Getting To Know You, Getting To Know All About You

[abigailnus]

Oh Gods.  Here goes.
 
 **************************
 
>Real name:
 
Abigail Nussbaum

>Also known as:
 
abigailnus
 
>Age/Sex:
 
22/F
 
>Birthplace/Livingplace:
 
Born in Kiriat Ono, Israel, which is a semi-suburb of Tel Aviv.  I've 
lived in Israel all my life, and these days I divide my time between 
home and Haifa, a port city in the north where I'm going to university.

>Family Life:

Very, very single.  Family at this point includes world's best mother, 
world's best little brother (16), worlds' dumbest dog - Belladonna, 
mixed Semoyed-Bernaise, 8 - and her mother, Snowball, 13 year 
old Semoyed.
  
>Personality:
 
Yup, at least one.

>Words friends have used to describe you:

Well, someone once told me that I have absolutely no negative 
Karma, but that was during a month of training in the army, when 
the days stretch into weeks and the world shrinks to the narrow 
confines of a training base.  A lot of weird things get said during 
army training.  Anyway, I never kept in touch with her after 
completing training, which can't be good for the old Karma.  Damn.

Oh, and also tactless.
 
>Words you have used to describe you:

Serious, bookish.
 
>Things you do when not staring at the computer:

Read.  Walk my dogs.  Study (hah!).  Go to movies.  

>Comfort foods:

Well, I do make the meanest chocolate chip cookies this side of 
the river Jordan.  No nuts, however.  Nuts are evil.  

Generally speaking, I love all the foods that I love equally.  
There's no favorite.
 
>Education/Work:

Currently wrapping up my second year of a Computer Science 
major at the Technion, which is a school for engineering and 
science that is ranked one of the top in the world (I'll stop 
bragging now).  I hope to continue on to a Master's degree in 
Cognitive Studies, which is the study of how the brain collects 
and stores information and the attempt to emulate that in 
computers.
  
I've never had a serious job, but I did serve in the army for 2 
years, which is just like a job except I was paid 36 cents an 
hour.  I worked in the Personnel department of the Medical 
Corps as a glorified clerk.  My job was to use a database query 
system that produced information about personnel.  I'd explain 
more but I think it might be enough to land me in jail, and I 
know that it'll be enought to bore you to tears.
 
>Language skills

English & Hebrew, both fluently - my mother is American and 
came to Israel in '71.  I took four years of French in high school 
and was actually pretty good, but I've forgotten it all.
 
>Technical know-how:

This is kind of emabarassing for a CS major to admit, but if your 
computer crashed I'd probably just tell you to hit the restart button.  
 
>Favourite HP book:

CoS.  Yes, I'm the one.
 
>Favourite HP character(s):

Like Cindy, my tastes have been skewed since I started with HPfGU.  
These days I'd have to say Snape, or maybe Neville.  Two years ago 
I don't think I really had a favorite character, but I admired 
Hermione very much - she was the person tha I was in high school, 
except a lot braver and wiser.

>Favourite HP line

I'm kind of scared to admit it, but I've never been that excited by 
JKR's dialogue.  It gets the job done, and occasionally merits a 
chuckle, but I don't really have a favorite.

The notable exception is not really a line, and is my favorite due 
to circumstances more than anything else.  I've mentioned before 
that my mother and I read the HP books to my brother (who is 
dyslexic).  While reading the first book, I came to the Hogwarts 
song, and when I started reading "Hogwarts, Hogwarts.  Hoggy, 
warty, Hogwarts!" we just all burst out into such laughter that it 
was impossible to finish the song and we all needed a few minute 
to collect ourselves before continuing.
 
>Watching/Avoiding the HP movies?:

Saw both.  Fervently wish I hadn't.  Just about the only thing those 
movies got right was casting Alan Rickman as Snape, and then he 
was completely wasted during the second movie!  Also, do not see 
the appeal of Jason Isaacs.  Hoping against hope to see something 
better from Cuaron.
 
>Into HP fanfiction?

Read one fanfic several years ago.  Thought is was mediocre.  
Haven't read anything since as I think my perception of the books has 
been skewed quite enough by hanging around HPfGU.
 
>Books you'd recommend to just about anyone:

How much time do I have?  A short list might include:
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson
Possession by A. S. Byatt
Bee Season by Mila Goldberg
Anything by Terry Pratchett, but especially Wyrd Sisters, Mort and Small Go=
ds
Bag of Bones by Stephen King
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein (duh!)
and many others.
 
>Favorite TV shows?

The late, lamented Buffy the Vampire Slayer has got to be one of the 
best things to grace a television screen in a long time.  Angel is 
unfortunately not nearly as good, but enjoyable.  I like The West Wing 
mainly for its cleverness and dialogue.  My brother and I have recently 
gotten into the first season of 24, but I find it a bit too gimicky.
 
>Favorite movies:

The Matrix, and The Matrix Reloaded despite some resevations.  The 
first two LOTR movies.  Magnolia.  Donnie Darko.  The Age of Innocence.  
And many, many others.

>One thing about your life you'd change if you could – you may not 
>say "lose weight."

I'd be more outgoing.  I'd get to know my father better while I still had 
the chance.  I'd try seriously to write.

>One thing about your life you wouldn't change even for an advance 
>copy of Book 7:

If being outgoing means that I would read less than forget it.  And I 
don't want an advance copy of book 7 anyway!  Haven't you heard of 
delaying your pleasures?
 
>Philosophy for an easy life:

When I figure it out, you'll be the first to know.

>How you found HPfGU:

Good question.  I was searching online for the OOP releasse date 
and I came across alt.fan.harry-potter.  I wasn't very impressed, but 
I hung around, and at some point someone mentioned HPfGU.  At 
first I was expecting something along the lines of AFHP, and I was 
truly wowed by what I found.
 
>Active at other HP sites:

I check out TLC from time to time, but that's pretty much it.

>Your most rock solid OoP prediction:

Dead!Lupin.  And also Imperius!Arthur, although not necessarily in 
OOP.  Auror!Arthur is, I admit, on slightly shakier ground.
 
>Members of the fandom you have personally met:

None, but if any of you come to Israel, my Mom has a spare bedroom 
you can use.

Abigail
Wondering how you know when you've shared too much.