Questions and Answers

The lovely pescana asked me some questions, so here we go!

1. So how are you finding life in Santa Barbara?
   
   I like it. I don't love it, but I've barely been here two months, and for me, that's not nearly long enough to meet people and get involved with things locally. A lot of the day-to-day things are really nice -- the weather, the food at the farmer's market -- so I'm trying to take advantage of all of that. I am not particularly outdoorsy or athletic, but I want to step that up, now that I live somewhere I can enjoy the outdoors year-round. It's a small town, though -- smaller than Ann Arbor, and I had previously marked AA as the minimum size town I needed to live in.
   
   I don't think I could stay here long-term. It's not really an option, since we can't afford to stay here long-term, but I don't know if I'd want to even if I could. But who knows -- ask me again in six months!
   
   
2. How do you think being a science geek influences your view of the world? (I'm specifically thinking things like feminism and the working world, but feel free to go where ever you want with this.)
   
   This is an awesome question, so I am copping out and giving it its own entry. I've been thinking a lot about this, particularly about how physical scientists and social scientists aren't generally capable of talking to each other.
   
   
3. What are you reading these days? Any trends, or no?
   
   I seem to be on a food memoir kick. I just finished Heat, by Bill Buford, and I'm reading Julie and Julia right now. From the library I just got Ha'penny, by Jo Walton, and Children of Men, by P.D. James, and I'm really looking forward to both of them. So I suppose I'm veering into dystopia sci-fi alternate fiction genres.
   
   
4. If you could go anywhere in the world for vacation with no issue of expense, where would you go? What would you do there?
   
   Oh, I want to go everywhere -- Southeast Asia (again), Spain, Turkey, Tanzania, New Zealand . . . okay, I'll limit myself to two itineraries:
   
   
   
   • Southeast Asia: I'd go to Bangkok and Phuket (and maybe Chiang Mai) in Thailand, then to Vietnam to visit zoje_george in HCMC, and then to the Mekong Delta. I'd see everything -- beaches, floating markets, modern SE Asian cities, the back country, you name it. And the food! Oh my god, the food. But, I've been to SE Asia, which is why I would also consider:
     
     
   • Spain: Traveling all around and hitting Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Granada (and the Alhambra), plus some of the islands. This gets me islands and beaches and a variety of awesome, old cities. I love old cities. And the food! And the wine!
     
   
   
   
5. What's your favorite leisure activity?
   
   It's a tie between photography and reading. There is something seriously wrong with me -- I go for a walk, and the next thing I know I've spent half an hour taking pictures of a fence. (And then I don't get any of them quite right.) Going to the beach with the dog is gaining, though!
   
   

Happy Friday, everyone! And if you want questions, just ask for some.