Win or Die
Name: Ash
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is (individual user if possible, not just a community name!): I heard about it through my friend. She goes by the name ruchi7 on LJ.
Age: 22
Location: India
Occupation: Student
All About You
1. Describe your ideal house/home. Please go into as much detail as possible, and be sure to include your ideal geographical location in the description!.
I live in Mumbai, where the climate is usually very hot or pretty hot. So I am rather taken with the concept of snowy winters. I would love to live in a place where it actually gets cold in winter. But having said that, I don’t think I would want it to be winter ALL the time. I like some variety in my seasons. So basically, I would like to live in a place where the summers are mild, winters are nice and snowy and the climate is pleasant all year round. (Good luck finding such a place, right?)
My home should ideally be somewhere that’s away from the noise of the city, though not completely cut off from it. I’m not saying I want to live in the forest, though. I could never do that. Just someplace that’s secluded, maybe with a lake nearby. I want my house to be a combination of old fashioned and modern. A big-ish, two-storied cottage with classic wooden architecture but equipped with all the necessary modern amenities. I want a fireplace and large windows, where I can curl up with a book and coffee as it snows outside. I’ve always been fascinated by houses that have a big library so I want one in my house too. A whole room with huge shelves and book cases so that I can have my very own library inside my house.
2. Imagine you’re given the classic opportunity: a genie granting you three wishes. What would you wish for? Please be as elaborate as you can. Wishing for more wishes is not permitted!
1. Teleportation: Hey, we all love to visit new places. I’m no exception. I wish there was a way I could just teleport myself wherever I wanted without having to think about money. Also, this would come in handy even in my everyday life. I’d never have to rely on public transportation or worry about traffic.
2. Time/realm travel: I don’t think teleportation covers travelling through realms and time, so I’m going to ask for this separately. When I talk about time travel, I actually mean travelling to the past. I’m more curious about the past than I am about the future. The 19th century in particular fascinates me and I would love to be able to travel back in time and just experience life as it was back then. And I also wish to be able to travel to all the fictional lands I read about, ergo, realm travel.
3. Eternal youth: Assuming my 2 earlier wishes are granted, I will have a lot of exploring to do and growing old and dying will throw a spanner in the works. So I would want to be young forever because there will always be something new to see/experience.
3. In your life so far, what accomplishment are you the most proud of? Why? You can list more than one if you have trouble deciding. ;)
This question made me sad because I honestly haven’t ‘accomplished’ much in life yet. If I absolutely HAD to choose- I recently ranked third out of 1000+ students in my University at the final year BA in English Literature exam. That’s really not much to be stoked about, but yea, that’s all I have for now. I do judge myself about this.
4. Which of the following is most important to you: Love, Money, Knowledge, Family, Friendship, Adventure, or Pleasure? Which is the least important to you? Please explain why for each choice.
The most important would probably be knowledge. I love academia. I don’t mean I enjoy studying for exams; I just enjoy learning new things. Maybe it’s the subject I’ve chosen (Literature) that makes me want to constantly expand my knowledge. I’d say love is equally important because for me it includes not only the romantic kind but also love for family and friends.
The least important is pleasure, I guess. My tastes are simple and I lead a rather boring life, so pleasure for me means watching my favourite TV shows or reading a good book or spending time with my family and friends. So if we’re talking about ‘pleasure’ as something extravagant that you consciously seek out in terms of an experience, then no, I wouldn’t care much for that.
5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
One quote that has stayed with me for years now is this one from Alice in Wonderland: “Why, sometimes. I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” I believe in the power of imagination and this quote is a celebration of exactly that. When I’m feeling low or I’m having a particularly bad day, it’s my imagination that pulls me through. I paint mental images of another place and I believe in the existence of the impossible. This quote reminds me how important it is to indulge one’s fancy every now and then.
Another quote I really like is from T.S. Eliot:
“For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
I tend to worry about the future a lot and this quote helps me to remain optimistic about it. It’s a simple thought, but it’s so profound. Every end is a new beginning; that’s the philosophy I want to live my life by.
6. How do you manage your money? On that note, how important is money/financial security to you? Go into as much detail as you can.
I come from a middle-class family which means we’ve never had a lot of money, but we’ve had enough to get by. So spending money frivolously has never been my thing. I usually set myself a monthly budget and try not to exceed that. I hardly ever buy things on an impulse. Financial security is obviously very important to me. Being a student, I have to worry about how much I spend and on what. When I start earning on my own, I want to be able to not worry about those things. So yes, I want a lot of money, but not so that I can buy stuff...it’s just for the security that comes with having a large bank balance.
7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?
As I mentioned earlier, I lead a rather boring life. I love books, TV shows and movies. So when I’m not attending classes, you’ll catch me reading or watching a show/movie. I also love learning new languages. I’ve learned to speak French and if I had more time, I’d definitely want to learn a few others as well.
8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.
1. Insects: I’m petrified of anything that is small-ish, has wings and too many legs. So apart from the usual suspects like roaches and spiders, I’m also terrified of...butterflies. Yes. I’ll let that sink in for a while...I have to clarify, I LOVE animals. All kinds. But I just cannot stand insects.
2. Failure: I don’t like failing. At anything. I don’t mean to say I’m too proud and hence can’t stand losing. I just don’t like the idea of doing something, whatever it may be, and not seeing it through. Sometimes, I desist from trying out something new even if I desperately want to, for fear of failing at it.
3. Being alone: I admit, I’m afraid I’ll end up sad and lonely one day. I’m not a fiercely independent person and I definitely rely on my folks and my friends a bit too much. So the thought of ending up all alone someday scares me.
9. Name (and elaborate on) your top three BEST and top three WORST qualities (personality-related, not physical). Please answer as fully as you can, as this is an important question.
My best qualities-
1. Organized: I’m really organized. I need everything to have a certain structure and pattern and I have to stick to that no matter what. This really comes in handy when I’m studying or working on any kind of project. This also means that I rarely misplace things. I have a fixed schedule in my head for everything, even when I have nothing to do.
2. Good listener: I have been told by many people that I’m a very good listener and that I give good advice. I have a lot of patience to hear people out when they want to discuss their problems and I generally manage to make them feel better.
3. Reliable: You can trust me with anything, be it secrets or some work that needs to be done. Once I commit to something, I will see it through. I think this makes me a good team player as well.
My worst qualities-
1. Over-thinking: I tend to obsess about things a lot. I think this stems from my need to have everything organized. I mull over even the most inconsequential thing till it drives me insane. I complicate simple things and create uncomfortable situations for myself.
2. Diffident: I don’t think I have enough faith in my own abilities. I’m too self conscious and more often than not, I choose not to do something at all because I think I’ll fail at it. I’m not the kind who tries for the sake of the experience. There have been moments in my life where I could have maybe taken the lead for a project /event or participated in a certain competition but I didn’t even try because I wasn’t confident enough.
3. Dependent: Maybe it’s because I’ve led a pretty sheltered life so far, but I think I depend on my family and friends way too much. I’ve never had to deal with problems all by myself and this has made me a very dependent person. Having said that, I do feel that this is something that will go away when I start earning and living by myself.
A Song of Ice and Fire Related
S
1.How many books from the series have you completed?
I recently finished the fourth book.
2.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?
1. Tyrion Lannister: Do I even need to explain this one? Tyrion is just the coolest ever. His scenes/chapters are usually the most entertaining because he’s just so witty and snarky! I love the fact that he’s not all good or all evil, which makes him so much more relatable as a character. He can do the most terrible things but somehow, he always has the right reason for it.
2. Sansa Stark: I started off really hating her and now she’s one of my favourites. I think she’s shown the most character development in the series. Not only is her story extremely interesting and gripping, but the way Sansa herself has come to behave and react is impressive. She’s come a long way from being a silly, annoying girl to someone who’s been through A LOT of crazy stuff and somehow, survived it all. The way she adapts to survive shows that she’s actually rather smart and I think she deserves to get back whatever she’s lost.
3. Arya Stark: I have to be honest; Arya’s storyline in Feast for Crows was rather strange and unsettling. It didn’t excite me as much as Sansa’s storyline did. However, Arya remains a favourite because she amazes me. I loved her from the first book itself, where she was just a rebellious child. But whatever’s happened to/with her since is HUGE. She’s seen and experienced way more than a child her age should or could and yet she’s emerged out of it, stronger than ever.
I would also like to make an honourable mention to Jaime Lannister here. He’s yet another character that I’ve initially disliked and then come to love. His storyline with Brienne is the cutest (if I may use that word) ever. I also like the fact that there’s so much more to him than what meets the eye.
3.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?
1. Lysa Arryn: She’s strange. Very strange. Apart from the fact that she’s done some crazy things, she’s just a very non-likeable person in general. She’s whiny, petty, jealous and psychotic. And saying she acted out of love for her son does not exonerate her. It gave me great pleasure when she was unceremoniously flung from the window.
2. Stannis: He’s just so BORING. Though his claim to the throne is a valid one, I would never root for him just because he lacks a personality. The Melisandre and Lord of the Light bit just makes him seem creepier than he already is. On the whole he comes across as a petulant child with no real agenda, sulking because his favourite toy was taken away.
3. Theon: I didn’t like him even before he did what he did. He’s such a wannabe! Like Stannis, he too is all about the claims and rights with no corresponding intelligence or strength to back the same. I hate that he betrayed Robb like that and then tried to seize Winterfell. Though what happened to him at the end of Storm of Swords was a little pitiable, I can’t help but think he totally had it coming. He’s done nothing so far to prove that he’s worth anyone’s time and attention.
4.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?
There were quite a few moments that I loved: Joffrey’s death, the bear pit scene and also that moment in A Feast for Crows where Jaime crumples up Cersei’s letter and asks for it to be destroyed. But my absolute favourite moment would have to be that of Tywin’s death. I never hated Tywin so I don’t mean to say his death itself made the moment a favourite. It was the manner of his death that made the moment so effective. Tywin has always come across as this larger than life, intimidating man and for someone like that to die in such a humiliating position is oddly poetic. As I mentioned earlier, Tyrion is one of my favourite characters and somehow, it was rather fitting that he be the one to kill the mighty Tywin Lannister.
5. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?
Firstly, R+L=J has to happen. The R+L story fascinates me and I hope that we get to know exactly how it unfolded. Secondly, I want the Starks to be united again and reclaim Winterfell. Sansa and Arya being two of my favourite characters, I want to see them win back what they’ve so tragically lost. I think Sansa would make a good queen so I hope she at least reigns over the North at the end of the series. Dany and the dragons should restore House Targaryen to its former glory and Tyrion must get his due credit for being as awesome as he is. He has the intelligence and the courage to be a good leader, if not a king. Though the romantic in me wants Jaime and Brienne to end up together, happily married and away from all the politics, I’d even settle for them to just NOT DIE. They should fight more battles, kill more enemies and survive it all.