no stupid questions
It’s been a minute. I think posting every day is unsustainable - especially now that summer has come around and I actually have a life! Still, I did mean to post this yesterday, but I had some time difference issues with my interviewee…
My mum is a radiologist / spin instructor / fashionista, so, in hopes of achieving her coolness one day, I decided to ask her a few life questions. Her replies were much longer and more insightful than I thought they would be to a list of silly questions sent over text. Here they are :-)
What’s your death row meal?
I would keep it simple: good food plays to the chef’s strengths and I suspect death row chefs make hamburgers! 2 soft, runny centred poached eggs (fresh cracked pepper and sea salt for me to add), hollandaise sauce (on the side; I don’t want it if it’s not perfect!), garlic spinach on the side (not overcooked, still vivid green), 3 teaspoons of beluga caviar, a slice of my seed bread toasted (I would provide the recipe), cold lightly-salted French butter, a small pot of high polyphenol olive oil. To finish a coconut milk cortado brimming with froth and 79% dark chocolate, a small pot of cold dark chocolate ganache and large pile of mixed fresh berries. It’s how I usually eat (except for the beluga 😊)
Why is it called the terrible twos? What’s so terrible about being two?
They call it the terrible twos because it’s a good alliteration and people like snappy statements. There is nothing terrible about twos; in reality it’s usually three year olds who have tantrums and tantrums are really funny for everyone except the child having them. Anyway we continue to have tantrums and misbehave all life long; we just get more sophisticated at hiding it and they become less funny. Adults having tantrums can be quite scary!
Is it true that you should be concerned if your pee is too clear?
No, it usually means you drank a lot of water but if you’re worried you should see a doctor. Many young people in good health worry about their health. Asking Dr Google usually makes them more worried, so try to speak to real doctors.
Do you reckon there’s any possibility that the moon landing was fake?
It’s possible it was all a hoax but I doubt it. It would have had to be a very elaborate internationally agreed hoax that has not been disclosed for 60 years. I think someone would have let the cat out of the bag by now!
Is youth wasted on the young?
Definitely not! Youth is for the young to enjoy, a spirit for the middle-aged to hang on to, and for the old to remember fondly. The only thing wasted on the young is the beauty of youth. You don’t know that you had it until you look back at photos 20 years later. Believe it, enjoy it while you have it, be kind to yourself and your body. And when it goes, don’t pump yourself with fillers in the misbelief that you will look young again. You’ll just look different. It may make it more difficult to guess your age but you will never look like yourself again!
What is the most underappreciated Iranian dish?
I would say Mirza Ghasemi (smoky aubergine with eggs) which is one of my favourites but it is not under appreciated!
Have you ever been starstruck?
I don’t think so. I have met a number of A-list celebrities through my work. In many ways they are pretty similar to a cross-section of society. Some are interesting, some less so, some are troubled, some less so, some are self-important, some not so; they are just richer and have to hide in the shadows to avoid attention.
Do you think I’d be more normal if I’d had siblings?
I think some parts of your childhood may have been happier - it’s probably no fun for a kid to hang out all day with a middle-aged couple on holiday. You would probably have seen less of the world (elaborate far-flung family holidays are expensive and various exams also get in the way) and perhaps I would have had a different career so maybe you would have had more of my undivided attention and time.
You’re kind, funny, clever and thoughtful. Is that abnormal? Maybe, but I think that’s how you would have been with or without siblings. Anyway, who wants to be a normie?
When is a good age to get married?
It’s that equation between meeting the right person, being ready and taking a leap of faith. Love requires a leap of faith! It’s different for everyone but don’t do it before your late 20s. You change a lot in your 20s and you don’t want to wake up in your 40s next to a weirdo!
What’s one thing you hope I do?
I hope you dare to dream big, achieve some of them, that your dreams make you happy and you look after yourself in the strive. Most of us (especially women) are limited by the ceiling we put over our own heads. I hope that your ceiling is so high that you can soar wherever you want to fly!