ask me things

[raven]

A. is in New Zealand for almost the whole month of November. This is a good idea. It really is. He gets to see his brother and sister-in-law, and his two nephews who he has never met at all because the oldest was born a month before pandemic. All good and wholesome. Yes.

But, while NZ is a fine place, I don't feel the need to visit it for a month. So I am here, and in early December I fly out to Singapore to meet him on his way back, so the two of us can have our first holiday just the two of us in quite a long while. (We were in Singapore for our honeymoon, with a truly wonderful experience on the way: somewhere over the Bay of Bengal, they came round everyone with champagne: you've left more than India behind, said the flight crew; that dark out there is 1 Jan.)

So what will I do while you're gone, I said. You could build a small harem in our living room, he said. I have tried. A friend set me up with another friend, who I did meet at the Lamplighter and I do like her style and if that story comes to its conclusion I will not only tell it, I'll put it in a book, but all of that happens in mid-December if it does; my brown girl friend seems to have ghosted me en route to her terribly important work union organising in Pune or Patna or Pondicherry (it is very important I'm sure! but she could TEXT is this the most lesbian of parentheses quite possibly); and there's another one maybe but I have My Doubts.

Why am I telling you all this. There is no harem in my living room. I am actually working more than I was before, trying to work in the office more for the pleasure of people's company (and actually the day after I get back from Singapore I have to teach, I'm delivering a hands-on workshop to rail, maritime and aviation as the precursor to the Christmas do, what, no) and obviously my wonderful-beyond-measure friends have made a suspiciously large number of plans to take me to dinner, drinks, museum exhibits, gigs and and long walks.

But still the evenings are quite long! Ask me things. I mean it. I've seen that the interview meme is going around again where people ask each other questions, and there are a bunch of new people following me here too who may not know me from a plank of wood right now. So honestly. AMA. I'd love to answer, and it will keep me sociable and occupied. And really, feel free to ask whatever you like (inc about the numerous inanities in this post), if I can't answer I'll say, otherwise have at it.

(I am occupied. I have done my washing. I have eaten food. I have done some legislative checks. I've even written fiction, at least a bit. But I could do with all your company.)

Comments

[glinda]

That is an extremely Lesbian parenthesis. Being set up by friends is a good thing I feel, possibly just because I hate using dating apps with passion.

Also, I'll give you a laugh at my expense, I initially thought you were being pleasingly alliteratively hyperbolic about union organising in places that were distant from each other - I did expect the last in the list to be like Perivale or Poole or Portland - and briefly thought on the unlikliness of your knowing of the existence of Patna. Until my brain caught up with itself and reminded me that all the places you'd actually listed are in India, and you were obviously referring to the major city of over 2 million people not the tiny village - just over 2000 people! - about 20 miles from where I grew up, that was named after it! (A place less likely to be named after a major Indian metropolis you never did see.) Definitely a sign that I've been awake for too long!

[raven]

Oh no that made me laugh. I've heard of a lot of small places in Scotland but not this one! Thrilled for it that it's named after Patna, a not-exciting city on the other side of the world! How marvellous.

[cmcmck]

It might suggest a military connection as a lot of Scots spent time in India and what is now Pakistan- other half's dad was in Rawlpindi between the two world wars for some years.

[glinda]

It’s a bit older than that, 1802 or thereabouts, but from what I can find out, it got it’s name because the guy who founded the place (presumably he owned the land but he was also the local MP) named it after Patna because that’s where his father made the fortune that allowed him to do so. It just says ‘in trade’ which could elide a multitude of sins but given that it was a pit village and original Patna used to be a major exporter of saltpetre which is useful for explosives I imagine it was mostly a mining connection.

[cmcmck]

Thanks.

Other half is originally from Stirling and this is not an area we've ever visited.

[musesfool]

If you could plan your dream trip, money and time being no object, what would it be?

[raven]

Answered!

[troyswann]

I will ask my go-to question: What do you love?

[china_shop]

I hope A. has a good time in these parts! The weather is performing "spring" with a lot of enthusiasm and variability.

What would your ideal living-room harem look like? Is your living room big enough to encompass it? :-)

[raven]

He's been having an absolute whale of a time! He was in Tekapo and Wanaka this week and delighted by everything, even the weather. 😂 I have answered your very funny question!

[chestnut_pod]

In what primary ways are organizing a living-room harem and a notable speculative fiction collection the same, and in which ways are they most different?

[raven]

I answered. 😂

[hannah]

What dress should I wear to the symphony?

What's your favorite Muppet?

I've been trying to wrestle some ideas into a narrative and I've been struggling with them, and I know someone who can ask good questions about stories would help me figure things out, so - are you on any chat platforms?

[raven]

I'm going to answer the others in their own post but you get your answer here in case it's tonight you're going to the symphony! The fanciest dress you own, is my answer; one that you can only wear to weddings or the symphony.

I am not very familiar with the Muppets! Though enough so to say it's probably Statler and Waldorf.

Discord is best - you know who I am there.

[hannah]

The symphony's next week, so it didn't need to be answered right away, and I'll still take the advice to go as fancy as I can. Thank you!

[genarti]

1) Book rec? Either for me specifically or one of those "I'm gonna shout about this book to the skies to anyone who's listening" recs?

2) If you could host the ideal dinner party for friends, with all the food magically appearing at a wave of your hand exactly when and as desired, what would you serve?

3) Tell me a favorite Gaelic word and why you like it so much!

[pauraque]

Why is your name raven?

How did you get into MASH and what do you love about it?

[raven]

Answered! (in part)

[skygiants]

This was going to be my November also, and then genarti had to come home unexpectedly, for very sad reasons and I am extremely sorry that her trip had to be cut short, but also I was really seeing forever into that dark night after less than a week so I extremely feel you.

What are all the museum exhibits and gigs you are going to see? I feel like I'm very good at writing up shows and less good at noting when I go do things that aren't an easily summarized Narrative -- I had a lovely time at the MFA last weekend and took pictures of a bunch of random disconnected things that struck me and do mean to post about them just to get more into the habit of it -- so I would love to hear more about your various planned activities.

[raven]

Ah, I'm sorry to hear about the sad reasons, though the silver lining for you does seem... familiar. Forever into a dark night. Yes. Speaking of A being on the other side of the world, he read Lady Eve on the plane and says to tell you he thought it was just brilliant. Though also from what he said I think we may have found the world's first Esteban stan? (this is a man whose favourite, ride-or-die character on DS9 is Brunt, FCA)

More to come on the normal-person, person-who-leaves-the-house, totally-NORMAL planned activities!

[raven]

And I answered your question!

[sewn]

What was the last book you read, and did it feel nourishing, and if it did, why?

Is it okay to ask personal mental health questions? (I am always curious about people who have same or adjacent diagnoses.)

[raven]

Sure, please do ask!

[sewn]

What's your experience with (hypo)manic episodes, do you feel them coming on or do you only see it afterwards?

What is your favourite medication, and why is it lamotrigine?? (:D)

[raven]

Answered!

[kass]

That is a very lesbian parenthesis, and a holiday in Singapore sounds grand.

As for questions... if you could spend time in any fictional universe without damaging the threads of its plot and characters, which would it be?

[yiskah]

Oh this was going to be my question! Consider it cosigned.

[lannamichaels]

What's one skill you could teach anyone at the drop of a hat? (Mine is pivottables becuase I have spent several years teaching that to folks at work at the drop of an instant message)

[nnozomi]

How has your language learning experience felt different among the different languages you've studied? (Either in personal/emotional terms, or more along the lines of "why does this way of conjugating verbs make perfect sense to me and this one doesn't AT ALL" and so on).

[raven]

Answered!

[msilverstar]

What, if anything, can you say about maritime anything? My kid's partner is moving to Norway to work on them.

[raven]

Answered!

[msilverstar]

Thanks! He's an interesting guy and I want to be a good audience.

[qian]

Let me know if you want any Singapore recs! My sister lives there now and a friend recently sent me a list of recommended eating establishments I'd be happy to forward on.

Toft

[toft]

If you had responsibility for naming a cat, what would you name it?

Re: Toft

[raven]

Answered!

[sophia_sol]

do you like birds more generally, or mostly crows/ravens? do you have good memories of particular times you've seen birds you love?

[celli]

Are you a process or product writer? I'm a very "product" person in both my writing and my crafting - I enjoy the process of both, but as soon as I start something new I immediately want it to be done so I can show it off to people. (This probably doesn't surprise you.)

[longwhitecoats]

What, if anything, makes you feel gender euphoria? (Asking this a bit selfishly as I find this is a rare experience for me, so I'm interested in hearing other people's experiences in part to give me ideas.)

[raven]

Answered!

[lovelythings]

Harems: even more work than The Law.

[macadamanaity]

What should we do when I visit (briefly) in late February? :)