Soooooo, after much though a careful (not really) consideration, I decided to take part in The Great Interview Experiment.
What a GREAT IDEA! It reminded me of being in a bar...cause when you are in a bar and you sit down next to someone you don't know, you have that whole, "Hey, what's up, what's your name, what do you do..." thing and this is like that except with someone that, in all likelihood, I will never meet in a bar. Not that I wouldn't and all. Me + bar + new person = helllls to the yeah!
OH, yes, let me introduce you to Jen over at Pieces of Me. Everyone say, "HI JEN!" [[echos of "Hi Jen!"]]
Here is what Jen had to say in response to my preguntas...
Growing up (and sometimes even now) people call me Jennifer. I think that is rather strange since Jessica isn’t even CLOSE to Jennifer. What is the weirdest name anyone has ever called you? (It can be a made up name (like one of my favorites: Gutter Slut) or an honestly mistaken name)
I have been called, Jen mostly, but mistakenly called Jessica, and Stephanie. I actually hated my name for so many years because so many people had it; I wanted to have name that was more exotic. My middle name is also common, and plain, Ann. Oh well, I was also teased with the name Italian Bread and Smurfette because I am Italian- American and always was short.
I noticed you talked about Whitney Houston in two of your posts and it made me think about me and my roommate, Bobby, whom I commonly refer to as “Bobbbbayyyy!!!” like how Whitney used to summon her Bobby. Have you ever had roommates? How was that experience for you?
I have had roomies but for very short periods of time, and only twice in my adult life, besides my husband, and I can’t say they were the best experiences, sadly. My advice about that is, never share a place with a very close friend, or if you are single and they have a boyfriend it will always cause tension and strife. I loved living alone, after I got used to it, but then I got married. Another feat in itself!
I see you are from New York. Were you born there? If so, how was it growing up in New York? If not, where did you grow up? We Southern folk think that New York is a strange, foreign land and it scares us a little. Probably how Yankees think us Georgia peeps are shoulder to shoulder full of rednecks playing horseshoes with toilet lids, which isn’t true. Mostly.
I was born in Red Bank, New Jersey but when my parents got divorced we moved to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn where my mom and dad were from, and when I was 5 years old, we moved to Manhattan, in an area called Washington Heights, most know it from the Broadway play called In The Heights. I love NYC, no other city like it. Think I will live here forever, although I have considered a warm climate, like Arizona, or South America, Argentina :)
Reading about your marathon training makes me fucking hungry. What food could you never live without?
Well, I ran a 5k, not quite a marathon, but I love food, cooking and eating! I could never live without pasta, cheese, bread and something sweet J preferably, cake!
I once did that whole skydiving thing and found it to be quite amazing! I had them videotape it in case 1) I died and 2) I didn’t want to do it again. I figured I would always have the tape! (And yes, I said tape twice…I do mean VHS.) What is the bravest/craziest thing you have ever done?
I traveled alone to France and also California; I taught myself how to ride a bike on a hill when I was 13 - I spent many years struggling on my own before I got married, and being away from family, with no support was very hard, but it did make me stronger. Those are just a few times in my life I have been very proud of myself. I thought getting my tattoos were nutz too; my first Tattoo actually says Brave Woman in Chinese.
I really enjoy “meeting” people through their blogs. It is a whole new world of pen-pal meets the 21st century! What is your favorite thing about blogging, blogs or blog people?
My favorite thing about blogging is being able to feel and be creative, being able to express that, and share that with the world, and then finding others who feel the same way and the bond it creates.
