beetroot, liquorice, little yap yap dogs in dog clothes and mean drunks.

Be part of the GulfWeekly family and send your list of five in to: marieclaire@gulfweekly.com