5 questions
It's that 5 questions meme: my questions come to me from ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oursin. If you'd like 5 questions from me, just say so in a comment.
Questions and answers under the cut.
1. Great train journeys, made or wished for?
Not counting subways and commuter trains, I've only ever taken the train between Washington DC and New York, and between Chicago and Milwaukee; neither was a great journey in any sense! Even when I was in England I didn't take the train because it was so expensive (and that was more than 20 years ago; I hear it's worse now). I took the bus/coach, and I can report that it takes an astonishingly long time to get from Oxford to York by coach.
I think a great train journey sounds appealing--some long, scenic route to distant places, in relative comfort with dining cars and a sleeping compartment and all that. And of course there's a nostalgic glamour. On the other hand, air travel has one big advantage: you're only cooped up with strangers for hours, not days. But on the other other hand, there's more room to get away on a train.
If money and time (and politics and ethics) were no problem, but I could only pick one, I'd go for either the renewed-classic Orient Express route of Venice to Istanbul, or maybe the Trans-Mongolian express from Moscow to Beijing (described here, second entry). Going through India from the south to the Himalayas also appeals, but it looks like Indian luxury train lines include a hefty dose of organized tourism, and I'd rather not.
2. Apart from Raymond Chandler, do you like any other noir writers (or movies)?
Noir isn't something I seek out. I tend, maybe unfairly, to associate noir as a genre with Doom ("We've all got a case of the Doooooooms"), and I don't enjoy that. It's also why I'll never read another Thomas Hardy novel.
Double Indemnity is awesome, though. Both it and Chandler's novels are deeply queer, which helps.
3. Where would be your ideal place to live if there were no considerations of income/job/etc?
London. Major world city with incredible theater, museums, music, etc., plus it's reasonably close to many other major world cities, plus I already speak the language. Unfortunate that the government is increasingly brutal towards anyone who isn't rich, white, and cishet, but, well, I live in the US and it's happening here too.
4. Desert or sea?
The sea, so long as I can be near it and not on it (seasickness, alas). The sea without the slightest hesitation. I grew up in an area with lots of lakes, notably including the enormous Lake Superior; I have vivid memories from a childhood trip to Duluth of the astonishing size of it, the smell of the water, and the bridges (specifically the Duluth Lift Bridge) and the ships, and the gulls. I love water. I live in a semi-desert now and I've never learned to like it.
But what I fancy is a cool sea, not a tropical one. I'd pick the desert to live in over Thailand or the Bahamas. Love water, hate humidity. I know it makes no sense, and I'll tolerate humidity if it's cool, but hot and humid is too much.
5. Favourite meal?
This is a hard one because I like a lot of different foods from a lot of different cuisines, and some of them are fancy while others are homely or even trashy. Do I want oden or pad Thai or the Indian dish I can't remember the name of but it's got lentils stewed with spinach and peanuts? Or maybe a really good burger with perfectly cooked fries? Sweetbreads? Duck with wine sauce? Risotto with asparagus? Congee with Tianjin preserved vegetable? Or maybe tuna casserole made with canned cream of mushroom soup and topped with saltine crackers (childhood food, and it really hits the spot sometimes)?
And that's without even considering the important question of dessert.
So I think my answer to this question is: yes, please.
oursin. If you'd like 5 questions from me, just say so in a comment.Questions and answers under the cut.
1. Great train journeys, made or wished for?
Not counting subways and commuter trains, I've only ever taken the train between Washington DC and New York, and between Chicago and Milwaukee; neither was a great journey in any sense! Even when I was in England I didn't take the train because it was so expensive (and that was more than 20 years ago; I hear it's worse now). I took the bus/coach, and I can report that it takes an astonishingly long time to get from Oxford to York by coach.
I think a great train journey sounds appealing--some long, scenic route to distant places, in relative comfort with dining cars and a sleeping compartment and all that. And of course there's a nostalgic glamour. On the other hand, air travel has one big advantage: you're only cooped up with strangers for hours, not days. But on the other other hand, there's more room to get away on a train.
If money and time (and politics and ethics) were no problem, but I could only pick one, I'd go for either the renewed-classic Orient Express route of Venice to Istanbul, or maybe the Trans-Mongolian express from Moscow to Beijing (described here, second entry). Going through India from the south to the Himalayas also appeals, but it looks like Indian luxury train lines include a hefty dose of organized tourism, and I'd rather not.
2. Apart from Raymond Chandler, do you like any other noir writers (or movies)?
Noir isn't something I seek out. I tend, maybe unfairly, to associate noir as a genre with Doom ("We've all got a case of the Doooooooms"), and I don't enjoy that. It's also why I'll never read another Thomas Hardy novel.
Double Indemnity is awesome, though. Both it and Chandler's novels are deeply queer, which helps.
3. Where would be your ideal place to live if there were no considerations of income/job/etc?
London. Major world city with incredible theater, museums, music, etc., plus it's reasonably close to many other major world cities, plus I already speak the language. Unfortunate that the government is increasingly brutal towards anyone who isn't rich, white, and cishet, but, well, I live in the US and it's happening here too.
4. Desert or sea?
The sea, so long as I can be near it and not on it (seasickness, alas). The sea without the slightest hesitation. I grew up in an area with lots of lakes, notably including the enormous Lake Superior; I have vivid memories from a childhood trip to Duluth of the astonishing size of it, the smell of the water, and the bridges (specifically the Duluth Lift Bridge) and the ships, and the gulls. I love water. I live in a semi-desert now and I've never learned to like it.
But what I fancy is a cool sea, not a tropical one. I'd pick the desert to live in over Thailand or the Bahamas. Love water, hate humidity. I know it makes no sense, and I'll tolerate humidity if it's cool, but hot and humid is too much.
5. Favourite meal?
This is a hard one because I like a lot of different foods from a lot of different cuisines, and some of them are fancy while others are homely or even trashy. Do I want oden or pad Thai or the Indian dish I can't remember the name of but it's got lentils stewed with spinach and peanuts? Or maybe a really good burger with perfectly cooked fries? Sweetbreads? Duck with wine sauce? Risotto with asparagus? Congee with Tianjin preserved vegetable? Or maybe tuna casserole made with canned cream of mushroom soup and topped with saltine crackers (childhood food, and it really hits the spot sometimes)?
And that's without even considering the important question of dessert.
So I think my answer to this question is: yes, please.
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2) What appeals to you about reading and/or writing horror?
3) If you had one year to do anything you wanted, all expenses paid (but you couldn't keep anything afterwards, except memories and pictures--this is about experiences rather than buying stuff) what would you do?
4) Favorite piece of clothing you've ever owned?
5) You can meet one famous living person for one hour to chat over coffee/tea/a drink. The person in question is delighted to do this and won't be awkward. Who do you choose?
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(And, I also love your answers. I'm with you on the "yes, please" for food.)
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2) DW vs. Twitter as a site for fannish interaction?
3) You have to eat only one national/regional cuisine for an entire month. What do you pick? (Assume suitable accommodations for allergies, dietary needs, etc. will be offered.)
4) Do you think there's other sapient life in the universe somewhere? (Not a question about UFOs or alien visitors, just whether you think it exists.)
5) Are you a re-reader, and if so, what are your favorite books to re-read?
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2) You've been invited to the Met Gala, or some similar fancy clothes-focused event. What do you wear? Assume money is no object and that whatever you want is available in the right size.
3) You've been given an unlimited budget and a guaranteed run of 2 10-episode seasons for the LGBTQIA+ centered show of your dreams. What's it about?
4) What's your favorite place you've ever been to?
5) Is there a particular character type that appeals to you in fiction? Do you have more than one type?
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(And reading your answer to #5, I am now ravenous, even though I've already had dinner. :D)
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1) What are some ways transitioning has been--even if not unmixed or uncomplicated--a good experience for you?
OR
1) You're about to spend a year on a deserted island with no internet, and you can bring the complete works of 5 poets with you. Who do you choose? (You'll have some other books too, but only 5 poets.)
2) As a reader, what do you value more in fiction, characterization or style?
3) What's your favorite imaginary place?
4) The inevitable Charioteer question: you can have an evening in the pub with any minor character from the book. (In other words, not Laurie, Ralph, or Andrew.) Whom do you pick and why?
5) What's one holiday tradition (any holiday) that you love, and one that you can't stand?