Samir said:
1. What is your real first and middle name (if any): Samir. I don't have a middle name.
2. Where were you born, geographically? Upper London, Eng-uh-lund.
3. Where do you reside now (geographically)? Gainesville, Florida.
4. What is your current vocation/ job/ area of study? Final year law student, raconteur.
5. Desert Island Album: 'The Ideal Crash' by dEUS. (1999)
6. What is the most impressive thing in nature that you have ever seen in person? Seeing a cheetah chase, and then kill, and then eat, a gazelle, at the Masai Mara in Kenya.
7. What is the most impressive thing in the human-made world that you have ever seen in person? Probably that seven star hotel in Dubai and the map-of-the-world islands they have there.
8. Death Row Pizza: Homemade by my sister, with minced garlic, black olives, genoa salami, mozzarella and oregano.
9. Tom calls you up and tells you that he will be at a cardboard symposium in your town and has a free day off: Unlike you fancy pants “city” people with your “stuff to do”, I’m at a loss in Gainesville. I’d definitely take Tom to the Korean-style karaoke bar, where we’d drink some sodas and sing some tunes. They don’t have ‘Take a Chance on Me’, though, sadly. I looked. The UF campus has a pretty neat butterfly garden, and also the “largest occupied bat-house in North America”.
Susannah said:
1. What is your real first and middle name (if any)? Susannah Laura
2. Where were you born, geographically? Summit, NJ--proud home of the "Monk" studios. I grew up in Scotch Plains, right down the Double Deuce from No Underbites, and went on a lot of adolescent era dates at Bowcraft Amusement Park.
3. Where do you reside now (geographically)? Beverly Hills, 9021...1. I spent some really happy times in West Philadelphia (3914 Spruce Street and 44th and Osage Avenues, to be exact) and Glasgow.
4. What is your current vocation/ job/ area of study? English/History teacher at a private, all-girls' high school. Last year I taught 9th grade English and Ancient Civ, this year I'm doing 9th grade English and 12th grade History seminars. I studied English Literature (19th century British novel), Art History (Modern/Postmodern architecture) and Classics in college. I then gave up any hope of doing anything useful professionally.
5. Desert Island: Yo La Tengo, "Electr-O-Pura." It's got the crowd-pleasing "Tom Courtenay," the sweet "Pablo and Andrea," and "Blue Line Swinger," which is so many different types of awesome. It's my favorite record by my favorite band.
6. What is the most impressive thing in nature that you have ever seen in person? I went to Israel last summer with one of those Jewish youth propaganda groups, and we spent a day hiking up Mt. Arbel, which is in the Galilee. There are defensive battlements carved right into the side of the cliffs that date from the Roman occupation, and it's the presumed home of Mary Magdalene. We picked and ate figs right from the trees during the day, and as we descended at dusk, the muezzin at the mosque across the valley started wailing and projecting this eerie green light from the minarets. I have never gotten chills down my spine like that before!
7. What is the most impressive thing in the human-made world that you have ever seen in person? Another European tourist destination: the entire city of Florence, Italy.
8. Death Row Pizza: what style/toppings? Hawaiian. I can't get enough of that sweet/salty taste combination.
9. Tom calls you up and tells you that he will be at a cardboard symposium in your town and has a free day off. What will you guys do? Breakfast at Norm's, lunch at Carney's, dinner at Poquito Mas.
