mikao's world

The Random Interview Project: Melanie

This interview in The Random Interview Project comes from Melanie.

I first met Melanie when we were 15, both being little delegates at The Students Commission National Youth Conference in Ottawa. We hung out all week, and also returned the next week. We kept in touch for a little while, and I even went to see her for a day in 1997. She was going to university and I was on my way home from college in Ontario for Christmas break.

After that we pretty much lost touch, until about a month ago a friend of hers found her name on my blog and let her know. She has now completed her Master of Music degree with a specialty in Opera, and travels the world.

We had a great time in Ottawa in high school, and it's been great to re-establish a friendship, she's a very fun person. :)

1. Describe your ideal job to us.
My ideal job is what I get to do, most of the time. Dressing up in glamourous ball gowns, travelling ll over the world to sing, and going to the recording studio. Last year there were 2 debutante balls and 6 different countries in one year. How could life be better? Ideally there would be less time between the fun, glamourous occasions. (For instance today I am doing office work) but the excitement makes up for it!

2. What is the most challenging thing you have ever done?
The most challenging thing would be climbing Mount Sinai in Sinai, Egypt. It takes the good part of a night to climb, as the sun is just too piercing during the day. I had spent all day Scuba Diving and the instructor said that if I climbed a mountain my heart would explode or something and I would die a horrible, messy death (something about the altitude, and I'm sure she was completely wrong, anyway). So, I was exhausted, worried about my imminent demise, and I had run out of money to buy water, as I had squandered it all on the Scuba Lessons and a huge wool rug (which I could have never afforded without the overly-friendly rug-seller copping a free feel) Yikes! I was 19 and I think I cried all the way up the mountain, but I didn't want to disappoint my travelling companions, and I ESPECIALLY did not want to sit at the base of a mountain in the Egyptian desert alone all night. But I did it! Huurah! After that experience what could be hard?

3. Of all the places you have visited in life, which locale was your favourite and why?
Israel. Definitely. The land is gorgeous, and it is the only country where I could always move and feel I belonged immediately. I was there around Xmas and it was so NICE not to have the holiday shoved in my face like it is in North America. And the ancient buildings, and the sea, and the FELAFEL, and the desert sun... I want to go back :) For the first time I wasn't an outsider in a (sorry, but it's true) predominantly Christian society. I didn't have to be served Pork and ask if there was shellfish in the food. It was just assumed that the food was Kosher. 6 times aren't enough, I want to go back!

4. If you could have tea with the Queen or with President Bush or with Paul Martin, who would you pick and why?
I would skip out on lunch and go skiing. They are all relatively boring. I wonder if the Queen would fancy a little SKI with me..?

5. Whom out of history would you like to meet?
1- One of my ancient relatives - I wonder if we would look alike at all?
2- Cleopatra. I bet that she was incredibly sexy. And she sounds really nteresting
3- A translator so I could *speak* to Cleopatra ;)
4- Some of the people who helped build Israel. It was an amazing time to be alive and I would have loved to be a part of it!

6. How did you decide upon a career?
In grade 4 we had to make posters about what we wanted to be. Of COURSE, since everyone made one poster I had to make 2. One was of a teacher, and the other was of a Singer. So, I guess that is when I called the singing career. Ever since it has just sort of happened (with bushels of hard work on my part)

7. What do you remember about me from our Students Commission days?
We were the bad kids.. remember, everyone else was drafting that resolution, and we were running through the halls and having fun.. I still have all the pictures! I remember the hypnotist, and how we plotted how we would be picked, and how we had SO much fun :)

8. Please share one of your favourite family memories.
Yikes, but there are so MANY... How about when my family was driving around in Israel (heading from Jerusalem to Eilat). For some reason they let me be the navigator. Pity us all! We took one of many infamous short cuts and ended up in disputed territory (Nablus). Suddenly there were no more Israeli license plates and the people we passed were looking angry. We were in a rented car with Israeli plates and we certainly look Israeli, but we had to turn around and to do that we had to stop first. This is in the mountanous, rocky desert, where there are plenty 'o' places to hide behind a rock and snipe at the car. We had a Canadian flag, but it was in the trunk, and getting out and opening the trunk was probably not a prime idea either. So, we all sort of ducked and the stopped the car and turned and sped back to the main road. It is a favourite memory because we did not die. Also it makes a good story :)

9. If you could only eat from one food group for the rest of your life, which one would you choose and why?
Probably legumes.. is that a food group? Then I would get peanuts and soy.. that isn't a fair question - can't make Peanut Jam or Soy-Taters ;)

10. Pretend for a moment that you are 8 feet tall. What would be the best thing about being this tall, and what would be the worst?
8 feet TALL! Well, the worst is that I would never be cast for anything. 5 feet is nifty - I am shorter than any short Tenor (and they are always short!). If I was 8 feet tall I could eat ANYTHING, think of all that extra bone-age to maintain. And I could reach the top shelves in the kitchen, and change a lightbulb. Sigh.. a girl can dream :)