| What is your most memorable childhood experience? | I guess my most memorable experience, if I could define them all as one, would be the collection of experiences as a child between the ages of perhaps four and seven or so, when playing in the backyard of the house we had at the time. I remember playing with my brother, treating our bikes and other garage goods as if they were controls in a spaceship, and we were the pilots. I remember my dad building us a tree house in this very large tree that we had, and though I do not know why I recall this, I remember very clearly the texture of the wood and shaded colors of the nails used to put it together. We had these somewhat onion-like herb plants in our back yard, and I remember my brother and I seeing how much we could eat of it. I guess I just most remember this series of largely happy, very specific, but not particularly important little events. |
| What immediate family member do you closely identify with and why? | I think I most closely identify with my father. I've spent more time with my mother, and partly for that reason I think I've inherited a lot of her perspectives, but if I consider my life up to this point, I've come to notice after the fact that many of my decisions I've made were similar to decisions my father made when he was my age. It’s interesting that as we both get older, we seem to continue to discover new similarities with each other. |
| What character traits do you admire in an individual? | I suppose the traits I most admire are a particular combination of independence and altruism. I think this kind of person is most admirable because of the powerful influence they can inadvertently have on others. I say that because while I’ve met many people with altruistic qualities, many don’t always know how to balance those qualities with the characteristics which are more in line with self-preservation. Yet among those which are also independent, they also tend to be successful, and they know how to use that success to help others. It’s a powerful combination. |
| What is the funniest thing ever to happen to you? | Again, harking back to my childhood (and my dad), the funniest moment which I can remember is when my brother, dad, and I watched the movie “There's Something about Mary.” I think I was around ten at the time. We were laughing hysterically. In fact I think we were laughing so hard that one of us peed our pants slightly (I don’t remember who…) and this just elevated the laughter to a whole new level. |
| If time and money were not an issue, where would you travel and why? | If time and money weren't an issue, I’d like to spend some time in Japan again, spending a few months in each of a few different areas. Having spent my undergraduate years living with different Japanese roommates and learning the language, I've found the culture to be profoundly unique. Despite common perceptions, Japanese culture is actually quite heterogeneous (and geographically dependent- hence my interest in exploring in different areas of the country), but one common thread I've noticed is a deep consideration of the thoughts and motives of the people around them. It’s a very neat environment to experience. |
| When and if you ever have children, what would you like to pass on to them? | Going back somewhat to question number three, if I were ever to have children, the traits I’d like to pass on to them most are how to be clever; that is, how to navigate through all the bizarre and seemingly random obstacles that are thrown up in life. And yet, at the same time, how to do it without giving up the sense that there’s more to it than that- that one of the things that defines a modern person is their ability to keep an eye out for others in need. The cleverness is in part just a hedge- a way to ensure that you’re always capable of helping when it really counts. |
