When I was eight years old I became an Irish step dancer. I danced for six years, and at times I still miss those stiff shoulders and battering feet. Alana was in class with me when we first met, and after I quit dancing I didn't expect to see her. A few years later we ran into each other at a Good Charlotte concert. I was close to the front of the line when she arrived, and the line ran a mile behind me, so I pulled her in and saved her from spending more time in the rain. After that, we ended up at the same high school for four years. Coming to know Alana as a very intelligent girl, I went into this interview with plenty of questions, and her answers certainly did not disappoint.

Interview conducted at the Common in Bradford, MA on 7/27/09

Jessica: Give me some general information about yourself- kind of like a Myspace biography. What would you say to someone who didn’t know you?

Alana: I wouldn’t have to tell anything. They would see it. I’m a computer nerd. I am self-parodying- like this t-shirt that makes fun of hipsters. I was afraid it would come too big and I would have to wear it with leggings… I am down-to-Earth. I read a lot and listen to a lot of music. People who knew me would be able to see that I am a completely different person from last year to now.

J: Being a student in Montreal, which Canadian custom would you like to see come to the U.S.?

A: Poutine! It’s a dish of French fries with gravy and cheese curds. I was afraid to try it at first because it looks like puke in a bowl. Also, Canadians are generally a lot friendlier to their fellow man than Americans are. I’d like to see that here.

J: Turn the question around. What could Canada learn from the U.S.?

A: I don’t know… Canada has done a great job of being America’s hat. They just need to learn how to say… it’s even hard for me to say properly because I am picking up a bit of that Canadian accent…but how to say “about” properly.

J: You have also travelled to Japan. What was your favorite experience there?

A: That was a long time ago. It was different. Living with a host family was really enlightening. From the moment that they wake up to the time that they go to bed everything is organized and just makes sense. They are big on the family unit. They also have good food… I am a big foodie. That comes from having a chef as a father.

J: I am also huge fan of food.

A: It’s fun to work with my dad at the restaurant because he’ll just look down the line at me and ask if I want some ribs.

J: What are your post-college plans?

A: I want to get a job as a software engineer. When I started high school I wanted to teach English, but I realized that I’d be a terrible teacher. But I have a “que sera sera” (“what will be will be”) sort of an attitude toward life right now. There are too many curveballs to anticipate them all.

J: What has been your favorite college class so far?

A: Intro to computing. I started my major late. I was originally in economics, but I found that I hated economics, so I switched to computer science. The intro class laid down the fundamentals. It was a tough class and I did well so I was pretty proud of myself.

J: When things get quiet, what sorts of hobbies consume your time?

A: I spend a lot of time on my laptop. I read a lot, too, but I dropped that for awhile in college because I didn’t have the time. I picked up books again when I saw that intelligence had hit a plateau, picking up reading again helped. People at Borders pretty much know me now. There is this quote on the wall that says “when I get a little money, I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.”- it’s by Erasmus. My mom is always on my case about how many books I buy.

J: What are you currently reading?

A: I am reading the “The Wheel of Time” series by Robert Jordan. He died before he finished and another author is completing it and it is coming out soon. I am really excited. I really like fantasy. I originally shied away from fantasy novels because the epic covers seemed strange. A friend told me about “Wheel of Time” and said that I had to read it, and I realized that fantasy novels aren’t all stupid after all.

J: If you could choose any movie character, which one would you say is most similar to you?

A: I don’t think that there is any one in particular, but my mom always tells me that I look like Ally Sheedy in the Breakfast Club… the hair, the being quiet and trying to come out of my shell but failing. I think that I would have to combine her with about three other characters to get me.

J: Lastly, is there a book that you’ve read that you would like to see made into a movie that hasn’t been made yet?

A: “The Wheel of Time” has so many details that it would make a terrible film. The books I read are ornately detailed- they have the great premise for a movie, but most are too ornate to be done. It would be funny to see Kurt Vonnegut’s “Cat’s Cradle” done, though.

J: I’d like to see Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”. I guess he wouldn’t sell the rights to allow it to be made into a film.

A: Yeah, you’d see all of these people obsessed with Holden Caulfield. I don’t get that attraction. I see his character as a bit one-dimensional.