Contemplative Gap-Filler Survey
Currently artistically drained, I decided to post on my blog this nice gap-filler I got from fellow blogger Ivy. As I already wrote in a previous entry, replies to surveys like this reveal in many ways a small part of the responder's personality. I said "small part" because our answers to the questions do not automatically reflect our true selves...many other factors we should consider.
In my case, because I am yet to live in my own home and live my own life, some of my answers will fail to characterize me. In consideration of this, I answered some questions hypothetically.
1. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR KITCHEN PLATES?
If ever I'd finally have my own home, I would like to have black-colored plates and pans and pots; the black plates having floral or geometric designs.
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Two books: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (Princeton University Press, 1972) – quite a difficult read so I'm reading it slowly, highlighting important concepts; and Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'ang and Sung Dynasty Verse, translated by Red Pine (Copper Canyon Press, 2003) – I'm reading contemplatively at least three poems a night.
The first and the fifth poems in Poems of the Masters:
Spring Dawn
Sleeping in spring oblivious of dawn
everwhere I hear birds
after the wind and rain last night
I wonder ho many petals fell
——————Meng Hao-jan
Sitting Alone on Chingting Mountain
Flocks of birds disappear in the distance
lone clouds wander away
who never tires of my company
only Chingting Mountain
——————Li Pai
Some quotables from The Hero with a Thousand Faces:
"Dream is the personalized myth, myth is the depersonalized dream; both myth and dream are symbolic in the same general way of the dynamics of the psyche. But in the dream the forms are quirked by the peculiar troubles of the dreamer, whereas in myth the problems and solutions shown are directly valid for all [hu]mankind."
[As I always believed, echoing Sigmund Freud, dreams are mere expressions of a person's repressed emotions influenced by her own worries and wishes and frustrations.]
"Perhaps some of us have to go through dark and devious ways before we can find the river of peace or the highroad to the soul's destination."
[I hope that this also pertains to whatever I'm experiencing right now, so I may expect to find my own peace, after I'm all done with this difficult task given to me.]
"Not all who hesitate are lost."
[There's a similar quotation from J.R.R. Tolkien: "Not everyone who wanders is lost."]
"The adventure is always and everywhere a passage beyond the veil of the known into the unknown; the powers that watch at the boundary are dangerous; to deal with them is risky; yet for anyone with competence and courage the danger fades."
[Just like when I wrote, "Fear of the unknown is the beginning of ignorance." Now I say, "To shy away from risk all the time is to prevent oneself from overcoming one's own fears and hopelessness."]
"Consciousness prevents the breaking through of dangerous wishes and immoral actions."
[Perhaps this means, being analytical and critical of our own plans and actions.]
"The unnamed, invisible sixth [sense pertains to] the divine thunderbolt of the knowledge of the transcendent principle, which is beyond the phenomenal realm of names and forms."
[Knowledge is, indeed, powerful. This will be my chief weapon in dealing with the rest of my life, especially that I'm now living in a relatively unfamiliar world, faced with people of various origins and beliefs and styles of dealing with life.]
"The pairs of opposites (being and not being, life and death, beauty and ugliness, good and evil, and all the other polarities that bind the faculties to hope and fear) are the clashing rocks that crush the traveler, but between which the hero must pass."
[May I soon pass these clashing rocks between which I'm currently finding myself.]
"No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist."
[Perhaps this pertains to "a person's taking the time to stop to be able to contemplate and assess her life."]
3. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Since I'm using my cousin's PC (but my own CPU), I've to settle on using his default mousepad, a Dell mousepad. But in case I'm ready to buy my own new PC, I'd love to couple it with a mouse and pad with Star Wars design.
4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE?
As of now, I'm a subscriber of Star Wars Insider.
5. FAVORITE SCENT/SMELL?
I've long been a user of Calvin Klein's Eternity, Davidoff's Cool Waters, and Versace's Blue Jeans.
6. LEAST FAVORITE SMELL?
Sweat. Wait, least favorite? No, not sweat of course. When you say least favorite, this means you still love the smell but not that much. Therefore, I would go for...the smell of bagoong.
7. THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
My daily morning routine has been this: Prepare breakfast for Grandfather and myself and then log on to Chikka to send Charlotte a text message.
8. FAVORITE COLOR?
Purple and pink.
9. LEAST FAVORITE COLOR?
Orange.
11. HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?
We should answer the phone here before reaching the third ring lest the voice-box feature activates.
12. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
Frriloem Krrýl-lekk (fril·lowem krayil·lek), if boy; Evawwen Lii-athne (evaw·wen liyi·athni), if girl.
13. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE?
To have respect and dignity not only for yourself but more so for others.
14. DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST?
I'm yet to learn how to drive; but I'm certain I'd be a moderate and patient driver.
15. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
I don't have my own bedroom. If I have, there'd surely be a few stuffed toys.
16. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY?
It depends on the gravity of the storm and where I am at the moment.
17. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
I've not yet experienced owning a car or any vehicle for that matter (aside from a BMX bike).
18. IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE?
Robert Smith of The Cure.
19. FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?
I don't drink alcoholic beverages.
20. WHAT IS YOUR SIGN & BIRTHDAY?
Aquarius, January 23.
21. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI?
Yes, as long as it was softly cooked.
22. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
An editor and writer at a publishing company or at the school board of an academic institution.
23. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY COLOR HAIR, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Just streaks of purple.
24. IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
Without considering its symbolic interpretation or philosophical implications, I will always describe a glass half-filled with liquid as half empty.
25. FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD ACTOR & ACTRESS?
Johnny Depp, Leelee Sobieski (changes from time to time)
26. FAVORITE MOVIES?
Star Wars. I'm already excited to watch Revenge of the Sith, which opens in theaters in May.
27. FAVORITE TV SHOWS?
MuchMoreMusic, History and Travel/Culture channels, and Discovery.
28. DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE PRESCRIBED KEYS?
No. I compensate for it with speed.
29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER?
None in particular.
30. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
I'm not a sports fan, mainly because I find many a sports (especially those which involve physical contact) a mockery of itself. It destroys the very essence of sportsmanship.
Seldom have I seen games of basketball, hockey, or even simple tennis without fights and sourgraping or bitterness either from the spectators or the players themselves.
As I wrote in my book Engkanto: A Bestiary of Philippine Mythical Beings:
Players are now chosen. The unqualified become spectators. Into teams the players now separate. Firm rules and prized goals along which they should now compete amongst themselves are now set. Tensions build up as the battle begins. The laughter and chants become cheers and taunts in the battlefield. Fun—the very essence of the game—they no longer feel, as proud winners and sore losers [walk] in opposite directions at the end of every game.
31. WHAT IS YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST FEAR?
Currently, the death of my grandfather; for I, being his constant companion, would certainly be the first to witness it.
32. FAVORITE CD?
Head on the Door, The Cure (Elektra, 1985), No Sense of Sin, The Lotus Eaters (Arista, 1983), and Bringing Home the Ashes, The Wild Swans (Sire, 1984). I can listen to these albums all day in repeat mode without skipping a song. My favorite songs from each album are "A Night Like This," "German Girl," and "Bringing Home the Ashes."
33. FAVORITE DAY?
Every day's virtually the same; though I enjoy the weekdays more chiefly because I can use the PC longer.
34. FAVORITE FOOD?
Sushi: sashimi, pasta: zitti.
35. KETCHUP OR MUSTARD?
Ketchup.
36. HAMBURGERS OR HOT DOGS?
Hamburgers (with cheese).
37. FAVORITE SOFT DRINK?
Rootbeer (especially A&W Rootbeer float).
Trivia: A&W stands for the surnames of the owners of this restaurant, the partners Roy Allen and Frank Wright.
38. SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU.
Understanding, caring, intelligent.
I hope you enjoyed taking another peek into my character. Try it now and let your friends have a glimpse of your own personality. Just cut and paste and change the answers with your own and then post it on your blog site.
In my case, because I am yet to live in my own home and live my own life, some of my answers will fail to characterize me. In consideration of this, I answered some questions hypothetically.
1. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR KITCHEN PLATES?
If ever I'd finally have my own home, I would like to have black-colored plates and pans and pots; the black plates having floral or geometric designs.
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Two books: The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell (Princeton University Press, 1972) – quite a difficult read so I'm reading it slowly, highlighting important concepts; and Poems of the Masters: China's Classic Anthology of T'ang and Sung Dynasty Verse, translated by Red Pine (Copper Canyon Press, 2003) – I'm reading contemplatively at least three poems a night.
The first and the fifth poems in Poems of the Masters:
Spring Dawn
Sleeping in spring oblivious of dawn
everwhere I hear birds
after the wind and rain last night
I wonder ho many petals fell
——————Meng Hao-jan
Sitting Alone on Chingting Mountain
Flocks of birds disappear in the distance
lone clouds wander away
who never tires of my company
only Chingting Mountain
——————Li Pai
Some quotables from The Hero with a Thousand Faces:
"Dream is the personalized myth, myth is the depersonalized dream; both myth and dream are symbolic in the same general way of the dynamics of the psyche. But in the dream the forms are quirked by the peculiar troubles of the dreamer, whereas in myth the problems and solutions shown are directly valid for all [hu]mankind."
[As I always believed, echoing Sigmund Freud, dreams are mere expressions of a person's repressed emotions influenced by her own worries and wishes and frustrations.]
"Perhaps some of us have to go through dark and devious ways before we can find the river of peace or the highroad to the soul's destination."
[I hope that this also pertains to whatever I'm experiencing right now, so I may expect to find my own peace, after I'm all done with this difficult task given to me.]
"Not all who hesitate are lost."
[There's a similar quotation from J.R.R. Tolkien: "Not everyone who wanders is lost."]
"The adventure is always and everywhere a passage beyond the veil of the known into the unknown; the powers that watch at the boundary are dangerous; to deal with them is risky; yet for anyone with competence and courage the danger fades."
[Just like when I wrote, "Fear of the unknown is the beginning of ignorance." Now I say, "To shy away from risk all the time is to prevent oneself from overcoming one's own fears and hopelessness."]
"Consciousness prevents the breaking through of dangerous wishes and immoral actions."
[Perhaps this means, being analytical and critical of our own plans and actions.]
"The unnamed, invisible sixth [sense pertains to] the divine thunderbolt of the knowledge of the transcendent principle, which is beyond the phenomenal realm of names and forms."
[Knowledge is, indeed, powerful. This will be my chief weapon in dealing with the rest of my life, especially that I'm now living in a relatively unfamiliar world, faced with people of various origins and beliefs and styles of dealing with life.]
"The pairs of opposites (being and not being, life and death, beauty and ugliness, good and evil, and all the other polarities that bind the faculties to hope and fear) are the clashing rocks that crush the traveler, but between which the hero must pass."
[May I soon pass these clashing rocks between which I'm currently finding myself.]
"No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist."
[Perhaps this pertains to "a person's taking the time to stop to be able to contemplate and assess her life."]
3. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Since I'm using my cousin's PC (but my own CPU), I've to settle on using his default mousepad, a Dell mousepad. But in case I'm ready to buy my own new PC, I'd love to couple it with a mouse and pad with Star Wars design.
4. FAVORITE MAGAZINE?
As of now, I'm a subscriber of Star Wars Insider.
5. FAVORITE SCENT/SMELL?
I've long been a user of Calvin Klein's Eternity, Davidoff's Cool Waters, and Versace's Blue Jeans.
6. LEAST FAVORITE SMELL?
Sweat. Wait, least favorite? No, not sweat of course. When you say least favorite, this means you still love the smell but not that much. Therefore, I would go for...the smell of bagoong.
7. THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING?
My daily morning routine has been this: Prepare breakfast for Grandfather and myself and then log on to Chikka to send Charlotte a text message.
8. FAVORITE COLOR?
Purple and pink.
9. LEAST FAVORITE COLOR?
Orange.
11. HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE?
We should answer the phone here before reaching the third ring lest the voice-box feature activates.
12. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME?
Frriloem Krrýl-lekk (fril·lowem krayil·lek), if boy; Evawwen Lii-athne (evaw·wen liyi·athni), if girl.
13. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN LIFE?
To have respect and dignity not only for yourself but more so for others.
14. DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST?
I'm yet to learn how to drive; but I'm certain I'd be a moderate and patient driver.
15. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
I don't have my own bedroom. If I have, there'd surely be a few stuffed toys.
16. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY?
It depends on the gravity of the storm and where I am at the moment.
17. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
I've not yet experienced owning a car or any vehicle for that matter (aside from a BMX bike).
18. IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE?
Robert Smith of The Cure.
19. FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK?
I don't drink alcoholic beverages.
20. WHAT IS YOUR SIGN & BIRTHDAY?
Aquarius, January 23.
21. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI?
Yes, as long as it was softly cooked.
22. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
An editor and writer at a publishing company or at the school board of an academic institution.
23. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY COLOR HAIR, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Just streaks of purple.
24. IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY?
Without considering its symbolic interpretation or philosophical implications, I will always describe a glass half-filled with liquid as half empty.
25. FAVORITE HOLLYWOOD ACTOR & ACTRESS?
Johnny Depp, Leelee Sobieski (changes from time to time)
26. FAVORITE MOVIES?
Star Wars. I'm already excited to watch Revenge of the Sith, which opens in theaters in May.
27. FAVORITE TV SHOWS?
MuchMoreMusic, History and Travel/Culture channels, and Discovery.
28. DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE PRESCRIBED KEYS?
No. I compensate for it with speed.
29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER?
None in particular.
30. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH?
I'm not a sports fan, mainly because I find many a sports (especially those which involve physical contact) a mockery of itself. It destroys the very essence of sportsmanship.
Seldom have I seen games of basketball, hockey, or even simple tennis without fights and sourgraping or bitterness either from the spectators or the players themselves.
As I wrote in my book Engkanto: A Bestiary of Philippine Mythical Beings:
Players are now chosen. The unqualified become spectators. Into teams the players now separate. Firm rules and prized goals along which they should now compete amongst themselves are now set. Tensions build up as the battle begins. The laughter and chants become cheers and taunts in the battlefield. Fun—the very essence of the game—they no longer feel, as proud winners and sore losers [walk] in opposite directions at the end of every game.
31. WHAT IS YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST FEAR?
Currently, the death of my grandfather; for I, being his constant companion, would certainly be the first to witness it.
32. FAVORITE CD?
Head on the Door, The Cure (Elektra, 1985), No Sense of Sin, The Lotus Eaters (Arista, 1983), and Bringing Home the Ashes, The Wild Swans (Sire, 1984). I can listen to these albums all day in repeat mode without skipping a song. My favorite songs from each album are "A Night Like This," "German Girl," and "Bringing Home the Ashes."
33. FAVORITE DAY?
Every day's virtually the same; though I enjoy the weekdays more chiefly because I can use the PC longer.
34. FAVORITE FOOD?
Sushi: sashimi, pasta: zitti.
35. KETCHUP OR MUSTARD?
Ketchup.
36. HAMBURGERS OR HOT DOGS?
Hamburgers (with cheese).
37. FAVORITE SOFT DRINK?
Rootbeer (especially A&W Rootbeer float).
Trivia: A&W stands for the surnames of the owners of this restaurant, the partners Roy Allen and Frank Wright.
38. SAY ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU.
Understanding, caring, intelligent.
I hope you enjoyed taking another peek into my character. Try it now and let your friends have a glimpse of your own personality. Just cut and paste and change the answers with your own and then post it on your blog site.
posted by eLf ideas @ 3:31:00 PM
5 Comments:
At Wednesday, April 06, 2005 12:42:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Thanks Alfie for replying.
These little facets furthers our individuality..Ciao!ivy
At Wednesday, April 06, 2005 5:36:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
Love the names you chose for kids...
At Wednesday, April 06, 2005 2:43:00 PM,
eLf ideas said…
Ivy,
I really enjoy reading surveys and responding to them. You're right, contemplating on such surveys "furthers our individuality."
At Wednesday, April 06, 2005 2:45:00 PM,
eLf ideas said…
Visage,
Thanks for appreciating these names. Actually, they are characters I made for the fantasy novel, 'Visionata Grandiosa,' I've long been writing.
At Thursday, April 07, 2005 5:38:00 AM,
Anonymous said…
The quotations are very moving.ivy
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