Still Hustling
ourmutualfiend asked me these questions. It seemed as good a reason as any to post since I haven't done so in, oh, 52 weeks.
The idea is that if you comment to this entry with anything, anything at all, I will ask you five relatively personal questions. You post the questions and your answers in your own journal.
Originally, for undergrad - to escape my home town was pretty high up there. And to live in the city, learn, see bands and experience academia. The cerebral and social motivations were both very strong (in fact, I chose my uni because it had a 'proper' campus and looked and felt like a university should, but also I followed lots of bands from that city).
I dabbled in lots of Arts subjects in my first year, trying to find what suited. My original major was medieval and renaissance studies, which was a sort of twee teenage choice but I got to learn Latin and get a working knowledge of renaissance art so no regrets (and the only thing I've ever had published was an essay on exorcism, which, yeah. Not an expert). I was doing history subjects for that major and then I was doing other ones as well so history ended up as my other major, and actually my real major for the business end of things. Why? I guess I'd always liked learning 'things' and collecting trivia and reading stories and old stuff. But the discipline suited me and I found I had a knack for it. And my History Dept was reasonably progressive and had some cool lecturers. I was doing mainly Western-centric subjects for most of it and then in my final year I took a subject in Southeast Asian History and it all clicked. My friend and I both converted in a big way. That was mainly down to this one professor who looked like (looks, actually) like David Attenborough and just projected this feeling of Knowing All and Having Much Brainage. One of those aura guys. So we jumped on the bandwagon and did Honours with him. We called him The Fox.
And then I just worked for a couple of years as Honours had taken a lot out of me and I wanted to not-think and have some money. But my friend was doing a PhD with The Fox so I was still keeping up with the scholarship a little but still not sure what I wanted to do and learning Burmese and then Thai on the side. And eventually I thought, fuck it, if you could go do anything what would it be? And it was study at SOAS in London, no contest. So I got to the point where I was brave enough to get an application together for a scholarship even though I thought I had no chance. And you know about that :) And I studied Southeast Asian History there and again had some great teachers. None of whom intimidate me as much as The Fox still does.
I could speak passionately about History but why Southeast Asia, I can't say. 'cept that it was a good match.
Not really. I'm always excited by the prospect of breakfast and must eat before leaving the house. I am prone to dawdling and enjoying a cuppa or watching a bit of tv to convince myself I have a life that isn't work but then other days I'm rushing out the door so that doesn't really count. I do like the Saturday ritual of breakfast and reading the paper when there is a good paper to be had (not here). I don't have any pre-bed routines apart from brushing my teeth and washing my face.
I have a couple of trinkets I always travel with - one is a stone cat and one is a flat stone with an engraved pattern. The cat was given me by my friend when we were in Wales many years ago and she has one from me. The stone was one of three that my eldest brother bought - my other brother and me chose one each and he kept the last one. Silly flippant things but I wouldn't travel overseas without either of them.
Also, a frisbee.
And four cameras is probably a bit excessive?
I try to travel light, honestly.
Haha, in a museum or art gallery it's always the shop. In a clothes store ... lordie. It really depends on what pretty captures the eye. Otherwise I try to be quite methodical and not miss any racks. Where there are books ... again mood dictates. In my library the Recently Returned cook and design books is a good place to start.
I don't know that I ever wanted to be anything. I have no strong memory of anything. I liked reading and climbing trees so perhaps some kid vision involving those things. After I was about ten I wanted to be an academic. That may or may not happen. I think really I've never had a clear idea of what I've wanted to be - still waiting for the epiphany.
I went for a walk around the neighbourhood this afternoon. There must be quite a few people still with wood stoves as there was a strong thread of burning wood in the air. This speaks to me very strongly of winter. But then there was the smell of cut grass which says summer. So it was a weird jumble, being cold but not as cold, and I hesitate to say it (for fear of disappointment) but I think the seasons are turning. If I was up north it might have been the evening when you first smelt jasmine on the air.
The idea is that if you comment to this entry with anything, anything at all, I will ask you five relatively personal questions. You post the questions and your answers in your own journal.
Originally, for undergrad - to escape my home town was pretty high up there. And to live in the city, learn, see bands and experience academia. The cerebral and social motivations were both very strong (in fact, I chose my uni because it had a 'proper' campus and looked and felt like a university should, but also I followed lots of bands from that city).
I dabbled in lots of Arts subjects in my first year, trying to find what suited. My original major was medieval and renaissance studies, which was a sort of twee teenage choice but I got to learn Latin and get a working knowledge of renaissance art so no regrets (and the only thing I've ever had published was an essay on exorcism, which, yeah. Not an expert). I was doing history subjects for that major and then I was doing other ones as well so history ended up as my other major, and actually my real major for the business end of things. Why? I guess I'd always liked learning 'things' and collecting trivia and reading stories and old stuff. But the discipline suited me and I found I had a knack for it. And my History Dept was reasonably progressive and had some cool lecturers. I was doing mainly Western-centric subjects for most of it and then in my final year I took a subject in Southeast Asian History and it all clicked. My friend and I both converted in a big way. That was mainly down to this one professor who looked like (looks, actually) like David Attenborough and just projected this feeling of Knowing All and Having Much Brainage. One of those aura guys. So we jumped on the bandwagon and did Honours with him. We called him The Fox.
And then I just worked for a couple of years as Honours had taken a lot out of me and I wanted to not-think and have some money. But my friend was doing a PhD with The Fox so I was still keeping up with the scholarship a little but still not sure what I wanted to do and learning Burmese and then Thai on the side. And eventually I thought, fuck it, if you could go do anything what would it be? And it was study at SOAS in London, no contest. So I got to the point where I was brave enough to get an application together for a scholarship even though I thought I had no chance. And you know about that :) And I studied Southeast Asian History there and again had some great teachers. None of whom intimidate me as much as The Fox still does.
I could speak passionately about History but why Southeast Asia, I can't say. 'cept that it was a good match.
Not really. I'm always excited by the prospect of breakfast and must eat before leaving the house. I am prone to dawdling and enjoying a cuppa or watching a bit of tv to convince myself I have a life that isn't work but then other days I'm rushing out the door so that doesn't really count. I do like the Saturday ritual of breakfast and reading the paper when there is a good paper to be had (not here). I don't have any pre-bed routines apart from brushing my teeth and washing my face.
I have a couple of trinkets I always travel with - one is a stone cat and one is a flat stone with an engraved pattern. The cat was given me by my friend when we were in Wales many years ago and she has one from me. The stone was one of three that my eldest brother bought - my other brother and me chose one each and he kept the last one. Silly flippant things but I wouldn't travel overseas without either of them.
Also, a frisbee.
And four cameras is probably a bit excessive?
I try to travel light, honestly.
Haha, in a museum or art gallery it's always the shop. In a clothes store ... lordie. It really depends on what pretty captures the eye. Otherwise I try to be quite methodical and not miss any racks. Where there are books ... again mood dictates. In my library the Recently Returned cook and design books is a good place to start.
I don't know that I ever wanted to be anything. I have no strong memory of anything. I liked reading and climbing trees so perhaps some kid vision involving those things. After I was about ten I wanted to be an academic. That may or may not happen. I think really I've never had a clear idea of what I've wanted to be - still waiting for the epiphany.
I went for a walk around the neighbourhood this afternoon. There must be quite a few people still with wood stoves as there was a strong thread of burning wood in the air. This speaks to me very strongly of winter. But then there was the smell of cut grass which says summer. So it was a weird jumble, being cold but not as cold, and I hesitate to say it (for fear of disappointment) but I think the seasons are turning. If I was up north it might have been the evening when you first smelt jasmine on the air.