Interview me - blatherings

blatherings
the shallow side

Interview me

The Rules:

Leave me a comment saying "Interview me."

I will respond by asking you five questions. I get to pick the questions*.

You will post the answers and the questions themselves on your blog.

You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.

When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

My answers to booger's questions.

1) Coincidence... My nan has lived in Devon for over 30 years. How'd you get the name?
Once upon a time in a place far, far away my folks decided to make a baby. They didn’t bother with getting married, nor did they bother particularly thinking things through. Like the fact my dad had six other kids form 6 other women (all daughters BTW). So the respective families were all horrified. I’m sure there is back story here because it was bad enough that my mom’s brother didn’t speak to her the entire time she and my dad were together. When it came down to the naming, they were at a loss as to what to call me. After much bandying about of names (the ones I heard were all quite lame) they decided that my brother’s god-parents were the only ones who’d been half way decent about everything, so my name should honour them. Only they didn’t want to name me after them (I would be Susan) so they decided that were they are from had a nice ring. And I was named Devon.

Only it doesn’t end there. The god-parents in question politely made their way around EVER saying my name until they were able to visit. At which point they sized me up and looked at my mother, sighed deeply and asked “why did you name her Devon?”
“We did it for you.”
“But she’s a girl.”
“Uh-huh. We know that. It’s to honour you.”
“But we’re from Dorset.”

And I have been forever grateful for the way things turned out. Not only have I had multiple camp experiences where I went to sign in only to find they would need to arrange a new room for me, but I didn’t wind up called “Dorsie.” My full name has a lovely ring to it and I get a kick out of the gender-neutral aspects of it. Well, ambiguous might be more accurate. A lot of people assume I’m a guy and well, let’s just say “plank” in the physical sense doesn’t describe me.

2) Who's your hero(ine)?
This is hard, because I don’t want to over-lap with #4. And that’s such a big word. There are few people where I look at their lives and am impressed with every aspect of it. Ghandi, for example, was a strong man who did a lot to change the world in ways that I respect a great deal, but I think he took it a little too far with choosing to be celibate for 30 years WHILE HE WAS MARRIED. I’m going to go with Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1968 - 1984, minus those wacky six months) and playboy.

Trudeau is responsible for loosening laws surrounding abortion, divorce, and homosexuality - claimed the gov’t had no right in people’s bed rooms. He promoted bilingualism and federalism (at the same time. In Canada). He took drastic steps to end the FLQ crisis which brought Canada back ot the peaceful state we’re better at dealing with than kidnapping, terrorism and such. He promoted social programs like health care. He met with John and Yoko to talk about peace. He was responsible for putting women in places of power for the first time (Speaker of the House, Governor General) and married a woman some 30 years younger than he was.

Trudeau had a vision for Canada. It wasn’t about being in power and ego. It was about doing the right thing for the country. He has Ghandi’s vision and desire to make the world better, while being rather charismatic and charming.

3) You appear to have very eclectic music taste, recommend something obscure and brilliant.
Bastard. This question is impossible because I do have eclectic tastes. Here are some disks I think everyone should have but probably don’t.
Classical - Gorecki - Symphony #3. Listen to this in the dark, when there are no distractions.
Metal - The Hollow - Vita. Very good metal band. My problem with a lot of metal is that while I like the music usually the singer usually sucks. This singer can actually do more than grunt.
Electronic - Moses Mayes - Needle to the groove. One of the best shows I've seen.
Experimental (ugh. what a term) - This is a tie - Kronos Quartet performs the Complete String Quartets of Alfred Schnitke. Mr Bungle - self titled.
Urban - Black Eyed Peas - Bridging the Gap. This is fun. That’s all.
Fun - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies a group of old punks doing covers of 70s hits and musicals. What more could a girl ask for?

There’s no country or pop because I stopped having country foisted on me years ago. And pop music is sometimes brilliant but by definition not obscure.

Oh, and I think everyone should listen to Veda Hille. Although what I've been listening to today and may be the best single answer to your question is Big Maybell. She's a singer from the 50s who does a mix of gospel/soul/blues with a naughty edge. Find stuff by her - songs like 'Candy' or 'I just don't know what to do with myself'

4) The dinner party question: five guests, living or dead. Who and why?
I wouldn’t want to dine with these people all at once. My attention would be unfocused. But for one on one dining treats, I’d go with....
Jack Womack. The best (living) writer. I would have trouble actually speaking for the first forever, and really just want to sit at his feet and worship for a while. Once I got over it, I’m sure he’d be brilliant to talk with.
Vladimir Nabokov. The best (dead) writer. As an academic he used to make up sources just to see if anyone would notice. He spoke a bunch of languages and had fun. Plus, he was a scientist as well as a writer.
My father. He died when I was 19 and I wish I had known him better. My family (on both sides) doesn’t really talk about him, even when asked directly.
Maggie. We met at French camp this summer and I utterly adore her. She lives too far away to see and we’re both too busy to talk a lot. Maggie lived as an illegal alien both here and in the US, is one of the most intelligent people I have ever met and looks like a goth Milla Jovovich.
Myself, shortly before I die. Just to see what happens and if learning what happens makes a difference.

5) How cold does it get in Canada? Explain so I know to never bitch when our pathetic winter's hit in England...
Um... where in Canada? You see, we’re a whopping big country with wildly changing weather. For example, there was snow on the ground not two weeks ago, and yet it was plus 20 yesterday. On the west coast (Vancouver, Victoria) it is very humid and pretty warm - in the winter while it does drop below zero, on average, it doesn’t. Ever. That being said, the humidly is probably a type of cold you, booger, are accustomed to. On the East coast (Halifax) the temperature in winter averages out around -6. The storms are pretty severe though, and you start adding in wind chill and dew point. Where I live, in Alberta, the winters average at -20 and when you add in wind chill, you can drop that by another 10 to 20 degrees. The worst we had this year was -52 with wind-chill. But then, the summers are plus 30ish. In the north, well -30 is pretty common. So stop bitching.

but thanks for asking, this was fun.

9.4.05 01:32

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To date 7 Comment(s) TrackBack-URL

(9.4.05 04:41)
Nice job, Dorset. Interview me, if you dare!

(10.4.05 00:05)
Aye, go on then , interview me

Nancy / Website (10.4.05 19:23)
Very interesting interview, Dorsie! That was a great story about the name. You can interview me, too.

(12.4.05 07:45)
I'll get there soon kids. First, release party, then, school work.

(12.4.05 08:58)
Or, you know, maybe I'll do them while working....
Fatasacat:
1) When you were 15, what did you think your life would be like at the age you are now and are you satisfied with the difference?
2) You can speak candidly to someone from you past. Who would it be and what would you say?
3)Does having a daughter change how you treat women, based on the idea that some guy may some day treat her the same way?
4) You are suddenly leader of your country. What changes would you make?
5) Ghandi said “live simply so others may simply live” Discuss.

(12.4.05 08:59)
K'vitsh:
1) When you were 15, what did you think your life would be like at the age you are now and are you satisfied with the difference?
2) You can speak candidly to someone from you past. Who would it be and what would you say?
3) What does it mean to act in an age appropriate manner?
4) You are suddenly leader of your country. What changes would you make?
5) Ghandi said “live simply so others may simply live” Discuss.

(12.4.05 09:03)
Nan
1) When you were 15, what did you think your life would be like at the age you are now and are you satisfied with the difference?
2) You can speak candidly to someone from you past. Who would it be and what would you say?
3) You have a bunch of word/language related sites listed on your blog. Do you agree with language purists that there is a correct way of speaking and writing, or do you think language should be allowed to evolve naturally?
4) You are suddenly leader of your country. What changes would you make?
5) Ghandi said “live simply so others may simply live” Discuss.