nanila | Entries tagged with meme

Welcome to a post in which I give unnecessarily elliptical answers to perfectly straightforward questions.

one place you volunteer (or would like to)? Why?

I don’t volunteer consistently at a single venue / charity, but I do public outreach talks for societies and schools. I do it because people seem to like hearing about space, and I’m enthusiastic about it.
one book you'd like to see made into a movie? Why?

I’d still like to see “Neuromancer” visualised. I understand it’s being made into a TV series
one creature (living, extinct, or mythical) you'd like for a pet? Why?

I’m quite happy with my cats, thank you. We are exquisitely compatible.
one place on Earth you'd like to visit? Why?

I’ve travelled a lot in my life. A LOT. I haven’t been to the largest variety of places - mostly North America and Europe with a couple of visits to Kenya - and to be honest, I am not as enamoured with it as I used to be. There are two places I’d still like to see: my father’s birthplace, and the Great Barrier Reef. But if I don’t get the opportunity, I won’t feel like I haven’t seen enough of the world.
one talent or skill you'd like to develop? Why?

I’m pretty good at not spending much time reflecting on the actions of people who have hurt me or made it obvious that they dislike me. What I’d really love to do is have the ability to make that no time at all. Life’s too short.

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What was the most sick that you've ever been?

I came down with flu when Keiki was about 4 months old. That is the most ill I've been in my adult life. I could hardly get out of bed and my temperature was over 40 C for several days. Runner up would be the ear infection I had when I was 11, which was so bad my teacher found me lying on the concrete floor of the playground because my ear was too hot. It was the middle of winter.
What disease are you afraid of getting?

All of them, but mostly: Dementia.
Are you a big baby when it comes to taking medicine/shots for your illnesses?

No. I am a big fan of medical intervention for illness and pain.
Is going to the doctor really THAT bad?

Not at all, it's just time-consuming, which is why I tend to put it off.
Would you have the flu twice a month if you were paid $1,000 for having it?

Assuming “the flu” really does mean influenza and not a bad cold, absolutely not. Genuine flu is completely debilitating. It took me two weeks to recover from the bout I had in Answer 1. This scenario would mean being continuously sick. No thank you.

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If you were a fruit, which would you be and why?

I would like to be a guava. They are a tropical fruit that does not export well, and are almost as tetchy as avocados. Unripe, unripe, unripe, unripe, unripe, RIPE AND SUCCULENT, hahaha you missed the 10-minute window when I was perfect and now I shall rot secretly on the inside so you won't be able to anticipate your disappointment.

When you do manage to catch them at the right moment, they are sooooo delicious.
If you wake up and smell smoke, and you have to get everybody (pets included) out of the house safely, but you have time to grab one item, what would you grab?

My phone. No question. Once upon a time it would have been passport or driving licence or some such, but we do everything on our phones now, so I can think of nothing more essential than that. Yes, the documents are a faff to replace, but how are you going to get online to do it without your phone?
If you were stuck on an island, who would be the one person you would want with you and why?

I hate it in films (and in fact in real life) when people are ordered to choose between beloved family members. I would want my partner AND my children with me, or else I would refuse to choose.
If you could change one thing about your physical appearance, what would it be?

I'm not sure changing one thing would make much of a difference.
If you could spend the day with one famous person, dead or alive, who would you choose?

I'd quite like to have a chat with Jaron Lanier.

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You're holding a dinner party and can invite three famous people from the past or present; who would they be?

I never understood the appeal of this. I hardly get to see my friends and family. I would rather invite them to dinner than a group of people I don't know. That just sounds exhausting.
You have the opportunity to question someone about something you've always wanted to know and receive a truthful answer; what would your question be?

No no no. In my experience, if someone is holding back on telling you a truth, it's because it is not going to make you feel happy. I'll pass.
If you could change one thing in your life, what would it be?

My workload. See answer to Q1.
If you could save other people's lives by completing an act that would lead to your own death, would you do it?

As ever, answers depend on the context. If we are talking about an overstuffed inflatable raft full of vulnerable children floundering in the English Channel, then unequivocally yes. If we are talking about an autocratic dictator and his henchmen, then absolutely not.
Would you commit murder if you knew that you could get away with it?

No.

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If you were a crayon, which color would you want to be?

To no one’s surprise: black.

Which color do you think you would be regardless of what you wanted?

Also, black.

Would you rather be used and get blunt, broken and lose your wrapper, or not be used and stay pristine?

The former. I would want to be worn to a minimal nub, lost under a piece of furniture, and chewed to bits by the family pet. I would feel as if I had truly fulfilled my crayon-ish purpose then.

Would you rather be in a small set of crayons or a large set?

I always loved the glorious rainbow in those big boxes of crayons, so definitely a large set.

Would you rather be Crayola, or a different brand?

The Crayola brand (and wrapper) is iconic, so I would like that, but as long as I got to live my best crayon life, I don’t mind.

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How far back can you trace your family tree?
That depends on which side of the family (maternal or paternal) we’re talking about. I have distant relatives who have done a lot of work tracing back the ancestry of various people from my grandparents’ generation to the late 1700s / early 1800s. However, there are also substantial gaps, particularly on the paternal side. I couldn’t tell you the names of my great-grandparents on that side.
What is the most interesting (or strange) thing you've heard about one of your relatives?
I knew that one of my great-grandparents had been a chemist at Eastman Kodak, but until recently I hadn’t gone and looked up the various patents he filed in the mid-20th century.
How do you feel about legacy names like John Henry Smith IV or naming children after other relatives?
I think whatever other people choose to do about naming their children is their business, although if you name your child something like “SanDeE*” I may have to fight the urge to judge you for overcomplicating the administrative burden they’ll endure for the rest of their lives.
Would you consider yourself and/or your family to be traditional?
Not really. I think the absence of religion in our lives probably affects this. We do like traditions that involve food, though, like Pancake Day (Shrove Tuesday) and Easter.
What is one tradition you have passed on to your children and/or plan to pass on to them?
I have passed on the following to them:
- It is OK to put shoyu (soy sauce) on anything.
- Rather than have the argument over pumpkin pie v pecan pie for Thanksgiving dinner, it is best to make both. Also, it is OK to celebrate Thanksgiving at the weekend, since it is not a thing in the UK.
- There is no such thing as “quickly” popping into the bookshop. Or the library.

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Did the house where you grew up have a newspaper delivered regularly?

I grew up in a lot of different houses. The only one where a newspaper was delivered regularly was my grandparents’ house, who read the local version of the Times on Sundays. I used to read the entire thing, starting of course with the comics.
Have you ever subscribed to an actual print newspaper?

Yes, and still do. We also have print magazine subscriptions, because it keeps us from being distracted from things on our phones.
When was the most recent time you physically picked up and read a newspaper?

Yesterday. It was the most recent edition of “The New European”.
Do you pay for news online now?

Yes, I do. I have a paid subscription to “The Guardian”. The academic institution I work for also provides a paid subscriptions to “The Financial Times”, and I read both regularly.
Do you have any saved newspaper clippings?

Yup! Mostly stuff about various space missions I worked on.

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Do you like your birth-name? Why?

Yes. It is reflective of my birthplace and my parents. It's unnecessarily long. It is unique.
If you could change your name to anything else, what would it be?

When I was younger I sometimes wished I had a more Anglo name. I always liked Selene and Natasha. But I have no interest in renaming myself now.
What names would you consider giving your children?

Been there, done that! I think Keiki and Humuhumu's actual names suit them well. Sometimes I wish we'd given Keiki an additional Hawai'ian middle name, Keikani, but overall I think we got it right. Who knows what they'll think themselves when they're adults!
If you had a band, what would you name it, and why?

Sliced Bread (as in, best thing since).
Is there a name that you completely hate? Why?

I'm not very fond of Chad. It's a name I associate with bone headed twerps from my teenage years. Sorry to all the nice Chads out there.

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Of the various cultures, ethnicities or nationalities you belong to, which most strongly do you consider yourself?

My childhood, teenage years and young adulthood were approximately equally divided between Hawai’i, the Pacific Northwest, and California. All of these were very formative to my character and beliefs in different ways.
Is there a culture you cannot claim heritage from but which you feel quite close to?

I have lived in the UK for over 20 years now and taken British citizenship. My partner and children are British. Although I wasn’t born here I do live as a Brit on a day-to-day basis. Probably the most significant milestone, in my opinion, is that when I’m travelling and I get homesick, it’s for the UK, not anywhere else. I’d struggle to pinpoint exactly when that happened, but I have no doubt about it now.
What's one language you wish you knew fluently?

Tagalog, so I could talk to my dad in it.
If you could move anywhere in the world and be guaranteed a job, etc., where would you go?

I’m pretty happy here, but if I could spend some time in the English-speaking* southern hemisphere with the family , I would live there for a few years.
If you had a time machine, and could witness any one event without altering or disturbing it, what would you want to see?

I would love to witness the formation of the first life form on Earth.

* I’m too old and too occupied with raising children and an extremely demanding job to properly learn a new language.

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1. First time you cooked for someone else?

I don't remember. I would have been an adult. My family didn't teach me to cook. I could bake a cake or cookies by the time I left home, but I couldn't make a meal. It was likely to have been something very simple, like pasta with sauce, or a grilled cheese sandwich.

2. First time you threw up in someone else's toilet?

I haven't thrown up very many times in my life, and have mostly done so at home, once or twice outside. I really hate vomiting.

3. First time you did anything illegal?

This will be something very boring, like breaking the speed limit.

4. First time you saw snow/the ocean (whichever is more exotic)?

Lol, I grew up next to the ocean. I was eight when I first saw snow, at my maternal grandparents’ house. It was magical. The flakes were huge and diverse, and I can remember marvelling at the silence as they fell.

5. First thought when I say "crumple-horned snorcack"?

My brain conjures something that looks a bit like Allie Brosh's Alot.

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Sauntering Vaguely Downward

Into the land of lowered expectations

The Friday Five on a Friday (gasp!)

The Friday Five on a Sunday

The Friday Five on a Sunday

The Friday Five on a Saturday

The Friday Five on a Sunday

The Friday Five on a Sunday

The Friday Five on a Sunday

The Friday Five on a Saturday

The Friday Five on a Sunday

The Friday Five on a Sunday

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