The Top 10 Blog Interview With….. @terrinakamura

I am delighted to welcome Terri Nakamura as this week’s guest in my Interview Series. Terri, who was previously a guest with her Top 10 Tipy Togs is such a fascinating, fun person to connect with and it was no surprise to see her listed in Bit Rebels Twitter’s Top 75 Badass Women.

With a bio which describes her as a ‘Graphic designer & fun person; likes humor, Apple/Mac, cool, interesting, design, art, business, technology, weird, pop culture & breaking news’, you can be sure that you will always find something to interest and entertain you in her Twitter stream. If you would like to connect with Terri just click on this image.

If you were stranded on a desert island and were allowed one luxury item what would it be and why?

A solar-powered MacBook Pro with a satellite connection, camera and embedded GPS, loaded with the Adobe Creative Suite and my other usual applications. I could Google how to make the best of what I found there, maybe write about the experience, and possibly the GPS would enable someone to rescue me! And hey, I just thought of something else—maybe I could Skype with people so it wouldn’t feel lonely…OR TWEET! That would be SWEET!

Do you have any phobias?

Not really. I’m not fond of maggots, but I wouldn’t describe it as a phobia. That’s a funny question, though, Tony. If someone says, “I’m afraid of goldfish,” then people will know how to spook you!

Who inspires you and why?

On Twitter in late 2008 or early 2009 I met Sarah Ezekiel (@sarahezekiel). She is a beautiful and courageous person who lives with and advocates for the research and public awareness of Motor Neuron Disease (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

I reached out to Sarah when I learned a friend had been diagnosed. After a 6-month struggle, he was lost to ALS in January. Sarah is so supportive though she now must rely more and more on the help of others. She has been incredibly resilient. She continues to write and share, plus she’s a mom. I don’t think I could do what she does. She just blows me away.

Which animal would you most like to be and why?

The past few months have been unusually stressful because I’ve been overbooked (work-wise), and it is slated to continue into June. Several times recently I have looked at my cat, Hunter, sprawled on the couch in my office, completely blissed out.

The expression on his face was such stark contrast to how I was feeling, and I’ve said, “Hunter, I wish I could be you right now and—just for 5 minutes—not feel a care in the world.”

Which is your all time favourite movie and why?

There are so many I love, but if I have to choose one it would be “Chinatown.” It is just a brilliantly crafted film, with great characters, a terrific story, styling and cinematography. It’s a classic. If you haven’t seen it, you really need to check it out.

If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?

The power to heal. And the reason is that it would be amazing to be able to fix people and things that are broken.

But if you mean it in a Super-hero sense, I’d say the power to fly. No more sitting in traffic jams!

What do you think you will be doing in 10 years time?

I’d like to think I will be riding the next wave of whatever is happening in the world. I love new technology and learning, and whatever I’m doing will likely require both for me to remain happy, relevant and an active participant in life.

What is your favourite guilty pleasure?

Hanging out with my husband, watching episodes of “Entourage.” We only discovered it this year and we’re halfway through Season 4. It’s not for polite company but it really makes us laugh. A LOT.

You are holding a dinner party and you can invite 3 people (living or historical), who would you invite and why?

Three people who are not famous, but they are important people whose lives ended sooner than I wished: my grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s; my father-in-law, who died of complications of Parkinson’s; and a friend who, 25 years ago, took his own life during an episode of manic depression (now referred to as bipolar disorder).

When people are impaired and then pass away, the most recent image of them stays in your mind. It would be wonderful to see them as they were when they were healthy and lucid, hug them and get hugs back, and to express things all of us might have missed the chance to say.

Can you tell us one thing about yourself which would surprise people who know you?

I like working on my classic car, a 1976 BMW 2002.

Many thanks to Terri for such a personal and enlightening peek behind her Twitter bio.

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*Image credits

Terri & Hunter – Terri Nakamura

Healing – Madmoiselle Lavender Lou Flickr