I was blogsurfing around early this morning and came across Melanie's blog, Not Just Nouns and Verbs. She offered to send interview questions to anyone who left her a message. This meme hasn't been around for a while and we all had a lot of fun with it previously so I signed up. I also thought it would be interesting since Melanie and I do not know each other. This morning was my first visit to her site.
She sent me the following:
1. How did you find my blog? What caused you to start blogging in the first place?
I found your blog while randomly searching through other people's blogrolls.
What caused me to start blogging was the chiding by a few friends who thought my unusual lifestyle and perspectives might make an interesting blog. I leave it to others to determine if that has been fulfilled. :)
2. Thailand, huh? Were you born there and raised there? When did you come to America?
I was not born in Thailand. I am from Los Angeles. How I found Thailand, how I decided to move there and why I am moving there is the primary topic of this blog.
3. No children eh? What is your reason for not wanting them?
Good question. I don't think I was born with the mommy gene. I am a compassionate person but I don't believe I am a nurturing person. They are quite different qualities. Also, given the vagaries of my life at the time when I might have chosen to have them, my life was not stable enough to take on that responsibility. Someone has to be fairly settled within themselves and have a strong community before it is appropriate to raise children, in my opinion.
The other factor is that at the time I saw no other options beyond here. I was not be willing to raise a child in an individualistic, capitalist culture. Some people are a bit more flexible than me in the respect that they can counteract it. I tend to be a bit of a purist and would have had trouble with that. That wouldn't have been fair to any child.
4. Do you have an opinion about the current war? What is your take on war in general?
Oh, I most definitely have an opinion. :) My general attitude toward war is that it is occasionally ~ and unfortunately ~ necessary. I am not a pacifist. On the other hand, wars that are intended to destabilize other regions of the world for the gain only of corporations and the wealthy do not fall under the umbrella of "just war". Most wars initiated by the forced implementation of US foreign policy do not fall into the latter category.
5. Do you work? If not, how do you occupy your time? Hobbies?
Do I work? That is typically a roundabout way of saying "How much are you worth?" I'm not saying that was your intention but it is typically a cloaked way of gleaning that information. It is a question I would prefer to not answer.
How do I occupy my time? Hm. Interesting. I don't think of my time as an empty bucket that must be filled. North American culture seems to be equally uncomfortable with unfilled time and silence. Life is a flow. Sometimes it is silent and unfilled. In Buddhist terms, it is the stream and I have entered the stream. That means my days flow and I flow with them. Often, I can't tell what will happen one day to the next. Sometimes I don't know from one minute to the next. I'm not much about "doing". I'm a lot about "being". My garden is quite large and beautiful with an emphasis on rose bushes. I care for that. I learn new things every day from random encounters with books, people, and occasionally even television shows. My life is very quiet, home-centered and peaceful, just as I would like it. I am a hearth tender.
Thanks so much for the questions, Melanie. These questions are a good catalyst for thought ~ and they increase our knowledge of each other. At the end of the day, that's what we're all here for, eh? :)
For those who would like to play along, this is how you do it:
Interview 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. Update your blog with a post containing your the answers to the questions.
4. Include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you ask them five questions.
If you request questions from me, please give me a few days so that I can personalize them. :)
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Friday, September 07, 2007
"Getting to know you" Meme Redux....
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21 comments:
I met melanie when she left a comment on my blog.
Dare i ask you to interview me? Someone who you have been reading about for a year? What could you possibly want to know about me?
I feel much as you do about children. And i had one anyway. To the incredible enrichment of my life.
To her detriment? She seem happy. How odd.
I really didn't mean anything by the do you work comment, other than the fact the few posts I have read of yours don't mention a job. so I was curious if that was part of your life.
I really don't care about your financial worth. your finances are not interesting to me. your life is.
;-)
and thank you for answering and continuing it! :hugs:
This is a good meme, I like how personalized it is, and fun to read your responses. It's totally 'getting to know you'.
Chani -- I don't think I could have articulated my thoughts about war as clearly and succinctly as you have here.
Suffice it to say that your take on war is the same as my own.
here, here on the war comment. and i will be interested to see how Meno's interview unfolds.
Big bingo on your synopsis of war. Yep, the words I had been searching for, something more eloquent than a snort and muttering BS. ;)
I must go ponder the line about time is a bucket to fill...hmmm...
Julie
Using My Words
I like your answer to the work question. Another answer could just be yes, even when I'm not getting paid and doing what appears to be nothing.
I always like reading this particular meme, but have never volunteered to do it.
Perhaps it's time I did.
Would you like to interview me?
I was particularly taken with your response to how you occupy your time. I feel as you do, but my conditioning to be active at all times to earn my place on earth is strong and needs to be overcome often. I was taught that doing "nothing" was wasteful, and in fact, so much of what I learned as a child came from such a scarcity mentality. I feel reflexively guilty when I just am, but apparently we don't all have the same needs for acquisition and worldly success, and I'm learning to understand that and cut myself some slack.
It's very comforting to read your words and know that I am not alone in these feelings.
Please interview me. I'll explain why in my response.
I agree with kc. It's a great way to know you better.
I love this, Chani. I like the little nuggets of getting to know you
Ewww - interview me!?! How fun!
It's delightful to get to know you better. Where in LA did you grow up?
Me too! Me too!
I wanted to add that I found your answer about not being a nurturer a little surprising, aren't gardeners nurturers? :O) I also loved your take on "being" instead of "doing." I completely agree with you that this culture is obsesses with time filling.
these kind of memes are cool because you really can get at a person. thanks for sharing a bit more of yourself!
i would love it if you would interview me, I'm interested in what kind of questions you would ask! :) Fun!
I'd be delighted to be interviewed, when you get the time. My associate, Cardozo, discovered your blog--I happen to be out of town, and am grateful for his research. He posted a "Buddha Diaries Recommends" and I was happy to see that you responded. My blog, "The Buddha Diaries," has a good deal in common with yours, I think. I'll plan to continue to follow what you have to say. Blessings!
Very interesting, especially as a new reader. You stated things very well.
Meno, oh, I'm sure I can think of something. You know my questions will be offbeat. :)
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Melanie, I knew that. It's just one of those "social questions" that most people don't really think of the underlying purpose. It's a social marker.
I knew you didn't mean anything by it. :)
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KC, I really like this one, too. It's a hoot getting questions and asking them.
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SM, it's the only thing that makes sense. There are times, as long as we have national boundaries, that war will be necessary to defend those boundaries. On the other hand, I just can't see going to war and killing young people so that corporations can make more profit.
In fact, the idea makes me sick.. on a soul level.
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Jen, I'll make it interesting. :)
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Julie, you know I'll be interested in your thoughts on that one.. about time. Our points of view come from such a different perspective that I always find it interesting to see what you have to say.
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Reflecting, yes... there are many answers to it.. but most people simply don't realize the subtext of it. When I was young and sassy, I used to say "I clean fly shit out of sugar." :)
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Susan, yes.. that seems to be a legacy of Calvinism.. one of the rather most disgusting interpretations of the Protestant work ethic.
Would you be surprised if I told you it never took with me... never sunk in.. because it never made any sense?
The only conclusion I could reach if I accepted that our sole purpose on earth was to work and toil, then the logical conclusion would be that we were in Hell.
That's how I saw it.. as a kid.
Eventually, I came to see that it was just another lie of consumer culture.
Questions forthcoming. :)
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Emily, questions forthcoming. :)
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Mary and Flutter, that is why I like this one so much. You know, as I read other people's blogs, I always have questions. Sometimes it's off-topic of their post.. but there's something underlying that captures my attention. Usually, I don't have the courage to go off-topic in the comments forum. This is a good opportunity to get to know every person a bit better.. in a unique way.
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Claudia, I am from the western end of Los Angeles.
Questions forthcoming. :)
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MsPea, questions forthcoming for you, too! :)
Gardeners are nurturers, yes, but the stakes aren't nearly as high as they'd be raising children. Little human beings who are basically tabula rosa... but with their own karma and their own destiny. Can't imagine a bigger challenge than raising a child.
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Christine, thank you for reading it! :)
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Maypole, questions coming. :)
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Peter, questions for you, too!
I'm very grateful to Cardoza for reviewing my blog! Now I just have to live up to all the nice stuff he said.
That should keep me busy for a few lifetimes. :)
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Kyla, thanks. :) Really.
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Peace,
~Chani
I like the sound of how you live.....
Oh, I have finally landed on your blog, and I am looking forward to becoming more familiar with it. You have a keen way of expressing yourself and bringing forward issues that we are all interested in, thank you for that. I have been a fan of your comments for awhile now on blogs such as Slouching Mom and Dead Baby Jokes.
I would love for you to interview me, when or if you find a moment!
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