Week 3 Hodgepodge

1. American Idol is back for a 14th season. Are you watching? Have you ever watched? If you were to audition for the show (or were made to audition), what song would you sing?

I have never watched American Idol, nor do I ever intend to. If I could audition, I'd start by singing a few songs to my friends and family, and then ask them which one they think I did best. It would likely be an American folk song, like "In the Pines" or "The Wabash Cannonball." I like those songs, and they aren't especially well known anymore. So, by singing them on national television I would be helping them survive!

2. Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first."

So when did you last have to 'eat a frog'? Or two? How'd that work out?

Mr. Twain is being metaphorical here. By "eat a frog" he seems to mean "do something difficult." I "eat a frog" every day when I start doing work. I usually don't do the hardest thing first. I warm up with something a bit easier.

3. If you were going on safari, what is the number one animal you'd want to see?

Tough choice!

I've seen some Safari animals at my local zoo, so it's not like it would be my first time seeing a lot of them.

I'm gonna say I'll go with whichever one has the cutest babies.

4. January 21st is National Granola Bar Day. I know. Do you like granola bars? Chewy or crunchy? Your favorite flavor? How about regular granola? Let's exhaust this topic in honor of the holiday okay?

I don't eat granola bars very often, but when I do I prefer chewy ones. Especially if they have bits of chocolate in them!

I think regular granola is ok, but not great.

Are granola bars sold in China?

5. If only__________________________________________.

I could time travel!

I'd visit all kinds of fun places that don't exist anymore. Like the Chicago World's Fair, amusement parks on Coney Island (in New York City), or the Ambassador Hotel (in LA, but closed before I was born). I'd also see some of my favorite bands in concert.

Of course, I wouldn't want to live very far in the past, since there was no internet, and fewer rights for women. But I would love to be able to visit!

6. You can add one item to your bedroom. What will it be? Keep it family friendly please.

Some kind of antique, like a grandfather clock or a machine that plays those old wax cylinder records.

7. What is one thing you've enjoyed about winter thus far? If it's not winter in your corner of the globe, what season is it, and what is something you've enjoyed about whatever season it happens to be?

We don't get much of a winter here on the California coast. I'd say the best thing was the rain we got. California's suffering from a drought, and although there wasn't enough rain to end it, what rain we did get hopefully helped a little.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I feel like these questions involve a lot of American culture, since they were written by an American blogger. I don't know if I always explain everything that needs to be explained. I don't know what my Chinese readers are unfamiliar with. So, if you don't understand something, please ask about it in the comments.

Here, again, is the blog where I get these questions:

http://www.fromthissideofthepond.com/