Labels: vogelkop bowerbird

I had the great pleasure of interviewing the fabulous Deidre from Decoy Betty. Here are her marvelous answers:

Ingrid: When you were little, what did you dream of doing? (This can be a job, a fictitious dream world or anything else ;))

I thought I was going to be a vet. It went beyond dreams and beyond childhood aspirations (the childhood dream was to be like a disney heroine who could talk to all the animals in a lush green clearing and sing and dance with them). I was going to save animals lives and reunite them with owners. It was only during my senior year of high school when I did an internship with some vets that I realised I could never do it. I could never put an animal to sleep, nor was I too fond of biology.

Ingrid: Did you play make believe? If so, what?

I think I still play make believe. As a wee thing I did play a lot of pretend of getting lost in the woods and having to find my way home encountering supernatural creatures or building fairy houses out of rotting tree stomps or I played a lot of horse games and with dolls (not barbies...wasn't allowed to have a barbie). Now, I day dream all the time. Really intense daydreams sometimes they verge on hallucination - Ally McBeal style.

Ingrid: What is your favorite food?

Wow, hm. That is so hard to say. When I was little it used to be spanokopita. My mom used to make it for me for every single birthday. And then I got kind of sick of it or maybe sick from it is a more accurate term (stupid gluten). Now, it's probably a sesame noodle dish that I hardly ever make for myself (because I am too lazy to buy all the ingredients), but I always request my mumsy to make it when I go home. It's full of fresh veggies and sesame oils, and sesame seeds...yummers.

Ingrid: How would you describe your laugh? What makes you laugh?

I have a feeling what my laugh actually sounds like and what I think it sounds like are two very different things. But it starts out kind of audible and then if I really get going turns into a silent full body-dry-heave-like shaking that generally results in huge inhalations and me crumbling on to the floor.

Things that are silly generally make me laugh. The retelling of stories. Mispronouncing or misusing words (particularly when I do it). Tickling...I laugh every time my brother laughs and when his son laughs I can't help but laugh back. Look, I am a laugh slut, I'll give it up for anything.

Ingrid: Name five things you are really proud of.

5. I am impressed with how easily I've fallen into my new relationship with Inspector Climate. I am not usually so open and honest about my feelings for boys (to the boys...I'll tell anyone else...AWKWARD) (Inspector Climate when he reads this will be all "this is open and honest about your feelings...pshaw!").

4. I am immensely proud of the relationships that I've maintained since being overseas for so long. Long-distance is hard, yo. It doesn't matter if it is your best friend or your brother.

3. I am proud that I haven't run away - things are only going to get tougher for me in Australia and with my family in the next few months. And I am not running home, but standing up for myself.

2. On a similar note, I am impressed that I haven't gotten overly downtrodden about the state of affairs of my visa and job (or lack there of). Well, so far.

1. I haven't taken the beaten path or even the easy path. I could've studied something I was good at in college. I studied physics. I could have stayed in the US, but I moved thousands of miles away. For someone who has as much fear and anxiety as I have, it's shocking how much I can man up when I need to.

Ingrid: What made you happy this week?

It just happened, like right now! I did an arm balance in yoga today! You know what that means? I actually have some core strength! No one saw this coming! Rejoice!

Ingrid: Which is your favorite blog post on your own blog? Why?

Probably either this one or this one.

The former because it did provide some real closure on my relationship and allowed me to move on nearly immediately. But it also made me feel like I had a community of people who would go and egg his house with me if the need came up. And it's important to have friends who will do that for you, you know?

The latter because it still makes me laugh. And that's important. If you can't make you laugh...who can?

Ingrid: What keeps you blogging?

Wow - I have no idea. I've always written a journal (still do), and I think it really keeps me sane. I process everything through writing, and it's so nice to have a space to bounce ideas around in or be silly or sad. It doesn't matter if I am wallowing in the darkness, which most times I feel like I have to hide from "real" people, but can just let it lie here.

Labels: citizen of the month, the great interview experiment

A couple of years ago, I came across a great online community project Neil's blog: Citizen of the Month. The premise is that "everyone is somebody", and that we all should be interviewed since we all have a story to tell. Here are my answers from February, 2008.

How it works: Neil uses the commenting on his blog to assign interviewers and interviewees, so that eventually all of those who comment on his post get the opportunity to be interviewed and they can then post the results of the interview on their respective blogs.

I decided to participate again since it was awesomely fun last time and although I'm quite a different frame of mind right now I think it a wonderful and incredibly cool project.

Today, I was interviewed by Otir who thoughtfully asked me questions that really made me think... Here they are.

Otir: You have been blogging for a very long period of time now, as I see archives back to April 2004. What keeps you so long in the blogging business?

Ingrid: That's a really good question. I think that I have periods in which I isolate myself, and blogging is an outlet, and a way to reach out to others. I have met some creative, loving and wonderful people through blogging. It often restores my faith in people. I initially started blogging just to get in the habit of writing more often for pleasure (rather than for work). . . I have kind of gotten away from this. Thanks for the reminder :) (My blog has gone through phases where I write a lot and then I just post links for months... depends on my energy level. Most of my content has been "lazy content" lately.)

Otir: Your blurb underlines the "need to be real". Does that mean some other areas in your life are not allowing to be "real"? If so, could you please tell us more about it?

Ingrid: No, it is more of a personal mantra. :) To not get caught up in superficial things and stay grounded in real relationships and interaction. That with all of the silliness, worries, day-to-day routine and hedonistic pleasures in life, there too is room for moments of reflection and pause and that those moments are important.

Otir: I read your "about me" section and immediately want to jump on your mention that you "want to be loved". Although I definitely can relate to that one, I would love to hear you tell me if blogging has fulfilled that want or if, of course, any other thing in your life has, that you are willing to share with us in this interview.

Ingrid: Hmmm. I don't think I started blogging in order to be loved, but I have met people through blogging who I love and from whom I feel loved. I think that we all feel a longing for love (?) and with that a desire to be accepted but also challenged. But yeah, there's also the incredibly insecure part of me that wants the external validation that comes with someone else saying, "You're great. I love you. Keep on keeping on. It'll be ok." (I read somewhere that all of us involved in various social media are ultimately narcissists or people who get personal validation through others..."@claydevout "social media is primarily the domain of easily wounded narcissists."" I can see a grain of truth in this although I don't want to admit it. ;P)

Otir: I would naturally be more interested in asking you personal questions (like how old are you, or what is the name of your hometown) but I noticed that very little was available through your list of 75 items or about, so I wonder if this is deliberate, and if so, why?

Ingrid: It is deliberate. I figured that my blog isn't a CV and, by my own choice, it is definitely not a tool for business or personal marketing. In this context, I don't think that these types of details about myself are important or very interesting. I reveal things only if I'm comfortable. I definitely don't like talking about people in my day-to-day life since it seems to be an infringement on their privacy. Did you find that this is missing? (BTW: I'm 41 and Canadian)

Otir: I was thrilled to notice that apart from Neil, I found at least another blogger I befriended and now I am wondering if you are in the translating world, which I would think it a natural thing if you live in the Netherlands were I assume everyone is fluent in many languages. My question is: are you fluent in more than Dutch and English?

Ingrid: No, I'm not officially a translator but I have done some translation of marketing texts. :) (I'm a freelance writer/editor.) I'm actually Canadian and have been living in Amsterdam for just over 9 years. While my Dutch is definitely better than when I first moved here, my English is still better. :) But you are sooo right in your assumption, a lot of Dutch people are pretty amazing with languages.

xo

Labels: citizen of the month, the great interview experiment

via neatorama

Does any food evoke this ... "rudeness" in you? How about licking your fingers? I recently made a chocolate cake and found myself using unusual restraint with the bowl.

I was kind of disappointed in myself. There was a time I would have plunged in face first, dipping the end of my nose in the sweet chocolaty goodness. I seem to have become an adult in a most disappointing way.

Now maple syrup on the other hand... well that is a sophisticated thing to slurp. In my world anyway.

Any private food indulgences you'd care to admit to? (the ones that fill you with little kid joy and naughtiness?)

Picture, "Abigail licks the bowl", by wiccked.

Visiting the family doctor in the Netherlands is a lot like Cheers.

When you come in every one says, "Hey." Well, not literally, they actually say "Goeiemorgen!" (if your appointment is in the morning...)

And then when you leave after your appointment, they say "Byyye!" ("Doei!!") and wave as you leave.

It is both charming and weird. The difference is that there's no beer there. Or peanuts.

"

via blog.haveyoumetme.com