win or die!

Name:Rosie
How did you find out about the community? If it's through an LJ user, please tell us who it is (individual user if possible, not just a community name!):
Age: mostly through my ASOIAF friends: matitablu, envielestrange, vivianedanglars and cabepfir
Location: Italy
Occupation: Illustrator




All About You

1. Describe your ideal house/home. Please go into as much detail as possible, and be sure to include your ideal geographical location in the description!.
I've always lived in a city near the sea, so I think I couldn't go on without that: you know, places near the sea have such a particolar air and atmosphere, which I love. My city in Italy is placed in the south of the country and the weather is almost always sunny and warm, but since I'm more of a "north" person my preference would go to a little house, something like a cottage, in the north Europe/north Ireland, on the coast, maybe placed on a cliff in the moor (I've read too much Wuthering Heights in my life, I fear...!). A pleace quiet and silent, with great windows to let the light in (I need light for drawing and painting), and a beautiful view of the open sea and of the sky, that I'd like to imagine of a deep, rich, blue/grey tone (I'd call it a grey of payne shade, hehe!) (yes, I prefer the cloudy/stormy weather to the sunny one).
I have some kind of bipolar personality, so I consider myself half a social person and half a loner, so it would be perfect for me to have a house in a really suggestive and a bit retired place but possibly not that far from a town where I could go when I'd like to crawl out of my hermitry (well, I love to go shopping, go to a tea-room, a museum or to a nightclub once in a while...), and I'd love to have a little garden on the back: I would let it grow savage and free considering how horrible I am when it comes at plants, flowers and to the general concept of keep something like that in order, but I'd put there benches and tables, even some rocking-chairs, to welcome my guests and friends everytime they'd like to come and visit me. We could sit out there and drink hot tea chatting for hours!
A lot of space in the house should be left for bookshelves of course, then I'd like to have a wooden stair with the bedroom on the first floor, and the living room/parlor/kitchen on the ground floor. I can imagine it as a rather minimalistic house, with white and pale grey wall, and a floor of dark wood. There would be lots of pillows to sit down directly in front of the fireplace. I'm not that neat, let's say I have my own way of order things in my room, so I'm sure I'll be able to fill the whole house with tons of paper: from books and comics to my hown writings and drawings/paintings, so it would be better to have just few forniture's elements (a table, chairs and sofa in the living room/parlor, and a bed and wardworbe in the bedroom, everything in a simple style, maybe in light colored wood), and left free space for all my working/painting stuff!

I suppose that a place like this could appear as a little cold and uncomfortable to other, but for me it would be really perfect, essential, and a real symbol of my longing for indipendence, individuality and peacefulness.

2. Imagine you’re given the classic opportunity: a genie granting you three wishes. What would you wish for? Please be as elaborate as you can. Wishing for more wishes is not permitted!
1. Simply to be able to do the work for which I've studied for almost 8 years now, and to be able to live from that work (in my case the illustrator/artist). As obvious as it could seems, in real life it sounds like a really impossible wish to make real, at least for the moment and especially in Italy, to be honest!:/ I always feel like the work of our artist/illustrator isn't take like something serious or of some value. That's rather frustrating if you ask me
2. As banal and obvious as it can be (again): an assurance of good health and wealth for me, my family and friends.
3. Have days longer than 24hours, 'couse I always feel like I have too much to do/think about, too much palces I want to visit, too much books I want to read, too much movie I want to watch, and it always ends with me getting too little sleep!:P

3. In your life so far, what accomplishment are you the most proud of? Why? You can list more than one if you have trouble deciding. ;)
I have often this feeling that I haven't done that much in my life, after all. Or maybe this is just the good old voice of ambition living inside my head and remembering me that I'm not the type of girl wich is easily pleased with herself, but that one which likes to sets always higher goals to challenge herself. I think that there's always something more to do and something more that can be done even better than the last time. Practice make it perfect! But at the moment I can say I'm rather proud of the little steps I'm doing with my work (my first illustrated book for little children, exhibitions, other little pubblications...), and how day after day, I'm doing myself stronger and harder than iron itself to try to not give up on what I like to do and on what I believe in, in spite of the harsh people's judgment. Basically I'm proud of how I'm stubborn about things 'till I have them done in my own way!

4. Which of the following is most important to you: Love, Money, Knowledge, Family, Friendship, Adventure, or Pleasure? Which is the least important to you? Please explain why for each choice.
I've always thought that knowledge is one of the most important thing in life: I understood at a really young age how amazing is to have the opportunity to learn something new everyday and to be able to cultivate your interests and intelligence, making your brain, mind and spirit active: this is what let us stay really alive and make us remain young at heart through the passing of time. Then I'd say Family-Friends-Love, all together, considering I can't seem to find a real difference among this three. As I said before I can be a solitaire person and enjoying often more the company of a book than of a crowd of people, but I have my friends and family really close to my heart all the same, and I really care for them. Third would be money, as much as I hate to admit that, you can't really get that far without money in this world!>_>
Adventure and Pleasure seems to bhe the last in this charts but is not that I didn't take them in high consideration, is just that I value as most important the other options.
Pleasure is something very subjective, and I think you can find it in the most simple and daily little things, and Adventure... well, I'm not that adventurous in real life, haha, but we have books and fantasy for that, lands where my mind can run really wild!:P

5. What's one quote (or passage, song lyric, etc.) that effectively describes you and your values? Explain.
"In peacetime you don’t get anywhere, in wartime you bleed to death" F. Kafka. I love Kafka and most of his writings are so close to my heart and thoughts that it almost hurts, and this little sentence is one of my favorite above all for sure. I think it describes perfectly that sense of struggling I often feel inside, between the two sides of my personality (well, I'm a Gemini after all, we're all like that!XD): the quiter one and the indipendent, rebel, other half, always at war between them.

6. How do you manage your money? On that note, how important is money/financial security to you? Go into as much detail as you can.
I had the great luck of being born in a family without any particular financial problems, so money aren't be that much of a problem for me during my young years and growing up in life.
I don't have a personal regular money entrance at the moment, but when I get payed for a commissioned work I try to manage my little finances as best as I can. When I have my own gained money at disposition the bigger problem consist in trying to resist to the neverending shopping temptantions (mostly books... I could live just of air, books and pencils believe me), but I can also be firm and sand save up money if needed... I would risk and describe myself as balanced when it comes to money... maybe the only balanced aspect in my life/personality!:P
I'd be a liar saying financial security isn't important for me, or for the society we're living in at the moment, I just try to not be enslaved by that thought.


7. Name (and elaborate on) some of your hobbies. What are your favorite things to do outside of school/the office?
My favorite hobby has been drawing, for years, mostly during the school period. I started when I was a little girl, spending all my afternoos in company of watercolors, markers, pencils and even a little easel with a proper canvas and oil colors. Now it has become my own job (or something like that, lol) which is rather cool, I have to confess: mixing duty and pleasure is the perfect combination for me. I find drawing and artistic expressions in general to be a real perfect way for me to pour out a lot of the feelings I have inside and the world living on in my head.
My other great passion is reading. I've already mentioned how much I adore books and the avid reader I've always been since I was a little girl. I have to thank my parent for that, they never denied the pleasure of fairytales and children book when I was a kid, so I grow up with this natural and spontaneous need for reading.
I like to read almost every genre of books, fictional and not. My friends always use to lend me the most random books, sure that I'd be able to enjoy them for a reason or another.
My other hobbies are music and cinema: I love to listen to music, it really goes with my passion for drawings and painting, it serves like a great source inspirations and a font of visuals; I also adore going to the movies, and I have such an insane passion with old silent films.

8. Name three things you are afraid of. Explain.

1.INSECTS: I hate them, desperately!>_< My most hated are butterflies and moths. I find them rather disgusting. I don't know when and where my insane hate for butterflies started, but this is something relatively new. I also have a deep hate and genuine fear for bees and wasps!

2.DRIVING A CAR: I don't know if it sounds that odd, but... Really, even if I have my draving license and I drived a car a few times after taking lessons, I'm still terribly afraid even at the mere thought of sitting behind the wheel!

3.SPEAKING TO THE PHONE: ok, this must be the oddest of the three... I have no problem in speaking to people looking to their face and watching them in the eyes, but I get really nervous and agitated when it comes to phone call. I can do exceptions when it comes to call my parents or my closest friends, but in other cases I get really uncomfortable and as much as I tried I can't convince myself to get over it!XD I'm really awkward like that! I'd prefer to come back to the good old time when you have to write a letter to communicate with a faraway person.

9. Name (and elaborate on) your top three BEST and top three WORST qualities (personality-related, not physical). Please answer as fully as you can, as this is an important question.

BEST:
1. My stubbornness. I was in doubt if putting this quality in the best or worst, but I decided for best 'couse I consider it to be one of my stronger point, mostly 'couse I "use" this as a mean to achieve most of my ends and then charge myself to do always the best. I'm not that kind of stubbornness person which doesn't like to reconsider her choices or convictions when realizes there's something wrong with them... I'm just really obstinate when it comes to reach my goals.

2. Open-mindness and Adaptability. It could sounds in contrast with the previous one, but as you should have learned at this point I'm almost enterely done of contrasts myself!:P Well, while I'm really headstrong about what I want to obtain in life, I'm also really open-minded and happy to include every kind of new interests and informations in my cultural baggage. I like to listen to different opinions from people, and I'm ready to change my idea in case! I'm also really curious about everything, I like to switch from a field of interest to another and I'm always more hard in judging me than in judging other people fault's and mistakes.
With the openmindness comes the ability to get used to new conditions and to adapt myself to a new situation rather soon. I feel like I just need few secure things, then I can go on decently with my life. I'm rather good enough at resilience.

3. Entertaining. Yes, it seems that I can make people laugh, too! I'm sure I'm making you laugh too considering how awful is my rusted english knowledge, at the moment!XD Don't deny it! Mostly I'm unintentionally comical. It seems I'm also really easy to talk with and rather good at listening.

WORST
1. Sharp Tongued. Tongue cuts more than sword, they say, and it is really true when it comes to my case. I'm usually rather calm and nice, but if I get angry I reccomend you to not stand in my way. My anger is mostly of the cold kind so I tend to don't shout and act like mad, but mostly to say something really cruel and sharp to make the object of my fury to feel uneasy. I can be also seriously irritating, and I want to have the last word in discussions.

2. Vain. I have to confess that: I'm rather vain (on occasion) and often even superb. I suppose it covers a good dose of insecurity, but this is how I appear at first glance for a lot of people. Like vain, superb and extremely aggressive.

3. Laziness. This is a kind of on/off worst. I can be an average active person, mostly mind-active, but I can reach some impressive levels of laziness, both physically and mentally. I have those days when I can't convince myself to stop moving, going around and creating stuff, even drawing for almost ten hours, and then the days when I can barely convince myself to crawl out of the bed. In that condition my greatest effort would picking up a book from the night table. I'm also really negated for sports. I tried almost everything in my adolescence: basket, ski, ice skating, volleyball, the only thing I still enjoy do in some rare occasion is archery (I always miss the target, but I try, at least!XD)!
As much as I fail at sport activity, I really adore walking. I can go out and walk over the city for 4/5 hours without taking any rest.




A Song of Ice and Fire Related

1.How many books from the series have you completed?
I've read EVERYTHING. Sadly. I started A song of ice and fire in the remote 1999. Yes, I'm that old. I've made a whole re-read of the serie this summer, before diving myself in A Dance with Dragons.

2.Who are your favorite three characters in the series? Why?
Only three?D: That's a challenge...

1. I have no doubt about this one, since it has been one of my favorite character from the first reading of A Game of Thrones, almost 12 years ago: Sandor Clegane!
My fifteen-years old self was instantly fascinated with the Hound and his story shocked me somehow: during the years I forgot a lots of details of the books, but never, never, the scene in which Sandor tells about his scars to Sansa. Oh, and considering I love Sansa, it is easy for me to be a shameless Sansan shipper! Their relationship is one of the most beautiful in the whole serie, imo, and it has so many spects and shades, and I also love how it represent some kind of "growing up" process for the both of them. I love the Hound's personality and his attitude, I think he is one of the most intense, touching, and interesting characters from ASOIAF, and I still wish Martin would like to go deeper into his mind/storyline, 'couse it's clear that he ISN'T DEAD and that we saw just a little of his real personality, and there's so much more to explore under the surface!

2. Jaime Lannister. Well, I love the Lannister family (let's pretend Joffrey isn't a Lannister, ok?XD), but Jaime has to be my favorite among the lions. When I speak about my favorite characters I consider the character I find best written/described by the author and, hand down, I think Jaime could be the best Martin's POV character ever. I was so positively shocked when in ASOS we had the opportunity to enter directely his mind. He was pretty interesting in ACOK too (his dialogue with Cat, he was so brutally honest and at the same time defenceless...), but then... wow! He really "explode" with great intensity as a character.
He has such a tragic story in his own personal way, and I was always impressed by the force of his feelings for Cersei.
I always love Jaime, when he is palying the bad guy, when he is actually bad, and when he crushes my heart showing his fragilities. I love how after the mutilation of his sword-hand he started to reconsider his whole world. And I have to say his interactions with Brienne are beautiful!

3. Theon Greyjoy. I confess I didn't pay much attention to him with my first reading, but now... How can I start to explain? I suppose that reading a book after 12 years really means something if it let you catch a lots of details and emotions that passed you over the first time! Theon's POV in ACOK are just a shadow of what will be his arch in ADWD, but that alone is enough to break my heart, honestly. That is where I can start questioning the Jaime position as the best written character.
I felt so much for Theon and his desperate desire of belong to somewhere/someone. I can't imagine what would I become if living his experience: staying as hostage among strangers, polite and gentle at time, yes, but always your captors, and having this desire of being like them, one of them, and the certainty of being rejected. At some point coming back to your own home, a place with a totally different culture and customs, cruel and harsh at times (as much as fascinating and ancient... yeah, I'm interested in the Iron Islands, and in the mechanics of the disfunctional Greyjoy's family!) and discover that you're rejected even there, that your own family doesn't care for you after all, and that the "sacrifice" you've done living faraway for so long is worth nothing... So sad. I really love how tragically Martin has described his downfall, his chapters in ADWD are absolutely flawless. So I love the broken Theon, but I also loved the young and strong one, 'couse I could really sense the drama shaking behind his mask.

3.Who are your least favorite three characters in the series? Why?

1. Jon Snow. I never liked him, honestly. I started with ignoring him, then being irritated by him, and at this point I'm just annoyed with no end. He seems to have too much of the predestined hero aurea around him, I have even lost interest in discovering the secret identity of his mother...

2. Danaerys Targaryen. My problem with her is the same I have with Jon. She is too much of the predestined, chosen one girl to attract my symphaty. Plus I find her arch too be too confusing sometimes and I can't really get into the political/social choice she've done. Well, I don't care for the dragons too.

3.Gregor Clegane. Hello, captain obvious! Who would ever like that creature anyway?:/

4.#1 Favorite moment in all of ASOIAF so far? Why?
I have a lots of favorite moments, honestly, hard to choice... I would go with my three favorite, hope you can forgive me for cheating a little:

-The scene in which Petyr pushes Lysa out of the Moon Door. So terribly cruel, and intense, and creepy and... well, simply perfect.

-Sandor going to Sansa after the Blackwater battle. Well, for explicit fangirling reasons :P, of course, also for the great interaction among the characters, and the general mixed feelings of the whole scene. I can even visualize it in m own mind, all the dark and the green flashlight...

-Theon falling on his knees and asking the ancient gods for help. I cryed my heart out.

5. In your dream-world, how would you like to see the series end, and why?
Westeros convey into a democracy!XD I think it would be a good way to "close the circle" and a good point from which start again.