Win or die, it's your choice;

[ariake.livejournal.com]

Name: Sara
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is: trivalent has had it on her profile before, and direwolfdragon told me about it as well
Age: 22
Location: Near Minneapolis, MN for a few more weeks, then far western Japan
Occupation: I’m starting as a year-long researcher at a university in Japan at the end of September to study "Women and Civil Society in Japanese Elections"




All About You

1. Describe your ideal house/home. Please go into as much detail as possible, and be sure to include your ideal geographical location in the description!.

Hmm. I must say, I haven't thought much about this, despite the fact that I'm thinking about apartments, because I'm just looking for something affordable. But my ideal house...my ideal house would be by a lake, with a nice shorefront, and on the side of the lake where you can smell that lake odor throughout the house, because that smell makes me think of good childhood memories. I wouldn't want a house that was that big, because I don't want there to be rooms that aren't lived in, but it would be spacious enough, decorated in blues and greens and golds, which are nice soothing, but warm and happy colors (in my opinion). It would have a nice, crisp modern style, with a distinctly Asian flair, because I really love the East Asian aesthetic mixed with a modern, western style. The walls would have all sorts of photos hung of the places I've been around the world, photos I've taken myself and love dearly because of the memories they hold.

This house, on its lake, would have to be near a metropolis, because I would get bored without a city nearby, but far enough away that my house itself would have an air of serenity to it. I would like to live somewhere hilly, no mountains (I love mountains, but I grew up on the edge of the plains, so I'm not used to them), but somewhere that gets snow. I couldn't stand not having snow for Christmas, and have never understood how it can feel like Christmas if there are palm trees and it’s warm. I detest the cold, but I would be okay with a climate where there was snow from December through February. My new home in Japan this coming year will have an average low in January of 37F, which to me is tropical, so I can certainly handle the cold, but I’m not going to complain if I never have to feel -40F again.


2. Imagine you’re given the classic opportunity: a genie granting you three wishes. What would you wish for? Please be as elaborate as you can. Wishing for more wishes is not permitted!

First, I would wish for the ability to speak all languages fluently. I'm not great at learning languages, so I'd like to be able to cheat and just automatically know them. I hate the process of learning a language, but the rewards of being able to speak to people in their own tongue make up for the struggles. It would make my life so much easier in the next year as well, but I know that isn't realistic.

Second, I would wish to be able to teleport. It would be worth it solely to get to and from Japan without having to spend 13 hours on a plane, which is not a fun experience. But I would be able to travel freely around the world, through borders, to Europe and Asia and South America and everywhere. It would also become a temptation to go home whenever homesick, so I would have to fight that, but it would be worth it in other ways.

Third, I would wish to never be homesick. It's not a huge problem for me normally, but it does drag on me and make me less adventurous for a time. When living abroad, one only has so much time to really experience the place where you're living, and to really appreciate it. Also, since I studied abroad in Japan in the fall of 2009, I've been somewhat homesick for Tokyo, and have always been missing another place no matter where I am, so I'd like that to stop so I can finally be completely happy with where I am.

3. In your life so far, what accomplishment are you the most proud of? Why? You can list more than one if you have trouble deciding. ;)

This one is easy, at least from where I stand now. I received a Fulbright grant to go to Japan for a year to do research for this upcoming year, which is how I’m paying to live there. To apply for it, I had to write 3 single spaced pages, one talking about myself and two about the project I wanted to research. I spent over a month editing over and over, with faculty members ripping it apart day in and day out. I spent so much time learning everything I could about my project, and being grilled in an interview session. It is not easy to get a Fulbright, and never a done deal, but I got one of the 9 given to American students for Japan who recently completed undergrad, and I couldn't be more proud of myself. I worked hard, did my best work, and had many years of academic good standing behind me to bring me to where I am, and this will be great in the future in terms of networking and possibly finding a reason to stay in Japan beyond the one year I've been given.

4. Which of the following is most important to you: Love, Money, Knowledge, Family, Friendship, Adventure, or Pleasure? Which is the least important to you? Please explain why for each choice.

I think it’s easier to start off with which is least important. I would say knowledge. I have always been committed to school and to academic learning, but I would say that my 'love of learning' has a more utilitarian edge to it. I learn to get good grades, which get me further in the future. I do truly enjoy learning in some fields, though certainly not all, but I do not hold knowledge as importantly as many of the others. It is more of a tool than a life passion or something that I will drop everything to pursue. I thought about putting adventure here, but my love of travel, of wandering through cities by myself exploring, seems to trump knowledge. The other one I was unsure of was pleasure, but I am no saint, and don't have the willpower to resist pleasure. Therefore, I would say that knowledge is probably the least important, though by saying least important that is hardly saying that I think it is unimportant. It is very important, but I value the others more.

As for which one is most important, this is a much more difficult question. Out of the four not mentioned, I would say that I can't put family and friends first. I will be going off to the other side of the world for a year, and while I know I'll be homesick, and there will be people I miss, they aren't enough to tie me here. I would come home in times of great need, but the will to live my life on my own is stronger. That leaves money and love. I would probably choose love as the most important, because I view it as the basis of so many of these characteristics, as well as how I chose them. I discerned based on my love of these categories, looking at my love of knowledge vs my love of adventure. That says to me that love must be the most important to me, though in what form, it is hard to say. But love for an ex-boyfriend almost made me forget applying for the Fulbright because it would've been too hard to make us work (though I would've regretted it, and I'm glad I did no such thing now). Love always seems to have the strongest hold on me, even when I don't want it too. So I would say love is the most important.

5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.

This is one thing that I really hate, is finding a passage or lyric that really does fit me. The closest I can think of at the moment is this:

"To my friends in New York, I say hello / My friends in L.A. they don't know / Where I've been for the past few years or so / Paris to China to Col-or-ado / Sometimes there's airplanes I can't jump out / Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now / We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e / What there is to complain about" – “Good Life” by OneRepublic (I totally liked this song before it became popular, I promise)

I think that this is pretty true for me right now. I’ve recently graduated from college, and I'm going to be heading off to the other side of the world in the next few months. My plans for the future involve more travel, since I've taken the Foreign Service Exam and have continued on in the process, with the hopes of eventually going to work in embassies around the world. Travel isn't always great, just as life here isn't always great either. But there are so many things in my life that are great that I try to remember, so its a lot easier to ignore the little things and look at the big picture. I'm not sure if that all makes sense, but it's hard to explain. I think the lyrics get it right, and I just try to let that be my viewpoint, both in terms of travel and of my outlook on the problems in life.

6. How do you manage your money? On that note, how important is money/financial security to you? Go into as much detail as you can.

I go back and forth between being a bit irresponsible, and being tightpursed. I blame check and credit cards for my irresponsibility, because it’s really hard to tell how much you're spending when you just go swipe a card, so I prefer to carry cash whenever possible. But when I know I only have so much money, I am very good at making it last, and being careful with it, and counting every last penny. I save, and budget, and recognize that if someone says they'll pay me 8$/hr, they mean before taxes, and that that isn't all just spending money. This all leads to the conclusion, rightfully so, that financial security is very important to me. My parents have always taught me how to manage my money, because they've always been very careful as well, and in this day and age I am careful to only buy what I can afford. If you can't afford something, don't buy it, simple as that, but many people have forgotten. But that only gets you into trouble, something I don't let myself do.

7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?

One of my hobbies is reading. I love to read (otherwise I wouldn't be applying to this community haha), and I love books that take me away to another world. Fantasy has always been my favorite. I read while I work out, assuming I'm doing something that doesn't make reading impossible, I read in the car, I read before bed, I read all the time. College made me give up reading to some extent, since I had to read so much for class that I just couldn't do anymore, but it’s something that I've picked back up now that I’m done with college.

Another hobby of mine is exercising. Whether it is playing tennis, which is something I've done for over 10 years and really love, or just running (when my body allows it) or riding a bike, I really enjoy the great feel you get after working out, and I like how it changes your body and makes you feel happier and more fit. I wouldn't say that its addicting, because I definitely get stretches of days where I can't really bring myself to work out (aka the last three days....oops?) but even when I don't want to but I make myself go, I'm always happy I did afterward. It’s a battle of my mind against my body, and I like it when I can make my mind triumph.

8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.

1. Dying: I don't like to give up control, and I have a tendency to fear the unknown. And for me, death is one of the greatest unknowns. I don't know what happens to me after death. I don't know what it feels like to die. And the thought of being done in this world, suddenly and without warning, or even at the end of a long life, makes me very nervous and uncomfortable. I'm too happy living life to want to lose it, and I expect I'll be better at accepting it later in life, but at this point it just doesn't work for me.

2. Insects: Rationally, I know it’s a ridiculous fear. Rationally, I know that I shouldn't be scared of tiny spiders, or those dreadful centipedes. But nothing should have that many legs, and they creep in everywhere, and I just can't overcome it. And even worse is the fact that I don't want to try to overcome it, because I'm too scared to try. I just vacuum the worst of the bugs up, or make my friends or family kill them for me, because I can't sleep if I know its still in the room. It makes me kind of ashamed, but I can't help it. :/ I’ve already started planning how I’m going to deal with bugs in Japan, since they are certain to be bigger, and be varieties that don’t live in my current cold climate, such as cockroaches. *shudder* Plan A is make friends with a cute but strong Japanese neighbor boy who will come get rid of them for me. Still working on a Plan B.

3. Being Alone: Perhaps silly for someone who is planning to go off by myself to Japan for a year. But to be honest, it will be a change. First, I've never lived truly alone. I've lived with a host family, and I've lived in a college single, but neither of those is alone. But being in an apartment by myself is scary. But I will know people at the university, and make other connections. I fear truly being alone, being in a city where I don't know anyone and don't know how to know anyone, or out in the middle of nowhere. I need relationships to survive, and it scares me to think about not having that. But at the same time, I feel like this is the fear that I am most equipped to deal with, and it is one that I accept as a result of my goals and desires, as where my other two fears I had no part in accepting. That makes it a bit easier to deal with, though it is certainly still difficult.

9. Name (and elaborate on) your top three BEST and top three WORST qualities (personality-related, not physical). Please answer as fully as you can, as this is an important question.

Best:

1. Intelligence: I'm pretty smart, especially book smart. I've gotten academically based scholarships, and got the Fulbright, which are based off of academic grades. I also graduated from a fairly prestigious (in my region, at least) college with honors. But I also have good measure of common sense, which is also another kind of intelligent, though I don’t always use it.

2. Ambition: This can be both a good and bad thing, depending on the person and how it is used, but I think for me that this is a good thing, and one of my defining traits. For example, yes, I'm smart, but I don't do well in school just to learn. I do well in school because of the doors that it opens for me, like all of my scholarships. I do well in school because I want to use it as a springboard into the next thing. And I have huge plans for the future, ones that involve travel and success, and I don't think I'll let that go for anything. If it comes down to having kids vs. continuing my career, at this point in my life I would pick my career. There are definitely downsides to ambition, but for me it is the fire that keeps me going and moving forward towards success, without ever giving up hope or relying on anyone else.

3. Independence: I know I put above that I'm afraid of being alone, but I don't think that conflicts at all with me being independent. I like to do things my own way, and I have no problem going across the world and starting anew. I hate when people try to tell me what to do or lay a lot of restrictions on me. For example, I went on a school trip in January to Europe. Because traveled so much, we didn't get hardly any time to explore the cities we were in besides the touristy tours that we took, and it drove me nuts after spending 5 months in Tokyo where I could just get on the train in the morning and go wherever I felt like. I dislike guided tours, and I dislike moving in a herd. I prefer to explore and make my own mistakes and get lost, as long as it means being able to do my own thing.

Worst:

1. Weak willpower at times: I have what some people call an addictive personality, especially when it comes to my sweet tooth. I tell myself I don't need to eat more, or procrastinate more, but I don't have the willpower to actually stick to what I tell myself. I can eat an entire bag of candy in a day because I can't make myself put it away and keep it away. I have very strong willpower in some arenas, but sometimes I can't tell myself 'no', which is a problem. I also am always tempted by things such as cigarettes, even though they taste like crap and are horrible for me and I know I shouldn’t touch them. But I have moments of weakness, and they are enough for me to give in and smoke one. It’s a habit I’m trying to break, but we’ll see if I can continue to hold up in Japan.

2. Selfishness: I'll be the first to admit that I'm pretty selfish. It’s a pretty common thing among my generation in the United States, but I'm just as guilty as everyone else. I have a hard time thinking about what others want if it conflicts with what I want, and often times I'll only help someone because it is good for me. A great example is how I volunteered a lot in high school so that I could put it on my college applications, which certainly is a selfish reason for volunteering. I do this in a lot of aspects of life, from trying to monopolize the car that my brother and I share to refusing to share my silverware because I know that my roommate won't clean it before she gives it back to me. This is definitely something that I'm working on, but it’s an uphill battle.

3. Need for acknowledgement: I have this unfortunate habit of always needing people to acknowledge me and my accomplishments. I will randomly put things I've done into conversations, or make sure to talk about me, when it’s unnecessary and sometimes inappropriate. I also get into "well, i've done this better" or "I did this thing that was so much harder" arguments with people in a subconscious battle to 'win', which certainly isn't healthy for myself or for maintaining friendships. I just feel the need to be better than others, even if it’s just me dealing with worse weather than others (a typical problem for a Minnesotan) or something else trivial that shouldn't be a big deal. But despite that, I have a hard time letting that go and letting others speak, instead inserting myself into the conversation and positioning myself as 'better'.





A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?

I'll preface this section by saying that it has been a very long time since I read some of the books in the series. I’m slowly working my way back through the third book. If I don’t finish them before I leave, I guess I’ll have 13 hours on a plane to keep reading soon enough.

That said, my favorite character is probably Daenerys. I really like her transition in the series, from a kind of timid young girl who follows the orders of her brother, into a confident young woman with Drogo, into a strong queen who is doing her best to lead her people and overcome adversity. She has spunk, but she also has a very strong goal (and who can’t love a little bit of righteousness and revenge thrown in) and does almost everything in her power to work towards that, and most of the time will do something regardless of the personal cost to herself. It is rather inspiring to see that determination and desire to overcome all obstacles, something that makes me enjoy every chapter about her.

Number two is probably Cersei Lannister. She is certainly a very deeply flawed character, but I can sympathize with her desire to break out of the role cast for her and to truly wield power rather than being a pawn in the games of power due to her sex. I always found her moves interesting, and most of them rather sly. I do think she goes a bit far, and managed to raise an absolute horror, and she is selfish and sometimes rather ignorant, but that is part of why I kind of love her. She is fantastic, whether in her glory or in her failings, and through it all she’s always scheming and doing her best to make her desires come true.

And the third one is hard, but I think I’m going to go with Ned Stark. He is rather stuffy, but I found him to hold a rather impressive sense of duty, no matter what the costs or how hard it might be. He had no desire to wield power as the Hand, but agreed because his king and friend needed his desperately. He tried to do his best, but paid for it with his life. I was sad that he was killed off so early in the series, because I enjoyed him as a character, but I’ve also enjoyed the turmoil that his death has created that has spun the intricate political web of this series.

2.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?

One of my three would definitely be Theon Greyjoy. From early on, I thought he was a spoiled whiny brat who deserved to get tossed in the ocean and left to drown. I only became less of a fan when he took over Winterfell. I really don’t care what happened to him anymore, and wished he’d just die and be done with it. His sister is rather bad-ass, and then there is him. I have to admit, his plan to strike Winterfell wasn’t the worst, but it was his intentions that make it rather pathetic. And he seems to have little backbone, never staying true to himself as a person, and instead aiming to please his father, which he should recognize is an impossible task.

Number two would be Jeoffrey. Simply, he’s a little horror. If I saw a kid like that in real life, I’d probably slap him, even though slapping children is something I don’t normally agree with. That kid should be grounded for life. He is an intriguing example of what can happen to kids when you bring them up in that kind of lifestyle and then give them power that no one else can refute, at least safely, but I still found him annoying and was very happy when he died.

And number three would be Melisandre of Asshai. I have a thing about religious fanaticism, especially when it leads to the persecution of others and the belittling of their beliefs. This is in part because I’m not a very religious person, and in part because I’ve spent a lot of time reading history and political theory, and religion never seems to work quite right, especially when fanaticism is involved. So on principle, I kind of hate what she’s trying to do. And then how she goes about it drives me nuts, and how she brings people under her spell and the spell of her god. It doesn’t help that she is viewed with distaste by Davos Seaworth, who I kind of like.

3.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?

I wish I had reread the entire series again before I answered this, but I’m going to go with one of the only scenes that has really stuck out to me in the books I have reread. I really, really enjoyed the scene where Theon Greyjoy thinks he’s picking up this woman who is awesome to bring back with him to his castle to, er, have fun with, and it turns out that this woman is actually his sister. I found this quite amusing, and was happy to see how awesome his sister was, and to see Theon kind of get what he deserved. I know I had other moments I enjoyed in the books, but this is the one that, for some reason, really sticks out to me right now. Probably because I just railed against Theon above.

4. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?

Hmmmm, that’s a tough one. I would kind of like Daenerys to win. While I think that the former rule of the Targaryen wasn’t exactly great at the end, I think that she would do the best job, and would hopefully learn from the mistakes of her ancestors and avoid making them again. I think that the only way peace is possible is if she rules, because the Targaryen name ruled for so long that she has the only undisputable claim to the throne, in my opinion. I think the Lannisters have proven that they make horrible rulers, and the Greyjoys as well. And Stannis and his reliance on the god of Melisandre make me worry for a future in which he ruled, so in that regard Daenerys is all that we’re left with as well. So either way, that would be great. As for the fates of some characters, I’m not quite sure. I’d like to see Jaimie and Cersei survive, though in what capacity, I’m not quite sure. And I would like Catelyn to survive and be happy as well. But I’m afraid I’m not quite sure what I want to happen to many of the others, because it is a lot of threads to try to tie up, so I think I’ll leave those to Mr. Martin over there.

Comments

Stark

[matitablu.livejournal.com]

I see the case for Lannister and Targ but I'm saying Martell here.