(no subject)
1. Name: Jessi
2. Age: 21
3. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose? London, preferably in the South Kensington area. I've grown up loving the city, and have experienced nothing better than spending five weeks this past summer living and learning in London. The city is artsy, vibrant, historical... I love it. I spent countless days trodding up and down Hungerford Bridge, taking the Metropolitan line to Baker Street and switching lines there, drinking Schnapps at the Hog's Head and the Metropolitan Bar, seeing excellent theater performances, and breathing in the hazy, smoggy, rainy air. Living there during the summer really made me realize that it is absolutely my city, and I would jump at the chance to live there again.
4. What would your Room of Requirement look like? It would be carpeted with piles and piles of big, fluffy pillows and blankets. I would have numerous pens, notebooks, sketchbooks, a really nice camera, my computer (shh!), and a hot indie boy with shaggy hair. Actually, I imagine it would look quite a bit like my bedroom, excluding the attractive male. ;) Comfort is key, because I intend to spend a considerable amount of time in there, heh.
5. Who is your least favorite Harry Potter character? I've deliberated and deliberated over this, but I'm inclined to say Severus Snape. I don't care if he's a good guy. I don't care if he's a double-agent. I don't like the man. Snape is too wrapped up in the past, and wastes a huge chunk of time that he could be teaching Potions (or, in HBP, DADA) on giving Harry Potter a hard time. I understand being strict to students, but I honestly do not tolerate bullying students. I had an English teacher in 10th grade that was a considerable bit more like Umbridge, but I recall telling her to stop bullying the students. She gave me a bad grade because of it, and eventually, a few of my friends got her thrown out. Bullying your students is just inexcusable, no matter what the circumstances were 20 years earlier.
6. Is the glass half empty or half full? Half-full. I complain a lot, but really, I'm a realistic optimist at heart. I try to look at the bright side of life and look for the best in a down-and-out sucky situation, but sometimes, it's hard. I guess that's really all I can say on the optimist-vs-pessimist debate.
7. Give us a quotation you feel represents your life or personality. "Oh my God. I wrote a hit play! ... And I'm in love with you." - Max Fischer in the movie Rushmore. I don't know how many of you have seen Rushmore, but Max is a pretentious 15-year-old playwright in love with a 1st grade teacher at his private school. Now, I'm not any of the above, but I've been entirely frustrated when dealing with actors I've directed in high school and college. For a while, I had this extremely horrible crush on one of the huge leads in high school drama. I wasted days of my life trying to get his attention, but of course, he settled on the hot little German exchange student. I don't know, it sort of represents a huge failing in my life, that I cared more about the attention of some jerk (albeit, I was friends with the jerk) than the success of a hit show.
8. In your life, who comes first: family or friends? Friends. Easily. I have been friends with some people for 13 or 14 years, and I consider them closer than family. I mean, my parents are cool and all, but I really don't go to them when I have a problem. I go to my friends. I appreciate the input of my friends more than my family, because my family spends more time trying to make sure my life doesn't completely crash and burn, and they're so busy sheltering me that they really don't let me learn my own mistakes and see the world on my own.
9. What is your favorite childhood memory? Let me think. Ummm... probably baking biscuits with my grandma when I was little. These were honest-to-goodness southern biscuits we were making, made with Bisquick and lots of butter. I remember sitting on the countertop next to the bay window, getting flour all over my clothes, and feeling, at that moment, that I felt really safe. I also remember very vividly that my grandma's wrinkled face felt a lot like warm biscuit dough: very soft, with a few minimal lines running through. I don't know why I remember that especially, but it just stands out to me. I was probably around six or seven, and I'm almost certain it was around my birthday. My grandma and I shared the same birthday.
10. What would you say is your biggest flaw? I have quite a temper. I get mad over the tiniest, stupidest things. People are constantly telling me that they're intimidated by me, even though I consider myself a fun, friendly person. I guess I just have an overbearing personality, I think? But yeah. I think it's the reasoning that I can be set off at a moment's notice when I was originally just minding my own business. I definitely need to work on that.
11. If you had been at Hogwarts during Harry’s fifth year, do you think that you would have joined the D.A.? Absolutely. I know all about crappy, demanding teachers. Umbridge is the sort of person that, if I had absolutely no choice but to learn on my own or patiently obey her, there is no way I wouldn't try to learn the material myself. I really don't enjoy sneaking around like that, but a girl has got to do what a girl has got to do. Besides, aren't the OWLS more important than the overall grade in the class?
12. Describe how you react to difficult or stressful situations. Horribly. I get so stressed out sometimes. I have a tendency to overextend myself, because I like keeping myself busy, but when I get stressed, I'm not a fun person to be around. My muscles tense up, I pace back and forth, I completely forget what I was doing, and I lash out at whoever tries to tear me from whatever I'm working on. I get very "in the moment," when stressed. Also, I happen to get psychosomatic migraines and throw up when I'm on my last nerve. Difficult situations, if they're not stressful, I usually handle pretty well. I think, "Hmm, well, I could be doing this, instead of that, and that's that." If I'm stressed about something, it's something I can definitely change. In a difficult situation that I can't change, I just shrug it off and not let it bother me.
13. Which do you value more: compassion or justice? Wow. um. I think I'm pretty split down the middle on this. On one hand, I'm very empathetic, but on the other hand, I'm not going to change my mind just because someone appeals to me. I think I'm going to go for justice on this one. I believe that people should be treated according to the way they behave or what they deserve. If a person puts all this hard work towards something, and it shows, even if I don't like them, I'll reward them with what they deserve. Anyway, off the tangent, I do understand being compassionate towards someone, but if they don't do something for me (or whoever they're dealing with) that they should and don't show that they're capable, I'm not going to reward them. Am I beating around the bush?
14. Would you say that you’re a child at heart, or that you have an old soul? Definitely a child at heart. I've always felt life was much more tolerable if I stopped acting like it was against me or that "oh no, I'm growing old." I'm 21 years old. I have a life to live, and I'm not going to waste my time pretending that I'm older or more mature than I am. Because I'm not. Also, all the knowledge in the world isn't going to make me 100 times more intelligent and 100 times more mature, so I am definitely, definitely young at heart.
15. Which Hogwarts House do you think that the Sorting Hat would place you in? Seeing as every sorting quiz and every sorting community I've participated in (excluding one) sorted me Gryffindor, I think... it's pretty blatant that I'm nothing but a lion. I'm bold, I'm brash, I have a fiery personality, I'm bleeding with passion, I'm fearless, I love chivalry... I don't think there's a single trait that canon Gryffindors and I don't share.
16. If you have a picture of yourself and feel comfortable posting it, please do so! Pictures are fun!
Midnight release awesomeness! I'm not going to say which character I dressed up as, but if you can't figure that out, you're mad. ;)