Radegund interviews me

[ailbhe]

1. Three concrete changes you'd like to see in the standard British/Irish education system.

   Less segregation by age, which is so arbitrary it makes me furious.

   More attention paid to what children would like to learn (no-one ever taught the boys I knew about dinosaurs, they learned that all on their own and so eagerly it made your eyes water).

   And . . . the return of matriculation exams, rather than A-levels or the Leaving certificate; give a bit more contorl to the universities over who they will let.

2. How important is fashion/trend in your life?

   Difficult one. I tend to be vaguely aware of what's in fashion, and generally either sneer at it or cry "but I got lambasted for doing that 8 years ago!" However, fashion has a serious effect on what I can get my hands on to wear myself.

   Fashion in non-clothes things - I suspect very little.

   Trend - I have no idea whatsoever. More than I'm aware of, I'm sure. I probably follow some blindly. Like this interview thing.

3. I think the story of your "escape" from Dublin is brilliant. What (if anything) would make you go back?

   "Make" me? No idea. But I couldn't go back until I could buy a house as good as the one I have, get medical care as easily as I can here, and oh yes, I can't handle the lack of racial mix anymore - after an initial adjustment period, living in areas where white/nonwhite is 60/40 or less, I feel very Right. Plus the babies are prettier.

   I would go back like a shot if my mother needed me to.

4. Would you like your children to learn Irish?

   I'm hoping that if I speak to them in Irish and Rob's mother speaks to them in Swedish, they might have some idea of where they come from. Realising that my children might grow up not-fluent nearly made me go straight home again, about a year ago. I intend to ask for lots of Irish-language books to read to them.

5. If you were to start writing again, what would you write?

   Something about tears and love and the sea. Something about the satisfaction of an angst-free life. Something suburban and young.

   Little poems and drabbles first. If it ever comes back, then maybe I'll resurrect the not-a-novel.

Comments

[radegund.livejournal.com]

Good answers! I'm particularly with you on the segregation by age thing - it's insane.

(Feel free to reciprocate on the questions front, by the way.)