NotsoSage Truths

It took me a while but I finally got around to it answering Jill's interview questions. It was a lot of fun.

1. Can you tell me how you and Florian met?

I met Florian on an Internet dating site. I felt like meeting someone outside my circle of acquaintances, a friend told me about the site and I thought to myself: "I always complain about never meeting interesting people. Why not try, it will be interesting if nothing else."

When I first received mail from him I went to look at his profile and I thought. This guy is too serious for me. His voice mail, however, revealed a sexy voice.


He was tall and dark and slightly foreign looking. Once we met it felt like we have known each other for ever. There were no uncomfortable silences or unspoken disappointments. We had so much to speak about. We still do.

When he first smiled at me that my heart skipped a beat and then another. I suddenly wished we were alone.


2. Of South Africa's 11 official languages, how many do you speak? Which is your favourite?

I am ashamed to admit only two. My home language Afrikaans is my favourite, probably because it is the language of my childhood.


I have just finished an essay on English as a global language. An interesting observation made by Makoni (2005) is that the diverse perspectives offered by different languages are important when trying to understand different cultures. He explains that while English is build around a conduit metaphor there are languages which are build around ontological metaphors such as taste, touch and smell.

Within the grammar and metaphors of language a map is found to the worldview of its speakers. Learning a new language therefore enables us not only to navigate through the different worlds created by each language but also to redefine our own worldview.


The glimpses I have been allowed into the worlds of my classmates have been fascinating. I will therefore make the time to learn an African language next year.


3. Your beautiful dogs appear to be what I would call "German Shepherds". What breed are they? What are your favourite traits about this breed? What are your least?


My dogs are a mix of wolf and Alsatian. Fey, the mother was given to me by a work colleague. Her mother is a wolf and her father a wolf-Alsatian mix. My colleague found Fey's mother at an animal shelter. She was left there when her owners, who were prepared to import her at great expense, realized that they were not prepared to deal with her escape artist ways.


Fey's father and his sister was bought from an old army veteran who started breeding with wolves left over from an experiment by the South African army. They imported wolves to use as guard dogs only to find out that wolves will only guard those they consider to be part of their pack and will lazily watch "stuff" being carried away.


The father of the Fey's puppies makes up the fourth of my colleague's pack. He is a great big scruffy wolf with yellow eyes, a redish fur and a big bushy tail.

My favourite traits are their intelligence, beauty and sense of adventure. My least favourite trait is the way they wrap me around their furry paws demanding walks and bones.


4. If you were to write a letter to your 13 year-old self what would be the one thing you would definitely NOT tell/warn her about?


I would not warn her against those who seem strange and different or tell her to expect or condone certain behaviours based on someone's gender, race or culture.


I will not tell her to be in bed by ten, that studying is more important than living, that a photo has to show the whole tree, or that only bad women hang around on Internet dating sites.

I will not warn her to follow the rules set by society on how she should behave as a daughter, girlfriend, friend or human being.


Lastly I will neither tell her to sacrifice herself for the good of those she loves nor warn her that she should be careful to protect her individuality at all costs.


5. When you move into your cob house, is there anything that you imagine you'll miss about the more traditional one you're in now?

Kitchen and cupboard space, my study and not having to walk downstairs in the middle of the night for a pee.

I have already started on Kristen's fandabulous interview questions and will try post them before diving into my next set of University essays.