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westerosortingName: Steph
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omgitshbc mentioned that she was thinking about applying in one of her entries, and so I checked it out, but I had only read A Game Of Thrones and so I told myself that I'd come back when I Age: 22
Location: I split my time between Glasgow (Scotland) and Paris (France)
Occupation: Student (I have an undergrad and a postgrad in French, English and American Law, but I'm going to Business School this September because I'd rather work on the business side of thing, and maybe have my own business or be a business consultant, my law degree will serve as added value, the law is everywhere).
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!.
So this turned out to be one of the hardest questions of this application. I actually wrote two novel length descriptions of two practically polar opposite houses. Then I thought, it's supposed to be my ideal home, and therefore it should tick all the boxes, so I started over.
It's quite a big house, not mansion-size, but spacious, with lots and lots of open space. An open plan American style kitchen that gives onto the living-room and dining room, with high ceilings. The walls in the living room are glass panels, so you've got a gorgeous view of the (Scottish [or English, I've not really decided yet, my heart ties me to Scotland, but there are some lovely places in England]) countryside. Inside, the décor is quite minimalistic, lots of whites, greys, blacks and stainless steel, but there are some touches of colour here and there (a royal blue lamp, maybe some colourful paintings, a red vase, etc. ...) because I'm not a robot.
The bedroom isn't too large, it has a king-size bed, and is decorated in soothing neutral colours, the window also gives onto the garden.
The bathroom is my sanctuary, it has a double shower, a large mirror above the sink and a vanity table.
It has to be equipped with all the latest sustainable energy technologies, solar panels, whatever is state of the art at the time. The idea of living green is very important to me.
I would probably need a small city pied-à-terre for during the week with my job, but ideally, at the weekend, I would be able to forget city-life for a while and relax, in my ultra-modern country house.
The UK is perfect for me climate wise. Any temperature above 25°C and I feel like I'm going to melt to death, and I don't mind rain.
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!
1 - I would like everyone to do their share when it comes to sustainable development and living green. For me it shouldn't need to be on a politician's agenda, it should come naturally to people.
2 - I'd really like to find a good job by October 2012. As I mentioned above, I'm doing a Msc in Business and Management this year (Sept 2011 - Sept 2012), and so in a year's time I will be practically done with Uni, and I have heard so many horrors stories concerning job hunting, that I'm quite worried about it. The current job market is far from easy to navigate in, especially when you don't have any contacts in the business. And so, I would ask my genie to give me a helping hand to secure a good job.
3 - I'd like to be successful, but not in the way that I want everyone to think that I am the best thing since sliced bread, I don't want to be disgustingly rich or famous, I just want to be successful in what I do.
I like to do things properly, I follow the rules from A to Z, and so I would like the result to reflect the work/involvement/dedication I put into the task. I am hard-working, it would be nice for it to pay off.
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. ;)
Hmmm ... I survived an extremely demanding university degree.
When I was in Secondary School, we were asked to decide what we wanted to do with our lives (pick our Uni, what we wanted to study, etc.).
And honestly at 17, I did not have a clue.
I would have probably benefited from a gap-year, but at the time I couldn't even imagine taking a "time-out". The deadline was getting dangerously close, and I still had no idea. I read something online about a double/bilingual degree in French, English and American law. And I thought, "Eh, why not?"
So I took the entrance exam, placed in the top 30 out of 2,500 candidates, and so I just stuck with that.
It still baffles me that I did that. I am the most careful planner in the history of people with a plan. I NEVER make rash decisions. I can't even decide which pair of socks to wear without giving myself a day or two to "think about it". Over four years later, I still can't believe that I decided my entire future on a whim.
And so I started a degree in a field I had never shown any real interest in prior to my first day at Uni. In Secondary School, I had mostly done a lot of sciences, and here I was reading laws, trying to understand legal decisions from three different legal systems.
It was not easy. In my third year most weeks I was at Uni from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 8am to 1pm on a Saturday, combine that with my little Sunday odd-job, a considerable amount of homework, the three hour commute I did daily, and you'll start to get why a year and a half ago I went about life feeling like the living dead.
But I survived. I did not give up, because if there's one thing I have it's resolve, you can do almost anything if you set your mind to it. And now I have my Bachelor's degree in French, English and American Law and a Master's degree in French, English and American Business Law in my pocket, and I'm going off to a very good business school this September.
On a slightly more jovial note:
I was really proud that the team I lead in Advocacy (=moot court, mock trial) this year won. It'll be my only "courtroom" experience, so I'm glad that I did it properly. It was lots of fun.
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.
Friendship is what's most important to me. They're like an extension of your own family (so I guess Family is important to me too). My close friends keep me sane, I can be quite solitary, and my friends understand that, but they are always there when I need them, and I will always be there when they need me. I would probably do anything for them.
Least important: probably Adventure. Don't get me wrong, I like getting out of my routine from time to time, discovering new places, things, etc., but it's not as essential to me as the others.
5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
Every man is architect of his own fortune
It's a Latin proverb I learned in Secondary School (faber est quisque fortunae suae), and it has stuck with me ever since, because it's a concept I truly believe in. You can accomplish anything, all you have to do is to be willing to put in the work necessary to reach your goal. Nothing is impossible (wow, I almost sound like a Nike advert).
No but really, I do believe that if you really want something, and that you work really hard at achieving it, and that you're willing to make some concessions, there's no reason why you should not eventually succeed.
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 manage my money extremely carefully.
Most of the time, I don't buy anything unless I DESPERATELY need it (will mend my worn clothes before I buy new ones) and even then I carefully shop for a bargain. (If I have to buy something like a new computer, I will have an excel table comparing cost/quality for each item and go with the best one for the best price).
I am not an impulse buyer, if I like something in a shop, I will leave it for a couple of days/weeks, and if I'm still thinking about it a significant amount of time later, I might buy it.
My family says that it's my Scottish side taking over and that I take after my Grand Father, but really, I'm not stingy, I'm just careful.
If I'm out with friends, I have no problem paying for a round of drinks, but I usually go out with a specific sum of money, and once it's gone, I won't be bringing out my debit card.
Concerning financial security, you can probably guess that it's rather important to me. I have a pretty large nest egg and quite a bit of money saved away JUST IN CASE I need it. I know exactly how much is in my account, how much goes in my account and how much it goes out.
I know it sounds like I'm a bit obsessed with money. I'm not really, I only really think about it when I get my statement. More importantly, I know myself, so I know there's nothing to worry about.
7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favourite things to do outside of school/the office?
(Thank goodness I did not apply for this three months ago or I would have had to list commuting and homework as hobbies).
Hanging out with my close friends - We don't have to go anywhere special. Even if all we do is sit in a park talking about everything and nothing, hanging out with my three best female friends is one of my most favourite ways to spend some of my spare time. We're a very tight-knit group, and it's just so easy to be "me" around them, and relaxed.
Reading - It was a great passion of mine growing up, even before I learned how to read I was rarely seen without a book in my hand. Sadly when I started Uni four years ago, I lost the taste for it. I had so much compulsory reading to do (law, case law, articles, briefs, etc.), that I just couldn't bring myself to read for pleasure. I could probably count on my fingers the number of books I read for entertainment between October 2007 and this Summer, and that's just plain sad.
Not anymore though, this Summer I caught the reading bug again with A Song Of Ice And Fire and I am so relieved, I was worried that I would never be able to curl up with a book for an hour or seven ever again.
SO THANK YOU GRRM.
Sports - I recently rediscovered the joys of working out. In Secondary School, I was in a basket ball team and played golf every other weekend. But I didn't have time for it anymore, so I had to stop, and the only work-out I got was my daily dash for my train.
Not being able to have a regular physical activity is something I really missed, and I have decided that I am definitely signing up for a gym membership this year. I might even join a team or something, because it's the best way to clear your head after a stressful day/week. There is really nothing like it.
8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
Burning alive - When I was 6 or 7, I lived in the United Arab Emirats and a had a babysitter, he was a young guy from the Philippines.
He was lovely, but unfortunately getting paid for child minding/cleaning/doing odd jobs wasn't enough (he was sending most of the money back to his family), and so he had another job, he cleaned offices at night. The safety conditions were deplorable, and one of the chemicals they had to use to clean was (accidentally, I suppose) set on fire. And he burned to death.
I remember when my Mother explained to me what had happened and why he wasn't coming back to look after my brother and I. And since then, burning to death has been one of my biggest fears.
Pigeons - Don't laugh. I know it's ridiculous, but pigeons are disgusting flying rats. I'm not above crossing a street to avoid crossing paths with a pigeon. They simultaneously disgust and terrify me. I get goosebumps just thinking about them.
There's a Starbucks just next to my (former) University with a terrace, and I have seen pigeons actually steal a muffin out of another person's hand. JUST GROSS.
And they're cheeky geezers, they're not scared of you, they'll walk right up to you like they own the entire city.
My friends find this fear of mine hilarious. It sort of is.
You have no idea how glad I am that they use ravens in Westeros.
Failing - I like to do things properly, and I like to be successful in anything I attempt, if I'm not, I'm disappointed in myself, and I feel like I failed others who depended on me.
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
Smart - I'm a quick-thinker and I can find a solution to almost any problem. I have a rather analytical mind, so I'm able to apply facts/information/logic to any situation. Because of this I tend to always have a plan (and a dozen back-up plans in case my initial one fails - my friends find it hilarious and call me "The woman with the plan"). It really helps me function in life, I feel like I'm always prepared (even for the unexpected).
Good friend - I will listen, counsel, comfort, give guidance to my friends. My friends come to me with their problems and secrets, because they know that I would never betray their trust, and because I'm very good at listening to them without passing judgement. I always try to give them some perspective on their situation, cheer them up, help them to the best of my abilities. And if they are every in trouble, they can always count on me to come and "save" them. If they are under attack, I will take their defence, if you mess with my friends, you mess with me.
Fair - I've always been a fair and impartial person, even as a child I could always be trusted to divide things equally (between my brother and I), I was always the bank at monopoly. I am absolutely incapable of cheating, even if I know there's no chance of being caught. For me, things are not right if they are not fair.
WORST
Worrier - I am a worrier, a dreadful worrier. I worry about everything. Not that anyone would know, because I internalise everything, and so usually, unless you know me extremely well (and even then), you wouldn't know that I am constantly totally stressed out, that I have trouble sleeping at night because I'm imagining worst case scenarios and trying to figure out ways to overcome them instead of trying to sleep.
Cold - When a person first meets me, I come off as cold, insensitive and detached. There are several instances when people that have since then become my close friends, were convinced that I really disliked them when we first met. It's a bit true, not that I didn't like them, but more that I didn't like them yet. I'm quite a good judge of character, so I'll heavily rely on that before I let someone into my ~circle of trust~. Oh wow, I sound like such a bitch.
Sarcastic/Mean - It's really something that defines me, to the point where I can't count the number of times I have been told something along the lines of "Sarcasm may be the highest form of entertainment, but it's the lowest form of wit". I may not be physically violent, but I can serve up a decent verbal lashing in two seconds flat. My brother said that if there were medals to be won for being snarky, I would get the gold, no bother.
I can usually keep this particular trait in check, unless I'm in an irritable mood.
A Song of Ice and Fire Related
1.Who are your favourite three characters in the series? Why?
Catelyn - I just love her to bits. Her chapters were my favourite. I had to read the last paragraph of the Red Wedding several times because I COULD/WOULD NOT BELIEVE that that was it. My brain was refusing to register that information.
She is such a smart lady, she sees beyond what's in plain sight, and she understands the political aspects to war. I love that she is clear headed "First we get your sisters back, then we kill them all". She gets a lot of hate because of her attitude towards Jon, but in her society, an unfaithful husband was not unusual, but bringing your illegitimate son home to your wife was just not proper, and insulting.
I think that she was a wonderful Mother, the amount of grief she carries would be unbearable to most people, and yet she stays strong, because she has to for her remaining son and her lost daughter(s). Her pain in the last paragraphs of her last chapter, where she realised that everything she had once loved had been taken from her, and her plea to Ned
I was so sad that she never got reunited with Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon, and that she never got to know that they are all still alive.
Ned - I love his loyalty. I admire his honour. Yes, ultimately they were his downfall (only the good die young), but he stood by his words and his beliefs. Littlefinger offered him a sweet deal, but he did not give into temptation, some people find that foolish, but he just remained true to his character, which just makes him all the more valorous in my eyes.
He was such a humble man, he gave without counting to all of those he loved. He didn't want to be the King's Hand, but he felt like he owed it to Robert, and so he accepted.
Oh and I love how much he loves his wife and children. He doesn't just see women as walking/talking mediums to getting a heir, he actually values Catelyn and her opinion.
Sansa - She doesn't get nearly enough love. Everyone is all over Arya, because she's pretty badass, which I do not deny, but Sansa is pretty awesome in her own way too. Just because she doesn't go around wielding swords and killing people does not mean that she isn't amazing.
The things that poor girls has gone through, I feel like she is the worst off of all the remaining Stark children, she must have some serious abandonment issues. She was left with the enemy, lost and alone, at the mercy of people she was terrified of. She was forced into a marriage (although, it was a definite upgrade from her previous betrothal). And then she finally gets to flee only to end up in Littlefinger's claws (and for a while, her lunatic aunt's).
She is gradually becoming more and more like her Mother, she is very smart, and even though she was just a naive little girl in A Game Of Thrones, she has grown to be a very intelligent young woman, who can see right through Littlefinger's scheming.
2.Who are your least favourite three characters in the series? Why?
Robert Baratheon - He was such a selfish man, some of his actions as a young man were semi justifiable, but his actions after he was put on the Iron Throne were not. He treated Cersei like dirt, yes, he was heartbroken, but he took all his anger out on his wife, and in a way, he is directly responsible for his own death. If he had just treated Cersei properly, she would have probably given him a true heir, and she would certainly not have ended up as bitter and resentful towards him. [AN NONE OF THE TRAGEDY THAT TOOK PLACE IN ASOIAF WOULD HAVE HAPPENED]
And, I find the way he ruled (or rather didn't) appalling. He lived like a King, without assuming any of the responsibilities that come with the job. All he did was make demands and get other people to clean up the mess. When you're in such a high position, you need to live up to your responsibilities.
Joffrey - On one hand, one of the major reason for him being the way he was, was the fact that the man he thought was his Father didn't give a toss about him. But on the other hand, Tommen and Myrcella weren't such massive twits, so all of Joffrey's despicable actions cannot be blamed on the fact that his Daddy didn't love him. Some of the things he did even shocked Cersei, and that's saying something. He was a quick to judge, rash to act little twat. An extremely lousy king, who needed both better council and a serious whipping.
Walder Frey - That weasel. I'll confess that he's on this list mostly because of the major part he played in The Red Wedding. He's responsible for Robb and Catelyn (+many others) deaths. There are a lot of dirty, treacherous, sleaze bags in Westeros, but Walder Frey might be the king of them.
3.#1 Favourite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?
How to choose?
I am really enjoying reading about Sansa's time in the Vale, and seeing her go from being Sansa Stark, the naive girl who lived daydreaming about tales and songs, into Alayne, a sensible young woman, who does not get duped easily.
Of course, no good can come of her having to spend an extensive amount of time with Littlefinger, but she's not blind to his manipulativeness. I just hope that she gets out in time before everything goes South.
I sort of like the plans Littlefinger has for her, I don't think ending up married to Harrold Hardyng would be the worst thing to ever happen to her, even if he does seem like a little bit of a player, but we haven't really met him yet, so all hope is not lost. He can't be worse than Joffrey, can he? And if it gets her Winterfell back, yay!
4. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?
Happy Starks. Oh wait, GRRM shot that in the face. And then ran over it with his car.
I'd really like a reunion for the remaining Starks
One thing is sure, I would like peace, I don't really care who ends up on the Iron throne as long as they rule fairly.
Possibly some sort of resolution for Ser Jorah, I kind of have a soft-spot for him, I'm not quite sure why. And finally, that Lady Stoneheart finds some inner peace.
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Martell
Date: 2011-08-28 12:56 pm (UTC)I don't like pigeons either! :)
Lannister
Date: 2011-08-28 01:00 pm (UTC)Martell
Date: 2011-08-28 01:30 pm (UTC)Jumping on the Stark bandwagon. The importance you place on fulfilling your duties and personal accountability permeates your entire app.
Re: Lannister
Date: 2011-08-28 03:57 pm (UTC)Will do, thanks for the tip, haha!
Lannister
Date: 2011-08-28 05:09 pm (UTC)Yay Sansa love!
Tullly
Date: 2011-08-28 05:37 pm (UTC)Tully
Date: 2011-08-28 06:40 pm (UTC)Tully
Date: 2011-08-28 07:03 pm (UTC)Re: Tully
Date: 2011-08-28 09:58 pm (UTC)Targaryen
Date: 2011-08-29 02:14 am (UTC)Martell
Date: 2011-08-29 03:46 am (UTC)I hear you on the pigeons, though I'm more inclined to eat them - properly cleaned, of course, and raised specifically for food. But yeah, I'd eat pigeons.
I also hear you about the Starks :(. I might not like Sansa much, but I do think she deserves a proper slice of happiness. I also wish that GRRM hadn't done what he did to the Starks, but oh well, right? I do hope he does keep the remaining ones alive, let them have a reunion, and then if they must go their separate ways, at least let them know that they're not all alone in the world.
Re: Martell
Date: 2011-08-29 10:24 pm (UTC)Yes to infinity and beyond. It's one thing to have all the Starks totally miserable and alone, but I would like them to know that their entire family is not dead. It's the thing that broke my heart out the most when Catelyn was slain during the Red Wedding, she thought everything she loved had been torn away from her forever D:
Re: Martell
From:Stark
Date: 2011-08-29 08:27 am (UTC)Lannister
Date: 2011-08-29 10:23 am (UTC)Tully
Date: 2011-08-29 01:56 pm (UTC)Stark
Date: 2011-08-29 02:13 pm (UTC)Targaryen
Date: 2011-08-29 03:19 pm (UTC)HufflepuffStarkTargaryen
Date: 2011-08-29 03:36 pm (UTC)Lannister
Date: 2011-08-29 04:20 pm (UTC)Martell
Date: 2011-08-29 05:26 pm (UTC)Re: Martell
Date: 2011-08-29 10:32 pm (UTC)About the school schedule, let's just say that I'm glad that's behind me (although I don't have my schedule for this year, new Uni, new rules though), the advantage is that now the perspective of working +60 hour weeks when I do get a "grown-up" job does not terrify me. :D
Tyrell
Date: 2011-08-29 07:46 pm (UTC)Re: Tyrell
Date: 2011-08-29 10:39 pm (UTC)(Ahem, you know it's time for bed when you start making puns like that).
Stark
Date: 2011-08-30 12:53 am (UTC)Tyrell
Date: 2011-08-30 01:23 am (UTC)Targaryen
Date: 2011-08-30 02:07 am (UTC)Tully
Date: 2011-08-30 02:37 am (UTC)And you need to tell
Re: Tully
Date: 2011-08-30 10:30 am (UTC)Hahaha! Will do :D
Re: Tully
From:Stark
Date: 2011-08-30 07:46 am (UTC)Re: Stark
Date: 2011-08-30 10:32 am (UTC)Re: Stark
From:Re: Stark
From:Re: Stark
From:Tully
Date: 2011-08-30 01:48 pm (UTC)Re: Tully
Date: 2011-08-30 04:13 pm (UTC)