Interview Summary:
I interviewed a creature from a natural world in which it is very peaceful and quite different from NYC as we know it. She looks as though she has human aspects while having roses sprouting out of her neck in place of a head. She is pretty much like a human, though just looks a bit different. When speaking of her appearances and whether she gets looked at weirdly, she states that, “The thing is there are so many weird characters walking around in New York. So it’s weird but it’s also not that big of a deal.” She comes from a world where, “There is a lot of nature, there are redwood forests, lots of tall trees, and there is the beach and a lot of the coastline. It’s very beautiful and very different.” She states that she doesn’t like to stay in one place for too long and that, “I was on that planet for two years and it was good, but I need to move around.” Though, she seems to want to stay in New York City indefinitely, as this creature loves it here. She spoke of her long but easy trip to New York City and how she felt normal from the day that she arrived. She felt that she only needed to bring clothing from her home. Though she felt that she needed to get, “ Winter clothes because it never gets cold on my planet. It’s always warm, so raincoats and winter coats, and an umbrella. I don’t have an umbrella, like the other day it rained and I was like I didn’t know what to do.” Her favorite part of New York City so far is the nightlife and how you can meet so many new people. And because New York City and her homeland are very different, she is unamused by the sad excuse of New York’s nature and the places in which they call parks. She does not consider it to be nature, or the nature in which she knows best.
Interview:
Q: Where do you come from?
Carolyn: I am from a planet that is far away. There is a lot of nature, there are redwood forests, lots of tall trees, and there is the beach and a lot of the coastline. It’s very beautiful and very different.
Q: Do you have many family members, or on your planet what is the social life like?
I have my people surrounding me. I wouldn’t call it a family exactly. I’m not sure how to describe it. We are like creatures that do stuff together. For example, we have friends and at the same time everyone does their own thing.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do there?
Either go on hikes through the forest, it’s very beautiful. What I really like to do, is that I would go to the beach. It isn’t exactly a beach, but more of a coast and a street and you can look out onto the ocean and sit there and sometimes even do homework there.
Q: Can you describe yourself to me?
I have human aspects but my head is not a human head, but I have roses growing out of my head and back, surrounding me. But the rest of my body is human.
Q: How do you see or how do you do regular things if your head is a bunch of roses? Do you have different senses or what ability do the flowers give you?
I have the same senses as humans for sure. I am pretty much like a human, I just look different.
Q: What was your motive to leave home?
I liked it there, I just don’t like staying in the same place for a long time. I was on that planet for two years and it was good, but I need to move around.
Q: So where do you think you’ll go after this?
I’m not sure actually because I like New York, and it makes me think I want to live here permanently .
Q: Was the journey here hard from your world?
Not really, I didn’t have an adjustment time. It was normal from the day I got here.
Q: How did you get here? How long was the journey?
I got here in a spaceship. It took a long time, like two days.
Q: Did you pack a lot? What did you need?
I didn’t have that much space because they don’t allow that much space when you fly here. But I had two big suitcases full of clothes of course. Honestly that’s it, I didn’t really bring anything else.
Q: What did you think were the necessities that you needed for a move to NY, that you didn’t need in your home?
Winter clothes because it never gets cold on my planet. It’s always warm, so raincoats and winter coats, and an umbrella. I don’t have an umbrella, like the other day it rained and I was like I didn’t know what to do.
Q: What’s the greatest difference from here to your home?
Well definitely the nature. There is so much nature and it’s quiet and calm and here it’s the opposite. So many people and it is so urban. Loud noises everywhere.
Q: What do you miss most about your home?
I miss my friends and I miss the beach, just sitting there and looking at the beach. And doing homework there.
Q: Do you think you’ll go back?
I want to. I just don’t know if I have the time. During the breaks I don’t know if I can but I’d like to. We will see.
Q:What have you been doing since you’ve been here? What has been the most fun?
I have been doing a lot of homework, which isn’t very fun. I have been hanging out with my friends.
Q: Since you are different from a human (Flowers as head), have you experienced discrimination, or do people look at you differently or come up and say anything? What has been your experience being unique?
I get a lot of weird looks, but no one ever says anything about it. The thing is there are so many weird characters walking around in NY. So it’s like weird but it’s also not that big of a deal. I either get weird looks or I get compliments.
Q: What has been the greatest adjustment since you’ve moved here?
It doesn’t feel like a big change, it is just that the work here is challenging. And you want to do it well so .
Q: Were you als going to school in your old world?
Yes I was in high school there. It was a lot of hard work too but its more here definitely.
Q: What’s your favorite part about ny?
Probably the nightlife, there are a lot of people and you always meet someone. The city never sleeps so you just meet people everywhere.
Q: You have that there is a lot of nature in your home, is there anything here that reminds you of home, or helps you to connect back?
Honestly no, I don’t like them, I don’t think they are pretty or anything. It just doesn’t feel like nature. Not at all.
