Around the World in 80 Days Questionnaire

Hayden over at Story Girl is hosting a blog party themed around Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days. Check it out, and here are my answers to her questions! :)

1. Have you ever read Around the World in 80 Days, or any other books by Jules Verne? If not, do you plan to?

I have, and I do plan to read more. I bought one of those really pretty Barnes and Nobel Leatherbound copies of his works and plan to read all of it :) 

   

It's one of the prettiest books that I own :]

2. It's your turn to travel around the world! But you can only visit one country on each continent (excluding Antartica). Which do you choose?

ASIA: Japan. This might be one of the funnest countries for an American to visit. In America we've adopted a lot of Japanese culture and they've adopted a lot of ours so it'd be fun to visit a country that's just as obsessed with my country as I am with theirs :)

EUROPE: Romania because I don't know that much about eastern Europe and it sounds mysterious.

NORTH AMERICA: U.S.A!!!1! This counts as a different country since I'm from Texas ;)

SOUTH AMERICA: Peru. Dude... the Incans were awesome. Did you know..... *runs off into a long tangent about Peru*

AUSTRALIA:.... New Zealand. I'm pretty sure that, even though Australia is its own continent NZ counts as part of that too. Plus, I want to play with sheep and visit the sets of all the LOTR and Hobbit filming. 

AFRICA: South Africa, because why not? 

3. What is your favorite "foreign" song?

Sosban fach. A Welsh song sung at Rugby games about a Saucepan boiling on a stove… and a cat… who is not boiling on a stove, but is scratching children and sleeping. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sosban_Fach 

4. Do you know your heritage? From which contry(s) does your family originate?

I am a proud second/third generation American (depending on which grandparent you look at). My paternal grandfather was from Mexico, my father’s maternal grandmother was from Norway and my dad’s maternal grandfather was from Ireland. My mom’s grandparents were from Germany and France. So, I’m ¼ Mexican, 1/16 Norwegian, 1/16 Irish, 1/16 German, 1/16 French, and ¼ some other stuffs :)

5. What is your perferred method of travel?

I’ve always thought that trains sounded delightful, although I’ve never been on one, but imagine that I would like them the best. They just sound like fun, in books so many great things happen on trains (robberies, murders, intrigue, romance, anything).

6. What is your favorite ethnic food?

I really love Italian food, I also like some authentic Mexican dishes like fideo and enchiladas, although I can’t eat most Mexican food anymore since I’m allergic to corn and most Mexican food has corn in it :(

7. If you had to choose one literary character to travel around the world with, who would it be?

I would choose the goddess Sif from Norse mythology, not because I think that I would enjoy her company. No, it's purely from a practical reason. Sif's hair is literally golden. If we ever needed any money I could just cut her hair off and use it. That, of course would make Thor angry but he should get over it. It all ended pretty well for him the last time........... http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/ice/coo/coo06.htm

8. From kilts to kimonos, most countries have some form of traditional dress- of which would you be most willing to wear?

Honestly I would love to wear a kimono, although I hear that they’re really heavy…

9. If you could speak any foreign language, what would it be?

I’m a bit torn between Japanese and French. Japanese is the only language I’ve ever heard that’s actually an adorable language. French, on the other hand, is beautiful and more useful. I think, I’ll settle on a compromise and choose German… just because. (Does German have anything to do with those two languages…. no.)

10. What is your opinion on the subject of hot air balloons?

I feel that they’re very safe and trusty ways to travel, and that there’s nothing possible that can go wrong from being in one…

11. Okay. Pick a country, any country (except England). Now pick a piece of classic literature (fiction, please!). If that story took place in this other country, what would be different? 

Ummmm DENMARK! And…. Don Quixote. Well Don Quixote would be a tottering old Viking, Sancho Panza would be his slave captured from a more southern European country and his horse would be a reindeer. He would not be inspired to embark on his quest from reading books about chivalry, because they didn’t practice that in Denmark. Instead he would have read Beowulf and would be inspired to slay the creature Grendel. There would be no windmills, and instead he would be tilting at glaciers and having run-ins with old sea-Vikings in pubs and braving the winters in forests. Instead of encountering fairies and witches he would encounter druids and trolls. And everyone would still think he was crazy, but would put up with it because those who are mad are protected by Odin. 

12.Choose five of your favorite authors (or just as many as you can)...each from a different country!

J.R.R. Tolkien (Does he count as South African?) C.S. Lewis (Ireland), Mark Twain (America), Diana Wynne Jones (Wales), and Rafael Sabatini (Italy).

13. In Around the World in 80 Days, Phileas Fogg is accused of bank robbery. Of course, we know he didn't do it- but the book never explains who did. Who do you think robbed the bank?

The bank robber was actually the ingenious French Jewel thief Flambeau! He disguised himself so well that, despite his incredible height, he could be mistaken for any ordinary Englishman, which is why poor Mr. Fogg was accused. He was about to make his get away when he was confronted by the priest/detective Father Brown who spoke to him. Ashamed of his actions Flambeau decided to turn himself over to the police and pay for his crimes. Once this was accomplished he would then seek work as a private detective. He, of course, is now very sorry for any inconvenience his actions had upon M.. Fogg. 

14. Does your church support any foreign missionaries? If so, tell a little about what countries they are from!

Why yes, yes we do, many in fact. They serve in Austria, Turkey, Peru, and Brazil to name a few. We also have many people from many different countries come to minister here in Houston. It’s the most diverse city in the United States and has so many different people groups who have never had an opportunity to hear the gospel, so there’s lots of opportunity to minister. 

15. Time is running out! You only have a few days left to finish your journey! You're on the last leg of your trip, traveling through the American West by train, when suddenly Indians attack! What do you do?

Well first, I roll my eyes and say “it figures” and then, because I’m from Texas, I pull out my revolver and start shooting at people and end up stealing a horse and riding away into the sunset like the Lone Ranger. I also capture an Indian who I use as my sidekick. Also, since I stole an Indian horse, it has special powers and can run faster than trains, so my Indian prisoner and I ride off together into the sweet realms of victory.