Questions From Adrian Sullivan
1 - What is the single biggest thing you've learned about the United States since moving here?
People realy do not want to know. You could have worked with someone every day for a year and still they do not want to know anything about you. No one else is important, but them. There is very little in the way of friendship culture here, you might on occasion hang out, go to the cinema.. but no one seems to want to make the effort. No one wants to give you their time, because their time has greater value than yours.
Gift certificates are a good example. You go to some store and fork over some cash for some monopoly money with limited methods of exchange. On a time considered/useful scale in presents that is pretty bad. Eddible cock rings=good, getting a foot rub=good, monopoly money for a store=bad, but I am side tracking.
People seem to have personas like gel pads here. Squish around on the surface with a stranger and that is fine, "Hi, how you doing, kids doin good? Still workin at suxs a place?" and that is as deep as you get. It is actualy fine to ask random people you have never met in the street how they are doing. But if something is wrong with a co worker, they just don't seem right, you ask about them.. ooo everything is fine. Maybe it is a southern thing.
I have never felt so safe from crime since moving here. You can leave stuff in the car in plain veiw, you come back and your windows aren't broken!? THat would never happen in the UK. THough the roads do feel a little unsafe, especialy while driving a small car. The thing I fear in the USA the most is a lawyer, in an SUV.
2 - Do you ever foresee yourself playing Magic competitively again?
I'm sure it is possible, given the right environment. I played a 3 man event at a pre-release recently and manage to not drop a game. I was pleased by the level of incompetance shown by my opponents. However competitive magic is a huge time drain, if your gonner do it right, all the research, all the testing, almost like playing a computer game ;) Realistically it would take living in close proximity to some good friendly players for my desire for the game to return.
3 - When reading a book or watching a movie, have you ever found yourself so strongly identifying with a character that you could imagine it being you? If so, who and why? If not, how close have you come and why didn't it gel for you?
Kevin Costner .... Robert 'Butch' Haynes A Perfect World. For a movie, that character is as close as I have come to seeing myself. CLearly not that I have been to jail or murdered anyone, but certainly in terms, of outlook, values, quirks, mood etc. In particular the gravity and concern about domestic violence.
I remember all the geeky nerd types idetifying with Ender wiggin, in Scott Cards novel. I'm sure I could see myself as a military strategist, as a young child it was the only reason i wanted in the army. RE: Enders Game, I had more sympathies with the bother and sister, a dicotomy of the two.
4 - Do you still use the internet as much as you once did as a social outlet? Where do you find yourself spending the most time this way, and why?
I find the internet hugely dissapointing as a social outlet for me. The people I meet, I have a strong desire to touch, see and feel them. I'm a very physical/visual person, and without having them around, my connection to them fades relatively quickly. I did the whole sparkmatch thing, and Lj for some time. Mainly I just use this now to keep up with people I have been close to and hope to some day again.
5 - What big childhood dream of yours was never fulfilled? Is it still something you'd like to do?
I've wanted to teach, well apart from the whole teaching kids to play magic at Orlando, so I guess in part I have done some, but I am right on schedual ;) My aim was to be there at around 40-50 or so when i have more experience to pull from. Teaching around the subject is something I think should be done, making practicle use of what is learnt adds great value to the experience.
I belive my opportunity will come when I have my own children. Since I can hardly see myself teaching in some tough urban school;)
RULES
1 - Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed...
2 - I will respond; I'll ask you five questions...
3 - You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers...
4 - You'll include this explanation...
5 - You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed...
People realy do not want to know. You could have worked with someone every day for a year and still they do not want to know anything about you. No one else is important, but them. There is very little in the way of friendship culture here, you might on occasion hang out, go to the cinema.. but no one seems to want to make the effort. No one wants to give you their time, because their time has greater value than yours.
Gift certificates are a good example. You go to some store and fork over some cash for some monopoly money with limited methods of exchange. On a time considered/useful scale in presents that is pretty bad. Eddible cock rings=good, getting a foot rub=good, monopoly money for a store=bad, but I am side tracking.
People seem to have personas like gel pads here. Squish around on the surface with a stranger and that is fine, "Hi, how you doing, kids doin good? Still workin at suxs a place?" and that is as deep as you get. It is actualy fine to ask random people you have never met in the street how they are doing. But if something is wrong with a co worker, they just don't seem right, you ask about them.. ooo everything is fine. Maybe it is a southern thing.
I have never felt so safe from crime since moving here. You can leave stuff in the car in plain veiw, you come back and your windows aren't broken!? THat would never happen in the UK. THough the roads do feel a little unsafe, especialy while driving a small car. The thing I fear in the USA the most is a lawyer, in an SUV.
2 - Do you ever foresee yourself playing Magic competitively again?
I'm sure it is possible, given the right environment. I played a 3 man event at a pre-release recently and manage to not drop a game. I was pleased by the level of incompetance shown by my opponents. However competitive magic is a huge time drain, if your gonner do it right, all the research, all the testing, almost like playing a computer game ;) Realistically it would take living in close proximity to some good friendly players for my desire for the game to return.
3 - When reading a book or watching a movie, have you ever found yourself so strongly identifying with a character that you could imagine it being you? If so, who and why? If not, how close have you come and why didn't it gel for you?
Kevin Costner .... Robert 'Butch' Haynes A Perfect World. For a movie, that character is as close as I have come to seeing myself. CLearly not that I have been to jail or murdered anyone, but certainly in terms, of outlook, values, quirks, mood etc. In particular the gravity and concern about domestic violence.
I remember all the geeky nerd types idetifying with Ender wiggin, in Scott Cards novel. I'm sure I could see myself as a military strategist, as a young child it was the only reason i wanted in the army. RE: Enders Game, I had more sympathies with the bother and sister, a dicotomy of the two.
4 - Do you still use the internet as much as you once did as a social outlet? Where do you find yourself spending the most time this way, and why?
I find the internet hugely dissapointing as a social outlet for me. The people I meet, I have a strong desire to touch, see and feel them. I'm a very physical/visual person, and without having them around, my connection to them fades relatively quickly. I did the whole sparkmatch thing, and Lj for some time. Mainly I just use this now to keep up with people I have been close to and hope to some day again.
5 - What big childhood dream of yours was never fulfilled? Is it still something you'd like to do?
I've wanted to teach, well apart from the whole teaching kids to play magic at Orlando, so I guess in part I have done some, but I am right on schedual ;) My aim was to be there at around 40-50 or so when i have more experience to pull from. Teaching around the subject is something I think should be done, making practicle use of what is learnt adds great value to the experience.
I belive my opportunity will come when I have my own children. Since I can hardly see myself teaching in some tough urban school;)
RULES
1 - Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed...
2 - I will respond; I'll ask you five questions...
3 - You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers...
4 - You'll include this explanation...
5 - You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed...