Getting To Know You, Getting To Know All About You

[Ali]

Firstly, Hi and welcome to all you newbies especially Jo!

I've really enjoyed reading all the bios and would love to read 
everybody elses (please!). I cannot believe how early Amanda gets 
up, and it took me a little while to realise that Debbie does not 
eat golden fish with her wine.

Anyway, here is my bio:

>Real name:

Ali Hewison
 
>Also known as:

Al
Alison
(I was too green to consider thinking up a Nom de Plume when I 
joined the list).

 >Age/Sex:

34/F

>Birthplace/Livingplace:

Walthamstow, London (It's at the end of the Victoria Line). 
Currently Reading, UK Been here for 13 years. Almost certainly being 
forced to relocate to Exeter in 2005.

>Family Life:

Married 11 years (well, in September) to Tim. Two kids -- 5 year old 
girl, Jessica, 3 year old girl, Emily (also known as monster). 
We also have 2 cats, a 12 year old half-Siamese called Spooky, and a 
9 year old half-Tonkinese called Poppy.

>Personality:

Ermm, Shy. I did actually come out as extrovert on the Myers-Briggs 
test, but I'm not sure how. My learning style is: Activist.
 
>Words friends have used to describe you:

Mad, "Rebel without a cause" (that was at school when I was in to 
organising homework strikes, and guilty of Hermione-type behaviour). 
Open, honest, kind, idealistic and loyal – people do talk don't 
they? I apparently apologise too much and lack confidence. Various 
people this year have called me "Academic Ali" – that was before I 
fluffed my exams!

 >Words you have used to describe you:

Lazy, caring, stupid, shy, nosey

 >Things you do when not staring at the computer:

For the past 2 years I've been doing a Post Graduate Diploma in HR, 
which has proved to be a mistake this year. I spend most of my time 
with kids or talking about them. I love gardening. I ate the first 
strawberry from my garden this morning, and it was yummy! Oh, and I 
occasionally talk to my poor long suffering hubby – who I meet when 
I was 18, so young relationships *can* last.
 
>Comfort foods:

The humble potato. I love crisps (US:chips), chips (US: French 
fries), roast potatoes, roast new potatoes on garlic and rosemary. I 
also love Indian, Chinese, Thai and Italian food. Anything savoury 
really so long as it hasn't got any meat in it. On and of course 
chocolate and the good old cup of tea.
 
>Education/Work:

LLB Law – In Britain, the most common way to enter the Legal 
Profession is by first studying it as a degree. I went travelling 
though instead of going to Law School.

I was a bank manager for 10 years and have a banking qualification 
which elected me to the Chartered Institute of Bankers. That got me 
a posh certificate and a very nice lunch, but not a lot else.

I haven't worked for 3 years since the birth of my second daughter. 
I did think I wanted to go into HR – hence my Personnel course. I'm 
now thinking about becoming a junior school teacher. Basically, I'm 
still searching for the "right" direction. 

>Language skills

English. I did study Latin and Ancient Greek for A'Level. I can get 
by in French and went to evening classes for 3 years to learn 
Italian. I found the grammar and vocab easy, but I was too shy to 
speak, and my accent was hopeless.

>Technical know-how:

I'm another techno-squib, although I've got a very useful husband!


>Favourite HP book:

PoA. I'm hoping that will soon change though. 

>Favourite HP character(s):

I love Harry. This is followed closely by Lupin and Sirius. I've 
never quite managed to shake off Pippin's ESE!Lupin though. Snape 
also interests me, and for some reason I love the Dursleys.

 >Favourite HP line

 >Watching/Avoiding the HP movies?:

 Watching. I know they're not brilliant. I hate every single 
alteration and the end of CoS makes me want to throw up
 but, I do 
still love them. The son of a friend of mine is an extra in PoA, so 
I've enjoyed getting some insider information. I'm confident that 
PoA will be better. But, it's going to have to be a lot better 
before I'm truly happy.

I went to Gloucester Cathedral last week, so the latest picture of 
me is pretending to hear the Basilisk in the Cathedral Cloisters. I 
know I'm sad!

>Into HP fanfiction?

No, I'm waiting until I've read Book 7.

 >Books you'd recommend to just about anyone:

Captain Corelli's Mandolin, anything by Charles Dickens, books about 
Marcus Didius Falco, a Roman infomer by Lindsey Davis, and the 
trilogy by William Nicholson – although I haven't read the 3rd one 
yet because I'm too mean!

 >Favorite TV shows?

Erm, not really watching that much at the moment. Really liked Cold 
Feet. 

>Favorite movies:

Shawshank Redemption and Gladiator. I hate violence, but shut my 
eyes during the bloody bits, and accept the violence as necessary to 
drive the plot.

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

Where do I start? There's a little phrase I try to tell 
myself "Accept the things you can not change, and change the things 
you cannot accept"

I suppose I do regret not qualifying as a lawyer, but I haven't got 
a Time-turner so I can't undo the past, and anyway travelling was 
brilliant. 


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

My husband, my kids (I'd like my little one to come out of 
monsterdom though). Oh yeah, and travelling. I think I've been to 35 
countries and would love to go to more. 

 >Philosophy for an easy life:

Will tell everyone when I've found it. See above for phrase I try to 
abide by.

 
>How you found HPfGU:

I was erm learning to use the Internet. I thought only strange 
people were in chatgroups, but by the time I found HPfGU, I had 
spent 3 years boring my friends rigid about Harry Potter. Finding 
HPfGU was like coming home – strange people or not!

>Active at other HP sites:

I read Leaky Cauldron and have lurked a little on a couple of other 
sites, but this is the one!

 >Your most rock solid OoP prediction:

Hagrid is toast.

 >Members of the fandom you have personally met:

Catherine
Eloise
Pip
Grey Wolf
Michelle
Alex
Dinah
Dave Witley
Neil Ward
John Walton (who can't remember meeting me, but he did give me some 
traditional Sherbet Lemons stuck in the paper bag, so I forgive him.
Joywitch Curmudgeon

I think I've meet a few more as well, but only briefly.
 
What do you think will happen at the end of Book 7? 

Harry will survive sans powers and have to return to the Muggle 
World. I might change my mind after Newsnight on 19th of June though.


Ali