am i human yet?

The lovely Katy asked me five questions as part of the ‘Interview me’ meme because I demanded she do so. Here I give those questions a damn good seeing to, and believe me, they loved every minute of it.

The correct form for this meme is for me now to say whoever would like to be ‘interviewed’ by me, leave me a comment to that effect, or email, and I’ll think up some questions and email you with them. Then you respond to them on your blog. Or in chalk on the pavement, wherever you like.

That’s the deal. Take it or leave it.

In case no-one’s noticed this also means I’ve posted two blog posts in just over a week. I know, I couldn’t believe it either. Commence pant-shitting.

1) What is your favorite song? Why?

I’m not sure I could pick an absolute favourite song, but it’s one of my favourites & probably means more to me than any other. In The Garden by Van Morrison. My Dad introduced me to Van the Man when I was about 12, giving me a tape of Morrison’s No Guru, No Method, No Teacher and whispering “Listen to In The Garden. It’s my favourite. The piano is the sunshine coming through the trees”. And he was right.

It’s possibly the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, but the reason it’s so important to me is due to my relationship with my father. It could be called ‘deeply traumatising’ if you were into huge understatement, and was made up of about 97% fear and pain and 3% flashes of intense joy. He was schizophrenic, alternately terrifying, maudlin & hilarious. I hadn’t heard from him for 8 years when he emailed from Belarus. Then he visited in 2006 for two days for his father’s birthday and the last communication I ever had from him was a one-line email in the same year saying he was deeply ashamed of me. He died suddenly of a stroke in Belarus in November 2007. I haven’t actually listened to the song for about 8 years. But I think I will now.

2) Best trip you’ve ever taken – where and why?

7 months travelling through Mexico & Central America, 1997-1998. Usual seat-of-your-pants hippy traveler shit but I loved it. I adored Honduras – where I learned to scuba dive and nearly stayed on as Divemaster – and El Salvador, where the people, so ravaged by war and death squads were supremely kind, dignified and proud. Guatemala did my head in. I fell deeply in love with Mexico. Belize shat us out after a day: “Get back to England you fucking whiteys!” (British squaddies were known for behaving shockingly in Belize City & the place scared the living crap out of me). I met and travelled with some wonderful people, saw incredible things, hiked up volcanos, visited pyramids, lived butt nekkid on a beach for three weeks, contracted Giardia (look it up; actually dont because it contains the word ‘explosive’), and, know what, I’m not going to go on any more, it’ll take up pages. Suffice to say it was an incredible experience and I have the scars to prove it.

3) What are three accomplishments you’re most proud of?

Getting my first novel written & accepted for publication. Can that be all three?

(Out April 2010, get ready to pre-order on Amazon! Unless you’re in America! Or anywhere other than UK & the Commonwealth! Bugger!)

4) Favourite food?

I’m a woman who will eat pretty much anything, especially anything meat-based, but it wasn’t always like that. I need to tell a wee story to demonstrate the deep love I have for my favourite food. According to my mother I didn’t eat anything, not a thing, until I was about five years old. Teachers used to call her from school at lunchtime and ask her in desperation “What does this child eat?”. “Nothing”, would come Mum’s calm reply. It wasn’t entirely true, of course. Mum resorted to the old Croatian baby food classic: fresh white bread dipped in Soured Cream. It’s still my ultimate comfort food.

5) What do you think your best quality is and why?

I’m passionate. In every way, about everything. It can also be my worst quality; when coupled with my natural impulsiveness it spells T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

But that’s all I’m going to say about that.

That’ll be that then. As you were.

Tags:   Life · Me4 Comments