(no subject)
1. Name:
Jessica.
2. Age:
Eighteen.
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
New York. Without a doubt. I went there during the last week of March in 2005, and I immediately became intrigued by the whole city. I live in the suburbs of Vancouver, Canada, so the fact that New York had so, so, so much culture and personality, even in the highly touristy areas like Time Square and Canal Street and perhaps Manhattan as a whole. I went with a group from school on a volunteer project, so I feel that I can say I truly experienced the real New York: we stayed in a hostel, we walked and took the Subway everywhere (AMAZING), I volunteered in a soup kitchen in Brooklyn ... We also did the normal things: 5th Avenue (Trump Tower's massive), Wall Street, that sort of thing. But the only piece of architecture/the only part of nature (if you can call it that) that has ever made me cry was the Brooklyn Bridge. I lost my breath walking across it, and if I move to New York, ever, that bridge will be the deciding reason. Just so, so, so much personality; I've never seen it in a city before.
4. What would your Room of Requirement look like?
On a normal day, I'm guessing, yes? It would have a sauna and a professional masseuse in it. I tend to get stressed super easily, about trivial things even that everyone else just rolls their eyes at. This time of year, with exams coming up and my procrastination dictating that I've done maybe 2% of the homework for the whole semester ... It's not a happy time. I can always do with a massage or some sort of relaxation practice because you can believe every day of the year I'm worrying or stressing about something. I'm not at all saying that my life is more stressful than others; if anything, it's less so. I just find things to stress over that other people would normally laugh at.
5. Who is your least favorite Harry Potter character?
You can't help who you dislike, right? Rubeus Hagrid. It feels weird saying it, because he's much loved by Harry himself ... But Christ, get a grip! He's very whiny and dependent, when he gets upset he believes it to be the end of the world, and he seems to hold grudges, which I absolutely loathe.
I see a lot of similarities in Hagrid and myself, though. I get highly stressed out, he gets upset very easily. However, our differences come in how we handle it. Once I've gotten over the initial shock of a situation, I'm able to pick myself up and slowly begin to fix it. Hagrid, however, sits in his hut until Dumbledore and the trio force their way into their house to tell him it isn't the end of the world. While I may be worried to no end about something, at the same time I can admit things could be worse and it isn't the end of the world. Hagrid seems to lack that little trait.
I gained a lot of respect for him after he came back in the 5th book, but overall his ability to handle distress overtakes that. Holding a grudge against the three teenagers that have supported you since they first knew you because they're not taking your class anymore? Do you think they all want to be dragon tamers, Hagrid? He needs to stop taking things so personally.
6. Is the glass half empty or half full?
I live to the saying, "Hope for the best expect the worst." While that may sound pessimistic over anything, it helps me be a fairly opimistic person. While I try to go into every situation ready to take defeat, it doesn't mean I'll willingly and passively accept it. If it comes, after everything, I'll be ready for it. That's all that means. In the mean time, I'm focussing on the high side of a situation, not only hoping for the best, but being prepared to fight for the best, as well.
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.
"Be yourself, do your own thing, and you'll eventually be respected for it." - Pierre Bouvier.
Everyone makes fun of them, but not even a year ago, I was a huge, huge, huge Simple Plan fan. Their music, even when I did listen to it, was admittedly poppy and trite most of the time, but it was the simplistic lyrics I gravitated towards. Truthfully, they're not the best at writing deep meaningful songs, but what they did write sided with the person who was feeling down. High school was not a good time for me, and hearing support come from someone made me realize that I had to stop acting like Hagrid and get off my rear end and do something about my own situation. Pierre's quote just kind of summarizes what I came to realize through the latter years of school.
8. In your life, who comes first: family or friends?
Family. No doubt about it. I don't even think this one should require an explanation. How many friends have I gone through in only 18 years of life? Good God, I can't even count them. I've had at least 5 friends that I've sworn were my kindred spirit. How many families have I gone through? Exactly.
I believe, though, that if you feel close enough to someone who isn't blood related, they're family as well. A boyfriend, a real kindred spirit: those are family. I hold those higher than any other friends. I'd invite them into my home even if it looks as though it's just been rampaged by rhinos (not something I'd usually do) ... You tell family everything, and if you don't tell them, they just know. That's what constitutes family, and to me, that's more important than anyone else.
9. What is your favorite childhood memory?
Summer camps ruled as a kid. Did you ever go to those ones where each week you signed up for was a different theme? I always went to the Wet 'n' Wild ones. They rocked. I just always had a good time at summer camps; I was a hyper-active child, so it was a way for me to get rid of excess energy with other hyper-active brats. And going to the water park on the last day was the first time I ever felt like I was given responsibility, looking back. We were sent into the park with maybe a 5:1 Student:Supervisor ratio, and we were told to have fun. I was let on my own for the first time, and that was neat.
10. What would you say is your biggest flaw?
I have two, and they go hand-in-hand with each other. Firstly, I freeze in high-pressure situations. No matter what the subject, if I'm countered with an argument, any argument, I have no idea what to say back unless I've specifically prepared for what is being said. I just freeze.
Secondly, I'm admittedly passive. In some ways only, though. I'll say how I feel to someone's face, and I have no problem getting into verbal fights (I never do well, though) ... By passive, I'm talking about changing my mind in the middle of an argument. Maybe it's just me being an idiot, or maybe I'm just not thinking everything through before I talk, but it often happens where someone will bring up a point countering my own, and it makes too much sense for me to disagree. Plus, most of the time, I can't think of anything on my side of the situation to go against what they said. This, however, probably goes with flaw #1.
11. If you had been at Hogwarts during Harry’s fifth year, do you think that you would have joined the D.A.?
Oh God. Umm. Yes. I had to think about it. In the clutch, I will do something that I wouldn't normally do. I think if the DA was formed in, say, the first or second year, when there was no real threat of Voldemort coming, I wouldn't have joined. However, in Harry's 5th year, that threat was too real to ignore, and I would have been able to realize that and say, "this is important, I need this."
Plus, honestly, I probably would have had a crush on Harry so it would have been cool to see him like that. Just being honest.
12. Describe how you react to difficult or stressful situations.
I can't exactly say I don't react to them well, because in the end, I think I'm okay. I get stressed easily, but in the end, I'm able to think my way into being calm and finding a solution. I may make situations harder than they need be because I blow them extremely out of proportion, but I'm entirely capable of looking at the situation as a whole and calming myself down after the initial shock.
As an example: my car accident last night. Hardly even a car accident; I was on a road under construction and ended up high-centered on a curb. After the initial shock (okay, I cried a little), I called BCAA to come and pick me up off of the curb, I called my parents to let them know, I called my brother to tell him I'd be a little late picking him up. I called my dance studio to let them know there was a chance I'd be late for teaching my class, and I called someone to come and be with me because I was in the middle of nowhere with no street lights, so it wasn't exactly safe.
After I had had a moment, I was fine. But I have those moments a lot, because I get so worked up.
13. Which do you value more: compassion or justice?
Justice. I believe you can find compassion in justice. If you don't deserve compassion (ex: if you've just killed your whole family), then you won't get any, and I'm fine with that. However, if you've killed your family but are also clinically insane, well, compassion will come in the way that you won't be sent to jail, you'll be put in an institution where you can be properly cared for.
When it comes to punishment and that sort of thing, if I were left by myself, I'd be pretty harsh, I believe. When I babysit, as a trivial example, the kids don't get away with anything. They know that I mean business when I mean it.
I believe whole-heartedly in compassion, empathy and sympathy. However, I do also believe in getting what you deserve, justice, and learning from your mistakes. If you do the same thing three times over, I'm going to be hard on you; the first time, I'll just let you know that it wasn't cool. But I believe all of those things: compassion, empathy and sympathy, are found within justice.
14. Would you say that you’re a child at heart, or that you have an old soul?
Child at heart. I'm youthful, I can have a good time playing video games, I collect teddy bears, I love Disney movies, and I think kids are the funniest things. I tend to feel uncomfortable surrounded by a group of adults, almost as if I shouldn't be there. In a family situation where I can choose between sitting with the adults or with the kids, I'll pick the kids, no question, because I feel more comfortable with them. I believe I'm mature, yet I have more of an ability to connect with children than I do with adults. Probably because I know what it's like to be a child, while I still have no idea what the whole idea of adulthood is.
15. Which Hogwarts House do you think that the Sorting Hat would place you in?
Ravenclaw. The whole idea of smarts, intelligence ... I believe I have that. As well, I'm not as extreme as either of Slytherin or Gryffindor, but I'm unfortunately not as loyal or as hard-working as Hufflepuffs. If Luna Lovegood can be a Ravenclaw, so can I. Honestly, I find myself there through a process of elimination. I'm not cunning and I don't believe I look out for myself, as the Slytherins do; I don't find myself to be brave and I'm not that great at putting my life on the line like the Gryffindors; and I'm not hard-working at all - if anything, I'm a procrastinator. Unfortunately, I'm not as loyal as I would like to be. I'm almost a hypocrite: I highly value loyalty in the people I surround myself with, and while I do believe I have loyalty in me, when it comes down to it, my priorities aren't always straight. Some things I will not do, however. Never will I take friends or family. Absolutely not. However, within my family ...
16. If you have a picture of yourself and feel comfortable posting it, please do so! Pictures are fun!
That's Jessica!