mikao's world

The Random Interview Project: Neely

This installment of The Random Interview Project comes from Neely. She's someone I've never had the joy of meeting in real life, but happened to stumble upon my blog I think sometime around two springs ago. Since then, it's been fun to get to know her through blogging, exchanging comments, and even a few pieces of real tangible mail every once in awhile. She currently attends a Bible school at home in Alberta.

1. What have you learned about yourself since you began blogging?
Hmm, I've learned that it's still difficult to talk about myself, which is why this response won't be too profound!

2. What have you learned about others since you began reading blogs?
I've learned so much about the story of God's work in people, and the daily adventures that He brings them into. It's a joy to read about how His glory has been unfolding in the lives of people who are faithful to Him, day in and day out.

3. If you could hang out with three people off the internet, whom you have never actually met, who would you want to hang out with and why?
Michelle of mikao's world
Tracy Jeffries of i like shiny things
Alyssa Nuske of Alyssa's Ramblings

4. What are three of your city's best kept secrets?
This is a tough one, even though I was born and am still living in Calgary, Alberta!
- One of them would be the gorgeous view you can get on the number 3 bus route heading down south. Once you get past city centre and into Mount Royal and Brittania, the streets are surrounded by cascading trees and picturesque houses. Actually the whole SW (southwest) tucked right under downtown is a great place to walk around and to explore.
- Another is definitely Peter's Drive In, which is an independently-owned burger joint that has decided not to franchise, one of the reasons for its big success. They have the best burgers and fries in the city, along with milkshakes that have as many flavours as you can think of. Traffic signs forbidding certain turns have even been put up around this drive-in on 16th Avenue!
- And last, I would have to say the amazing amount of work that inner-city organizations have put in to helping the homeless people of Calgary. Apart from the work of the Mustard Seed Street Ministry, the Salvation Army's Centre of Hope, and the Drop-In Centre, there are also a number of other organizations that do so much in the areas of compassionate ministry, housing needs, and counselling. Calgary also has the highest amount of volunteers in Canada, helping a lot of these centres to continue running.

5. What has been your favourite aspect of post-secondary education to date?
The wonderfully and Christ-like professors, administration and students that I have gotten to know at my Bible college. Really, it's the people that has made school what it has been for me, and the community that I have been a part of.

6. If you were to start a store, what kind of store would it be and where would you have it?
I would love to open up a used books and chocolate store either in Calgary or in Montreal. Not quite sure how it will work or what it will be called, but imagine having hot chocolate as you browse through books, and after you've found that one rare edition you've been looking for and finishing your hot chocolate at the same time, you celebrate with a maple-filled white chocolate sample, of which you'll have to get a box for your family! Ignoring the run-on sentence, it could be plausible one day :)

7. Describe your perfect kind of day.
I would be flying to Montreal early Sunday morning with my missions team, and we'd all hang out with the friends we made there. We'd attend church together, and after having a filling lunch at one of the restaurants out there, we'd fly back. (Of course, in the perfect kind of day, flights would only take an hour or less, so as to capitalize on time, not that I dislike flights themselves). Then after a quick drive to the Rockies in the afternoon and a hike to a waterfall, I'd head to church and meet up with my friends. We'd hang out after the service and have some cheesecake, all while the sun was still up during the late evening.

8. Imagine for a moment that you are given one hundred thousand dollars, no strings attached. What would you do with it all?
Not getting into specific numbers here since my math skills have pretty much depleted, I'd first tithe to my church. Then I would give to missions organizations around the world. I'd also give to cancer research, along with other health organizations looking for a cure, such as AIDS. I guess by that point, I'm either running out or have just a tiny bit left. I suppose by then I would use the rest as some financial support if I'm in missions long-term. I'm somewhat glad this hasn't happened yet; I'm pretty bad at divying up such a large sum!

9. What five movies have you found most interesting, and why?
- Pride and Prejudice. It's always refreshing to find that after you've read a book, you've been able to watch a movie that follows pretty closely. Granted, no movie will ever duplicate the experience of a book, but I think this is the most faithful rendition I have seen.
- Strictly Ballroom. This is just a fun movie, with catchy music and enjoyable characters. Everything is heightened for effect, and even if you know nothing about ballroom dancing, it's intriguing enough that at the end, you will want to.
- Amelie. After watching it for the first time with somebody who helped make sense of some parts (apart from the language), I loved the story that was told through the life of somebody who wanted to make the world a little brighter for everyone else. Its stunning imagery and whimsical music brought to life a bit of what an ideal France would look like.
- Henry V. Out of all of Kenneth Branagh's Shakespearean roles, I would have to say this is my personal favourite. This was also the only movie I've watched where I followed the movie along with the Shakespearean text itself, and could see how the adaptation brought the words from the page to the screen, with that St. Crispin's Day speech being my favourite scene.
- Gattaca. Loved that this movie was about genetics (even the title!) and the concept of a world where DNA was the code by which society was governed. It was creepy to see its implications but the verse about "Who can straighten what he has made crooked?" really set the tone for the whole movie. I think this is the only science fiction film I've enjoyed.

10. What is the most thoughtful present you have recieved in life, and who was it from?
I would have to say it was the handmade scarf that Michelle (mikao's world) sent to me two Christmases ago. While I've received lots of thoughtful gifts over the years, this one was the biggest surprise, and mostly a shock because I never expected that someone I didn't know would take the time out to do such a kind thing for me. It was a wonderful act of kindness, and ever since then, I've been trying to think of how I can do that for people I know. Thanks again Michelle, both for the gift and for the message!

--
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." -
Psalm 107:1

You can see Neely's previous interview here.