Jeanne-Hélène: The French Way

[b][size=1]Note: I really wasn't sure how to do an interview. I decided to just go head on with normal random conversation and then picked out the interview from the looong MSN chat transcripts. The interview took place on three different days because we weren't able to sync owing to the time zone thing. To suddenly interview someone you had never met/interacted even on the Cult was a cool experience. Thanks to Derek. And yep, couldn't resist but steal one of Chuck's essay titles for this one.[/b][/size]

We started off with a sentence I think every man would love to hear a French (heck, ANY) woman say: "You're the boss you can choose how we'll make it." What followed was quite an experience, which best put in Jeanne-Hélène's words is: [COLOR=Orange]"At least you don't have to handle the accent."[/color] and [COLOR=Orange]"Héhéh. Mother tongue is always trying to pop out and rule the sentence."[/COLOR]

Her French English and my Indian English were at a lovely contrast, luckily (once again in her words): [COLOR=Orange]"I learned thanks to school (a bit) and cinema (a lot)"[/color]

So here we go... [i]drum-roll...[/i] [B][COLOR=Orange]Jeanne-Hélène[/COLOR][/B]
[img]http://h1.ripway.com/kickasskick/JH.JPG[/img]

Jugal: So do you think Michael Madsen has the same delivery as Clint Eastwood? or he tries to pull a Clint Eastwood on us?
[COLOR=Orange]Jeanne-Hélène: Wow.That's a question. Hmm could you put it in other words please?[/COLOR]
Jugal: Hmm... let's take the classic scene from Reservoir Dogs, Michael Madsen standing with the shake in his hands, leaning against the pole and delivering the powerpacked dialogue in a totally "cool" style. If you closed your eyes and heard the same thing, would it be Clint Eastwood?
[COLOR=Orange]Jeanne-Hélène: Hmm No it wouldn't be Clint Eastwood. I never had this question in my mind about Madsen and Eastwood. I never made the link between them...
[/COLOR]

Jugal: Which is your favourite Gorillaz song?
[COLOR=Orange]Jeanne-Hélène: Héhé. Not because of the lyrics, but I really enjoy O Green World. Also Latin Simone and Clint Eastwood.[/COLOR]

Jugal: Do you write?
[COLOR=Orange]Jeanne-Hélène: No. Sometimes I have ideas and I'm like " wow it could be nice" but i don't go too far. I started a story once, in the past. Hmm. I have a kind of Diary ( I don't like to call it this way) where I write random things. And a small book where I write pieces of stories. Really short. 5 of 6 pages. And then see if I want to go further. But I really enjoy to make nice looking sentences in french. Though I don't do it much.
[/COLOR]Jugal: "nice looking sentences" that sounds like it could be poetry
[COLOR=Orange]Jeanne-Hélène: Héhéhé well not really. I really like French language and to play with it. But I keep it for myself.[/COLOR]

J: What are you studying?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I will start to study Geography in two months. I'll start University! It was a tough choice becauseI wanted to go on with languages but unfortunately if I want a real job, it's not very solid. So I chose this as it's interesting and I can keep English and Spanish.[/COLOR]
J: Why geography?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I don't know. I like it. There's a lot of things to learn and do after the studies.And with it I can study the Earth; people,their behaviour and other social movements etc. It's interesting. Though my "maturity exam" (i don't know how to call this) is a literary one not a scientifical one.[/COLOR]
J: Graduation exam?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhéh well here it's called Le Baccalauréat. I know that in Italy it's a maturity exam. So I tried to see if it would suit.[/COLOR]
J: I think that should be your graduation exam.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Hmm well I'm 18 (19 in october). I had to do a year twice. And with Le Baccalauréat I can go to University. There's no other exams except the ones including Geography. I don't even know if you're a male a female, and how old you are.[/COLOR]
J: Ha ha, I'm a 23 year old male from Bombay, India
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Okey dokey. Now i'm less in the shadows. Thanks[/COLOR]

J: So you love video games, tell me
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé. Well when I was a kid I watched my sister playing with her Playstation , Final Fantasy and Tomb Raider. Since that time I love videogames. It's a good entertainement.[/COLOR]
J: So you're a girl gamer? Addicted?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yes and no. I don't know how far i am. I have time in my life where I play a lot and I can be a no life for one or two weeks. But I don't do it a lot anymore. I just always have something to play.[/COLOR]
J: Have you played the French MMORPG Dofus?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: YES it's funny that you're talking about it. I started recently, because all of my scouts were playing it and i wanted to give it a try.[/COLOR]
J: What is your character class?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I don't remember the names, but it's the kind of cat. When I'm playing videogames i can't refrain from making equilibrated characters, even if it's not their competencies.[/COLOR]

J: How do you pronounce your name? Curious question.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Ooh very curious and it will tough to write. I'm not too good at phonetics.[/COLOR]
J: I'm bad at pronouncing foreign names... because they always sound different from how they're written.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: And that's really the case here, firstly the H is not pronounced. The J is not pronounced dj' but just J... The ea is pronounced AH. The nne is pronouced n and then you have to go on with the other name. So no H and then the two accentuated e are pronounced differently. It's a slight difference.[/COLOR]

J: Exercise in french phonetics, I'm learning!
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhéhé. We have a lot of letters which are not pronounced. And it's really weird. The more I think about it the more I can understand how it must be tough to learn.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Wow that sentence is awful...[/COLOR]
J: No, in fact this is the most perfect long sentence you've used in English so far.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Thank you. Hmm I don't know if it's a compliment or not Anyway feel free to say it when you don't understand or when i'm writting weird things. At least you don't have to handle the accent.[/COLOR]

J: Which is your favourite film?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: The Godfather. But I really love Cinema and there's other close movies that I like a lot.[/COLOR]
J: What do you have to say about Bertolucci's Dreamers?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Nothing. I didn't see it. I love Cinema but it doesn't mean that I have a good culture. I just enjoy it.[/COLOR]
J: [url]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309987/[/url] -- The Dreamers. The reason I asked you about Dreamers was because it is set in Paris, 1968 and shows the life of three young cinema fans who are drawn together because of their love for cinema
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Oh it must be an interesting movie. Did you like it?[/COLOR]
J: I loved it... It leaves your mind working even after the film is over.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I love this feeling. When you keep on thinking about a movie one or two days after you saw it.[/COLOR]

J: which was the last movie that did that to you?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Probably Nadine. A British movie I saw at the cinema. After that I met quickly the director he was in the room.
[/COLOR]J: and?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: And I was a bit impressed he was the first director I saw. We didn't know it was him. He asked us how it was and then told us he was the director. I was a bit shy that day and didn't dare to ask everything i should have ask[/COLOR]

J: What's the song playing in your head/mp3 player right now?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Muse - Screenager. I've been in love with this band for seven years. Now i'm re listening to all of the albums.[/COLOR]

J: Which was the last party you attended? Where was it? How was it?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhéhé well it depends on your definition of party. Is it a party like having fun with alot of people or having fun with not too many people?[/COLOR]
J: What is *your* definition of a party? I think Party is anytime that you're having fun with no limits, there's booze, food, conversations, music. Number of people can vary
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé ok . That's what I think as well. The number of people is not important as long as you're having fun. So in terms of small party it was one week ago. We went to a festival and then went to sing karaoke with Italian we met in the streets. My last big party was one month ago before I went camping. It was a big party I was badly drunk but it was nice. There was booze,jokes and boys.[/COLOR]
J: How was the Italian?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Italians, I forgot to put an S. Oh there were nice. Two couples[/COLOR]
J: And how were the boys at the big party? Everyone behaved?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé they were nice. There was a kind of cute boy. Not a strangling beauty but he was cute and very funny
[/COLOR]J: Got his phone number? Or did he get yours?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: No. We were very drunk actually. It didn't went far but I know that I could see him again.[/COLOR]

J: When was the last time you were in a relationship with any one? Or consistently dated anyone?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Well.... Hmmm two weeks ago. It's a complicated relationship I'm having[/COLOR]
J: On/Off? I mean is it an On-Off relationship?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Ah no. He's a friend I've been knowing him for one year. Three months ago we started to go further.And actually we're still good friends but we meet for... well...no need to make a drawing. He doesn't want to get engaged. The situation is ok for me but now i'm a a bit attached to this little jerk. Maybe too much.[/COLOR]

J: You know I have a thing for women wearing big earrings and that star earring that you're wearing on the picture on your page has me weak, myspace page that is.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé I like earrings. Do you have a myspace page? I have two blogs but they are in French. And I also have a last.fm page.[/COLOR]

J: I did the babelfish translation of what you posted on your myspace blog. and plan to figure out what the autumn inspired piece says. Though im sure a lot is lost in translation.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yes actually i'm criticising a trend here. When one is feeling something one uses the expression "en mode" which is used for a cell phone to tell in which mode it is. And it's getting on my nerves.[/COLOR]
J: "In mode" like cellphone modes, or like status messages on Chat
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yeah. And people write In mode: in love! and i hate it. I'm only spitting on people on that article. My two articles are weak.[/COLOR]
J: Hmm angst...
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yes. Though I'm not insulting[/COLOR]

J: Your myspace page says that your sexual orientation is "Bi", when did it dawn upon you that even women turned you on?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Well it's been in my mind for a long time. But recently I noticed that I look at woman a lot of time. And not only in the naughty sexual way. But sometimes there's women who are just beautiful and I can't refrain from looking at them.[/COLOR]
J: So this is where we dig for more spice in the interview. Have you ever had your "naughty sexual ways" with women?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé actually I'm still young. Nothing more than kisses but I know that it will happen and I'm ready to go further.[/COLOR]
J: Tell me about your best kiss. Was it with a man or a woman?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Hm the kisses I had with the girl were very sweet and nice. But my best kiss so far was with a boy.[/COLOR]

J: How many boys have you destroyed with your charm?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Ahah don't have charm and I didn't destroy anyone[/COLOR]
J: So you mean no one pursued you hungrily? No one ran after you? No one held your books on the walk back from school? No one died to talk to you? No one acted like a jerk everytime you smiled at him?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I don't think I'm a heart breaker.There's people who tried to fancy me or seduce me. But I don't know if anyone was ever in love. Actually there's one who was in love but i will not talk about that case[/COLOR]
J: Case closed then

J: Do you cook?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: A bit. Not too much. When I need to eat and i'm home alone.[/COLOR]
J: What do you love to cook? and also What do you hate to cook?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I love to cook dessert. I don't like to cook meat and I don't do it a lot[/COLOR]
J: What do you love to eat? Your favourite dish? Your favourite cuisine?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Lasagnas. It's Italian. I really like to eat in general. I love Italian and Mexican food.[/COLOR]

J: If you were to hold a Cult feast at your house where all the regular culties were all invited for dinner and you had to cook french food - Tell me what the table would be like.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Tough but interesting question. I would make some very heavy meals with cheese[/COLOR]
J: Let's get a detailed menu here. With the drinks as well. This is very important because if I'm not mistaken then almost everyone on the cult is a foodie.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Here you go, just like a big banquet with everything mixed,ok?[/COLOR]
J: Ok.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Lasagnes de légumes et de mozarella.
Coquelets grillés.
Salade de tomates et de mozarella.
Un bon plateau de fromages.
Gâteaux à la cannelle.
Tartiflette (some heavy thing)
Choucroute
Des fruits frais
Salade de fruits
Profiterolles[/COLOR]
J: So much Mozarella cheese!
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé yes. Cheese is very good. Hmm Mozarella is a delicious one. I really love this one. I can eat it without being hungry[/COLOR]

[b]French Cakes, she insisted that the cult must look at and salivate:[/b]
[img]http://h1.ripway.com/kickasskick/cakes.JPG[/img]

J: Where do you feel most at home outside home?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yeah. I really feel good at home, I enjoy staying there. Also I love Strasbourg streets. I will send you pictures if you want. A shiny terrasse outside a café is perfect in this city. I love nature and heights. At the top of our Cathedrale. Or at the top of a mountain and I feel good.[/COLOR]

[b]Strasbourg[/b]
[img]http://h1.ripway.com/kickasskick/Strasbourg.JPG[/img]

J: Do you stay close to any beach? Have you been to beaches?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I'm far away from beaches but i've been there a lot of times. I'm 5 minutes away from Germany.[/COLOR]
J: So will you be going to the Chuck reading in Germany?
J-H: No
J: What do you love the most about beaches?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Endless sights. But I think that I prefer mountains.[/COLOR]

J: what is your dream job? Like what would you love to be paid to do?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Be paid to do nothing would be great. Be paid to talk or to direct movies..But be paid to travel would be perfect.[/COLOR]
J: I should've specified that nothing isn't an option.
J: What would you not do, even if someone paid you the BEST salaries in the world?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Well i'm very greedy. I would not kill children or eat human[/COLOR]
J: What if someone offered you a million euros to cut one finger of your palm?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: A phalange? Hmm why not[/COLOR]
J: Which country would you travel to if you had so much money? And how long would you live there?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I love travels. I would travel everywhere actually. Right now I would choose Spain, Mexico, UK[/COLOR]

J: Which is the kinkiest or dirtiest or wildest thing you've done with a boy? And why was it so kinky/dirty/wild?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhhé doing dirty things in a tent where there was two asleep people, that's not that bad but still.[/COLOR]

J: If a male celebrity (music/movies/anything) was to come up to you and say, "I want you NOW" and you would say "yes!" to him without a moment of hesitation - who would it be?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Hugh Jackman or Al Pacino[/COLOR]
J: Female?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Angelina Jolie[/COLOR]

J: What would you give to hear Jeff Buckley's deep 'breathy' breath like right in the beginning of Hallelujah?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhéhé. Wow I would do a lot of things i think. damn now i need to listen to it[/COLOR]
J: Tell me at least one thing!
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Oh. Foot massage! I hate feet.[/COLOR]

J: What turns you off the most in men?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: vulgarity, pretentiousness, and people who are not able to talk properly. Also misbehaviour with women[/COLOR]
J: What grosses you out to the point of violence in men/women?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I know it sounds naive, but i really hate people who beat children, or harm them.[/COLOR]
J: if i gave you a loaded gun and one bullet. who would you kill? (has to be a real person)
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Tough question, lemme think about it[/COLOR]
J: Why? Are there so many people that you hate so much? One bullet is less?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Oh no it's just that I don't know who would deserve such thing.[/COLOR]
J: Which is the most violent revenge you have ever imagined against a person?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Oh I always think about slow torture, like tearing nails and things like that.[/COLOR]
J: Tell me one such in detail
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: In idea it would be tempting. But unless the person killed all my family i would not dare to do such thing. But really, in case i'm really mad i would tear his nails, cut his fingers, his ears, his penis, his testicles. Then put gasolina and salt on everything, and burn it.[/COLOR]

J: It's been a long time since I've been to a rock show, miss being at one.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Cool I like concerts as well[/COLOR]
J: I love the energy. The bass guitar going brrm brrm against your skin.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yes and the weird feeling in your ears after the concert. You almsot still hear it, it's great. "pschhhhhhhhh"[/COLOR]
J: Which has been your most memorable Rock concert experience till date?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Nosfell[/COLOR]
J: Is that the name of a band? What music does the band play?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: It's a french singer who has a very special style. He's able to do a lot of different voices. He makes a real show with different characters. He's schyzophreniac. He was nice, talking to the audience and really great.[/COLOR]

J: How was your weekend?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I'm a scout. And this weekend we met up with all of the chiefs of my region to talk about the budget and othre administrative and boring stuffs. I've been a scout for ten years and i'm not about to quit it.[/COLOR]
J: Do you bake and sell cookies for fundraising like they show in all movies?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé no but i sell calendars[/COLOR]
J: What sorta calendars? As in do they have pictures?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yes it's calendars with pictures choosen carefully showing happy scouts[/COLOR]
J: Till when do you think you'll continue being a scout?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Oh I think i'll continue during at least the next ten years, as much as possible[/COLOR]

J: Your favourite European Country (other than France)? Why?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I 'm hesitating between UK and Spain. There are two places i really like, because of their culture and their language. I don't know which one to pick[/COLOR]
J: What if you really really had to pick one? Let's say French government decides to abandon you for good but they give you a choice: UK or Spain and you really have to take one of them else you wont have a place to go, then?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: UK[/COLOR]

J: Spain reminds me of Pedro Almodovar
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I went to the Cinema and watch La Ley Del Deseo yesterday[/COLOR]
J: Which is your favourite Almodovar film?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I didn't see a lot of them, Only four. Let's say La Mala Educacion[/COLOR]

J: What do you think of the European Union? Was it better off when the countries were on their own?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I'm a Europe lover I think it's a good think even if i'm kinda naive sometimes. A common constitution would be too much but i think it's a fantastic project.[/COLOR]
J: Have you read Tin-tin?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I never liked that comic even if i know it[/COLOR]

J: If Jeanne-Helene from 2020 came back in time and met you, what would you ask her?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: "What did you do to loose weight? Is my job interesting? Will i find someone to love? Who won the rugby world cup? What's up?"[/COLOR]
J: Why the rugby world cup?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I had to put a silly and funny question to add a comic effect.[/COLOR]

J: If you were given a chance/power to invent one futuristic machine, what would that machine do?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Hm good question. Something that could give me anything i want[/COLOR]
J: Give it a name
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: I would call it Barnabé! Or the Mégamachinequioverkill[/COLOR]

J: What is your favourite Alcoholic drink?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Champagne[/COLOR]
J: What is your favourite Cocktail?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Margarita[/COLOR]

Drunk!
[img]http://h1.ripway.com/kickasskick/JH1.JPG[/img]

J: How many drinks does it take to have you totally smashed? Totally smashed as in when you'd wake up the next morning, you wouldn't remember what you did?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Well it depends of the alcohol. I handle it well actually. I think 12 drinks should do it. For scotch (second favourite after Champagne) maybe less than 12, say 9.[/COLOR]

J: What comes to your mind when I say: "Drugs"? How do you connect?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: "No thanks". I'm really not attracted by drugs. Maybe I was brainwashed or something, but i'm not attracted at all by it. It might be because my sister did a lot of drugs when she was young. Now it indiffers me and i pity the ones who are addicted. I don't want to seem like the girl who makes moral advices. Maybe i'm missing something. Actually I don't want to know.[/COLOR]

J: Something in the past, on threads that you had started: So what did you tell the person who said, "Fiction is useless"?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Héhé it was a teacher . And it was homework. I said very scoolish and basic stuffs. Like '' No it's false. It's nice, we don't only need to learn things,it's a good entertainment,it helps to dream,live other things or get advices through stories"[/COLOR]
J: Very schoolish, but then i guess teachers dont understand any other language.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: yeah[/COLOR]

J: What comes to your mind when I say: "Make-up & Cosmetics"? How do you connect?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Hm It's something i use everyday. Only the eyes. But on the other hand i think about those women who make up too much,and it's impressive, i'm trying to understand how they come to certain results. it really impresses me.[/COLOR]
J: Any accessories you wear?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Yes I love accessories. You can be dressed up very simply and accessories makes everything. So I have earrings, piercings, two rings i never remove necklaces, and the things for wrists (bracelets?)[/COLOR]
J: bangles?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: ah it's the same thing... no?[/COLOR]
J: Almost, like every bangle is a bracelet but every bracelet is not a bangle.
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Wow you killed my brain with that sentence[/COLOR]

J: Tell me about family?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: My parents got divorced 7 years ago. Now they are still friends, going to the restaurant or in holiday each other, with their respective wife/husband. I have two older sisters, and they are 27 and 26. The older one has a two years old daughter and the other one will deliver her child next month. Sometimes I say that i have a family composed of mad people,which is not false.[/COLOR]

J: Since this is an interview for the CP cult, which are your favourite Chuck Books?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Lullaby and Choke.[/COLOR]
J: Choke's my favourite too. Which was your first CP book?
[COLOR=Orange]J-H: Fight Club.[/COLOR]

J: How has The Cult changed you?
[img]http://h1.ripway.com/kickasskick/BefAf.JPG[/img]

Next, I decided to have some audio fun mainly because she's French and she'd have an accent! So we recorded four sound clips. (Make sure you don't load more than one of them at the same time, else my bad free hosting service gives you a File Error.)
[B][SIZE=3][url=http://www.geocities.com/mail_jugal_now/cult.html][COLOR=Orange]Audio[/COLOR][/url][/SIZE][/B]
1. Jeanne-Hélène - She says her own name, in case all of you were wondering how those accented e's were pronounced.
2. Scarface starring Jeanne-Hélène as Tony Montana! She says two of your favourite lines from the movie.
3. Last but not the least a 60 second message from her to the Cult in French! (So that only people who know French which she says are 2 or 3 people on the cult understand it.)

[COLOR=Orange][b]Fin![/b][/COLOR]