Should that be “on which to give personal opinions”? Anyway, it’s rainy and gloomy in Chicago today, and will stay gloomy for several more days, so I thought it would be a good time for us all to get to know each other better 🙂
First question!
If you could be rich or famous or talented, which would you pick?
Hmmm. I’m torn. If I was famous, then people would listen to me and I could act as a megaphone for things I care about. If I was talented, I could make people pay attention to things and feel the same way I do. But if I was rich, I could just straight FIX problems, and that would probably be easiest.
Yes, since I am lazy, I will go for rich. Then I don’t have to create anything or give interviews or anything. I can just throw money at problems. HA!
Second question!
If you could have a magical vacation secret place anywhere in the world, where would it be?
My first thought is “well, somewhere an easy drive so I wouldn’t have to fly and take time off work and…” But NO! This is a MAGICAL vacation secret spot. So don’t think about work and family and traveling there, it is MAGICAL.
I took this seriously and did some google image searches, these were my top 3 runner ups:
There’s a small castle in Scotland, all stony and cozy and lonely
There’s this gorgeous peaceful lake house in Sweden
And of course Kerala!
But I think, since what I most miss in regular life is sunshine, I would go for a lovely deserted island sunny cottage.
Third question!
If you had to pick a luxury gift, would you want jewelry, a car, or a high fashion dress?
Notice I say you HAD to pick a luxury gift. No fair saying “but, what I really want is a house or a college degree or starter funds for my business”. It has to be a stupid luxury item.
And once again, I have pictures!
Jewelry:
Car
High Fashion
I think I’d go jewelry. Just because it’s easiest to store. If I’m stuck with some stupid car, where am I gonna keep the dang thing? And what am I supposed to do with a high fashion dress, wear it to the grocery store?
Okay, your turn! And please feel free to pepper your answers with images. A reminder, to add an image to a comment, find it online, right click, and select “copy image address” (not copy image, but copy image address). Then in your comment, go down a line, paste, and go down another line. And then when the comment posts, the image will embed.
dontcallitbollywood 
Talent. There just is an instant satisfaction in doing something you’re good at. And you can never lose a talent.
If you’d gone with the lake house, I would have chosen a tent on the island opposite. My basic idea of a vacation probably still is camping somewhere I can pretend is still a little wild. But since I’m not limited to Europe in my dreams, I might upgrade to canoeing on some really calm river in Canada or something.
That specific car is very tempting. I know I keep going, “once our current car fails we really don’t need a new one here in Berlin.” But those classic sports cars are just so darn esthetically pleasing. Are we talking modern fashion show fashion? Or more ballgown like in your picture? I haven’t worn a dress in decades (wow, I’m old!), but I would take a really fancy tux. With a top hat and white gloves and a silk vest preferably more colorful than this.
Maybe I could get one made from sari fabric. I could just put the outfit on in my bedroom whenever I need to feel really fancy for a while.
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Good point about talent, it is the only thing that is fully innate on my list, not given to you by society.
How about a canoe on an island in the rivers of inner Canada? Whenever you want, just close your eyes and pop over there. Also, have you read the kids book “Hatchet”? It’s set in the Canadian forests, a survival story of a kid, and it’s a lovely little book.
I think it can be any outfit you want, so long as it it is ridiculously impractical! So, the suit you showed, but a little bit more over the top so you really REALLy can’t wear it anywhere.
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 3:06 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Oh yeah, it would definitely need to be more over the top. I was just trying to give a general idea of the kind of vest I’m talking about.
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How do you feel about a top hat? And maybe something with feathers? Ooooooo, or a brocade coat?
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 7:36 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I already listed the top hat. Actually, that’s part of the reason I chose the outfit. Owning a top hat is kind of on my bucket list. And I wouldn’t say no to a brocade coat, either.
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Sorry, sleepy! What do we think about this look?
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 7:59 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I do not think that’s equivalent to your ballgown, but I love the color and the walking stick. Can I get a walking stick? Still, the top hat has to be boring standard black, I’m afraid. And I’d prefer the coat and pants in neutrals, too, to better offset the magenta vest. But they can be as shiny and impractical as you like.
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Massive tails? Could the coat have massive tails?
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 8:15 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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You’re really worried that I might actually wear part of the outfit, aren’t you? But it’s not meant to be objectively ugly, is it? Maybe we can put in a really constricting collar? Or have a huge neck cloth attached to the coat.
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I am VERY worried that you might actually wear it! To something short of the Met Ball.
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 8:41 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I guess you know me too well. Once I owned an outfit like that, I would probably find myself buying tickets to some opera ball or other. Anything ridiculously fancy and old fashioned – where they probably wouldn’t even let me in in “menswear”.
Ha! I win after all!
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1. Definitely rich. Fame is the worst thing because what is it exactly? It comes and goes, but when you have it you can’t even eat your meal in a restaurant. Some pople love you, but some hate you without a reason and everybody has opinion about your life. A nightmare!
Being talented is nice but can also be frustrating if you can’t find someone who will help you in your career, so rich. You can live well, help your family, help others and make how many cat shelters you want.
2. A simple house at the beach/ near ocean somwhere in Latin America like this:
Or Harry Qubert villa in Maine / New Hampsire (the series sucks but the house was spectacular and the best character in the story)
3. Jewelry if it’s some old , precious piece handed down thought generations.
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Dog shelters! Cats can do fine on their own.
I was curious where Harry Qubert filmed, turns out it filmed in Quebec. So that’s where you wanna go! Although I also like your beach/ocean house.
I will allow the jewelry to be antique, but it also has to be ridiculous and impractical. Like this:
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1) never ending source of money so I can work with talented people and through them I’ll get famous…and maybe through becoming famous, I can make some people happy (which would make me happy, too) and also fix some problems (which gives a good purpose to my life) 🙂
2) a magic place… I want to have something without smog and tourists, free view on an ocean or a big lake, I want to see mountains, have fabulous sun-risings or sun-sets and living not too far away from other people, have good shopping possibilities at walking distances and also good bars and restaurants near the water, good occasions to do long walks (beaches, forests, esplanades) and the weather not too hot and not too cold… I don’t have all of this but in a certain way my little appartment near Geneva is my magic place already (and also for my family and friends). I have an unobstructable view on the Lake Geneva, the Mont Blanc and other mountains from inside the appartment and from my balcony, I often am kissed awake by the rising sun which makes the sky burn, it’s not a place filled with tourists and there are many occasions to do a walk, shopping and fine eating and drinking (and even dancing)…If I was rich, I would still like to have this appartment but would not have to ponder about the costs…
https://www.versoix.ch/
3) definitly a car (I’m neither in jewelry nor am I interested in fashion)…and it has to be a car I can use for camping but also for transportation…(I already have my dream car – a Ford Transit with a ceiling of more than 2 metres…and with the money, I could make it set up as I wish (that would be luxury for me 😉 and make trips to regions I would like to be…
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That’s what I can see exactly like that …isn’t that magical?
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So beautiful!
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My current vacation place is also already my favorite place on earth too! Only, it’s not warm year round, and I have to drive through traffic to get there. So I will replace it with a place that is always warm and also I can get there magically without traffic.
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 2:29 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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1. Rich. Talent has to be recognized, lots of people have it but don’t have the confidence to see it in themselves. Some do recognize it in themselves, but without recognition few others see it. And what was the other? Fame. Fame will destroy talent, but it does help a person aquire wealth. But whatever, I’ll just take the money.
2. Vacation – I’m not sure I want a secret place, I tend to be drawn to places with history or filled cultures that are unfamiliar to me – but neither of which are secret. I want a magical closet that will take me to a different place in the world (and back) once a year. Right now I would go to Shimla because I was watching Yeh Dillagi and apparently Shimla has winter, spring, & summer all at the same time.
For the rest of the year where I live is pretty sweet. I’m watching the sun set on the sierra now. I don’t have an awesome full window view from my living room, but I can still see them through the trees and my neighbor’s house tops. In the summer I can swim in lakes and canals and hike in the mountains & in the winter I can ski, and hike giant sand dunes, and camp near prehistoric villages. AND I walk half a block down the street to a hardware store and a small grocery store. I live in heaven (as long as you don’t go to school board meetings). I can’t wait till my leg and head heal and I can fully enjoy my heaven again.
3. Gift = car. A car is actually functional. For a while I had a hand-me-down mustang. It was really fun to drive.
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Learning about other cultures and stuff just seems like work to me. I want my vacation in total loneliness. Really, what I should do is go stay near you, it sounds like.
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 9:26 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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1. Talent. Talent can bring you joy and help you give joy to others, whatever else is going on with your life or in the world. Money doesn’t bring happiness once you’re past the point of having enough, and fame is the worst- I agree with Angie, a nightmare.
2. Somewhere with real mountains and some water, chill but not too isolated. I want to be able to buy food, go to restaurants, chat with people when I’m in the mood. But not in my language and preferably in a different country where I can just be open and curious and not come with preconceptions. And maybe with the occasional passing llama. Like here.
3. A sporty little car that’s fun to drive and completely impractical for transporting children or stuff. Jewelry is nice but I don’t get excited about it, and with a dress I’d always have to worry about how it fit and if I have the right shoes and how I’m doing my hair and makeup. A little car would be way more fun. Something like this.
https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/2021-porsche-718-cayman-gt4-107-1616160477.jpg?crop=0.721xw:0.810xh;0.146xw,0.108xh&resize=640:*
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Oooo ooo! What about Greece? Like you see in movie songs? With all the cool white houses and shining seas and stuff?
On Wed, Mar 23, 2022 at 10:49 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Too hot! I would get sunburned. I like the ocean but I’ll take mountains over beach. And I don’t speak Greek, harder to find people to talk to.
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You like impractical jewelry, and I saw an ad for this on the LA Times page. And just kinda loved the double impracticalness of it, even if it isnt as splashy as required.
https://starwarsfinejewelry.com/products/the-jedi-master-womens-pendant-1-5-ct-tw-white-diamonds-and-jade-true-two-tone-silver-and-10k-yellow-gold/
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I mean, now we are talking diamond studded gold SRK pendant world, right?
On Thu, Mar 24, 2022 at 10:12 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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1. Money. Fame would be my worst nightmare and a terrible burden. As for talent; money would free me to indulge and enjoy any of it I already have, which would be far more satisfying than excess talent going to waste for lack of opportunity. Also, with enough money I could buy other people’s talent. So I would do that and create a series of ridiculously fluffy niche romances and touching dramas starring all my favourite people, which would all become the biggest hits ever and kick off world peace as everyone forgot about everything but bonding over the wonderfullness of love. And dogs.
Failing that, or, after my films all flop disastrously; I am rather fond of the coat/hat costume you posted above. Add more gaudy flamboyance, long tails to swish, some sparkly glass bits and a huge scarf, and I will have that and wear it constantly while I sit on the rocks at my favourite beach magical vacation spot and moodily narrate my life’s story to the uncaring ocean and the occasional passing traveller. Eons will pass, green moss will grow on the purple velvet of my boots, and no one will quite be certain anymore where I came from or whether any of my words are true, but every now and then I’ll pluck a tiny diamond from the peacock embroidery on my hat and press it into a special listener’s hand, asking them to remember my great lost love, Anushka.
(I may have got carried away)
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OH! I never even thought about using money to make myself movies!!!! I would be totally indulgent, but also, my taste is best taste so I would be bringing good things into the world.
On Thu, Mar 24, 2022 at 3:32 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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Ha ha, if I were rich I would definitely help you finance those fluffy niche romances and touching dramas. And Vikrant Massey would have an exclusive contract with our production company.
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Oh oh! Angie! If you were rich, you could pay people to gain weight! Well, we could make it nicer than that, we would put you in charge of “style and look” for the actors we cast. And you could make them all nice and soft and sweet looking.
On Fri, Mar 25, 2022 at 2:39 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I already have idea for a super nice and cuddly adult romance, stolen from an old Polish series: The protagonist, Vijay Sethupathi is a very nice and simple man. He has never been married because he’s shy and stuff. He has a married friend (Maddy) and is a little jelaous of his family and a little in love with Maddy’s wife (not sure who can play her). One day Maddy tels him he left his wife because he has a new and young girlfriend. Vijay helps the abandoned wife, they become closer and closer. Vijay is ready to propose, but before he wants to talk with Maddy. And then twist, Maddy is like: oh shit, I was going to come back to my wife because my girlfriend dumped me. Vijay as a good friend decides to not propose and help Maddy. The Polish series ends here, but our film will be better. When Maddy comes back, his wife is like: What are you doing here? I’m in love with Vijay and don’t want to be with you anymore. Vijay overhears it and almost faints from emotion.
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Your ending is too simple! Obviously wife will take Maddy back because of Culture. And then she even pushes Vijay into trying to finally find a wife in a transparent attempt to make him no longer an option for herself. Everyone is angsty and tortured except for stupid Maddy. And Vijay ends up engaged to a nice young woman (don’t worry, we will find out that she secretly wants to go to college and not get married so she’s fine). But at the engagement party, everyone gets drunk and stays for a long time, and Maddy gets so drunk Vijay has to help him home. And then Vijay and Wife end up confessing their love and having sex while Maddy is asleep in the other room. The next morning, they wake up together and then Maddy interrupts them before they can talk and everyone is rushing to the wedding. Until WIFE interrupts the wedding and publicly declares her love and demands that Vijay marry her.
On Fri, Mar 25, 2022 at 10:50 AM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I love this idea ❤ I would only change sex with “almost sex”, because I feel it fits better Vijay’s good character and I personally find it sexier.
Man, it would be such a good romance. What a pity we aren’t rich 😄
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Rich, of course! I enjoy my hobbies already so no need for further talents… Talents are to enjoy and provide enjoyment, but importantly they’re ends in themselves even if they don’t result in anything further than moving you as you use them — does that make sense?? VS being rich means enabling change and comfort for others and yourself in this world.
Fav destination? Hmm, I’ve never been to Bath… I’d like that I think, but since it’s magical, I’d like to hop over to Bath in the 1800s … But also one that’s colour agnostic so that I’m not singled out for not being white skinned!
CAR! We don’t have one and they’re ridiculously expensive to buy and maintain in Singapore so of course a CAR to cruise around in (with maintenance paid for too, ha!)
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Oooo, you know that subgenre of BBC mystery shows that is mystery shows in interesting locations? There’s a new one set in modern Bath that I need to get back to. Just, RIDICULOUS mansions and murder locations, and all so sunny and pretty.
Having a car is really really nice. Chicago, thankfully, is a very car friendly city. I love riding public transit, but I also like being able to just go anywhere I want whenever I want without waiting for a train.
Yes, your rich/talent answer makes total sense. Especially because I spent last night doing adult coloring books. Which require no real talent, but are SO enjoyable! Like, I probably get as much joy out of an adult coloring book as a talented artist gets out of sketching.
On Thu, Mar 24, 2022 at 8:10 PM dontcallitbollywood wrote:
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I like the time travel aspect of idyllic vacations!
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