An interview with Downing:
1. How did you come about this site and what makes you keep coming back?
In April 2006 when I registered, I had just finished reading one of Hardy’s “The Return of The Native” – and I was interested in finding out more about the author and his work. LitNet was one of the sites found by Google and here I was! I recall being very pleased with the forum and with the interesting posts which I read. I didn’t wait too long before registering and I soon discovered a marvellous intellectual atmosphere, which is the main reason that makes me come back.
2. Are you happy with the way things are here?
Talking about the forum’s structure, I was enchanted with the recent alterations. However, I believe that more challenges are needed. Intriguing literary threads are a must and unfortunately I haven’t noticed too many of that sort lately. It could be my lack of time, which hinders me from poring over the forum as I did before.
3. 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 am definitely not what people call a globetrotter, even though travelling has always been one of my dreams. I have only visited Bulgaria so far. I went to the Bulgarian seaside last summer and was delighted with everything I saw around me, starting with the people who are always glad to lend a hand, ending with the beautiful scenery – there are tropical-like forests and highways kept in an incredible good form from where you’ve got a bird’s eye view of the sea – lovely!
I think I might like to live in England. I thought it would be interesting living in the country which produced the literature I love best. I intend to study English and where can you study it at its best, if not there?
4. Do you have any pets?
Oh,YES! My family are absolutely in love with animals! You will laugh! I’ve got 8 cats and 6 dogs. I tend to like cats more because they are easier to take care of – yes, lazy me speaking.
5. What makes you happy?
This is such a nice question. When I read it, the image of a cherry-tree in bloom came in front of my eyes, so I think nature’s beauties really make me happy. I have to add harmony among men, a couple of true friends, a good communication with God, a fine book to think about and why not – a fabulous movie.
6. What is mankind's biggest achievement, and its greatest downfall?
Every time the lights go out, I stay in the dark, never with enough candlesand think: ‘How could the world live before Edison?’. I believe that this man was a huge character in the mankind’s evolution.
Eating the forbidden apple was, in my view, the greatest and earliest downfall, which precedes all the others that mankind lived.
7. If you had a long day of hard work ahead of you what music would you be playing on your mp3, while working?
I listen to music almost all the time, so you can imagine there are many bands that I listen too and enjoy equally. Eric Clapton would figure on that list for a hard day of work, as well as Rod Stewart, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eagles, Jefferson Airplane, Mamas & The Papas and many many many others.
8. If you could take one book, music album and one video with you to a desert island, what would they be?
I thought many times about the book which I should take. A number of books I like occurred to me, but I suppose that on a desert island you keep re-reading, so I would eventually die of boredom if I read an already known book. Maybe such a situation would finally make me read the Bible entirely. I guess this would be a wise decision.
As about the music album, I would choose “Surrealistic Pillow” – my favourite Jefferson Airplane album.
And video – obviously Gone with the Wind! If I don’t take the book I have to take the movie!
9. Do you feel comfortable in your walk with God?
I wasn’t so close to God until September 2008 – so, fairly recently – when I started to go more often to the church, pray more, read more religious books and meditate more on the subject. I sincerely hope that I evolved spiritually and I intend to carry on thus.
10. Which actor should play you in a movie based on your life?
Some friends of mine who saw “Meet Joe Black” said that I look like Claire Forlani. I like her very much, but I think she wouldn’t agree to star in such a boring biopic
11.Given the option, what animal would you choose to be?
A cat looking like Garfield, loved by everyone, which sleeps all day long.
12. What were your favorite things to do the past? What about now?
I guess I have the same hobbies – reading, swimming, writing, listening to music, travelling. There are some things, though, which changed. I had some good palls but our friendship waned slowly but surely… So I don’t spend anymore time talking to them as I used to.
13. What activities make you lose track of time?
Talking different issues with my family usually make me lose track of time. They are extremely diverse and many of them are very challenging. We mostly talk about history, literature and religion.
14. What makes you feel great about yourself?
Knowing that I have a loving family that supports me, a fairly good education and a bag reasonably packed with general knowledge makes me feel at ease in society.
15. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or not. Family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you, in each person?
Stories about people who I never knew and who died long time ago generally inspire me. Human dramas constitute good subjects for short stories. The quality that inspires me in each person is that tragic figure which can be read in people’s eyes, caused by a dream which they didn’t follow in the past or a wrong decision that they took and repent.
16. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.)
Foreign languages, swimming, giving advice and some say - writing. I am trying to find out whether that is truly my vocation.
17. What do people typically ask you for help in?
Usually, things that have to do with English: translating, checking grammar or spelling mistakes, writing essays, telling the correct structure of an essay with a fixed form. Some ask me to help in computer stuff, whilst others want me to help in different school subjects: Latin, French, for instance.
18. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
English Literature, most definitely.
19. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?
Frankly, at the moment there’s nothing like a regret occurring to me. As Edith Piaf says: “Non, rien de rien, je ne regrette rien”.
20. What song is in your head at the moment?
What a Wonderful World ~ Louis Armstrong. I have just finished listening to it, that’s why.
21. The last book you bought/borrowed from the library?
Yesterday I bought Oxford Dictionary of Collocations for students of English.
22. Which book are you reading at the moment?
I started “The Phantom of The Opera” but have read very little of it so far.
23. The last book you finished reading?
“Total Forgiveness” by R.T Kendall.
24. Favorite food?/ Comfort food?
Breast of chicken prepared at grill, served with peach juice is simply great!
25. What time of day do you most often find yourself on the LitNet?
In the evening, after getting up from my daily snooze.
26. What are you wearing at the moment?
A casual baggy orange jumper and woollen trousers.
27. Favorite poem?
“Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood” by William Wordsworth.
28. First novel you remember reading on your own?
”Alone in the World” by Hector Malot.
29. Favorite TV shows?
Hmm… I rarely watch TV.
30. Which LitNet members would you like to meet in person if you could?
Janine, Virgil, LadyWentworth, LadyW, Kiz, Logos, Lily Adams, Drama, Bazarov, Pensive, Andave, Puss, Mono … just to enumerate a few! I hope no one will be mad at me for omitting their names… just that it is impossible to write the names of all the members of this lovely community.
31. Favorite post on the Forum?
http://www.online-literature.com/for...ad.php?t=19632 no. 9 is Bazarov’s. I had a real revelation when I read his interpretation of the ‘mushroom part’ from Anna Karenina.
32. Favorite thread?
D.H Lawrence’s short stories thread was really academic when I participated in it. I read 2 short stories and stood till night to comment every bit of the story. I really practised my literary criticism abilities.
33. Last food did you have?
Macaroni cheese.
34. Last words you said out loud?
I said to my mother: ‘Don’t be jealous of me staying at the computer – the Internet doesn’t work at the moment’. In Romanian, of course.
35. Last person you hugged/kissed?
My father.
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 have some adorable parents and LitNet derives from the situation. I’m a student, I earn nothing, yet I am happy with the profession
37. What question would you like to ask yourself?
When are you going to become a serious person?
38. What would you like to be if you could change your profession?
As I have already said, I am a student. I’d love to be a writer or a university professor.
39. Least favorite book/song/movie?
Vanity Fair – I loathed it and wasn’t even able to finish it.
Any hip-hop melody.
A pathetic parody of ''Pride and Prejudice" - can't remember the title.
40. The most generous thing you have done?
Perhaps helping a colleague at Chemistry, without enjoying the subject?
41. What is your most outstanding feature?
Mother says my eyes
42. If you could change one thing about the way you look, what would that be?
I'd lose weight.
43. Which book do you wish you had written?
“The Brothers Karamazov” is the example of perfection, in my opinion.
44. What is your favorite book cover?
The cover of an abridged version of “The Return of The Native” from Macmillan presents some sheep grazing on a spectacular green field in a shiny spring day.
45. Most and least favorite characters from books?
Most favourite – Melanie from “Gone with the Wind” is surely a Christian model and I admire her so much.
Least favourite – Mrs Sanders from “Rebecca”.
46. What would your biography be titled?
The Ballad of a Teenage Queen –
47. What should you be doing at the moment instead of answering these questions?
Doing some simulations for the First Certificate in English Test which I am going to sit in March.
48. Wonderful Superman or depressing Batman?
Wonderful Superman, how else?
49. The most embarrassing moment in your life?
Erm… when I was in the 6th class and the Math class had just finished, but the teacher was still at her desk, I told my deskmate: Lucky me, I didn’t have to solve today a problem at the blackboard! The teacher overheard our discussion and urged me to solve a problem right then!
50. Which literary character (s) have you been told to resemble the most?
No one informed me of a resemblance, but I’ve got this fixation with Scarlett O’Hara, even if she’s actually an anti-hero. I have to admit that her desire not to let herself defeated conquered me and it’s the fact that mostly attracts me.
51. List some of the things that annoy you immensely.
Lies, rudeness, ungratefulness, suspicion, badness, excessive pride, unwillingness to help, indifference, gossip, duplicity.
52. Anything that you want to forget but you never can?
I tried to forget everything that was bad and I think I might have succeeded, considering that nothing negative is crossing my mind at the moment.
53. Tell us about some amusing translation mistake you have heard or made yourself.
When George W. Bush came in Romania in 2004, he said something like “Romania will be from now on shoulder to shoulder with USA.” The English word “shoulder” resembles the Romanian word “şold” which means “waist”. So they translated: “Romania will be from now on waist to waist with USA.”… isn’t that hilarious?
54. If you had to lose one of your senses, which would you choose and why?
I really can’t choose. I need all my senses and losing any of them would be horrible.
55. What’s the first thing you’ll do in an embarrassing situation?
Stare at my feet, presumably!
56. Are you mostly happy with life or are you still in pursuit?
In adolescence, I guess one should be in pursuit and so I am, whilst also being happy with life.
57. Are you male or female?
Oh,female. I hope everyone already knew that
58. What gives your life meaning?
Faith, love, friendship, nature, art.
59. What type of Faerie would you like to be and why?
May I be the Faerie of Arts?
60. One final word of wisdom for LitNet users?
Read “Total Forgiveness’’ by R.T Kendall. That book contains deep wisdom and it will definitely change your life.
61. What would you like to ask to the person to be interviewed after you?
''Which is your opinion about forgiveness in people's life?''
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Originally Posted by you, silly
