Sunday, May 29, 2005

posts of note

Between a semi-hectic work schedule and a damn intriguing interview meme I caught from Banzai Cat, most of my browsing time has to do with me asking people five questions and getting replies. Check out the comments section of that post.

I love conversations but after coming up with over 100 unique questions, I'm quite tapped out, so this meme ends here (sorry, everyone, but my brains are mush), with the questions for Rickey, Svelte and PT being the last ones. If you want me to engage me in funky talk, book me for dinner ;)

So here are some highlights of my stint as interviewer (follow the links back to read the full interviews, all of them quite entertaining and revealing):

Fleece:

Q: An angel appears in your bathroom, bathed in golden light. "blessed are you," the angel says. "You have been chosen to bear a special child." Your response?

"Wow."

and then, "holy crap. Sorry."

and then, "Will it hurt when I give birth?"


Bing:

Q: What are the most important or influential words anyone said to you?

"Kaya mo ‘yan! Ikaw pa!" from Papsie.


Mai:

Q: What meal (or circumstances around that meal) affected your outlook in life profoundly?

When I was about 12 or so our family business did very badly and we were really broke. Normal food for us would be 10 pesos worth of fishballs with extra sauce or 1 order of Karekare from the carinderia diluted with a lot of water and patis (this for a family of 6). I remember it was my younger sisters birthday and my parents decided to have us all eat out at Burger Machine, and we were allowed to get 2 sandwiches each if we wanted, and a slice of sans rival. I am sure it was because we had not eaten this in a long time....


k8:

Q: Could humanity live without the concept of romance? Explain.

No. And darn it, I can't explain why. Of course, I could always give some cheese about romance being the drug that enhances sensations; or that it provides the passion in a relationship; or even that it satisfies the human hunger for excitement, but, they would sound nothing but cheese for me. Not that they are wrong, in my opinion, just... incomplete.


tala-in-hiding:

Q: If the lifespan of a person was secretly measured in words both spoken and written down, and therefore when someone reaches the end of her quota, it's the end - would you write or speak less? What would you write or when would you speak?

I don't think that I'd write less given the paradox that, for me, writing is life. And so I do think that, quota included, I will keep on writing until I die. However, I would probably be more careful with my words -- less anger and sadness, and more about hope and contentment. There are so many words that are never appreciated by the world that maybe, if life was inevitably tied to words, then we'd be more appreciative of language and meaning.


Rei:

Q: What book would best personify your most recent love affair? Would you rewrite the ending? Perhaps edit choice passages?

I really need to start stepping things up, because the most recent love affair was over a year ago. As for the book that best personifies it: The Clash of Civilizations, by Samuel Huntington, which theorizes that the major source of conflict between nations will no longer be economic or political, it will be civilizational. Substitute my name and his for the generic terms "East" and "West", and you've got the story of the last love affair.


Oliver:

Q: Choose one: An interesting life replete with ups and downs, complications, feast-or-famine and a shot at absolute happiness even if it comes very, very, very late in life; OR stable life, regular contentment, predictable rhythms - you're not insanely happy but you're not wallowing in despair either. Explain.

I’d choose the former. I’m actually living that life now. I’m far from being complacent. I’m stubborn that way. But the people I love and those who believe in me make it worth it. I can’t label anything as absolute happiness. Bliss presents itself in many shapes, tastes and textures and I’m just glad when that happens. When I’m older and wiser, maybe I’d be happy with the latter choice. For now, I’m improvising as best as I can.


Buddy:

Q:You wake up one morning with a nose on your forehead--in addition to the one you already have. What are your first three thoughts?

ONE: Is it aligned to my first nose? Does it look natural? Is it the right shade of brown?
TWO: Zaphod Beeblebrox grew an additional arm and he got the Heart of Gold. I'm destined for universal greatness, likewise.
THREE: I'd better double my stock of tissue paper in case I get colds.


Juned:

Q: If you make love to your clone, is that incest, homosexuality or masturbation? All of the above?

Most of the time I would think its just masturbation. You are having sex with an exact replica nothing new to explore or see. Plain physical stimulation. If the clone is of the same sex. But if it is of the opposite sex. Well technically its inbreeding and so I guess incest and I would not want to be the one to be the cause of a Dunwich Horror.


Alan:

Q: Fluency in foreign languages is always good, right? I’m offering you fluency (spoken and written) in any 15 foreign languages of your choice, but you lose forever any and all Philippine languages and dialects you know - and you can never ever relearn them or understand them. Game?

Siyempre, hindi. I cannot imagine myself i) talking sweet to my honey in German and be taken for a babbling madman and ii) not understanding my lola when she says to me “Palangga, mingaw na ko sa imo” (Dear, I miss you).


Gerry:

Q: You and hairy Johnny, in all your lycra'ed glory, pumped, in a cage match. Who wins? What's the winning combo?

Me of course. And my tweezer is my ultimate weapon. I just hope he doesn't have a screwdriver.

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