13 Questions
This one is interesting, posted by Barb Tyler. You can read her assignment on her blog (clicky clicky).
Here are my 13 questions and the answers (Mine and my protag's -- Kai Tazman):
1. What day of the week do you like the best, and what day you hate the most?
RW: Friday. It's my lucky day. It's the end of the work week (for most people) and the beginning of the weekend. Not too lethargic to do anything (unlike Saturday or Sunday) or too riled up (unlike Monday). I hate Thursday the most because I alway got in a funk.
KT: Wednesday. For some reasons some of the most major events of my life and my relationships happened on Wednesdays. And I cherish them like nothing else. I hate Sundays... can't usually get out of bed.
2. If you can be any animal, what would you be and why?
RW: A cat. Let's face it, even in the wild, cats have it good. They're agile, cunning, smart, resourceful, but can be very lazy and spoiled. They're affectionate but also independent. They're cute but not always "nice." They know what they want and they get what they want. They're fun to be around and snuggle well. They are spirited. They love to play and roam around the country. They're usually not invited to the party (do you see "cat" in the Chinese Zodiacs? Nope), but they don't really give a crap. They may not live the longest of lives, but they sure have a lot of fun living them.
KT: A sea turtle. They are steadfast, loyal, and they would travel around the world just to return to their birthplace. They have good memories. They are gracious, if lonely and a bit sad.
3. When you have a new idea, what exactly happens in your brain?
RW: It's like fireworks. Frantic, chaotic, and multithreaded. It would take me hours to sort through everything that goes on in my brain and put (or at least try) them in order. Neurons are firing rapidly and it can go on for hours. That's why I take long drives when it happens. It calms my mind and makes it easier for me to sort things out and think things through.
KT: It's like a seedling slowly germinating from the ground, from a small grain. I'm not the smartest man, and I'm stubborn. While it may take me a while to understand a new concept or idea, once I do, it will take hold forever and never let me go.
4. If you HAVE to choose among the various versions of your favorite story (literary, TV, movie, video game, graphic novel, etc.), which would it be? [name that book/movie/etc. please]
RW: I have a few, but I'd cite my recent favorite which would be Ian McEwan's Atonement. My favorite version is Joe Wright's film, even though I adore McEwan's writing. The author does tend to dwell and become longwinded sometimes, despite his lustrous prose and atmospheric style. Joe Wright, however, is able to streamline the story and make it riveting, tragic, and much more romantic than McEwan (who is a bit more cerebral than romantic). The visuals in the movie are simply stunning, and adds to the beauty and tragedy of the story.
KT: Gone With the Wind, and I like the film version better. I'm not very smart and English is my second language. When I read the book I was much older and I appreciated it. Still, nothing compares to the time when I first watched the movie in 1939 when I went to Kuala Lumpur. I was stunned by the epic scope and the larger than life characters. And I was mesmerized by Vivien Leigh, who must have been the most beautiful woman on Earth.
5. How would you get to New Orleans?
RW: I'd take a long riverboat ride, starting from Pittsburgh, down the Ohio, then the Mississippi. A week long, leisurely trip with lots of stops (Cincinnati, St. Louis, etc.)
KT: I have been there once. I took the train. From New York to Atlanta then to New Orleans. I love Jazz, and I thought I might find her there.
6. If you could be 18 again, what would you change, and what would you not change?
RW: I was 18 when I came to the US. Actually I don't think I would change much. Perhaps more sure of myself and less shy about meeting people -- I have met some really great people during my first year of college. And to enjoy college/dorm life more instead of studying so much.
KT: I was in the internment camp when I was 18. In some way I'd love to change everything; on the other hand, everything made me the person I am. Sometimes, there's one mistake that you make that defines the rest of you life. I think of all things, that's one I would definitely want to change, to have a do-over. I would love to wipe those few years off my life.
7. How many countries have you visited?
RW: Let's see... China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Luxemburg, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Canada, the US, Mexico, Aruba, The Bahamas.
KT: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, The Republic of China, England, The US, Afghanistan, Mexico.
8. Do you believe in God?
RW: I used to believe in the Christian God, because that's how I was brought up. Now, I am still spiritual, but I don't subscribe to any organized religion. I believe there's something there, something much bigger than just us, maybe even the universe. You have to wonder, what is the soul and how everything works. They can't all just be random happenstances. But is there A god, someone who sits on a throne being mad when we don't do what he/she wants, who is going to punish and kill us because we're bad? I don't think so. If anything, I have a notion that "god" is a collective term... we are all part of "god" -- this existence, this universal truth. And deep down--way, way deep--we all know what it is.
KT: I don't believe in god, but you can say I'm agnostic. I think there's something bigger than all of us. I used to be a Buddhist, but have since abandoned the practice. You can't really call it a faith, though. Buddhism is more like philosophy instead of religion. There are many good things about Buddhism, such as karma, reincarnation, and enlightenment. All of which I still believe.
9. Name three people who are/were the most influential for you?
RW: My father. Sorry Mom, I love you, but there's just something about how a father influences his son. My father instilled in me my general attitude on life, on love, on people, on work, on the meaning of life, etc. Just about everything. The second person is Jesus. OK, that may make me sound like a Christian or even a religious freak but I'm talking about the person who was Jesus Christ. I think his philosophies, teachings, etc. are very important to my upbringing and I am really sad that so many Christians really are taking his name in vain and they forget what Jesus taught us. And lastly, it would be my third grade teacher. Without her, I'd probably be out on the street dealing drugs right now.
KT: My brother, Juen. He's everything to me, and I look up to him in every way. He's an incredible human being and I wish I were ever half the man he is. Grace Kendall: she means the world to me and in many ways, I live for her. She made me who I am, because of how I felt about her. It is inexplicable, but eternally true. And lastly, it's Colonel Andrews. Not many people knew the extent of our friendship through the years, but Andrews is like a brother to me.
10. What is a hidden talent that no one, not even your best friend or family, knows?
RW: Actually I'm rather an open book (and a show-off) so most people know what I can or cannot do. But anyway, I'm really good with remembering faces (not names, just faces) and seeing people for who they really are. It's very creepy in a way, of how accurate I am.
KT: I can recite the entire play of Hamlet from memory.
11. What's the first word that comes to you mind right now?
RW: redemption
KT: pain
12. What is the one misconception that most people have of you?
RW: I'm aloof, arrogant and hard to know. Ooops, that's three things.
KT: I'm a communist.
13. What do you take when you go on a week-long trip?
RW: I'm a light traveler. For a week's trip, I'd probably take 4 shirts, 1 pair of pants, enough clean socks and underwear, a simple toiletry case, my phone, my computer (what in the world am I going to do without it?), and my eBook Reader. That's pretty much it. Everything else I can buy. Oh yeah, of course, money.
KT: a haversack, a knife, a handful of fruit.
Here are my 13 questions and the answers (Mine and my protag's -- Kai Tazman):
1. What day of the week do you like the best, and what day you hate the most?
RW: Friday. It's my lucky day. It's the end of the work week (for most people) and the beginning of the weekend. Not too lethargic to do anything (unlike Saturday or Sunday) or too riled up (unlike Monday). I hate Thursday the most because I alway got in a funk.
KT: Wednesday. For some reasons some of the most major events of my life and my relationships happened on Wednesdays. And I cherish them like nothing else. I hate Sundays... can't usually get out of bed.
2. If you can be any animal, what would you be and why?
RW: A cat. Let's face it, even in the wild, cats have it good. They're agile, cunning, smart, resourceful, but can be very lazy and spoiled. They're affectionate but also independent. They're cute but not always "nice." They know what they want and they get what they want. They're fun to be around and snuggle well. They are spirited. They love to play and roam around the country. They're usually not invited to the party (do you see "cat" in the Chinese Zodiacs? Nope), but they don't really give a crap. They may not live the longest of lives, but they sure have a lot of fun living them.
KT: A sea turtle. They are steadfast, loyal, and they would travel around the world just to return to their birthplace. They have good memories. They are gracious, if lonely and a bit sad.
3. When you have a new idea, what exactly happens in your brain?
RW: It's like fireworks. Frantic, chaotic, and multithreaded. It would take me hours to sort through everything that goes on in my brain and put (or at least try) them in order. Neurons are firing rapidly and it can go on for hours. That's why I take long drives when it happens. It calms my mind and makes it easier for me to sort things out and think things through.
KT: It's like a seedling slowly germinating from the ground, from a small grain. I'm not the smartest man, and I'm stubborn. While it may take me a while to understand a new concept or idea, once I do, it will take hold forever and never let me go.
4. If you HAVE to choose among the various versions of your favorite story (literary, TV, movie, video game, graphic novel, etc.), which would it be? [name that book/movie/etc. please]
RW: I have a few, but I'd cite my recent favorite which would be Ian McEwan's Atonement. My favorite version is Joe Wright's film, even though I adore McEwan's writing. The author does tend to dwell and become longwinded sometimes, despite his lustrous prose and atmospheric style. Joe Wright, however, is able to streamline the story and make it riveting, tragic, and much more romantic than McEwan (who is a bit more cerebral than romantic). The visuals in the movie are simply stunning, and adds to the beauty and tragedy of the story.
KT: Gone With the Wind, and I like the film version better. I'm not very smart and English is my second language. When I read the book I was much older and I appreciated it. Still, nothing compares to the time when I first watched the movie in 1939 when I went to Kuala Lumpur. I was stunned by the epic scope and the larger than life characters. And I was mesmerized by Vivien Leigh, who must have been the most beautiful woman on Earth.
5. How would you get to New Orleans?
RW: I'd take a long riverboat ride, starting from Pittsburgh, down the Ohio, then the Mississippi. A week long, leisurely trip with lots of stops (Cincinnati, St. Louis, etc.)
KT: I have been there once. I took the train. From New York to Atlanta then to New Orleans. I love Jazz, and I thought I might find her there.
6. If you could be 18 again, what would you change, and what would you not change?
RW: I was 18 when I came to the US. Actually I don't think I would change much. Perhaps more sure of myself and less shy about meeting people -- I have met some really great people during my first year of college. And to enjoy college/dorm life more instead of studying so much.
KT: I was in the internment camp when I was 18. In some way I'd love to change everything; on the other hand, everything made me the person I am. Sometimes, there's one mistake that you make that defines the rest of you life. I think of all things, that's one I would definitely want to change, to have a do-over. I would love to wipe those few years off my life.
7. How many countries have you visited?
RW: Let's see... China, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Luxemburg, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, England, Canada, the US, Mexico, Aruba, The Bahamas.
KT: Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, The Republic of China, England, The US, Afghanistan, Mexico.
8. Do you believe in God?
RW: I used to believe in the Christian God, because that's how I was brought up. Now, I am still spiritual, but I don't subscribe to any organized religion. I believe there's something there, something much bigger than just us, maybe even the universe. You have to wonder, what is the soul and how everything works. They can't all just be random happenstances. But is there A god, someone who sits on a throne being mad when we don't do what he/she wants, who is going to punish and kill us because we're bad? I don't think so. If anything, I have a notion that "god" is a collective term... we are all part of "god" -- this existence, this universal truth. And deep down--way, way deep--we all know what it is.
KT: I don't believe in god, but you can say I'm agnostic. I think there's something bigger than all of us. I used to be a Buddhist, but have since abandoned the practice. You can't really call it a faith, though. Buddhism is more like philosophy instead of religion. There are many good things about Buddhism, such as karma, reincarnation, and enlightenment. All of which I still believe.
9. Name three people who are/were the most influential for you?
RW: My father. Sorry Mom, I love you, but there's just something about how a father influences his son. My father instilled in me my general attitude on life, on love, on people, on work, on the meaning of life, etc. Just about everything. The second person is Jesus. OK, that may make me sound like a Christian or even a religious freak but I'm talking about the person who was Jesus Christ. I think his philosophies, teachings, etc. are very important to my upbringing and I am really sad that so many Christians really are taking his name in vain and they forget what Jesus taught us. And lastly, it would be my third grade teacher. Without her, I'd probably be out on the street dealing drugs right now.
KT: My brother, Juen. He's everything to me, and I look up to him in every way. He's an incredible human being and I wish I were ever half the man he is. Grace Kendall: she means the world to me and in many ways, I live for her. She made me who I am, because of how I felt about her. It is inexplicable, but eternally true. And lastly, it's Colonel Andrews. Not many people knew the extent of our friendship through the years, but Andrews is like a brother to me.
10. What is a hidden talent that no one, not even your best friend or family, knows?
RW: Actually I'm rather an open book (and a show-off) so most people know what I can or cannot do. But anyway, I'm really good with remembering faces (not names, just faces) and seeing people for who they really are. It's very creepy in a way, of how accurate I am.
KT: I can recite the entire play of Hamlet from memory.
11. What's the first word that comes to you mind right now?
RW: redemption
KT: pain
12. What is the one misconception that most people have of you?
RW: I'm aloof, arrogant and hard to know. Ooops, that's three things.
KT: I'm a communist.
13. What do you take when you go on a week-long trip?
RW: I'm a light traveler. For a week's trip, I'd probably take 4 shirts, 1 pair of pants, enough clean socks and underwear, a simple toiletry case, my phone, my computer (what in the world am I going to do without it?), and my eBook Reader. That's pretty much it. Everything else I can buy. Oh yeah, of course, money.
KT: a haversack, a knife, a handful of fruit.
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