Blog-o-rama
This week, I became involved in a blog-o-rama exercise, devised by my friend Twizzle. Five of us were involved, and we each had to "interview" each other - i.e. send questions to a nominated person (names were picked out of a hat) who would then post the answers on his blog. I interviewed Twizzle, while Papadog interviewed me.
Below are my answers to the allotted questions. If you'd like to read "my" interview of Twizzle, or any of the other interviews, today is the day to check 'em out:
Transit
Lila Quinn
Oh, and happy Cinco De Mayo day.
1. As new parents, we tend perhaps to overestimate the influence our every action and utterance will have upon the life of our children. Looking back on your own life, what do you think has been most instrumental in shaping the life you’ve had and the person you’ve become? Parents and family? Friends and lovers? Environment? Experience? An innate sense of self? Something else?
A: I definitely think my parents have shaped my life more than anyone else. I always felt that my mother was a very emancipated woman – she worked, took care of the home, and always emphasised the importance of financial self-sufficiency and a university degree. As a result, I became independent early on. I always knew I could stand on my own two feet and wasn’t daunted by much. With those qualities, I didn’t hesitate to move abroad when I was in my early 20s (I ended up living in LA for two years and New York for five, and later in Sydney for a further three) or start writing professionally in my late teens.
My father always encouraged my writing; even though I was studying law when I started to write and it looked like I might not complete my degree (I did), he was always proud of my writing work and to this day tells me what a great job I’ve done. He still takes any magazine article I’ve written and shows it to all his friends and local shop-keepers! He has always believed in the strength of my mind, so that even when I didn’t do so well at school academically, I had no doubt that I was smart. That confidence has served me well.
2. As new parents we also tend to look upon our children as the repository of all hope and goodness in the universe, despite the fact that human history indicates pretty clearly that it doesn’t always work that way. Can you imagine Julian in some way growing up to be a disappointment to you, or do you think you’ll always find a way to be happy about the choices he makes?
A: I hope that I never put pressure on Julian to do certain things – for instance, becoming the best football player on the team, or the number one in his class. I would like him, however, to try his best at whatever he does, and to be motivated. I want him to follow through with things even when it’s difficult, and I want him to finish what he starts (as I was taught). I don’t want him to give up, or not be able to keep going just because things are tough.
I don’t think I will always be thrilled about every single choice he makes; that would be too Pollyanna. I would be deeply disappointed, for instance, if he didn’t perpetuate the Jewish religion. I hope he grows up with a strong sense of Jewish identity and values it enough to pass it to his children, if he has any. But, while I may not always be happy with his choices, I hope that he knows I will always love him, no matter what.
3. Tell me about a piece of writing that directly affected your life.
A: I think the first time I read Neil Simon’s plays, I was blown away, because they were so timeless and funny, even on the page. And I related to his work; it wasn’t like I when I read Ulysses at uni and thought, “I could never write that!” I would read Neil Simon’s works, and other playwrights, and soon after being exposed to that I went to study playwriting / screenwriting at UCLA in Los Angeles. That move changed my life – I will never be the same after having that experience.
I also loved reading Elie Wiesel’s memoirs, and wrote to him about it. It really gave me new understanding into what my mother must have suffered as a Holocaust/ concentration camp survivor. I still have his hand-written letter, from June 96, which says, “Simply: thank you for your warm and moving letter – I wish you well. Please convey my greetings to your mother.” At least, I think that’s what he wrote – his handwriting is quite indecipherable! I think his book affected my life because it did give me new insight into what my mother has been through.
4. There was a Simpsons episode where Bart prank-calls some poor Australian kid to enquire about the way water swirls down the toilet in the southern hemisphere. Does it really go counter-clockwise? ‘Cause I think that would freak me out.
A: You know, I’ve never really done a comparison. I don’t know that it swirls here – it just kinda flushes. I will check next time. Trust me, there’s more that would freak you out about the way we live down under. Do you know that we use kangaroos as a form of transport? Kidding.
5. How, if at all, has your relationship with Ali the pug changed since you had a child?
A: I said I’d never be one of those people who loved my dog less when I had a baby…and I was wrong. I don’t pay her any less attention – one thing I do try to do is to still make sure she’s walked, played with and loved. But there was a time when I thought I’d simply die if I lost Ali. Now, my feelings for her aren’t that strong, I hate to admit. I enjoy her, but also think she’s a pain in the ass at times. Still, I do pick her up and cuddle her often – like last time. I don’t think she’s neglected in the least, even if she has fallen down a few notches in my regard. Oh, and I don't dress her up in funny costumes anymore - her cowboy hat and "princess" t-shirt have been stored away.
And here are the alternate questions I didn't answer:
1. If you could only eat one kind of cheese for the rest of your life (you could still eat other foods, but only the one kind of cheese), what kind would you pick and why? I’m assuming here that you like cheese. If you don’t like cheese, explain why not, and be prepared to defend your heresy.
2. You’ve mentioned once or twice that you only learned to cook five years ago. I’m guessing that between then and when you left your parents’ home you ate out a lot. As one who subsisted for many years on bachelor food, I’m curious: what were your key strategies for warding off the scurvy?
I do like cheese, and I ate a lot of sushi and expensive restaurant meals, and that's all I'll say about those two questions.
Below are my answers to the allotted questions. If you'd like to read "my" interview of Twizzle, or any of the other interviews, today is the day to check 'em out:
Transit
Lila Quinn
Oh, and happy Cinco De Mayo day.
1. As new parents, we tend perhaps to overestimate the influence our every action and utterance will have upon the life of our children. Looking back on your own life, what do you think has been most instrumental in shaping the life you’ve had and the person you’ve become? Parents and family? Friends and lovers? Environment? Experience? An innate sense of self? Something else?
A: I definitely think my parents have shaped my life more than anyone else. I always felt that my mother was a very emancipated woman – she worked, took care of the home, and always emphasised the importance of financial self-sufficiency and a university degree. As a result, I became independent early on. I always knew I could stand on my own two feet and wasn’t daunted by much. With those qualities, I didn’t hesitate to move abroad when I was in my early 20s (I ended up living in LA for two years and New York for five, and later in Sydney for a further three) or start writing professionally in my late teens.
My father always encouraged my writing; even though I was studying law when I started to write and it looked like I might not complete my degree (I did), he was always proud of my writing work and to this day tells me what a great job I’ve done. He still takes any magazine article I’ve written and shows it to all his friends and local shop-keepers! He has always believed in the strength of my mind, so that even when I didn’t do so well at school academically, I had no doubt that I was smart. That confidence has served me well.
2. As new parents we also tend to look upon our children as the repository of all hope and goodness in the universe, despite the fact that human history indicates pretty clearly that it doesn’t always work that way. Can you imagine Julian in some way growing up to be a disappointment to you, or do you think you’ll always find a way to be happy about the choices he makes?
A: I hope that I never put pressure on Julian to do certain things – for instance, becoming the best football player on the team, or the number one in his class. I would like him, however, to try his best at whatever he does, and to be motivated. I want him to follow through with things even when it’s difficult, and I want him to finish what he starts (as I was taught). I don’t want him to give up, or not be able to keep going just because things are tough.
I don’t think I will always be thrilled about every single choice he makes; that would be too Pollyanna. I would be deeply disappointed, for instance, if he didn’t perpetuate the Jewish religion. I hope he grows up with a strong sense of Jewish identity and values it enough to pass it to his children, if he has any. But, while I may not always be happy with his choices, I hope that he knows I will always love him, no matter what.
3. Tell me about a piece of writing that directly affected your life.
A: I think the first time I read Neil Simon’s plays, I was blown away, because they were so timeless and funny, even on the page. And I related to his work; it wasn’t like I when I read Ulysses at uni and thought, “I could never write that!” I would read Neil Simon’s works, and other playwrights, and soon after being exposed to that I went to study playwriting / screenwriting at UCLA in Los Angeles. That move changed my life – I will never be the same after having that experience.
I also loved reading Elie Wiesel’s memoirs, and wrote to him about it. It really gave me new understanding into what my mother must have suffered as a Holocaust/ concentration camp survivor. I still have his hand-written letter, from June 96, which says, “Simply: thank you for your warm and moving letter – I wish you well. Please convey my greetings to your mother.” At least, I think that’s what he wrote – his handwriting is quite indecipherable! I think his book affected my life because it did give me new insight into what my mother has been through.
4. There was a Simpsons episode where Bart prank-calls some poor Australian kid to enquire about the way water swirls down the toilet in the southern hemisphere. Does it really go counter-clockwise? ‘Cause I think that would freak me out.
A: You know, I’ve never really done a comparison. I don’t know that it swirls here – it just kinda flushes. I will check next time. Trust me, there’s more that would freak you out about the way we live down under. Do you know that we use kangaroos as a form of transport? Kidding.
5. How, if at all, has your relationship with Ali the pug changed since you had a child?
A: I said I’d never be one of those people who loved my dog less when I had a baby…and I was wrong. I don’t pay her any less attention – one thing I do try to do is to still make sure she’s walked, played with and loved. But there was a time when I thought I’d simply die if I lost Ali. Now, my feelings for her aren’t that strong, I hate to admit. I enjoy her, but also think she’s a pain in the ass at times. Still, I do pick her up and cuddle her often – like last time. I don’t think she’s neglected in the least, even if she has fallen down a few notches in my regard. Oh, and I don't dress her up in funny costumes anymore - her cowboy hat and "princess" t-shirt have been stored away.
And here are the alternate questions I didn't answer:
1. If you could only eat one kind of cheese for the rest of your life (you could still eat other foods, but only the one kind of cheese), what kind would you pick and why? I’m assuming here that you like cheese. If you don’t like cheese, explain why not, and be prepared to defend your heresy.
2. You’ve mentioned once or twice that you only learned to cook five years ago. I’m guessing that between then and when you left your parents’ home you ate out a lot. As one who subsisted for many years on bachelor food, I’m curious: what were your key strategies for warding off the scurvy?
I do like cheese, and I ate a lot of sushi and expensive restaurant meals, and that's all I'll say about those two questions.
posted by RachelleCentral | Thursday, May 05, 2005
1 Comments:
This interview is delighfully stuffed with real information about you. Since we've never met, it fills you in in my own mind a lot. I interview a lot of people for my job and what I always want is for my questions to uncover real anecdotes that reveal interesting qualities and experiences. Who knew you dressed up your pug in outfits!
Post a Comment
<< Home