Fun Q&A + a delicious nomination

Keep those questions coming!

Fact: We are increasingly enjoying answering questions from our blogging community. It is so much fun! We would like to thank The Parmigiana Whisperer for nominating us for the Liebster Award. It is one of our favorite blogs – food, history, and humor – what we love rolled into one. We really appreciate your generosity in describing our blog, too:

these guys are the freshness, the idealism, the self care, the respect for the others: every post is a concentrate of what we all need in your lives, and I am so grateful that our paths crossed

And finally, below is our short Q&A that came with this nomination:

What is your star sign?

Markus: Capricorn. It is said to have to do with Saturn, which is funny because my name is Markus.

Micah: I asked Markus to look up what a star sign means. I am Libra. What is that?

What is your favourite season and why?

Markus: Spring, because it is full of potential.

Micah: Autumn – everything is dead yet beautiful. I love the spirit of it, like the Earth is going to sleep; a lull, a pause, some kind of rest and back to life again – hopefully.

Favourite pizza topping?

Markus: Pineapple. Just kidding – Pizza Hawaii used to be a favorite, but since I stopped eating ham this doesn’t really work out anymore. Now I like a good dose of goat’s cheese on my pizza.

Micah: Cheese, mushroom, and spinach.

Do you have any pets?

“Namaste”

Markus: Never had any, if you don’t count the neighbour’s dog. Now, Micah and I have been chosen by three cats who seem to like our tiny house as much as we do – Deimos, Phobos and To Be Determined (any ideas?).

Micah: There were a couple of male strays hanging out at the tiny house when we moved in, and by now, I think they are our cats. Get to know Phobos and Deimos here.

There has been a third cat that we call Fake Deimos because he kind of looks like Deimos and he started hanging around the house early last month as real Deimos disappeared to go whoring on another street. We all live together now. There is still no touching the cats, but they follow us around the garden, sit with us from a distance, and also they sleep on our daybed.

If you could travel back in time, which historical period would like to visit?

Markus: As a regular slob, most bygone periods would have probably been rather gruesome for me to experience (who can expect to have been part of the few well-off members of a past society?). But I would be tempted to see Federico da Montefeltro’s Urbino in early-Renaissance Italy.

Micah: I would like to see the time Ramon Magsaysay was president of The Philippines. We were supposedly okay as a nation then.

If you could interview somebody, from the past, present or future, who would you choose?

Markus: Diogenes of Sinope. I respect people who are consequential, and you can hardly get more consequential than him.

Micah: Jesus Christ, so he can tell me how people got it wrong, and Alan Watts so we can laugh about it. I would like to invite Buddha, too, but I worry he might chastise us for laughing.

If they made a musical about your life, what song would describe you best?

Or maybe something with Cirque du Soleil?

Markus: Up until recently, Mumford & Sons – Hopeless Wanderer.

Micah: Not sure how to answer this because I do not know how to describe my life. My favorite song is Claire de Lune. One of the sweetest things Markus did for me is learn how to play it on the piano.

Ask yourself a question and answer it.

Markus: How can we walk any distance, when there are always infinite numbers of smaller distances that come before it? By taking a step forward.

Micah: Do you want snacks? Yes.

Are you happy?

Markus + Micah: Yes.

What is the craziest thing you did for love?

Markus + Micah: Confuse it with attachment for most of our lives.

What cake would you be?

Markus: Cheesecake.

Micah: The one that you would eat.

What do you think? We find that we equally enjoy reading personal posts like this from other bloggers. Hopefully, you were also entertained. Much love to The Parmigiana Whisperer and have a nice day, everyone!

Published by Markus + Micah

We are Markus + Micah. We live in a tiny house by the sea, grow our plants, cook plant-based food, travel, and design wellness retreats and mindful programs so we can all live meaningful lives.

121 thoughts on “Fun Q&A + a delicious nomination

  1. I smiled reading this post! What fun! I agree with you wholeheartedly about Autumn, Micah. Everything about Fall seems so alive to me somehow. I love the way the air smells and feels, the colors all around, and the ‘warm’ feeling inside my bones. 😊 Spring is wonderful too though!

    Oh, how I loved the stories about the cats! We are big-time animal lovers as well. They add so much joy to life, don’t they? Have you had any luck with getting them to calm down and trust?

    Sending my love to you. I pray both of you are well, happy, and blessed! 💕

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    1. Thank you. Fall is coming already! I hope you enjoy the season and the nice things that come with it: warm drinks, sweaters, and tons of orange leaves. I agree with the warm feeling. The cats are coming along slowly, one lets me scratch his back but he is still hesitant and that is okay. We all hang out as if we are social distancing. I think they are good cats who just needs to recover from their traumas. They have burn marks, did you see? I saw your other blog with the cats, too. It is fun!

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      1. 😂 You made me laugh! “We all hang out as if we are social distancing.” I love it!! That’s really cute, Micah!

        Oh no! I didn’t see the burn marks. Oh poor baby! It does sound like they might have been through something awful. Cats who have a traumatic past can often make the best pets. Once they realize they’re safe (which can take lots of time), they treasure you forever. Bless your hearts for taking such great care of them!

        I’m glad you like Cat Care Solutions. 🙂 I really need to get back over there and do some updating. Thank you for visiting!

        I hope you enjoy the Fall season as well, my friend. Sounds like many wonderful memories to be made ahead! 😉

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        1. Where did I link their photo? I think on the last Q&A we did. Father said their scars look like someone may have thrown something boiling at them. It is really sad. But they can take their time and enjoy tiny house life. I am happy just seeing them around and playing with the plants. And thank you for the well-wishes. There is no fall in The Ph. We only hare very dry and very wet seasons. It does get cold early in the year but that is it!

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  2. Autumn – everything is dead yet beautiful. >> yes to this, Micah! I haven’t even seen autumn except in photos but i love it already. And that was an awesome lift!!

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  3. Great post! I loved reading the super interesting questions and also your answers! If I could go back in time I think I would love to see either Renaissance in Florence or go back to the Roman empire! Congrats on the nomination! 😊

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      1. I don’t know it and will definitely check it out now! 😊 I think that that time was super interesting and fascinating, they built so many things and had such a great knowledge of the world! I think it would be really interesting to go back at that time and witness all of it!

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        1. The Romans sure did a lot of things. I always thought the gladiators were the original UFC fighters. I am also fascinated by the ancient world. I think I will pick the high time of the Greeks or the kingdoms in South America, or wait, the Angkor civilization and see what they are up to.

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          1. Wow, they all seem super interesting too! I feel like for some civilizations we know many things about their feats and achievements, but I’m always really curious about the daily life!

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            1. True! I mean, just in travel these days this is true. Markus and I always stay with local families and immerse ourselves with the community. Tourist spots are great, but it is the daily life of the people that reveals the spirit of the place and the culture. It is truly fascinating. When we do our wellness retreats in Bali, we have an entire day of living with locals and experiencing the full range of Balinese life. It is a real experience that we love sharing to others.

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                  1. Exactly! I haven’t had such an experience “in the wild” but when I went to study Russian in Russia I was living with a Russian family and could learn so much about their habits and cultures, just by this full immersion. I really loved it! I wish I could do it more often and for different civilizations and cultures ! 😊

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                    1. No, not at all, and that was the challenge! 😂 I went there to learn Russian and the experience was amazing! I talked about it in some blog posts if you are curious 😊 I would loooove so much to come to Bali, it has been on my list for such a long time!! 😍

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                    2. I will go digging on your blog then. It sounds really fun though. That will be my experience in Germany next year. Bali is magical. To me, it is a state of mind, the kind of place that can be life-changing if you know where to go and what to do. It is the reason we chose the island and always love sharing it to people.

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                    3. Wow, are you going to Germany to learn German? 😍 I can really imagine how magical and wonderful Bali is, I can’t wait to see it with my own eyes!

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                    4. Markus is German. His family is there. I am learning German through Duolingo and YouTube. I hope I am making progress. Haha! I just can’t go to language school and sit there for hours. Especially during the pandemic! And yes, Bali is magic. You would love it.

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                    5. Thanks for your vote of confidence. I do not know about a lot. Hard to say, I have not taken my exam yet. I just try to do a little every day and keep going. It is fun to learn, so there is that.

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    1. Thank you. I saw a short documentary on Magsaysay’s time and was impressed with his pro-people programs. What did your mother say? Of course, I do not know if this is true or just propaganda. It is hard to tell when it comes to politics, no? So it will be interesting to see what that was like then. Thank you for visiting us!

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  4. Oh, I’m a Libra too! I don’t really pay much attention to what the horoscopes say about my day or year though. I refuse to believe that almost 10% of the world’s population would go through something similar just because of the month they were born in. It is a source of entertainment not to be taken seriously. Nevertheless, it must mean that your birthday is coming up as well!

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    1. When were you born? I agree, I think it can be very entertaining. And we can always pick out the nice bits so we feel better about our day. Haha! My birthday is in October.

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  5. You guys are so cute, really. I love reading personal posts like these even though I don’t play ’em anymore. Do you think Buddha really wouldn’t have laughed along with you? Look at those laughing Buddha statues. 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  6. Your responses are brilliant! I loved that you had to find out your star sign! did you look it up? does it fit with your personality? I have to admit I had to sit down when I read pineapple! And I really enjoyed the video about Federico da Montefeltro, so interesting!

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            1. There is always something to pick up from everything. Plus, it is always fun to learn about personalities. We obsess about MBTI sometimes and figure out the type of people we know. Do you know your MBTI?

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  7. Wow…. very insightful answers (though snacks-yes might be my fav). I’ll happily join you at Cirque… working for them is my fantasy (too bad they had to lay off everyone and I think I read they filed for bankruptcy protection).

    I think TBD is a GREAT cat name!! My Toonces doesn’t respond to his name but hasn’t given me a clue as to what he’d prefer to be called.

    Libra = The weights… as in a woman holding a double sided scale. First info from teh webs: “Libra is obsessed with symmetry and strives to create equilibrium in all areas of life. These air signs are the aesthetes of the zodiac: Ruled by Venus, the planet that governs love, beauty, and money, Libras adore high art, intellectualism, and connoisseurship.” Does it fit?

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    1. What is your favorite snack? I think cats are just snobs most times than we care to admit, but we love them anyway. Oh, thank you for your effort. Balance is sure important to me, as well as intellectual stimulation. Not sure about high art – I appreciate the beauty in all things, especially the small, every day ones.

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      1. I say cats are for people who are okay with conditional love. Dogs give unconditional love.

        My fav snack… hmmm… lately it’s been tortilla chips. Maybe cheese. I like cheese a LOT! I was big on apples a couple weeks ago. But a bunch.. then didn’t want them anymore. Several months ago it was celery, because I realized it calmed my omnipresent heartburn. I guess it changes all the time.

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          1. I was going to have apples w/pb last week but I used all the pb for sandwiches! I’m a lazy “cook” and often eat pb or cheese sandwiches cause they take almost no effort or time.

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            1. Cheese sandwiches are super nice. Have you made one with a crown? I think being lazy is the best way to find out fast and easy ways of doing things. It helps me a lot. Haha!

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                    1. It does look fun, and tasty. If you use a non-stick pan, you do not need to do a lot of clean-up. I honestly think non-stick pans are a gift from the heavens.

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    1. Oh, thank you for sharing your favorite song. It is a fun one! Actually, now I am uncertain if I ever watched The Sound of Music movie. I know I watched the musical. Did you know that most Germans have no clue what TSOM is? Haha!

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  8. I am Libra as well! That’s called a Zodiac Sign. Ehehe, the photo with your cat is so adorable. I’m loving Micah’s answers.😂😂 Can I share the snack with you?😂I love how Markus chose Spring, you give that vibe, it’s very cheerful! My favorite season’s Autumn as well, Micah!
    How can we walk any distance, when there are always infinite numbers of smaller distances that come before it? By taking a step forward- Thanks for telling me this too!
    Loved reading this post, xx

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    1. Thank you. Yes, we love making and sharing snacks. It is one reason we are opening Cafe Domingo. What do you love about Autumn? And this is my sister’s cat, CB for couch buddy but I think it should mean corned beef because it is so fat.

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  9. I really enjoyed reading your answers!

    I love how Markus chose Spring — he totally exudes the spring vibe

    and Micah, what do you think about the theory that Pres. Magsaysay was assassinated?

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    1. He exudes spring? Interesting. Why do you think so? I never really thought of him as a season. I suppose there will always be theories when any president dies. My favorite is the one on Osmeña’s plane crashing because it was made heavy by mangoes. Made me laugh a lot.

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      1. Just like what he said, spring is full of potential. I feel that Markus is one of the people who takes advantage of every opportunity to grow. I feel that he has the knack for inspiring others with his energy & optimism, he seemed to always have some ideas in mind.

        Seriously? I have never heard of that theory. LOL. The ideas people have are limitless 😀 😀 😀

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              1. I was thinking whether I had experienced being so even @ one point but no… I haven’t… I don’t procrastinate either so it’s not about my slowness and inactivity…

                I have a habit that I don’t start something until I haven’t finished what’s on my plate which reminds me that even on food. I don’t mix things on one plate. I eat one after the other. I dont know if it’s related but I am definitely taking one idea at a time…

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                  1. I always enjoy knowing someone who is like me. I knew of another person, then now, your sister…. People find it odd especially on buffets 😀

                    How many siblings do you have? Are you all girls too, like us?

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                    1. I don’t know why it seems strange to separate food on the plate. We all eat in whatever way we want and that is fine, no? All girls, yes. You, too? There are four of us.

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                    2. We are three. All girls too. It’s fun to have an all-girl sibs…we can have male cousins anyways! Hahaha

                      Your father must enjoy the female noise!!! Hahaha!!! My father does as he doesn’t have a choice… or perhaps he doesn’t and we just did not care! Hahaha!

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                    3. Father is very used to it. My parents say they were trying to have a boy and gave up with four girls. Yes, it can be fun to have sisters. They are supportive even if all my sisters are SJ types so mostly they find the way I look at the world a little strange.

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                    4. I can imagine.

                      You and I are totally different but I won’t find you strange. I find you extra interesting…

                      BUT I feel that my youngest sister, who is more like you, would also describe us to have found her lifestyle / behavior strange… I guess it’s a sister thing… Sisters are bound to see our behavioral strangeness 😀 😀 😀

                      Your father is lucky to have been surrounded by women.. My father probably enjoys it too but is only hiding it.. lol.. for 39 years… ang galing mag hide!!

                      Are they older than you?

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                    5. Thank you. They find it odd but are supportive, or at least tolerating. Haha. Markus always says differences in personality are useful when used to complement each other, and I see that with my sisters, too. I am the firstborn. You?

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                    6. I am the first born too! But I was wrong about you…. lol…
                      I pegged you to be the youngest!
                      And Markus is right about that.
                      Me: I am the emotional, loyal and will fight for your rights til death type…
                      Middle: She is the rational one. She will drive you to emergencies… she will lend us money when needed.
                      Youngest: Everything I have said about us, we do it for her.

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                    7. Omg, this is so true. Haha! When I am out with my family, people assume I am the third child. My two middle sisters are so used to this by now and are not offended. I guess it is because of their lifestyle – one is an ER physician and the other is the head nurse of ICU.

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                    8. Hahahahaha. And I haven’t even interacted with them… lol

                      You have the light, youthful and sweet vibe that I only see with the younger ones…

                      My middle sister is a Nurse too. We mock her Alicia Florrickness (ref: The Good Wife) because she is so composed all the time. She has the perfect smile, perfectly ironed dress, and there’s never a bad photo of her.

                      The youngest is a Soprano. She majored in Voice and Theater— she does whatever she wants in life! She has traveled more than us because she’s a free spirit and well— tags with mom and dad all the time…

                      Micah, your siblings must be soooooo responsible. I mean it’s one thing to be smart, that’s easy—- but to maintain and commit to it? It takes personality…

                      And don’t get me started with the Head Nurse. Lol. Head Nurses are way tougher than doctors. For someone who worked in Human a Capital for a Medical chain for 10 years…. My problems would always come from head nurses… 🤣🤣🤣They’re my friends IRL but at work—- the annual turnover is because of them… as per the exit survey 😅😅😅

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                    9. Thank you, my disposition varies from moment to moment like everyone else. I just try to be present, even if my back suggests other things sometimes. Haha! Your sisters sound like my sisters, too. Love the note on never a bad photo of her. Where are your sisters living? Are they away from you? My sisters are incredibly responsible – proof is they have not acquired corona despite facing it every day. See this pandemic is very real for me and my family because the burden on my sisters is palpable. And I agree with head nurses. My sister has stories that are both fascinating and shocking.

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                    10. Both of them are here… we live near each other.

                      The middle sister (+ my mom and dad work for the US base here) and she would joke that I didn’t get in because I didn’t pass the personality test being too scatterbrained😅 I have applied many times but I guess middle east, war, guns, tanks, bombs and me are not quite a compatible match when it comes to screening potential employees 😅😅😅

                      I am glad to hear about your sisters! The fact that they are safe and stayed healthy is something to be grateful for.

                      And the personality of HNs had to really be strong otherwise, they won’t be as effective.. both patients and staff alike can be a handful.

                      By the way, I have read your bio, but you didn’t write who’s who… are you also a nurse?

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                    11. At least once a week, as all of us are working…

                      Wow! That’s a lot! You have a very active life! 💕💕💕 when did you stop working as full-time nurse?

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                    12. Not really, it is very relaxed, especially during these times. I was a clinical instructor for nursing students in university. I prefer my indepedence and worked to align my occupation with my top personal value. I want to like my every day!

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                    13. That’s a bold choice! I truly admire you for being able to do that… that’s freedom at its finest!

                      I think Libras are like that…. although I don’t follow star signs, I have observed people of the same birth months (or zodiac) share some similar traits… my mom is like you… she’s cpa but felt she loved teaching so she studied education and taught instead, traded money for joy! Now, she is retiring to be a missionary because she feels that she is needed there..

                      I know of 3 capricorns (+me) who are managers @ work, leader types, strong personalities— but are total softies with their relationship… borderline hopeless romantic doormats… I saw that Marcus is capricorn too, perhaps it’s different for girls? 🤣

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                    14. Thank you. I think it is important to know that we have a choice on how to live our lives or how to spend every day. The first step is knowing what we want and the second is making decisions and taking actions to make it happen. Because it is possible to live a life that we totally adore. It is just a matter of being intentional, right? Your mother is an excellent example! Oh, Markus is INTP. His capacity for romance equals to that of a teaspoon.

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  10. You guys are so adorable!!! What cake would you be? The one that you would eat 💖💖💖 My hubby hates cats, says they are evil because they keep rubbing up against his legs. I think you should send us one of your strays 😉

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