5 Questions

1.) Which fictional book do you think can best serve as a biography to your life? Explain.

Hmmm, the story of my life has yet to be written. Closest approximation would have to be Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Sometimes I feel like as disoriented as Alice when she fell through the rabbit hole into a bizarre world. How did Alice get into this situation? This girl was chilling out by the river, bored out of her mind, when she saw a talking rabbit. Of course she followed the rabbit and that is when her adventures started. Same, same. I’ve been working in Manila for the past few years and needed a shot in the arm to spice up my life. Singapore has been my rabbit hole and it truly has been an adventure! I have had my share of strange characters like Alice’s Mad Hatter, Queen of Hearts and Tweedledum and Tweedledee! And like me, Alice is a bit of a loony. You should take a peek into this character’s mind. For example, after she had taken a drink from a bottle and started shrinking, her self-introspective pep talk is damn quirky!

`Come, there's no use in crying like that!' said Alice to herself, rather sharply; `I advise you to leave off this minute!' She generally gave herself very good advice, (though she very seldom followed it), and sometimes she scolded herself so severely as to bring tears into her eyes; and once she remembered trying to box her own ears for having cheated herself in a game of croquet she was playing against herself, for this curious child was very fond of pretending to be two people. `But it's no use now,' thought poor Alice, `to pretend to be two people! Why, there's hardly enough of me left to make one respectable person!'

2.) If you could only listen to one musical artist for the rest of your life, which one would it be? Why?

There can only be one: U2. I think U2's music has enough variety to mirror my ever-changing mood. In full party mood? I can count on Elevation or Mysterious Ways to get me groovin'. Reflective? Walk On and Stuck in a Moment have never failed me.

3.) Have you ever watched a film that 'changed your life'? Which film was that and how did it 'change you'?

Before Sunrise starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. For those who have not seen it:

Before Sunrise is a passionate and intelligent romance between a young American (Jesse) and a French student (Celine). A chance encounter on the train incites intrigue, and Jesse provocatively suggests that Celine postpone her return to France and embark instead on a spontaneous expedition to Vienna. In the course of their 14-hour relationship, the two share in their love for the unrehearsed and their appreciation for the unexpected as they explore in a powerful meeting of hearts and minds. Dawn breaks. Sad in silence, they make their way to the station. As they bid each other farewell, Jesse is seized by another impulse - another encounter?

This movie is all about chance encounters, going with the flow and seeing where life takes you. It did not exactly trigger a major change but it confirmed the change in direction that I decided to take in my life. Having been a control freak in all aspects of my life, I decided to shake it up and make major changes. I essentially threw away all my to-do lists, learned to live in the moment, and have been richly rewarded with very interesting experiences.

4.) Before you ended up in your chosen profession, what did you want to be? Why the change?

I thought I was going to be a doctor. I loved my science courses back in high school. But, reality check – had no aptitude for the higher math and advanced chemistry courses in college which I needed for med school. So, in a massive downgrade, I went from medicine to law! Ha ha ha! I can't save your life but I can fight for your freedom.

5.) Which historical figure would you have wanted to be?

Gabriela Silang? Eleanor of Aquitaine? Hmmm, I would have wanted to be Audrey Hepburn – an icon of film history. She had a wonderful film career, fabulous fashion plate, and did fantastic humanitarian work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Her life was not a bed of roses – her father walked out on them when she was 6 years old, she lived through Nazi-occupied Holland, had several relatives executed for retribution for a Dutch underground movement, she acted as a courier for the underground resistance, had 5 miscarriages, and 2 divorces. A life fully lived.

Now, for the Official Interview Game Rules:
1. If you want to participate, leave a comment below saying “interview me.”
2. I will respond by asking you five questions - each person’s will be different.
3. You will update your journal/blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.