Interview # 12
For this one, I put on my huge coat to go to Finland and interview Tanja (Lemon Pie), somewhat heart-warming. We sat for while and discussed many things, among which how she got hooked to TF and won friends. We're lucky to have her here. Here's the proof.
PART I
Redcloud: Hi Tanja!
Lemon Pie : Salut Pascal!
Redcloud: lol
Please have a seat!
Lemon Pie : Thank you
Lemon Pie : *seated and comfy*
Redcloud: What's the weather like outside?
Lemon Pie : Better than in the morning... It's a bit cloudy but the rain's gone... A bit chilly too. A nice sunset actually.
Redcloud: Take these flowers and this glass of white wine, they're for you.
Lemon Pie : Thanks alot... I loove flowers... and WHITE wine... somebody been reading my last post...
Redcloud: I guess so... LOL
Lemon Pie : (now you made me want wine for real LOL)
Redcloud: LOL
What were you doing before coming here?
Lemon Pie : Chatting with you... lol and before that I had a nap and talked with my sister on the phone.
Redcloud: Does your sister live far away?
Lemon Pie : yeah, some 200 kms
Lemon Pie : But she lives closer to our parents
Lemon Pie : Than me that is... she is actually visiting mom and dad and mom's driving her crazy by now.
Redcloud: LOL
So tell me, when did you stumble upon TF?
Lemon Pie : It was in November/December 2003
Redcloud: That's a long time!
Lemon Pie : I was looking for Tori lyric interpretations for a school assignment but I really joined last spring, so a bit more than a year ago.
Redcloud: I guess you chose the subject of the assignment.
Lemon Pie : Yep, but our teacher was a Tori enthusiast too.
Redcloud: LOL
It helps!
Lemon Pie : The course was women studies and about the new media and women artists.
Redcloud: Interesting!
Lemon Pie : Before I really joined last spring I first took advantage of this forum for another school assignment and I was really glad about the number of answers I got.
Redcloud: What do you mean by new media?
Lemon Pie : Mostly Internet.
Redcloud: So you created a thread and people helped you out.
Lemon Pie : Yep... and they were really nice and most of all took effort in writing wonderful aswers to my question
Redcloud: I see. Do you remember how you formulated your question(s)?
Lemon Pie : Do you mean what I asked or how it was done so that people actually answered? lol
Redcloud: I mean, what did you ask?
Lemon Pie : I sent a picture of a painting, not telling what it was called or by whom and asked people to tell me what they thought the story behind it was... or what was happening in it and who the people in it were.
Redcloud: I like this exercise! Um... How about Tori Amos?
Lemon Pie : what about her?
Redcloud: Yes, how did you link her to the thread? (If I understood what you told me lol)
Lemon Pie : ok... actually she wasn't part of this thread or assignment... sorry to confuse you. Let me explain. I did two assignments.
Redcloud: Oh ok, my mistake!
Lemon Pie : The first was about Tori lyrics and that's how I found the forum in the first place.
Redcloud: OK
Lemon Pie : Then I took advantage of the people here before really getting into the whole community.
lol
Redcloud: In fact, I was asking about the questions in this very thread.
Lemon Pie : ok, now you totally lost me... which thread? (sorry for being a woodhead)
Redcloud: Your thread about Tori when you just registered
[Please excuse this absence of the interviewer who found himself on the other side of the Galaxy while his body was in front of his comp]
Lemon Pie : OK... I didn't write a thread then, I just read the lyric interpretations and used the one about Talulah in my assignment.
Redcloud: OK. How did the assignment go?
Lemon Pie : Pretty well, though I think it didn't have much content in it. Guess the teacher just loved Tori and ignored the rest LOL
Redcloud: LOL
Lemon Pie : The other one was the best essay I wrote... ever! At least according to the feedback
So thanks again to all who answered that one!
Redcloud: Then you got to know more people in TF. How did you feel about the forum?
Lemon Pie : I actually haven't got to know as many people as I could have... My own bad, I know. Whenever somebody comments on you and acts friendly towards you it's fabulous... everybody is really welcoming in the end. I haven't been around in other forums much but I really got hooked into this one. And it's not just Tori, though it's nice that you have people around you who can relate, when you are really enthusiastic about a new song or a first ever concert experience, so yay!
Redcloud: What members did you feel closer to at first?
Lemon Pie : Probably Mary, 'cause she was such a mother figure to us all... but also Jenni, being also Finnish... but like I said, I have kept my distance and I think only now I'm really getting closer to people. I hope at least... I'm a bit cautious about creating friendships when I know I will have to neglect everybody anyway and at first I didn't really believe in virtual friendships, though I have a long background as a penpaller.
Redcloud: Being there and creating friendships requires time. One can't always have time.
Lemon Pie : Exactly!
Well, I'm that way that I hate disappointing people and I don't want to let anybody down... That's why I take time to become friends and as a student of intercultural communication, (lol), I'm perfectly aware that Finns are a bit slow getting into friendships.
Redcloud: It must be a reciprocal effort.
Lemon Pie : They take their time but when you got them, you get them for life!
Redcloud: That's good!
I guess there were times when you couldn't visit TF. How many such periods are there?
Lemon Pie : I think there hasn't really been that clear it's been more fast on off... I guess I was quite busy and not on the computer last fall while in Brussels, but after that I've been here more and more as you can see from the way my number of posts has grown this spring
Redcloud: So there always was a reason for you to come back to TF!!
Lemon Pie : Of course! I can't keep away!
Redcloud: Why?
Lemon Pie : I really can't say... I guess I'm really curious, so even if I'm not the best friend of anyone here, I'm still interested in what’s going on with people... there's always happy news and sometimes sad too and it's become a second life sort of
Redcloud: Can you tell me of the news you came to learn?
Lemon Pie : oh... I'm so bad with details like that... lol... let's see...
Well, the baby news of course have been wonderful
Redcloud: There's been several these months!
Lemon Pie : Then just any "personal announcements" are always cool... like people graduationg, getting jobs and even issues outside our group, things in the "real" news and of course Tori news. I wouldn't have even known about the new album that soon if it hadn't been for Torum (I'm the worst fan ever! lol)
Redcloud: I guess I can say the same thing about the album release!
Lemon Pie : Yeah, so it's good that you have something like this you share and still you don't need to talk about only Tori all the time...
Lemon Pie : You get to know people more.
Redcloud: That's what's great about Forums, yeah. And share many things
Lemon Pie : And find out you have more things in common. Now I really have to get back to your question about people I felt close to.
I am such an ass not mentioning!
Redcloud: LOL
Lemon Pie : But I have to give a special hug to Jay
Redcloud: It's nice to have him, yeah
Lemon Pie : He really tried to make friends quite early on, but like said I'm the slow one... but I'm getting there... I'm trying to do that more myself: send PMs and get to know people. That's tough too, but then you can pick the one's that you have most in common... lol. Of course, you can't always know unless you try and get to know the other more...
Redcloud: We are so different but have so many things to share, apart from our Tori fandom!
Lemon Pie : True, you hit the nail there pal!
Redcloud:
Lemon Pie : LOL
Redcloud: Give ToriForum an anthem
Lemon Pie : oh, I'm not the right person to do that... Plus it's impossible to choose... can I get back to you? LOL
Redcloud: Any good song is OK
Lemon Pie : ok, let's see: Muhammad my Friend
Redcloud: ooooh, it makes me wanna hear Pele again!!
Lemon Pie : My Tori appreciation combined with the idea of friendship
Redcloud: Did you attend chats?
Lemon Pie : Not so far... the timing isn't really the best for me... starts around 11, 12 pm
Redcloud: They're late for Finns, yeah.
Lemon Pie : I could though, cause on Friday it's not that bad... only then I forget.
Redcloud: Are there great threads you remember?
Lemon Pie : Loads, but can't remember them of course now when you ask... I'm really bad with remembering stuff like said before...
Redcloud: I'm bad at it too... LOL
Lemon Pie : It's like in the exam, you know stuff but you are under too much pressure to remember LOL. I once went to talk with my favourite band and couldn't remember the song of theirs I like the best
Lemon Pie : I loove most of the stupid games
Redcloud: teehee
Lemon Pie : And whatever is often great
Redcloud: I agree! Plus the Grateful thread!
To Be Continued...