Hi, I'm Richard. Thinking of things to say here is hard. Below is what I've come up with.

I read. Love a bit of totally out there escapism (Iain Banks, Terry Pratchett, George RR Martin etc). I've started reading some "serious" fiction, and I'm happy say I'm taking something from it. This may mean I've grown up a bit. Oh well. I just finished "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society", which is one of the best books I have ever read. I'm not ashamed to admit to a manly tear or two even.

I like to run and swim. I live near the UCC gym, so I've really got no excuse. I joined the Athletics club this year and they've been busily crucifying me with seven minute miles. It's good though, seeing the serious people shows me just how much room I have to improve.

I love to cook. It's fair to say I cook like a nerd, all denatured proteins and to-the-gram weights, but it works for me.

After working a real job for a decade I'm back in college! Loving it, getting a chance to study biology, my favourite science.

I just bought a house, so I'm shopping for furniture at the moment and learning how to replace 1950s style plug sockets with new ones. Fun!

I spent two weeks in Argentina and Chile during the summer. What a blast was had. So I'm busily plotting my next travelling adventure. Probably stick closer to home this time - thinking Spain, for the improvement of my Spanish.

I'm really interested in science - whether I'm good at it or not remains to be seen. I plan to invent the new velcro after a year or two of study and spend the rest of my life following the summer around the globe.

I'm a good friend. I'll go to war for my friends, or back them no matter what they do. It's a loyalty thing, and the pay-off is they'd do the same for me.

I'm a great cook. This is easy because I love cooking. I cook one hell of a bolognese. I'm also highly skilled at the lasagna. Pro-tip: It's not that different to bolognese. Well, not that different to what we call bolognese in Ireland anyway.

I'm a good listener. Go on.........

I look about a decade younger than I am - which rocks except when I get asked for id buying booze in Tesco. I didn't have any on me so had to get my twenty year old friend to buy it for me. Much to the amusement of the people queuing behind us.

This is a really hard one to answer in less than a large telephone directory style book format. Possibly this means I'm broad minded, possibly it means I'm not terribly discriminating. Highlights:

Haruki Murakami's "Wild Sheep Chase", The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, The Princess Bride (the Goldman abridged one, although I'd like to read the original), Catch 22, historical fiction in the vein of Sharpe or Flashman, George RR Martins "Song of Ice and Fire", anything by Dawkins (he's the king of Richards), Iain M Banks' Culture books, Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World", practically anything by Terry Pratchett, old poetry, new drama.

Bladerunner, Dark City, Dangerous Liasons, Fargo, Leon, 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, many many many TV shows, mostly by HBO.

Good music. No genre in particular - if I like it I like it.

I could go on and on and on about food. My very very favourite is my gran's roast lamb, but that's all tied up with childhood and happy memories. I love italian food too - spagetti carbonara ftw!

My friends,
A computer,
A bed,
People,
Books,
News

Biology, which is fascinating to me.

What I'm cooking, and how I'll cook it.

Spanish, which I'm trying to learn.

Working until eleven and usually running to the pub to start catching up.

When I was a kid, I once ate sudo cream!

You're open-minded and outgoing. If you like laughing. If you're sincere, or you can fake it well. If you like the Discovery channel.