On with the Stampin' !
ooops sorry about that... -_-'
1. Name:
Justin David Haselden (you can read all my other names and alter-egos on my userinfo page, that is if you are quite bored)
2. Age:
Two and twenty
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
I am currently living in Oigawa Japan, and that is pretty much exactly where I want to be. I have a job teaching English at the town middle and elementary schools. It pays well and I get to live out my adventure of living abroad, while saving up money for my future. Oigawa is small and I can bike everywhere I need to go, including the train station, for when I want more excitement from Shizuoka city or Tokyo. I find I like rural small towns, but I also like having the city not too far away.
4. What would your Room of Requirement look like?
It would be a hapkido dojang fully stocked with equipment, students and a teacher (preferably all my friends from our college club, but I am not picky right now). Right before I graduated college I got my first dan black belt in hapkido. We used to train for about an hour and a half five nights a week in college, but now I have nothing. Hapkido was and is my favorite thing to do. I love the training. Hapkido is a combination of tae kwon do kicks and strikes and joint lock techniques. The kicks are great exercise, and, when I do a set of them i
n a combination, it is like flying… I enjoy the challenge of perfecting the techniques and making them second nature. I like the sense of accomplishment I feel when all the practice pays off. Unlike many of the things in life, exercise and physical effort have a purity to them, where if you continue to strive for a goal you will improve in proportion to your efforts. It is a good feeling to know that one’s persistence and effort has paid off.
5. Who is your least favorite Harry Potter character?
While I am told that he is rounded out in Half Blood Prince (I have not been able to find a copy in Japan yet), at the moment I dislike Draco Malfoy most, both on character and technical grounds. I can muster little love for a Draco as he is (in books 1-5) devoid of redeeming virtues. I believe CS Lewis points out in The Screwtape Letters that our virtues are what gives us the power to do evil (for example one must be clever to defraud someone, or brave to commit audacious acts). Draco can’t seem to muster any virtues to be an interesting adversary. He is not a particularly skilled wizard (Harry bests him most of the time when spells fly). He is not physically impressive (Hermione manages to best him in a fist fight). He lacks the supposed Slythrine traits of being cunning or charming, with the noted exception of some boot licking to get in good with Umbridge. He isn’t even witty. For the most part he is small, whiny and bigoted, and I simply don’t like those traits.
In technical terms the character is very flat. Draco in year one is no different than Draco in year five. He doesn’t even really seem to develop new skills or traits to make him interesting to me. I dislike the lack of development in the character on top of not likening the character’s traits. I don’t like Percy Weasley, but I think the character plays an important role and has a purpose. Draco, to me, has been nothing more than a weak foil to Harry over the course of five books.
6. Is the glass half empty or half full?
Half full. In fact, the glass is completely full, as air fills that part which is not taken up by the fluid. Finding the good in situations is an art. If one can see beyond the ordinary difficulties and problems of a situation, one often sees that new possibilities are open and new advantages can be derived from adverse situations. We choose how we see things, and how we choose affects to what extent we are happy in life. I find that I am quite happy.
7. Give us a quotation (Can be from a famous person, a song, or even a poem-whatever you want) you feel represents your life or personality.
“'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try”
-Michael Jackson, “Thriller”
Feh. I am bad a quotes and this has gotten a bit too heavy anyway. Who wouldn’t want to be identified with a “Thriller” quote? So how does this relate to me? Well… you know…I like the song and…umm…I’m pretty cool myself. I like carrying a light hearted air of arrogance. It is fun to make overblown comments about how the sun is dim in contrast to my shining visage. Yeah, Thrrrrrriiiiillllllleeeeer! Thrrrrrriiiiiilllllleeeer Night! Doo do doo do doooo doo do doo…
8. In your life, who comes first: family or friends?
What kind of question is that? There isn’t a great deal of difference to me between my close friends and my family. If I had to choose, I assume I would have to weigh the circumstances and do the best I could. I am pleased to say that it has never come up, though.
9. What is your favorite childhood memory?
Hummm… I have a lot of really good childhood memories. My mother used to read to me at night. That is a good memory. I loved to go to the book store to get more books. My parents must have spent a fortune on them. All those stories probably had a lot to do with the sort of person I have become. I saw so many different worlds through those books that now I can’t escape from them. I am constantly thinking up characters and stories and fantastic places. Yes being read those stories is my best childhood memory.
10. What would you say is your biggest flaw?
I inherited my mother’s moody disposition. I am normally cheerful, but sometimes I just get “doomy”. That is, if something disappoints me I tend to get a bit morose. I get frustrated or angry when I fail at something or things go wrong. I think I tend to over react and see things as worse than they are. This doesn’t happen too often or last too long, but it is a flaw. Sometimes I just have trouble rolling with things when I think it reflects poorly on me.
11. If you had been at Hogwarts during Harry’s fifth year, do you think that you would have joined the D.A.?
I would have been there front and center. Actually when I read that part in the book, I felt a twinge of regret that I wasn’t keeping up with my martial arts here. The DA reminded me of hapkido and the things I liked about it. I would enjoy the challenge. I like improving my skills. I like training. Also, I secretly harbor the desire to be a bad ass, so training in magical combat be just my style. :p
12. Describe how you react to difficult or stressful situations.
I can handle difficulty pretty well. I am good at buckling down and putting my nose to the grindstone and persevering. I am good at doing what must be done to solve problems. On the other hand, if I get surprised or overwhelmed I can get flustered and do stupid stuff, but even then I can usually rally and get the situation in hand, like the time the cookies caught fire in the oven. The flame was small so I though maybe I could just blow it out. No. I got a face full of smoke and choked for a minute, before getting the fire extinguisher. Not the most graceful handling of the situation, but it got handled.
13. Which do you value more: compassion or justice?
I don’t think there is a dichotomy between compassion and justice. Justice should be governed by compassion. If one is cruel or calloused in the pursuit of justice, it is unlikely that true justice can be archived. Compassion is empathizing with another’s circumstances. How can one do justice without empathy for everyone involved? On the other side of the spectrum to do unjust things out of compassion for one person is to be callous to anther’s claims. I suppose I could answer this question better if I knew the situation. I suppose I value the justice and compassion as complimentary virtues.
14. Would you say that you’re a child at heart, or that you have an old soul?
I am going to have to go with child at heart. I wander around in my own world most of the time. I constantly hum to myself and imagine I am some fantastic person. I am in many ways still amused at 22 by the things that amused me at 12. I really enjoy teaching kindergarteners and elementary schoolers, because I am still a small child at heart. I like to laugh, and sing and dance very very badly. I love cartoons. I buy clothes that remind me of character I like or have though up. I goof off all the time. I think it is wise to be young at heart.
15. Which Hogwarts House do you think that the Sorting Hat would place you in?
I am honestly not sure. I think I could fit in anywhere. I could rise to being brave and bold. I, by all external indications, have a very strong mind and was very successful at school. I am good at working hard and I think equality is important. It is also appealing to be evil and I do like green. You be the judge!
16. If you have a picture of yourself and feel comfortable posting it, please do so! Pictures are fun!
Yes they are! Here I am in all my wizarding GLORY! (Yes this was Halloween. No I don’t wear this stuff nomally)
(See one more here.)
1. Name:
Justin David Haselden (you can read all my other names and alter-egos on my userinfo page, that is if you are quite bored)
2. Age:
Two and twenty
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
I am currently living in Oigawa Japan, and that is pretty much exactly where I want to be. I have a job teaching English at the town middle and elementary schools. It pays well and I get to live out my adventure of living abroad, while saving up money for my future. Oigawa is small and I can bike everywhere I need to go, including the train station, for when I want more excitement from Shizuoka city or Tokyo. I find I like rural small towns, but I also like having the city not too far away.
4. What would your Room of Requirement look like?
It would be a hapkido dojang fully stocked with equipment, students and a teacher (preferably all my friends from our college club, but I am not picky right now). Right before I graduated college I got my first dan black belt in hapkido. We used to train for about an hour and a half five nights a week in college, but now I have nothing. Hapkido was and is my favorite thing to do. I love the training. Hapkido is a combination of tae kwon do kicks and strikes and joint lock techniques. The kicks are great exercise, and, when I do a set of them i
n a combination, it is like flying… I enjoy the challenge of perfecting the techniques and making them second nature. I like the sense of accomplishment I feel when all the practice pays off. Unlike many of the things in life, exercise and physical effort have a purity to them, where if you continue to strive for a goal you will improve in proportion to your efforts. It is a good feeling to know that one’s persistence and effort has paid off.
5. Who is your least favorite Harry Potter character?
While I am told that he is rounded out in Half Blood Prince (I have not been able to find a copy in Japan yet), at the moment I dislike Draco Malfoy most, both on character and technical grounds. I can muster little love for a Draco as he is (in books 1-5) devoid of redeeming virtues. I believe CS Lewis points out in The Screwtape Letters that our virtues are what gives us the power to do evil (for example one must be clever to defraud someone, or brave to commit audacious acts). Draco can’t seem to muster any virtues to be an interesting adversary. He is not a particularly skilled wizard (Harry bests him most of the time when spells fly). He is not physically impressive (Hermione manages to best him in a fist fight). He lacks the supposed Slythrine traits of being cunning or charming, with the noted exception of some boot licking to get in good with Umbridge. He isn’t even witty. For the most part he is small, whiny and bigoted, and I simply don’t like those traits.
In technical terms the character is very flat. Draco in year one is no different than Draco in year five. He doesn’t even really seem to develop new skills or traits to make him interesting to me. I dislike the lack of development in the character on top of not likening the character’s traits. I don’t like Percy Weasley, but I think the character plays an important role and has a purpose. Draco, to me, has been nothing more than a weak foil to Harry over the course of five books.
6. Is the glass half empty or half full?
Half full. In fact, the glass is completely full, as air fills that part which is not taken up by the fluid. Finding the good in situations is an art. If one can see beyond the ordinary difficulties and problems of a situation, one often sees that new possibilities are open and new advantages can be derived from adverse situations. We choose how we see things, and how we choose affects to what extent we are happy in life. I find that I am quite happy.
7. Give us a quotation (Can be from a famous person, a song, or even a poem-whatever you want) you feel represents your life or personality.
“'Cause I can thrill you more than any ghost would dare to try”
-Michael Jackson, “Thriller”
Feh. I am bad a quotes and this has gotten a bit too heavy anyway. Who wouldn’t want to be identified with a “Thriller” quote? So how does this relate to me? Well… you know…I like the song and…umm…I’m pretty cool myself. I like carrying a light hearted air of arrogance. It is fun to make overblown comments about how the sun is dim in contrast to my shining visage. Yeah, Thrrrrrriiiiillllllleeeeer! Thrrrrrriiiiiilllllleeeer Night! Doo do doo do doooo doo do doo…
8. In your life, who comes first: family or friends?
What kind of question is that? There isn’t a great deal of difference to me between my close friends and my family. If I had to choose, I assume I would have to weigh the circumstances and do the best I could. I am pleased to say that it has never come up, though.
9. What is your favorite childhood memory?
Hummm… I have a lot of really good childhood memories. My mother used to read to me at night. That is a good memory. I loved to go to the book store to get more books. My parents must have spent a fortune on them. All those stories probably had a lot to do with the sort of person I have become. I saw so many different worlds through those books that now I can’t escape from them. I am constantly thinking up characters and stories and fantastic places. Yes being read those stories is my best childhood memory.
10. What would you say is your biggest flaw?
I inherited my mother’s moody disposition. I am normally cheerful, but sometimes I just get “doomy”. That is, if something disappoints me I tend to get a bit morose. I get frustrated or angry when I fail at something or things go wrong. I think I tend to over react and see things as worse than they are. This doesn’t happen too often or last too long, but it is a flaw. Sometimes I just have trouble rolling with things when I think it reflects poorly on me.
11. If you had been at Hogwarts during Harry’s fifth year, do you think that you would have joined the D.A.?
I would have been there front and center. Actually when I read that part in the book, I felt a twinge of regret that I wasn’t keeping up with my martial arts here. The DA reminded me of hapkido and the things I liked about it. I would enjoy the challenge. I like improving my skills. I like training. Also, I secretly harbor the desire to be a bad ass, so training in magical combat be just my style. :p
12. Describe how you react to difficult or stressful situations.
I can handle difficulty pretty well. I am good at buckling down and putting my nose to the grindstone and persevering. I am good at doing what must be done to solve problems. On the other hand, if I get surprised or overwhelmed I can get flustered and do stupid stuff, but even then I can usually rally and get the situation in hand, like the time the cookies caught fire in the oven. The flame was small so I though maybe I could just blow it out. No. I got a face full of smoke and choked for a minute, before getting the fire extinguisher. Not the most graceful handling of the situation, but it got handled.
13. Which do you value more: compassion or justice?
I don’t think there is a dichotomy between compassion and justice. Justice should be governed by compassion. If one is cruel or calloused in the pursuit of justice, it is unlikely that true justice can be archived. Compassion is empathizing with another’s circumstances. How can one do justice without empathy for everyone involved? On the other side of the spectrum to do unjust things out of compassion for one person is to be callous to anther’s claims. I suppose I could answer this question better if I knew the situation. I suppose I value the justice and compassion as complimentary virtues.
14. Would you say that you’re a child at heart, or that you have an old soul?
I am going to have to go with child at heart. I wander around in my own world most of the time. I constantly hum to myself and imagine I am some fantastic person. I am in many ways still amused at 22 by the things that amused me at 12. I really enjoy teaching kindergarteners and elementary schoolers, because I am still a small child at heart. I like to laugh, and sing and dance very very badly. I love cartoons. I buy clothes that remind me of character I like or have though up. I goof off all the time. I think it is wise to be young at heart.
15. Which Hogwarts House do you think that the Sorting Hat would place you in?
I am honestly not sure. I think I could fit in anywhere. I could rise to being brave and bold. I, by all external indications, have a very strong mind and was very successful at school. I am good at working hard and I think equality is important. It is also appealing to be evil and I do like green. You be the judge!
16. If you have a picture of yourself and feel comfortable posting it, please do so! Pictures are fun!
Yes they are! Here I am in all my wizarding GLORY! (Yes this was Halloween. No I don’t wear this stuff nomally)
(See one more here.)