sugarplum did introduce me to m. proust. and it is from her that i have obtained these questions. :)

• What is your current state of mind?
  • there is just so much weariness, accented by a strong hum of nervousness.
• What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
  • perhaps steadfastness, in that it can give way to stubbornness.
• On what occasion do you lie?
  • well. i think this quotation from sarah dessen's just listen explains it quite well:
    • "What’s wrong with nice?"
    • "Nothing, except it usually involves not telling the truth."
• What do you most dislike about your appearance?
  • i don't prefer the right side of my face, what whatever reason.
• Which living person do you most despise?
  • i believe being irritated by someone, even heavily so, does not equate to hating him/her. certain family members of mine do quite try me, though. as do certain peers of mine.
• What is the quality you most like in a man?
  • an easy wit, creativity and great understanding.
• What is the quality you most like in a woman?
  • a touch of initiative, only because i can never start conversations with someone that i don't know well. and she'd be a bit ethereal, not afraid of liking things considered strange.
• Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
  • it's most certainly 'i'm sorry!' followed by 'i don't even understand' or something else indignant.
• What or who is the greatest love of your life?
  • goodness, um, i think i'm going to have to say books. i read them in a rather escapist manner.
• When and where were you happiest?
  • i shan't remember that. my emotions fall in quite a range and they come and go almost like the wind. i give myself quite easily into my situation. simple and beautiful things make me happy.
• Which talent would you most like to have?
  • i think i agree with the idea that fate and talent are inferior to the effort that one exerts to fulfill the goal. in which case, i'd like that drive, that determination needed to not stray from my dreams. and the ability to keep it.
• If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
  • my inability to hold my tongue when provoked by just the right people and in just the right circumstances.
• What do you consider your greatest achievement?
  • i think the international baccalaureate program. specifically, lasting so long in it already.
• If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?
  • a song--notes lingering, meddling together, heavy in the air, and inspiring everything living.
• Where would you most like to live?
  • the place where i can pursue as many of my interests as possible. but somewhat more specifically, a fast-paced french city or the countryside of britain.
• What is your most treasured possession?
  • i have several and i don't think i can clearly choose. i'm attached to many physical objects. i'm rather dependent on my laptop, though.
• What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
  • eighth grade was particularly miserable, discovering that which is called adolescence. that year was just shrouded in this odd cloud of depression. and i was just incredibly detached from everything. but now i know that loneliness is different from being alone.
• What is your favorite occupation?
  • doing nothing in particular, actually. choosing to read or explore as the impulses come.
• What is your most marked characteristic?
  • my height, i suppose, physically. but i hope my inclination towards so many subjects.
• What do you most value in your friends?
  • the ability to make me feel loved with the tiniest gestures ... my two best friends are people that will just let me complain (to such a forgiving extent!), that encourage thinking and respect opinions.
• Who are your favorite writers?
  • robert penn warren, milan kundera, ernest hemingway
• Who is your hero of fiction?
  • my dearest prince hamlet.
• Which historical figure do you most identify with?
  • i would say e.e. cummings. because of this quotation from adventures in american literature: "He had little use for the mass of people but was delighted by the promise inherent in individuals." i try to understand j.d. salinger, though, which is entirely ironic and probably in vain.
• Who are your heroes in real life?
  • individuals that don't change their views simply to fit in, to survive. they aren't afraid to love what they love or say what they believe. they have eloquent minds and souls that understand.
• What are your favorite names?
  • anastasia, calwyn, caledonia, colin, darrow, elisabeth, gemma, genevieve, grey, lily, madeleine, nathalie, odette, vienna, wesley, william. and far too many more ...
• What is it that you most dislike?
  • i have quite a few annoyances. repetitious things captures quite a few of them, though, in their most general sense.
• What is your greatest regret?
  • i'm not sure. i regret not standing up for my space and my privacy and my beliefs to the people that assume a degree of importance in my life. i'm not as close to family members as they would like to think, especially extended ones.
• How would you like to die?
  • i quite dislike gore, so i would hope with as little pain and with as much peace as possible. and after i have lived a successful life, by my own terms.
• What is your motto?
  • 'I am an artist (because saying you are one makes it true).'