A very happy belated birthday wishes!
An interview with Claes:
1 - How did you come about this site and what makes you keep coming back?
I just stumbled across it, and caught the bug immediately: I have always loved reading, and found this place and a bunch of nice people who gave me a very warm welcome (I think Virgil was the first one). How could I not come back?
2 - Have you visited other countries than your own and what did you like about it or not like? If you could live somewhere different from where you live now, where would it be and why?
I have done a fair bit of travelling, both for work and privately, and posted this list in the Tell us about the countries you have visited thread started by Pensive:
Norway, Denmark, Finland, Britain, France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Spain Italy, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Thailand, Kenya...
I have enjoyed them all for different reasons, so I will refrain from naming any favourites, but I could definitely consider living in several of them..
3 - What are your favorite hobbies ?
Not necessarily in this order: Reading, Computers (As a matter of fact I am an admin at a work related forum much like this one), Photography and Mountain biking, to name a few of them. I am also old enough to be a has-been in some areas: Weight lifting, flying, Dancing (mainly Folk, Latin, Modern, and Squaredancing).
4 - Do you have any pets?
Not at home, but my daughter is a weekend rider, so I get to spend a good deal of time with horses.
5 - What makes you happy?
Many things, but happiness is contagious: Other happy people always make me happy as well. Flying in formation with birds of prey used to be a big rush.
6. What is mankind's biggest achievement, and its greatest downfall?
I think the biggest achievement is our ability to store information outside ourselves (writing), and the greatest downfall is that we are getting a bit too successful as a species: There is just too many of us.
7. If you had a long day of hard work ahead of you what music would you be playing on your mp3, while working?
Earlier tonight, I stuffed Nights in the Alhambra with Loreena McKennit into the player.
8. If you could take one book, music album and one video with you to a desert island, what would they be?
If I’m supposed to rough it I guess the book would be some very extensive survival guide. Music album? I have no idea, as you would get thoroughly fed up with anything if you had to listen to it and nothing else for a long time. Video: Maybe a raft building instruction?
9. Do you feel comfortable in your walk with God?
Well… Personally, I am about as religious as a piece of rock, but several friends of mine are believers – adhering themselves to different religions. We all get along well, so in that respect I guess I feel comfortable.
10. Which actor should play you in a movie based on your life?
I honestly do not have a clue, but he would have to be very handsome.
11. Given the option, what animal would you choose to be?
Now, there’s a tricky question… Since I love flying, I’ll say a bird. Maybe some kind of parrot with obnoxious language skills?
12. What were your favorite things to do the past? What about now?
See #3
13. What activities make you lose track of time?
At home: Reading and tormenting my computer. At work: Getting caught up in a project.
14. What makes you feel great about yourself?When I solve a tricky problem, or can help others do it.
15. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or not. Family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you, in each person?
I seek inspiration everywhere, and the sources will vary as the subject I want inspiration for changes, but: My grandfather always inspired me, and I really miss the old geezer. He always kept his positive outlook in spite of illness and handicap.
16. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.)
Computers and software, languages, Dealing with animals.
17. What do people typically ask you for help in?
Computer related things are common….
18. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
As a matter of fact, I do a bit of teaching/coaching: Problem solving techniques and auditing, for instance.
19. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?
Doing: Reading. Having: My family
20. What song is in your head at the moment?
Va pensiero, with Zucchero.
21. The last book you bought/borrowed from the library?
Google hacks
22. Which book are you reading at the moment?
In my case it is several books (I have a number going at any given time):
Lords of the bow - Conn Iggulden.
Pandoras star – Peter F Hamilton
A bridge too far – Cornelius Ryan
Trafalgar – Roy Adkins
...and a few work related books
23. The latest book you finished reading?
Wolf of the plains - Conn Iggulden.
24. Favorite food?/ Comfort food?
I generally like spicy food. I’m infamous for my window full of chili plants at work. Every now and then someone wants to have a taste, but the request is seldom repeated.
25. What time of day do you most often find yourself on the LitNet?
Late evenings.
26. What are you wearing at the moment?
A track suit.
27. Favorite poem?
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimmed,
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance, or nature’s changing course untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;
So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
28. First novel you remember reading on your own?
The memory eludes me…
29. Favorite TV shows?
The fact is that I don’t watch the telly all that much, but when I do, it’s often some documentary.
30. Which LitNet members would you like to meet in person if you could?
My entire friends list here.
31. Favorite post on the Forum?
A single post? I couldn’t say: There are so many good ones.
32. Favorite thread?
Also very tricky, but that has to be “Pictures taken by you”.
33. Last food did you have?
Goulash soup.
34. Last words you said out loud?
Godnatt, sov gott (Good night, sleep tight – to my daughter):
35. Last person you hugged/kissed?
The missus.
36. What do you do (for a living) to be able to keep your LitNet addiction going? And are you happy with your chosen profession?
I am a quality engineer, and I am quite happy with that: Working with problem solving and improvement tends to get the creativity flowing and is very rewarding, even if it can be frustrating at times.
37. What question would you like to ask yourself?
Are you sure you know what you’re doing?
38. What would you like to be if you could change your profession?
I can change it, but I’m not sure I want to.
39. Least favorite book/song/movie?
I don’t bother with least favourites… At least I try not to: I make an effort to focus on positive things.
40. The most generous thing you have done?
Hard to say, but perhaps being a blood donor since 1979?
41. What is your most outstanding feature?
I’m not sure. I think I look very ordinary.
42. If you could change one thing about the way you look, what would that be?
I don’t know… I’ll ask the missus: I’m not the one having to see it all the time.
43. Which book do you wish you had written?
The one that will earn me my second million bucks (I gave up on the first million – it was too much work).
44. What is your favorite book cover?
A book about Claude Monet, with his Water Lilys paintings on the cover
45. Most and least favorite characters from books?
I am at a loss here... I couldn’t say.
46. What would your biography be titled?
At least I tried…
47. What should you be doing at the moment instead of answering these questions?
I guess I ought to catch some sleep, which is something I don’t get enough of.
48. Wonderful Superman or depressing Batman?
Clearly Batman: Blokes like Superman tend to get a wee bit too super, if you get my meaning.
49. The most embarrassing moment in your life?
Er… Considering how often I step in it, I have heaps of embarrassing moments to choose from. On the other hand I’m not exactly easily embarrassed these days. It was different when I was younger, so I’ll pick one from back then: On final approach during my first flight in a brand new glider, I put the landing gear down (as usual) and proceeded to make a really sweet touchdown… …until the gear promptly folded with a resounding thump and I found myself doing a belly slide in front of a large group of visitors from Germany. I had remembered to put the gear down but this machine had a quirk: You also had to manually lock the gear in the down position. I did not break anything, but I had to spend an hour washing the grass stains off the belly of the glider. Red face? You bet…
50. Which literary character (s) have you been told to resemble the most?
None, as far as I can recall, but my parents always told me that I reminded them of Dennis the menace….
51. List some of the things that annoy you immensely.
Like I said earlier, I try to focus on positive things, but ok: It does bug me when people are employed or elected to serve the public and then proceed to abuse said public.
52. Anything that you want to forget but you never can?
Yes. Some of you know that I react strongly when I see young people run into problems, and try to lend a helping hand if I can. There are reasons behind this: Two friends of mine died much too young. I will not get into details, but one of them had a very nasty and completely unnecessary and avoidable accident. The other died by his own hand, and those are memories I could do without.
53. One final word of wisdom for LitNet users?
Live life to the fullest: There will be no reruns.
54. What would you like to ask to the person to be interviewed after you?
Tell me about some amusing translation mistake you have heard or made yourself.
Great interview! Didn't know you gave blood regularly. Check out my blog on my blood donations: http://www.online-literature.com/forums/blog.php?b=7049.
Originally Posted by Virgil
I need that bike ride, but it was a bit nippy this morning: 0F/-18C.
"It's so mysterious, the land of tears."
may be far worse than my -18C with nil wind. It's not that cold at the moment, btw. It's nearly thawing right now.
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