My answers to Catherine's questions posed in the comments section of her Questions post.
(1) What's the source of your fascination with Chinese culture? Have you been to China?
That's two questions.
My interest in China grew slowly out of a more general interest in Asia. It started in high school when I taught myself how to use chopsticks, which was well before I began to appreciate Chinese cuisine beyond Almond Chicken Ding and fried rice. But it didn't really take off until after I had spent some years studying and reading about all things Japanese. My undergrad degree is Asian Studies. I focused on Japan, but I also had to take classes about other areas of Asia, and most of the classes I took were about China. I had a Chinese Studies TA who once said to me that the more you study Chinese history the more you realize there is to study. At the time I just nodded and thought that I'd stick with Japan, but China has at last sucked me in. China makes me think of fractals, where you can zoom closer and closer in on a detail, and just when you think you've reached the end, you uncover a whole new universe spiraling off into infinity.
But that doesn't really answer the question, does it. What is the source of my fascination with Chinese culture (and the rest of Asia)? I'm not really sure. A big part of it comes from my involvement in martial arts, but it has some roots that date before that. Asian culture is so strange from anything I knew growing up, and I've long been attracted to things different from the mainstream preferences of Midwestern society around me.
No, I have not been to China, but I am *fingers crossed* going there next Fall.
(2) Why do people giggle and say "oil" around you?
Um, it goes back to this party when... Oh, it's not really all that interesting. It's one of those "you had to be there" kind of things.
(3) How many coconuts can an unladen African Grey parrot carry on its migration.
East African Tall coconut or Cameroon Red Dwarf?
Wait... Greys don't migrate, but when they do it's usually in a travel cage, in which case they can carry as many coconuts as will fit in the trunk of the car.
(4) What comes first? Plot or character?
Usually character, which is in part why I find short stories so hard to write. I have this character, but I don't know what happens to that character in under 10,000 words. But if you ask me what happens to that character in 100,000 words, I would probably be able to come up with something. I do, however, have one epic plot sitting on the back burner that is in search of the right characters. (I know who the "bad guy" is, but who are my heros and heroines?)
(5) Who's your favorite classical composer and why?
Wow. That's a tough one. Can I ramble a bit? Is it odd to say that music affects me physically? The right music can make me feel high -- all light-headed with an electrical feeling running through me. Classical music seems to have more of this kind of music than other music genres.
I rather like Mahler, especially Symphone No. 1 in D. The third part — the Feierlich und gemessen, ohne zu schleppen — is just so incredibly sensual. Very sexy. And then, just when you've been lulled to that quiet soft space, *bam* that fourth movement kicks in and off you go. A very emotional symphony. And I like Liszt too. I studied piano for 10 years or so, and I'm partial to composers who favor that instrument. Liszt's Klavierkonzerte Nos 1 & 2 are two of my favorites. But I think my favorite composer is Bach. There are many individual works that have more emotional impact (and more "high") for me, but I love the math in his music. I adore his concertos for two and three keyboards as well as his toccatas and two- and three-part inventions. When I think of someday having the time to take up piano again, I long to have my fingers dancing their way through the finger-twisting rounds of his inventions. It's a piano thing, what can I say?
I'm supposed to include the rules here, but as I said in the comments section to Catherine's questions, I'm not likely to find the time to come up with questions for others. If I feel differently later, I'll update this post. (Or, if you want a faster response, ask Catherine for questions!)
RULES:
1 - Leave a comment, saying you want to be interviewed.
2 - I will respond; I'll ask you five questions.
3 - You'll update your journal with my five questions, and your five answers.
4 - You'll include this explanation.
5 - You'll ask other people five questions when they want to be interviewed.
— Luo Xiao-jie
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