The Getting to Know You Questions

Another late start after a weekend of good movies and a lot of relaxing. I have one more tute paper to complete and then I am eight subjects down on my Masters.

Questions, as always, from Sunday Stealing.


1. Would you prefer to be smart or happy, and why?

There is part of me that thinks you can't be too smart and happy as well - being smart sometimes means you don't get to be that happy because you overthink things. Still, I like being smart - and I'm fairly happy. I don't think you can answer this easily.

2. If you could choose one superpower, what would it be and why?

Flying - would save so much on public transport.

3. What is your biggest regret in life so far?

Not taking counselling during my first round of uni. I still would have got there - and I wasn't ready at the time, but I think that is a choice I would do over.

4. If you could marry a fictional character, who would it be and why?

Noah from "The Notebook" is pretty good. What a man.

5. If money and career were no object, where in the world would you choose to live?

Probably London, somewhere near Little Venice. Love it around there.

6. What’s the last book you read that you simply could not put down until you finished?

That would be a toss up between ML Steadman's "The Light Between Oceans" and Richard Flanagan's "The Narrow Road to the Deep South". Both are amazing.

7. What television show do you plan your day around in order to see it live?

Nothing really. That is why we have Netflix. Though I will watch Embarrassing Bodies if it's on.

8. What extracurricular activities or sports did you participate in when you were in high school?

None. I was terribly unsporty at school. And school was a half hour drive away and we always took the bus.

9. Of all your pet-peeves, which is the strangest?

I really dislike people who are not polite to wait staff. I have nearly lost friends over that one. I've been behind the counter of a store. Been there - hate when people are rude.

10. Is it better to beg forgiveness or ask permission?

Forgiveness. Who asks for permission anyway? Not me.

11. If you inherited or won a million dollars, what would you do with it?

Buy a house. Easy.

12. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you?

Far too many to mention. Do I have to pick one?

13. Which fictional character do you believe is the most like yourself?

There are times I feel like Yelena from Uncle Vanya. There are times I feel like Olive from Little Miss Sunshine. There are times I am Jo from Little Women. There are times I'm Bridget Jones. There are not many spinsters in their mid forties in literature or film.

14. Are you superstitious? If so, what are you most superstitious about?

Not really. But I don't walk under ladders and I do touch wood out of habit.

15. Do you believe it is vital to everyday life to know what is happening in the world around you?

To a point. I read a lot of independent media (The Guardian) and around a bit - just not Murdoch. Murdoch is propoganda.

16. What is the nicest thing anybody has said, or you believe they would say, about you?

You're the most intelligent person I know. This was said to me a few years ago. That made my year.

17. What are your life and career goals in 5, 10 and 15 years?

Finish my masters, walk the Camino de Compostella di Santiago, stay gainfully employed, write the great Australian novel and maybe buy a house and get married. The first three are two year goals.

18. Would you rather live in a large house in the suburbs, or a tiny apartment in the city with an excellent view?

Tiny apartment with a view. The though of living in the burbs with a large garden with a lawn to mow fills me with the utmost horror.

19. What are you three weaknesses?

Stubborn, perfectionist, over-achiever. I also get bored easily and I get destructive when I'm bored.

20. How would you describe yourself in three words?

Polite, caring, smart.

21. Which is more logical to follow—your heart or your head?

Follow your heart. It will never lead you astray.

22. Are you spiritual or religious in any way? If so, how?

I'm spiritual. I'm a freemason. But I'm not religious - though I love being in religious houses. I am firmly not a Christian, though I have mainly Judeo-Christian ethics.

23. If you could have any career possible, what would it be?

A writer or a lighthouse keeper.

24. Have you ever been arrested or contracted any diseases?

Never been arrested. Other than colds and fle, I had the mumps as a kid and Glandular Fever (I think it's called mononucleosis in the US) That's all. That will do. Just recovering from a small but annoying staph infection.

25. Which is better—a novel or a movie?

Novel. Always the novel.