Better than Oprah!

Finally! After a week of letting these questions brew in my so-called brain, I have come up with satisfying (I think) answers. All I can say is, the following interviewers are better than Oprah because they let me speak my mind without interruptions of “Yes, that happened to me, too! blah blah blah..” as Oprah would’ve done. Not that you have a choice in this medium!

Annamanila asks:

1.You seemed to have said goodbye a lot. Describe a goodbye scene where you figured, (and doesn’t include moms, and the like) you find most memorable.

Wow, first question and you already pack quite a punch. Saying goodbye so frequently has somehow made it almost a perfunctory exercise for me…maybe unconsciously, this is for the sake of self-preservation. Ironically, the most memorable goodbye for me is when I said goodbye to my dad many years ago when I was leaving for a three year study in Singapore. It was going to be three straight years in Singapore as I didn’t plan to come home for vacations because of financial constraints. I go, “Pa, I’m leaving for the airport!” Pa peers at me over his reading glasses and grunted, “U-huh.” And goes back to his newspaper. Three years later, I come home and what do you know, I go over to my dad and go, “Pa, I’m back!” And he said, you guessed it, “U-huh.”

2. When the gypsy has settled down, stayed put, how does she plan to change her site to square with her more stable status?

I would want to settle somewhere in Davao where many of my friends. Hopefully a wee house just right for one person in a place not too urban (I would need a slower pace of life) and yet not to rural (I still need my internet access!!). I would probably do some writing and lots of reading and some entertaining (brewing coffee and cooking curry for friends!). I would still do some traveling of course, to satisfy my itchy feet. How on earth this becomes a reality, I have no idea..but it’s nice to dream!

3. Are arranged marriages no longer prevalent among lannangs (did i spell that right) in the Philippines? Has there been an attempt to arrange one for you? What is your take about this practice?

I have no idea if arranged marriages are still prevalent here! But I know "Kai Siaw" (where you are introduced to a potential spouse) is still a practice. Nobody has dared to attempt an arranged marriage on me—it would be waste of their time and resource…however, some have attempted introducing potentials to me—which ended up nowhere. This has been a “fruitful” practice for some but not for me, obviously…maybe I am too fixed in my ways and to mixed up to ever find somebody who is a good match!

4. You meet TK (sigh...) out of the blue and he tells you he is free to talk for 10 minutes with only you. What will you tell him? The he asks you for an instant souvenir from you. What will it be?

Oh, wow, may your wish for me come true!! I would probably display my scintillating personality to him (Har-Har Har) and bowl him over in 10 minutes…so much so that he would NOT be asking for an instant souvenir but would rather whisk me away to the altar! How’s that for a delusion!

5. How can you tell if you haven't had (enough) coffee?

Unlike the impression I tend to give to people, I’m not really a coffee addict—I just sometimes feel the need for a caffeine hit first thing in the morning. But if I can’t—it’s no skin off my nose (as some would say.)

Abaniko asks:

1. A month-long luxurious tour in Europe for you---all expenses paid. But right after the tour,you'll be jobless for 5 consecutive years. Deal?

Hmm….does jobless mean no pay? Then if that’s the case, then no deal..I think I would not trade a month-long luxurious tour of Europe if it means being without pay and without a sense of accomplishment—I am not very good and twiddling my fingers. I need something to do! Now if you switched the situation around and say, a 5 year luxurious tour and then jobless for a month—that’s another matter!

2. Which movie character do you strongly identify yourself with? Why?

Eowyn of Rohan. I loved her character as a loyal niece to King Theoden and remaining strong through the difficult times when the king’s mental/spiritual illness. I also loved her courage to go out and fight evil—and through all these she didn’t have to put aside her being a woman.

3. If there's a law in the blogosphere that limits your blogroll to only 3 blogs, which blogs would remain (exclude mine. You don't need to be nice. Hehe)?

Then I thank the Lord to high heavens there is no such law! Imagine if God would put as law that we can only have three friends in this whole wide weary world? Tsk, tsk.

4. Why do you love spicy food?
Because that extra kick livens up the dish! It’s also representative of how I prefer life to be. (Ahem).

5. Choose: a smart and caring husband who is a foot tall or an ugly and dumb husband who is of your height?

Hey, this is a no-brainer!! Of course I would choose the former one—since I am already short, I need someone to help me reach stuff that’s unreachable to me and navigate directions in a crowd. So it is primarily for practical reasons I choose the former one. *wink*

Verns asks:

1. If you are to make a music video of your life, what song will you use and what will be the theme?

I fell in love with Hawaiian singer IZ’s version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow/ What a Wonderful World. I love his use of the ukulele for its background. It’s sweet and melancholic and makes you think of the good things in life. For the theme, I think thatis it—the good things in life. There’s just too much problems that we are forced to dwell on aready so it’s good to insist on seeing life as half-full rather than half-empty.

2. Say you can change a movie's ending, what movie will it be and what will be your new ending?

The first movie that comes to mind is that really old Christopher Reeve-Jane Seymour movie “Somewhere in Time.” Even though I have seen it countless of times in the past, I still get all tragic whenever Chris Reeve reaches into his pocket and accidentally touches a coin from the future that would zap him back to the present and away from his true love’s arms. He tries to find his way back to the past but couldn’t and he eventually dies trying and see his lover in heaven. My ending would be that he does get back to the past and they live happily ever after—how simplistically happy is that!

3. Among the 4 main characters in the famous TV series Sex and the City, who's character is closest to your personality?

Hmm…I’m sorry but I’ve never really even seen a full episode of Sex and the City. But if it’s a movie character..see my answer to Abaniko’s second question! But who do YOU think comes closest to moi? I would like to know what YOU think, Verns. Hehe.

4. If you are a writer of a "what women want" book..what will be your top 10 on the list?

To be pursued.

To be wooed not only at the start but all through the relationship.

To spend quality time with girlfriends.

To be respected for our contribution to society, because of the contribution--not because we're “women.” (none of that affirmative action stuff).

To be allowed to enjoy pretty things without being misunderstood as shallow.

To be actively listened to (versus lending an obligatory ear).

To have solid platonic friendships with men without people speculating about the friendship.

To eat all the stuff we want without worrying about weight or health issues.

To look good without having to spend hours in front of the mirror!

To not have beauty measured according to appearance. (I guess this goes against the previous statement, but it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind, right?)

5. What is the best way to break up with a guy?

Gently but firmly. Hopefully you can still respect each other and keep the friendship without all the hang-ups.

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Want to go through my brand of grand inquisition?!
Here are the rules:

1. Leave me a comment saying “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone
else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them
five questions.